The REI Co-op Flexlite Camp Chair and the Flexlite Air (its featherweight sibling) are lighter than any other chairs in their category, but they felt less steady. We blame the crossbar design, which runs front to back rather than side to side; this creates a lot of wobble from right to left, especially if the chair is not on perfectly even ground. Its base design is the same as for other variations, the Flexlite Camp Dreamer and Flexlite Camp Boss. The Helinox Chair One is the best chair for anyone who needs a lightweight, portable chair.
The soft sidewalls would need extra pressure to keep from bottoming out on rough descents. Whether because of a late payment, a stolen bike, a last-minute invitation, or otherwise, I’ve had to get creative. Now, one of the largest companies on earth is aiming to lower the gravel bike price barrier in a big way. Last year, Walmart shocked the world by dropping genuinely good-for-the-price mountain bike under its Ozark Trails Line.
This was especially reassuring for testers with knee or hip issues, who noted that they felt confident using the Dual Lock seat’s armrests to stand up and get out of it. Stumps, stools, boulders, and picnic tables are fine for sitting briefly outdoors. But if you want to kick back and stay comfy, the right camping chair can make all the difference. The TikTok version of the chair is adorably summer-themed, featuring nostalgia-inducing red, white, and blue popsicle designs all over the seat. There’s a cupholder on the right arm and a built-in cooler on the left that can hold a six-pack of drinks (or more, if you dare).
A functional cupholder, a convenient carry strap, and durable fabric distinguish this kids’ chair from similar seats. But keep in mind that your kid will eventually outgrow this one. The Chair One has a 600-denier polyester and mesh seat and aluminum legs, which are linked with shock cord (like what you’d find inside high-end tent poles). After years of intermittently using the Renetto chair, one staffer said it has held up great. Another said it’s been an essential chair in their life and that it is still going strong after countless soccer games, birthday parties, beach trips, and school events.
We ultimately settled on a testing pool of six models that were recommended by experts and well reviewed, and that included the features testers told us they wanted. Wagons can be helpful for all kinds of jaunts, including trips to the beach and the farmers market. The bike’s shifting, braking, tires, and other attributes were annoying at times and at worst, frightening. The drivetrain made sense on milder dirt, gravel, and paved roads. Instead, the limited range of the gearing helped offset the shifting stiffness by making smaller jumps between gears. The drops were a bit deep for anything other than relatively smooth descents.
There’s even a bottle opener attached to the inside of the cooler to cover all the bases for chillin’ and grillin’ outside. On the back is an elastic slot and Velcro bands to secure an overhead umbrella, and underneath the seat is a strap that collapses the chair for easy transport. The Ozark Lake and the Arkansas River are best for fishing activities, whereas the Aux Arc Park provides playgrounds, boat-launching ramps, campsites, and various other facilities. The IceMule Classic and IceMule Pro 33 were both relatively durable and resistant to our abuse, though the straps’ attachment points seemed perhaps not quite as reliable or as robust as we’d like them to be. These dry bag coolers did great in our submersion tests, and they float, making these a great option to take along on the kayak. It has pockets galore, with the main cooler compartment, two mesh bottle sleeves, and multiple zipper pockets.
It was extremely hard to squeeze inward and still jutted outward if not squeezed into its cover—an impossible ordeal when wrangling two kids in a parking lot. The sand-removal feature, which seemed promising, worked only partially, and many reviewers noted that the wagon’s handle was short. To start, we assessed the initial ozark trail chair assembly of each wagon, noting any particular frustrations, as well as any extra tools that were required. (Because none of the wagons were especially difficult to put together, we did not make this a major criterion.) We also looked at how easy each wagon was to fold and pick up, and to store in a small space.
I also visited a handful of outdoor-gear stores to see what models they recommend. For many owners we’ve talked to, it’s been an essential chair for watching sporting events or any other time you’ll be in the direct sun for hours, like cookouts, picnics, birthday parties, and field trips. Since 2016, our testers (with different body types and physical needs) have subjected camping chairs to multiple camping trips. We chose the Coleman Cooler Quad Chair as the model with the right combination of comfort, durability, usability, and price for most campers.