There are many styles of camping. Some people go off the grid in South America. Others park their van and camp wherever they can find a parking spot with a view.
But no matter what, at the end of a long day of backpacking, fishing, hunting or even just swimming in the lake nearby, every camper likes to take a load off and the cold, hard ground won’t cut it. Thankfully, there’s a camp chair for everyone; collapsible seating ranges from heavy, relatively luxurious chairs you’ll need a car to tote around to ultralight chairs that can slot snugly into a backpack.
Camping chairs come in many forms: there are comfort-oriented thrones, lightweight options and budget-friendly picks, to name a few. Whatever the cost or size, two of the most common fabrics used in camp chairs are polyester and ripstop nylon, which are valued for their durability, water resistance and availability. Many chairs also come with closed-cell foam padding in the arms, upping comfort in the wild.
When you're shopping for the perfect camp chair to take on life's adventures, consider the following: weight, packed dimensions and comfort. If you're a car camper and have the extra space for a bulky (and maybe more padded, more comfortable) beach chair, go ahead and splurge. If you're an ounce counter and lightness is a priority, make sure you're packing a chair that can fit in your pack.
When opting for a lighter chair, you'll start to notice the fabrics become thinner, the accessories like cup holders and back pocket pouches disappear and frames lose weight — these chairs aren't as comfortable as their more robust car camping counterparts, but when weight is a priority, comfort takes a backseat. As with many items, build quality decreases with price, so if you're in the market for a budget-friendly option, be aware you may also be sacrificing quality, comfort and durability.
With that in mind, here are 10 of our favorite camping chairs that run the gamut from minimalist to ultra-luxe.
How We Tested
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Hayley Helms
Everyone's got a favorite spot to camp: the beach, the desert, the mountains, or even your own backyard for a staycation. When testing our camp chairs, we kept that in mind: we tested them in the hills of the Pacific Northwest, beachside in Southern California and on road trips in the Rockies, Sierras and everywhere in between.
While testing, we kept a few factors in mind: how easy it was to assemble each chair; how much individual chairs weighed; if the fabric was durable and fade-proof; and what each chair was best suited for. After months of testing throughout all four seasons, we landed on our top 10 picks below.
The chair has a bit of a hammock quality its shape and stability; you sink in a little bit and it moves with your body. That makes it great for relaxing, but less than ideal for anything that would require sitting up straight, like eating at a surface other than your lap.
As someone who usually doesn’t bring a chair of any kind backpacking, the Trekker might change that for our tester forever.First things first, it may seem obvious but it’s important to note, the Trekker is not a chair. Initially our tester was skeptical that the Trekker would be a worthwhile investment, considering it is essentially a sleeping pad folding tool. However, our tester was seriously impressed by the comfort, ease of use and portability. Weighing in at under a pound for both sizes, the Trekker functions with 2 sleeves and 3 buckles. You simply tuck your inflatable sleeping pad through the sleeves, buckle it in and tighten/inflate to your own comfort level. For our tester, that meant tightening it to the point I could lean back with ease, and having the sleeping pad not fully inflated so they could sink in a bit (the pad folds over on the seat so there’s no chance of sinking into the hard ground).
After a long day on your feet, a comfy place to sit is the epitome of backpacking luxury, and the Trekker makes that experience possible with minimal extra weight and pack space — after all, you’re already bringing a sleeping pad! Our tester will be adding it to their essential backpacking kit.
The carrying bag has backpack straps that make it easy to transport, which is super useful considering it weighs over 13 lbs. For reference, a classic soccer-mom fold-out chair from Walmart weighs about 4 lbs. Our tester found that the chair won’t tip over when there is a little wind, which is partially due to the weight, but also, the FlexGrid Fabric allows air to travel through, so it won’t get caught in a gust. This quality is also nice when it is hot out, as plenty of air flows underneath you.
While this fabric definitely makes for a comfortable seat, you may want to be wary of campfires as the chair is not fire-resistant, as an ember gone rogue can do a bit of damage. On top of that, we found that the fabric can hold onto a smokey smell, so you might want to hose it down or air it out after a trip is over. When it is time to pack up, there are two buttons underneath the arms that you simultaneously press to unlock the legs. You then have to maneuver to the backside of the chair to pull the backrest and legs together. Once it is folded up, it easily packs into its carrying case, and you are good to go.
