All-in-one, push-button design maximizes ease of setup. Wirecutter is the product recommendation service from The New York Times. Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) ozark trail canopy over-the-top testing so you can make quick and confident buying decisions. Whether it’s finding great products or discovering helpful advice, we’ll help you get it right (the first time).
Senior editor Kalee Thompson, who wrote a previous version of this guide, has been regularly using the Coleman chair she originally tested in 2016. Aside from the color fading and the cooler pouch deteriorating, her chair has held up to years of backyard hangs and camping trips. 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 for couch-style or loveseat chairs (we’d like to look at those someday, though). Experience ultimate relaxation and maximum comfort with this club chair with footrest!
This chair comes with a sturdy carrying case, with an over-the-shoulder strap, and it’s simple to expand and fold up accordion-style. No other chair in our testing pool—except ozark trail canopy perhaps the extremely pricey Yeti Trailhead—came close to matching the King Kong’s build quality. Its steel frame doesn’t wobble when you get in or out.
However, they don’t have all of the same features. There are also chairs that are hybrids between categories, such as the Nemo Stargaze Reclining Camp Chair, which comes highly rated and recommended. We’re planning to look at all of these chairs. The 4-pound, steel-framed REI chair has an attached carry strap, rather than a carry bag (which the other chairs have).
“I was so surprised how well it’s built and the packaging is awesome as I got two and it came with a bag. Very comfy chairs and sleek design.” 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 ozark trail canopy 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. Stumps, stools, boulders, and picnic tables are fine for sitting briefly outdoors.