11 Best Camping Chairs in 2023

The Helinox Chair Zero is the universally recognized top dog among lightweight backpacking chairs. Its higher price reflects a design premium in both quality and portability.

With a verified packed weight of 1 lb 2 oz, this is a folding chair for people who would otherwise balk at the idea of carrying luxury items in the backcountry.

While we love Chair Zero’s compact build and unparalleled portability, these factors limit how comfortable it feels compared to plusher models.

The CLIQ Chair looks very similar to many of our favorite backpacking options. But its weight, a very substantial 3.7 lbs, puts it out of the acceptable limits for most backpackers.

Instead, it’s a convenient and compact alternative to every other scenario that you could want in a camp chair– the beach, the ballgame, and yes- even camping.

The CLIQ chair is somewhere between a stadium seat and a traditional folding chair that offers convenience and carry-ability not seen from either category. Its intuitive setup and bombproof construction make it a top contender for anyone looking for something that holds up and a full-sized folding chair at half the weight and size.

Alps Mountaineering chairs have a bit of a cult following amongst folding chair connoisseurs.

Their Escape Chair is a luxury lounger with a removable footrest to max out your relaxation potential. With a high back and wide seat, the Escape is perfect for getting some time off of your feet and enjoying the sun.

This is a generally affordable option for campers and hikers looking for a middle ground between portability and comfort.

The Freestyle Rocker is a spring-powered outdoor rocking chair. Of all the chairs we’ve tried, the GCI rocker chair has gathered the most outside attention. There’s little more empowering than rolling up to the campsite with a foldable chair that rocks like this one.

But we’ve found the Freestyle Rocker more than just a novelty piece. It’s one of our favorite camp chairs. Full-stop. It deserves a permanent summer residence on your front porch and should be the first chair you pack on any camping trip.

It’s actually one of the pieces of kit that gets most use when not being tested.

Yeti’s Trailhead camp chair has a lot in common with the coolers that made them famous, from campgrounds to construction sites. Their Trailhead camp chair is built to the same ritzy, tough-as-nails criteria, with the same overbuilt construction and wince-worthy price tag. 

Luckily, this Yeti chair has a bag with shoulder straps to better carry its hefty bulk.

With these concerns aside, you’d be hard-pressed to find anything more durable or more comfortable than the Trailhead. As a whole, it’s the best that the business has to offer and its quality is reflected in the price tag. If you want to live in the lap of luxury outside the confines of organized society- the Trailhead is your best option.

Backpacking chairs are a contentious concept in a culture concerned with keeping your packed weight as low as possible. We’ve tested plenty of lightweight backpacking chairs in our quest to find the best of the best and have consistently walked away disappointed in the comfort level of top-end models- except for the Flexlite.

Though largely outshined in terms of weight, REI’s Flexlite chair is still a strong contender in the running for top lightweight backpacking options because of its staunch practicality and comparative comfort level.

The Flexlite is a worthy option for people who like the idea of a backpacking chair but can’t justify spending hundreds of dollars on something that has such limited application. Though it’s a little heavier than the Chair Zero or ultralight sit pads, people unconcerned with a couple of extra pounds should look to the Flexlite as an affordable alternative that holds its own in comparison to the competition.

Coleman camping chairs are a mainstay on camp grounds, festivals and sporting events. The Coleman name has withstood the test of time, much in the same way that their products weather yearly camping trips season after season. After so many decades of outdoor excellence, they’ve brought their A-game to this affordable and feature-rich piece of folding furniture.

Their Cooler Quad Chair handles the two essentials of a frontside folding chair: comfort and a dependable cup holder, but adds a four can cooler to save you the trek to the icebox. Features aside, the biggest draw by far to this chair is the price, only a fraction of most of the other camping chairs we reviewed.

This chair had us impressed on all ends, and with its wide availability, the Cooler Quad is a stalwart defender of Coleman’s reputation as a king of camping.

As is the case with many mass-manufactured chairs, there tends to be some variance in quality over the years. I haven’t experienced any issues with mine despite pushing the weight limit and the cooler capacity up to the limit, but there is enough evidence floating around to question the integrity of the joints.

Beyond this, it’s a cheap and cheerful camp chair that will give you everything you need and a little more, inarguably a bargain deal anyone shopping around should consider.

The Kelty Loveseat is a camping chair for two. It’s an interesting option for couples sharing a romantic outing by the fire or on the beach.

