That works for the majority of the market, but if you happen to be heavier than that, you’ll find that pickings can be slim. For this special purpose, you’ll need a rocker made from a water-resistant, flexible material with a foldable frame. Some require little or no assembly and can be spread open and set on the ground. Collapsible rocking camping chairs have removable rocking rails; these take a little more effort to put together, but they provide smoother rocking motions. Our not-too-discriminating underage testers liked all the kids’ chairs, though over time we found several reasons to declare the REI Camp Chair the best of the bunch.
Despite the Renetto’s weight, our testers found it easy to carry and simple to set up and adjust. We discovered that even though most testers had not previously considered a shade-equipped camp chair, once they used one they appreciated the comfort and convenience of built-in sun blocking. Today’s specialty backpacking chairs are impressively small and light. They’re also far more expensive and significantly less comfortable than typical full-size camp chairs. We recommend buying this type only if you intend to carry your chair long distances, whether you’re backpacking or trekking across Central Park. If you do need a fits-in-a-knapsack chair, we recommend the Helinox Chair One.
Sturdy arm rests and sits a little higher from the ground, making it a great choice for taller people. In addition to that, you’ll find a handy cup holder built into the tray, which will virtually eliminate your risk of spilling your drink. The one ozark cooler thing this chair doesn’t have, however, is storage. Fortunately, this is also easy to remedy via a bit of DIY engineering. Simply buy a mesh bag for storage and attach a D-Ring to it, then clamp it onto one of the support struts on the chair.
Simply put, it can be notoriously difficult to find furniture that’s big and robust enough to support you properly. That’s as true for camp chairs as it is for recliners and the like. Where camp chairs are concerned, most of them top out at around 300 pounds of supported weight.
Our testers liked the comfort and back support of the GCI Outdoor Everywhere Chair, as well as the ability to adjust it to sit on uneven ground. They also appreciated its cupholder (rare in chairs of this sort) and its quick close-up-and-carry design. Higher back and a head rest that make it more comfortable. Good design with a small pocket to place your cell phone or snacks near the cup holder.
The REI chair’s polyester seat material feels both more forgiving and more durable than the thinner material on the Ozark Trail Kids’ Folding Camp Chair from Walmart. The box-shaped cupholder is a little roomier than the round cupholders on the Coleman and the L.L.Bean Base Camp chairs—better for stubby water bottles or mugs of hot chocolate around the campfire. We found that the cheaply constructed Walmart chair had a cupholder that was too small for a soda can, or any of the hard-plastic or metal water bottles that the kids we know brought on a camping trip. It will fit a Capri Sun pouch or a narrow, rectangular juice box, but that’s about it. The Everywhere Chair keeps your bottom about 4 inches off the ground. The strap that supports the back (and doubles as a carry strap) allows adjustments to control your angle of recline, from upright to a stargazing-appropriate angle.
Owing to its extra-wide seat, the first thing you’ll notice about this oversized director’s chair is that it looks rugged and robust. The Ozark Trail XXL Director chair’s metal frame has an all-business look about it too, which clearly sends the message that this is a go-anywhere chair. The frame is a very strong and durable steel, and it has the X-crossed supporting bars on the front and ion the back. The Ozark Trail Oversized Mesh Chair from Walmart, although similar to our pick in size, was far less comfortable, with rough-feeling material that was obviously of lower quality.
We found the Coleman Kickback Breeze Chair to be a simple yet very comfortable seat, though women liked it more than men did (many of them judged it to be too snug). Anecdotally, we found that this chair category in general is more popular among ozark tent women than among men, who generally prefer a higher, upright seat. 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.
At a whopping 28”, this chair can accommodate just about anyone. Besides that, you need to know if you have enough room in your vehicle to fit the chairs. Some fold up small enough to fit in backpacks, but you should double check how much these seating options weigh before buying them.