The Best Camping Chairs of 2023, Tested and Reviewed
Updated On : Dec 22, 2023
The right chairs can make or break a camping trip — no one wants to go into a s'mores-induced sugar coma while squirming in a flimsy foldable. And if you're lugging all your gear on a backpacking journey, a portable seat you can properly rest on is even more crucial. Knowing which brands and models to trust is the first step to creating your own outdoor oasis. Before we tried the Renetto Original Canopy Chair, we had never considered buying a shade-equipped camp chair. The shaded Renetto chairs were consistently the first seats snagged at a beautiful but harshly exposed Indian Grove group campsite. The lightest camping chair on our list is the REI Co-op Flexlite Air Chair, weighing only one pound.
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. Are you a car camper or do you plan on socializing in friends’ backyards? We like this durable, well-constructed chair that has a frame that makes you confident to sit. If you struggle to get any shut-eye at festivals, make sure to pack some ear plugs for sleeping. Proving you don’t have to spend a fortune on good buds, these EarHub plugs impressed our tester. Keeping your hair fresh between showers at festivals (or if you’re not planning to shower at all), dry shampoo is a must-have toiletry.
After six months of regularly using the Coleman Cooler Quad Chair, we think it’s the best choice for most people who are seeking an upright chair for car camping, tailgating, and outdoor gatherings. We noticed during the first of our three camping trips—a weekend in California’s Joshua Tree National Park, with a total of seven families—that, given the choice, campers prefer to take the biggest seat. When we set up a dozen chairs around the campfire without comment, people consistently claimed them from largest to smallest.
These no-frills seats are more tolerable for resting your terrain-tested feet than for enjoying multiple meals, drinks, and the company of other campers around a fire. Each comes with a convenient carrying bag that you can sling over your shoulder. While many camping chairs are available, not all are comfortable, portable, or easy to carry around. However, we've done the hard work for you and rounded up the best camping chairs that check off all the boxes so that your next camping trip is complete, and you can sit and enjoy friends and family around the fire. Normally, we’d caution against buying a chair with a seat that’s significantly wider than you need.
Sturdy arm rests and sits a little higher from the ground, making it a great choice for taller people. Finally, camping chairs should be portable since camping can require hiking to your camping spot. Look for a lighter chair weight to easily carry it around to your destination—a carrying case also makes it easier.
Camping trips, beach days, picnics in the park, outdoor movies and theater performances, a fresh-air get-together with friends—there are countless occasions when you might use a camp chair. With three hours of charge, you can enjoy up to 30 minutes of styling time (it can also be used plugged in). Making light work of our curly, frizz-prone hair, it smoothed flyaways and left us with a just-washed glossy finish.