Although it doesn’t collapse in two directions like a camp chair, it folds nearly flat and weighs a scant four pounds, much less than the other lawn chairs in our test fleet. This extra-wide web chair is designed for your ultimate comfort and is perfect for barbeques, picnics, and days spent at the beach. The classic woven webbed chair is constructed with a lightweight yet sturdy aluminum frame and features a steel support bar and steel rivets—so you can be confident that it will hold up for years of enjoyment. Best of all, the chair folds up for easy storage and transport, so you’ll always have the best seat in the house. Many camp chair manufacturers provide a “weight capacity,” which can helpful in a number of ways. At the high end of the spectrum, the burly Alps Mountaineering King Kong has a very healthy 800-pound maximum, while the lightweight Helinox Chair Zero is listed at just 265 pounds.
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 patio furniture sets 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.
The Timber Ridge Zero Gravity Lawn Chair also features a convenient cup holder and small table, so you really don’t have to move a muscle. And no need to pack it up when you’re done relaxing—the powder coated steel frame and padded polyester seat are durable enough outdoor patio shades to withstand whatever weather Mother Nature is serving. We also consulted Jessica Foster, Home Depot’s online merchant for direct fulfillment for patio furniture. “Your choice of lawn chair will typically always come down to personal taste and style,” she says.
On the opposite end of the price spectrum is the Yeti Hondo Base Camp Chair, which is a serious splurge. But its impressive durability, superior comfort, and sleek look are worth the higher price tag, if you can swing it. The mesh FlexGrid fabric is totally breathable and incredibly strong, with the ability to support up to 500 pounds of weight without stretching out. While we’re partial to this Classic version, which sits at an ideal 15.5 inches above the ground, this chair is also available in both a low-back and high-back beach chair option, which are much shorter.
A comfy outdoor chair makes a big difference in relaxation levels, and with a variety of affordable patio chair options you can easily find the right combination to suit your space and needs. We look for cup holders, reclining lock-outs, canopies, trays, accessory pouches, and headrests. We like cupholders that fit standard 12-ounce cans securely, adjustments and joints that worked smoothly, and anything else that made our experience with the product more enjoyable. The pistons force the user forward into an upright position, almost tipping forward, and the rocking motion doesn’t feel nearly as natural as a regular rocker.
The Flexlite Camp Boss here slots in right in the middle, combining a near-ideal mix of weight, comfort, and durability for many campers. It is pricier by $20 and heavier by a significant 1 pound 3 ounces, but we consider the Camp Boss the more approachable and well-rounded pick. Thoughts of camping chairs may conjure up images of $10 specials out front a big-box retailer, but let’s reorient ourselves to a slightly higher standard.
But if you hate sitting still or just prefer something a little different, there’s no denying the added fun factor. Chairs with a low seat height excel in places where it’s required, like an outdoor concert, or for times when it’s best to be low to the ground, like a beach. Of these chair types, the Alps Mountaineering Rendezvous is a standout in terms of comfort—the chair sits at a recline to stretch out your legs—and material quality. You don’t get the ability to raise the seat like you do with the ENO Lounger DL below, but you’re not paying for it either. The Lawn Chair USA Webbing Chair is our top pick because it’s a universal lawn chair that works for a variety of uses. The rust-free aluminum frame and UV-resistant webbing are incredibly lightweight and easy to fold up, so the chair is portable for camping, tailgating, and hanging in the park.
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.