Its steel frame doesn’t wobble when you get in or out. Our testers consistently said the King Kong chair was the most heavy-duty-feeling model of all the chairs we tested. This durable yet lightweight chair features a flat-folding extra-wide steel frame that is easily stowable in a closet or car trunk.
Discover the ultimate portable chair for your outdoor adventures—whether you’re camping, at the beach, or on the sidelines of your kids’ game. The CLIQ ClassiQ folds to the size of a water bottle, sets up in seconds, and supports up to 300 lbs. Lightweight, durable, and designed for your comfort, easily stores in your car or “go-bag.” It’s your ideal travel companion for effortless relaxation anywhere. It has the highest weight capacity and largest seat of any chair we tested.
The 4-pound, steel-framed REI chair has an attached carry strap, rather than a carry bag (which the other chairs have). After a couple of camping trips, we concluded that a strap is more convenient than a bag—it’s quicker and easier for a kid to grab the chair and go, without parental help. The Chair One is rated to hold up to 320 pounds—more than any other lightweight chair we tested aside from the Moon Lence. It can hold a lot of supplies, and it’s easy to carry and set up. The King Kong chair has two cupholders and intuitively placed storage pouches under each armrest; unlike the Coleman chair, though, this one doesn’t have a cooler pouch.
After six months of frequent use, the stitching along one arm had come unraveled, and the small straps holding up the back of the armrests had both ripped in half. The Dual Lock seat’s name comes from a locking mechanism that secures the chair when it’s folded or expanded—releasing the lock is a matter of pushing a button on one of the legs. As a result, the chair feels grounded and less wobbly than its competitors. 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.
In summer 2023, she bought a newer Coleman Cooler Quad Chair to compare to her 2016 model, and she found them to be more or less the same. If you’re looking for highly specialized or ultra-lightweight chairs for backpacking, our recommendations are probably not for you. We also don’t have suggestions ozark trail backpack for couch-style or loveseat chairs (we’d like to look at those someday, though). Kalee Thompson is the senior editor heading up Wirecutter’s kid coverage. When she wrote the first version of this guide, Kalee lived in Southern California, where she tested chairs on three group camping trips.
But if you want to kick back and stay comfy, the right camping chair can make all the difference. Our ClassiQ Chair has been thoroughly tested. It has been rated to support weights up to 300 lbs. All CLIQ chairs are engineered to take a beating and keep on ticking with high-performance canopy materials that don’t stain and are guaranteed to last a lifetime.
We’ve incorporated their feedback into this review. Several Wirecutter staffers have owned the Coleman chair for years, using it on camping trips, in backyards, and at sporting events. For the most part, it’s held up well, but one common quibble is that the seat bottom begins to sag after several years of use. Higher back and a head rest that make it more comfortable. Good design with a small pocket to place your cell phone or snacks near the cup holder.
Each comes with a convenient carrying bag that you can sling over your shoulder. Made from an easy-to-clean polyester fabric and metal frame. Many testers found other chairs more comfortable and easier to put together than the Nemo Moonlite Reclining Camp Chair.
It’s durable and comfortable for a range of campers. The Coleman Cooler Quad has been our pick since 2016, through numerous camping trips and several testing sessions. That’s because it’s among the most durable and comfortable chairs we’ve tested. It’s large enough to accommodate a wide range of body types, and its steel frame supports up to 325 pounds.