Our testers took a few measurements for this category, too. In general, the higher the chair is, the easier it is to get in and out, and the gentler it is on the knees and hips. We also compared how far back the seat reclined (or didn’t) and the seat’s width.
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The Big Agnes Skyline UL Chair and Big Agnes Skyline Stool are excellent; they both have a broad base that creates a secure sitting experience. Assuming that you are already carrying an inflatable sleeping pad, the Therm-a-Rest Trekker Chair Kit is a scant 10.8 ounces. It is tall and skinny and also fits easily into an exterior side pocket of a backpack. The REI Co-op Trail Stool is a lightweight in-between option at 17 ounces — it doesn’t have a backrest, but it does have legs that keep you off of the ground. The Helinox Chair Zero is our favorite chair for ultralight luxury.
A close-to-the-ground chair is often the ideal choice for outdoor concerts, movies, theater performances, and other events where you will be concerned about blocking other people’s view. Twisting chairs are also less comfortable, primarily because they tend to have a smaller sitting surface and no backrest, as is true of the REI Co-op Trail Stool. Tent-style chairs like the Big Agnes Skyline UL, Big Agnes Big Six, and Nemo Moonlite excel in the comfort metric since their raised seats are easier to get in and out of. Because they keep their form, it is much easier to plop down and feel supported. The Helinox Ground Chair is a unique tent chair that sits even lower to the ground than its closest competitors, making it more of a recliner meant to extend legs forward.
Of the products that offer the best value, the Moon Lence Backpacking Chair stands out. This lesser-known brand still performs above average in most areas while keeping the price astonishingly low. Our favorite chair, the Skyline UL is on the pricey end but offers an exceptionally well-rounded performance with high marks in comfort, size, weight, stability, and ease of use. Backpacking chairs are great for keeping the weight low, but a cushier camping chair can fit the bill if you’re not straying far from the car. Whatever you need for your camping or backpacking excursions, from a lightweight, top-ranked backpacking tent to the best hiking boots, our reviews can help you get ready for the upcoming adventure.
This cancelation applies to all overnight accommodations, including campsites. The Therm-a-Rest Z Seat and Nemo Chipper only need a quick unfurl from their accordioned positions, and they are ready in an instant. You can stow this featherlight, compressible chair in a backpack or even a work bag. This low-profile chair is easy to carry, and it adjusts for uneven ground. Select a chair with a built-in canopy, which will give you a little patch of cool at any campsite or cookout.
Having said that, we have some questions about its longevity. The seat fabric is stiff, leading to several pressure points over time. Attaching the seat fabric to the aluminum frame also takes a little finessing. It has a lot of short tube segments, and the legs are especially challenging to fold up and pack away. Gripes aside, for those on a budget, this chair is a solid pick for more casual adventures.
We also found that the space-saving hubless pole design takes slightly more time to assemble than the hubbed pole models, but only by around 10 seconds, so we’re splitting hairs here. All in all, this is Ozark Trail Sleeping Bags the seat we’d most like to end up in at the end of a long day. The Coleman camping chair is big and durable, and of all the upright chairs that our panel of campers tested, it was the most comfortable.
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 chairs ozark trail tent we tested from Big Agnes have color-coded poles and pole pockets for a quick visual cue during assembly. We love that some of the Helinox models include picture directions printed on the chairs, making your first setup as easy as your fifteenth.
However, this isn’t really a chair, per se — you are still basically sitting on the ground. If you find getting up off the ground difficult and uncomfortable, then this seat may not be suitable for you. But for those who want a dry, Ozark Trail Canopies warm spot to park their rear without adding more than a couple of ounces to their packs, this one could be your ideal solution. Like most chairs of this type, the Coleman Oversized Quad comes with an over-the-shoulder carry bag.