The 8 Best Camping Chairs of 2024 | Tested & Rated

Sick of a numb bum and ready for comfort? We bought 17 of the best camping chairs and spent months rigorously testing each model side-by-side. We took these chairs camping in the desert, packed them into cars, carried them to family reunions, and napped in them on the beach.

The ALPS Mountaineering King Kong is the best overall due to its incredible comfort and ease of use at a fantastic price. It has storage in addition to cup holders. If you want to save a little more weight and money and are willing to sacrifice some comfort, the GCI Outdoor Comfort Pro is our best option for a tight budget.

We've also tested the best backpacking chairs if you need to go lighter and smaller than this review covers.

The ALPS Mountaineering King Kong is our favorite camping chair and one of two we deem the most comfortable. The King Kong has consistently been the first chair snagged whenever our test team gathers around a campfire. The slightly padded fabric makes it ideal for long lounging sessions, and the seat itself is exceptionally roomy — if a bit slouchy — with an incredibly stable frame. The listed weight capacity is 800 pounds, and as a result, the reinforced fabric is very durable. Testers appreciated all of the functional storage features, including two cup holders, two side pockets, and an additional small pocket behind the headrest. The setup of this chair is super simple and only takes a matter of seconds.

All this comfort and added reinforcement come at a cost. With extra features come several extra pounds, making the King Kong one of the heaviest single-person chairs in our lineup. It also doesn't offer a headrest, so it's not the best pick for an afternoon snooze. That said, we think this chair will stand up to all of your needs for camping, tailgating, fishing, or anything else. If you're shopping for a comfortable chair or use a camping-specific chair regularly and don't mind a bit of bulk, we highly recommend the King Kong. Those looking to maximize comfort in a lightweight package should check out the Helinox Sunset, which also offers a personalized headrest.

Read more: ALPS Mountaineering King Kong review

The GCI Outdoor Comfort Pro is a simple chair that offers solid performance for less than you might expect. It has a fairly tall seat and back to match widely splayed arms, offering plenty of space to sit high above the ground. It's not the most supportive seat we tested, but it's above average among its competition, leaving slouchy folding sports chairs in the dust when it comes to supporting your full weight. The angled back continues that level of support without making you feel like you're collapsing in on yourself the longer you sit. A mesh panel keeps air flowing across the spine even on a hot day, while a single cup holder perfectly fits your favorite refreshing 12-ounce canned beverage.

Unfortunately, there's nowhere to stash your favorite oversized tumbler on the Comfort Pro. Furthermore, there are no large pockets for snacks, magazines, or books — just one small pocket that's sized to hold your smartphone. With full-length crossed steel bars running the entire back of the chair, this chair becomes quite a long package, made slightly more awkward by the lack of adjustability of the carry strap. And for those with shorter legs, the 20-inch high front edge might lead to dangling feet. But if you're taller, larger-framed, or older and want a supportive seat that's easy to get out of, this budget-friendly model easily fits the bill. Shorter folks might prefer the inexpensive REI Co-op Skyward, which sits lower to the ground.

Read more: GCI Outdoor Comfort Pro review

If you're looking for a luxurious camp chair to enhance your glamping experience, look no further than the Yeti Trailhead. This ultra-durable and ergonomic design features maximum comfort, making our testers want to trade this camp chair for their office chairs. The FlexGrid fabric is supportive of the body while also allowing for breathability due to the perforated material.

Everything about this chair speaks to luxury, from the intuitive and easy setup to the cross-over style, which enhances stability and sturdiness. The carry bag is thoughtfully designed and features not one but two straps, allowing for options depending on how far you need to carry. Even the zipper on the carry bag is heavy-duty and designed to last. Unfortunately, this chair is large and weighs 13.3 pounds, and the price tag is a bit shocking. However, our testers are certain you won't be disappointed in this investment if you want to purchase something for the long haul. Those who aren't ready to invest can still enjoy a comfy, stable, and durable seat at a fraction of the price with other options like the top-performing ALPS Mountaineering King Kong.

Read more: Yeti Trailhead review

The Kelty Low Loveseat amazes us with its incredibly comfortable two-person design. This model was very stable, with a lower seating height than most traditional camping chairs. While the feet of our shorter testers rested comfortably on the ground, Kelty also makes a version that's several inches taller. Made of durable materials, this chair can stand up to the trials of seating multiple people and even dogs for extended periods. After three straight years of regular use and some severe sun exposure, it's fading a bit but is still as comfortable as the first day we got it. This chair has grown on our lead tester the longer she has owned it, a credit to its impressive longevity and comfort.

Aside from the overall size and weight, our biggest complaint was how popular the Low Loveseat was with our friends, leaving us less time to enjoy its outstanding attributes. As a padded chair, it's also less breathable on a hot day, but with light colors, we hardly noticed. For its comfort and durability, as well as its ability to seat a couple of friends, we think this chair is worth considering. If you're shopping for a one-person design, the REI Co-op Skyward sports a breathable mesh that's great for hot weather.

