The Mac Sports wagons are basic models intended primarily for lugging gear, but the Evenflo Pivot Xplore All-Terrain Stroller Wagon is designed specifically for hauling kids. Unlike our other picks, the Pivot Xplore has a swiveling handlebar that makes it move more like a stroller than a wagon. That handle flips from pushing to pulling position, giving the wagon flexibility for different types of movement across various terrain. The Pivot Xplore weighs 34.7 pounds, so it’s much heavier than both Mac Sports wagons.
Even though the Veer and the Pivot Xplore both fold down to about the same size, the Pivot Xplore feels way more portable when folded, compared with the tank-like Veer. The cupholders on the L.L.Bean Kids’ Base Camp Chair aren’t as roomy as those on our picks, and they are not as adept at holding stubby water bottles or mugs of hot chocolate. We think the REI chair functions better and will last much longer than the similar chair from Walmart. But the price difference is significant—and after six months of near-constant outdoor use, the Walmart chair was still in decent shape. If you are looking for an ultracheap choice, the Walmart chair is one.
The Ozark Trail Oversized Mesh Chair from Walmart, although similar to our pick in size, was far less comfortable, with rough-feeling material that was obviously of lower quality. We later found, after six months of frequent use, that the stitching along one arm had come unravelled and that the small straps holding up the back of the armrests had both ripped in half. Portable outdoor chairs are also helpful for anyone who doesn’t have the room or budget for permanent backyard furniture.
We found that the cheaply constructed Walmart 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. The Everywhere Chair keeps your bottom about 4 inches off the ground.
We did select our favorite upright chair for car camping and tailgating, and then additional low-to-the-ground, ultra-lightweight, and canopy picks, as well as a great chair for kids. The Pivot Xplore has only a small amount of storage on the outside, compared with other stroller wagons, but it does include a clip-on basket that you can attach for some quick-access storage. The Pivot Xplore can hold up to 120 pounds, which is 30 pounds less than our simple folding-wagon picks hold. Unlike basic folding wagons like the Mac Sports models, stroller wagons don’t usually list their capacity in volume, since they’re mostly used for toting kids instead of gear. But we estimated the Pivot Xplore’s capacity to be about 3.4 cubic feet—about the same as the Veer Cruiser’s, slightly less than that of the regular Mac Sports wagon, and only about half that of the Mac Sports Heavy Duty wagon.
It was right there in front of us all along and these crazy SOBs made it happen. Our printable checklist covers all your camping essentials to make planning stress free. Select a chair with a built-in canopy, which will give you a little patch of cool at any campsite or cookout.
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. The Renetto’s big, heavy canopy provides ample sun protection at a campsite or cookout and doubles as a backpack-strap-equipped carrying case. Are you a car camper or do you plan on socializing in friends’ backyards? ozark trail hammock chair My kids enjoyed the Pivot Xplore’s sunshades and snack bar, as well as how easily the wagon glided over many types of terrain. The three-point harnesses offer the safety of a stroller, but in a fun ride that allows two kids to face each other. The two UPF 50+ sunshades can be pulled up to meet in the middle, or they can be adjusted so there’s just one up.
But with a kid or two added to the mix, this wagon’s wheels started to drag deeper. We think the Mac Sports wagon is fine for occasional beach use, especially if your gear is more bulky than heavy and you don’t have to travel too far to your spot. But if you’re looking for a folding wagon to primarily use at the beach, we recommend paying more for the Mac Sports Heavy Duty Collapsible Folding All Terrain Utility Cart. For the first round of testing in 2019, I used all six wagons for two-kid trips to my son’s elementary school, traveling about half a mile each way over sidewalks and city streets during the course of two months.
As with any stroller, these wagons shouldn’t be used in extremely bumpy environments until a baby has full head and neck control. Our not-too-discriminating underage testers liked all the kids’ chairs, though over time we found several reasons to declare the REI Camp Chair the best of the bunch. The REI chair’s polyester seat material feels both more forgiving and more durable than the thinner material on the Ozark Trail Kids’ Folding Camp Chair from Walmart. 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.