The Best Camping Chairs of 2023, Tested and Reviewed

Those curious should head over to our buyer’s guide for everything you need to know about what your criteria should be. From there, our best camp chairs of the season can give you side-by-side comparisons of some of the top picks across the industry. For all of the features and the size of the Cooler Quad, setting it up is just as easy as any other basic camp chair. The only thing between you and an afternoon of grilling is getting it out of the sleeve. It comes with a bag that has a shoulder strap to cart it around and weighs 8 pounds.

This affordable, durable, comfortable chair is tailored to those who like their refreshments. The cooler pocket fits four standard cans and zips up to insulate your beverages of choice. In addition to the cooler, the chair has a mesh cup holder, two mesh pockets, and a roomy seat that’s 24 inches wide. It easily folds up and slips into its shoulder-strap carrying bag and is lightweight enough to carry to a picnic. While the padded seat and armrests are great for campers who like a cushioned feel, some may find the chair lacking in back support. Have a cold drink at hand at the campsite, BBQ or picnic with a Coleman® Cooler Quad Chair.

Testers provide periodic updates to report on the chairs’ performances over the course of six months. In terms of comfort, the Co-op Flexlite Air Chair has the perfect amount of give. It’s so small and lightweight to bring around, you can even throw it into a backpack or tote bag. It folds up quickly and compactly, and the included carrying bag allows for hassle-free storage and transportation. You can easily pack it in your car trunk, RV, or backpack and take it with you wherever you go.

However, unless you hit the exact right position, the unsupported fabric does very little to hold your head up. Portable outdoor chairs are also helpful for anyone who doesn’t have the room or budget for permanent backyard furniture. And they can save your back, make it easier to juggle a picnic plate and a cold beverage, and generally help you to relax comfortably outdoors. Camping trips, beach days, picnics in the park, outdoor movies and theater performances, a fresh-air get-together with friends—there are countless occasions when you might use a camp chair. Upgrade your outdoor seating experience with the Coleman Camping Chair with a Built-In 4 Can Cooler.

The highly portable Cliq chair weighs less than four pounds and folds up into the size of a water bottle. The chair still manages to be strong and durable, holding up to 300 pounds with its unique tip-proof, four-legged design. With its combination of comfort, convenience, and functionality, the coleman cabin tent with Built-In 4 Can Cooler is a must-have for any outdoor enthusiast. The cooler itself is an easy-access zippered pouch that hangs from the bottom of the left armrest. This chair had us impressed on all ends, and with its wide availability, the Cooler Quad is a stalwart defender of Coleman’s reputation as a king of camping.

The box-shaped cupholder is a little roomier than the round cupholders on the Coleman and the L.L.Bean Base Camp chairs—better for stubby water bottles or mugs of hot chocolate around the campfire. We found that the cheaply constructed Walmart coleman pop up canopy chair had a cupholder that was too small for a soda can, or any of the hard-plastic or metal water bottles that the kids we know brought on a camping trip. It will fit a Capri Sun pouch or a narrow, rectangular juice box, but that’s about it.

And after regularly using the chair for six months (and leaving it out in the rain on occasion), it’s still in great condition. The right chairs can make or break a camping trip — no one wants to go into a s’mores-induced sugar coma while squirming in a flimsy foldable. And if you’re lugging all your gear on a backpacking journey, a portable seat you can properly rest on is even more crucial. Knowing which brands and models to trust is the first step to creating your own outdoor oasis.

I’d also recommend the Cooler Quad to anyone who wants a roomier camp chair but doesn’t want to spring for the more expensive top-of-the-line models. The mesh cup holder has a soft plastic grommet stitched into the armrest fabric, reinforcing the mesh and helping the cup holder retain its shape so you have effortless access to your beverage of choice. Beyond this, it’s a cheap and cheerful camp chair that will give you everything you need and a little more, inarguably a bargain deal anyone shopping around should consider.

The low height instantly turns the ground into a footrest, and the seat is wide enough to provide leg support that makes you feel like you’re reclining. If you’re a minimalist traveler, REI’s Co-op Flexlite Air Chair is the ideal type of camping gear for you. The 1-pound seat comes with a minuscule stuff sack that can easily be slipped into a backpack or suitcase.

The cooler is also easy to use, with a handy pull-on top that unzips both sides simultaneously. A small patch of velcro is all that’s left between you and your cold beverages. The cooler in the armrest sticks out at an odd angle and resists being squeezed back into a sack that’s barely large enough to hold it. Beyond the cooler, the Quad has a single mesh cup holder that’s just barely wide enough to squeeze in an iPhone 8+ and a side seat pocket with one large pocket and two smaller mesh pockets to keep you organized. The canopy quickly and easily transforms into a carrying case—just wrap it around the chair and snap it closed with two plastic buckles, and you can carry the whole thing on your back like an oblong backpack. We brought this chair to a dense Los Angeles neighborhood to watch Fourth of July fireworks.