All in all, though, this is a quality pair of chairs at an excellent price. This metal chair is sold in a single style and is also available in a pack of five (ideal for families). Once assembled, each patio furniture sets chair measures 24 x 21 x 32.25 inches and has a weight capacity of 300 lbs. This chair, which comes in a set of two, is made with steel and is available in navy and red (the turquoise is sold out).
But with a vintage-style look, it’s not too sporty to serve as full-time backyard seating. We also let two boys, ages 1 and 5, play with them and sit on them in the backyard for six months. After all that, we concluded that the REI Co-op Camp Chair – Kids’ is the best choice for anyone who wants to buy a practical, portable outdoor chair for a small child. The canopy quickly and easily transforms into a carrying case—just wrap it around the chair and snap it closed with two plastic buckles, and you can carry the whole thing on your back like an oblong backpack. We brought this chair to a dense Los Angeles neighborhood to watch Fourth of July fireworks.
Once it’s deployed, though, there are few complaints — unless you want cupholders on your chair. All in all, we like this chair, even if we like a few others a little bit more. Of course, we want to be sure to include any possible downsides, and we think some of this chair’s features could be improved upon. For example, although the padded foam encased in nylon fabric provides comfort for prolonged relaxation sessions, this chair isn’t very breathable under-bottom. Additionally, while the chair seems to be sturdy and reliable for the long haul, the carrying bag that comes with it doesn’t hold up to the same quality.
We’ve found that overall build quality correlates with price, but it’s slightly more nuanced than that. A budget camping chair like the Coleman Oversize Quad, which has no business on a backpacking trip, is durable and reliable because Coleman didn’t have to worry about keeping weight down. It can withstand a whole lot more abuse when compared with a lightweight model like the Helinox Chair Zero. Backpacking chairs cost more outdoor patio shades because they require thin but strong frame materials, like aluminum, which is more expensive than thick steel. That said, the build quality of the Coleman is still lower than the similarly designed but more expensive Alps Mountaineering King Kong. Because people use outdoor chairs for an array of purposes and have different preferences when it comes to comfort, it was almost impossible to choose just one best chair.
We got some admiring nods en route to the celebration—and we had one of the more comfy seats at the show. The camp-style chairs, like the ALPS Mountaineering King Kong, Coleman Cooler Quad, and Kijaro Dual Lock, generally score the highest as they all packed into their own included carrying bags. In the Kijaro’s case, you can skip the bag, as the chair itself has a shoulder strap on the frame that works well in conjunction with its namesake locking mechanism holding it closed in transit. However, its folded length is nearly 4 feet, which isn’t very compact nor convenient. We gave the Lawn Chair USA Webbing Chair a high score here because of how light it is (around four pounds) and how flat it folds. Some of the other chairs, especially the zero gravity chairs, are best as patio furniture, as they don’t pack down that small and typically weigh 15 or more pounds.