It’s a bit of a glamping option because of its weight, but the practical advantage of sharing a blanket and body warmth makes it more appealing.

The quality of the materials and the overall build show promising durability for an item that will get folded up and out several times in and out of the elements.

Probably the best camping loveseat available.

Marchway is a bit of a dark horse when it comes to the competition among backpacking chairs. It’s a perfectly viable option for backpackers who don’t mind an extra pound or two and find themselves wincing at the price of other options like the Chair Zero.

Though it can’t keep up with the featherweight backpacking exclusive competition, Marchway caught our attention with its high value and no-frills design. We even found Marchway’s design to be more comfortable

Coleman has a reputation to maintain in the outdoor community, and their Aluminum Deck Chair is a classic amongst classics. Beyond nostalgia, it’s also a pretty solid option for those looking for the sweet spot between durability and affordability with the added bonus of a side table.

The wide seat and collapsible side table conjure up images of dawn in the woods, right after you crawl out of the tents and get a little morning fire going. The table’s cup holder even includes a little cutout for the handle of your coffee cup, which alone is enough to garner some serious consideration in my book.

The most consistent complaint about chairs similar to this is a weak side table. While I wouldn’t recommend anyone sitting on it, I was pleasantly surprised at how much weight the table could handle. I thought the chair itself was nice and firm, favoring an upright sitting position rather than a more reclined or relaxed posture. The armrests leave something to be desired, but other than that, I think I could happily crawl out of my tent and into the Aluminum Deck Chair on any given morning.

Straight from the titans of e-commerce, this straightforward and readily available camp chair is more than capable of getting the job done in a limited way.

It’s sometimes hard to imagine how these are made and sold at such a discount. The answer lies in knowing that this won’t survive rugged trips.

The AmazonBasic’s Camp Chair comes fully kitted with a 4-can cooler, mesh cup holder, and partially meshed back for ventilation. It’s also available in a padded and XL-padded variation

There’s a reason why Coleman’s Utopia Breeze is an Amazon Bestseller for both camping and on the beach. The 4.7 out of 5 stars, based on almost 4,000 ratings, proves that most customers were pleased with the purchase. Even though there are a few drawbacks, there’s a good chance that the benefits will outweigh the disadvantages for you.

You might be tempted to give this beach chair a try if having a cup holder attached to it is a priority for you. For sitting by the fire with a cold one, the Utopia is also a decent candidate as long as the campsite doesn’t require too much trekking.

It folds up into a carrying bag and has a steel frame. That makes it an option for the beach as well as other outdoor activities.

We’ve seen camping chairs with all kinds of features, but the Quik Chair Max Shade is a design seldom seen. Obviously, we’re talking about the built-in, fully adjustable shade awning that will keep you safe and shaded even on the most sweltering of summer days.

Far from a one-trick pony, the Max Shade also includes two mesh cup holders and a reinforced side pocket for your phone, books, frisbee, etc. If you feel like getting some rays, you can fully retract the awning, so it hangs freely out of the way, off of the chair’s back.

The Max Shade is a really cool idea, but in practice, it can come off as more of a novelty piece than anything you’d get too much use out of. I was concerned mainly by the weight limit; there are plenty of chairs that can hold much more weight than the Max Shade.

Criticisms aside, I think that those seeking a folding chair for the beach (because of its built-in awning, it works quite well as a beach chair) or festivals will start to see significant returns on their investment. If you’re primarily concerned with sun exposure, the Max Shade is a solid solution.

Cascade Mountain Tech’s Low Profile Camp Chair is a foldable seat that won’t break the bank. Its name speaks for itself — the chair is technical enough to accommodate you in rougher conditions, all while being portable and easy to assemble and disassemble.

The 4k+ Amazon reviews prove that CMT’s chair is worth looking deeper into for the beach and other outdoor scenarios. Although it’s mainly designed for people with a more petite frame, the buyers almost unanimously agree that it’s one of the sturdiest foldable chairs on the market.

If you’re looking for an easy-to-carry camp chair that would also be beach- and festival-friendly, this chair is for you. While it does have some drawbacks that might be a non-negotiable for some, it’s a great all-around chair that does what it says it will without any compromises.

Curious to learn more about the Low Profile Camp Chair? Scroll down and see the specs and features, reasons to buy and not to buy, and our take on the chair.