Read more: Kelty Low Loveseat review

The Helinox Chair One is the lightest and most packable camping chair that we tested. The perforated polyester seat material helps lighten the load of the design as well as provide more comfort on hot summer days thanks to increased breathability. Our testing team found themselves reaching for this chair when space was limited or we needed to be conscious of every ounce on a backcountry jaunt.

Although this design doesn't offer the comfort of padded material nor armrests, we're confident the durable design will make up for it in overall packability. Measuring 14 inches long and weighing in at only two pounds, the Chair One is the standard when it comes to lightweight and compact performance. If you're on a tight budget, the GCI Outdoor Comfort Pro is a great pick featuring armrests, but it's not nearly as lightweight.

Read more: Helinox Chair One review

The REI Co-op Flexlite Camp Dreamer is a unique design that combines the ultralight performance of a backpacking chair with the comfort of a mid-size lounger. The design features a high backrest with broad support that better disperses pressure points, while the vents included in the seat increase overall comfort and breathability. The four leg construction helps enhance stability while the rubberized feet keep the chair in place, especially on slippery granite slabs. The pockets are versatile enough to hold a variety of beverages as well as keep small items within arm's reach. This iteration also offers a much easier assembly when compared to its predecessor.

Although this chair features a DWR finish that both increases durability as well as water resistance, it can run a little hot on summer days with lots of sun. The design also forgoes the comfort of armrests and the stuff sack doesn't feature a shoulder strap. That being said, the Flexlite Camp Dreamer is perfect for those who want the performance of a mid-size lounger, within a lightweight and packable design that's easy to use, no matter where you are. If you don't mind sacrificing a few accessories and a high backrest, check out the Helinox Chair One for an even lighter and more packable camping chair.

Read more: REI Co-op Flexlite Camp Dreamer review

For anyone sick of that sports chair slouch, the Kijaro Dual Lock Folding Chair is the model you've been waiting for. The frame holds the seat and back fabric taut by locking open to provide a firm foundation. A comfortably angled back panel promotes relaxation rather than rigidity. All this added support, along with one of the tallest seat heights we tested, make the Kijaro among the most natural chairs to stand up out of. And feel free to leave the annoying carry bag at home. This chair has an adjustable shoulder carry strap attached to the back of the frame. Once locked closed, it's easy to hoist it up and head out without carrying an additional storage bag.

The interesting design of this chair makes the folded package exceptionally long — just shy of four feet. The length makes it less ideal for stuffing in the trunk, though it's still more than doable. While previous iterations made us think twice about durability, we experienced no issues during our recent testing period. Time to ditch those chairs that promote slouching and experience the comfort of ergonomic and upright support the Kijaro is known for. Those who want both great back support and packability should check out the Helinox Sunset.

Read more: Kijaro Dual Lock Folding Chair review

The Best Choice Zero Gravity Canopy Recliner quickly became the most coveted chair amongst our testing team. The chair features a heavyweight design that features a sturdy and durable metal frame complete with an adjustable headrest and sunshade. The chair prioritizes comfort whether you're seated or reclining thanks to a breathable textile that has a little flexion thanks to the bungee cord attachments. The frame features additional rubber grips on the legs for stability and grip on uneven terrain.

The Zero Gravity chair is not the best choice for those seeking a highly portable or lightweight camping chair. Although the chair easily slides into a folded position, it weighs in at 21 pounds (the heaviest in the review) and requires more space than most other chairs in this review. That being said, if you have a camper, RV, or pickup truck with adequate space to transport this bad boy, you will not be disappointed. Just don't be surprised when you and your friends are fighting over whose turn it is to sit in the Zero Gravity Canopy Recliner.

Read more: Best Choice Zero Gravity Canopy Recliner review

We've researched and considered dozens of different models during our neverending search for the best camping chairs. We purchase every chair and use them to hang out with our friends for months of use. We cart them on weekend camping trips, set them up at family reunions, spend late nights around the fire pit, watch sporting events, and hang out at all-day backyard barbecues. During our testing period, we paid close attention to details that matter in a camp chair, like how well the cup holders and pockets work. We weighed and measured them, carried them all over, and jumped into them to see what they could handle. What follows is a comprehensive discussion of our in-depth findings from months of lounging.

Teaming up to bring you this review is Maggie Nichols and Trish Matheny. Maggie is a seasoned multi-sport athlete and appreciates gear that makes for high-quality downtime when it's time to kick back and relax. She has taught workshops and guided extensively worldwide on topics as diverse as snow camping and expedition kayaking. Over the years, Maggie has spent extended amounts of time living out of backpacks and her teardrop trailer, arrangements where packable comfort items go a long way. Trish spent years living out of a popup camper and can appreciate durable gear that saves space without sacrificing optimal performance. After many years spent adventuring and rock climbing, Trish is happy to trade her former crashpad seat for the comfort of the right camping chair. Maggie and Trish recruited the help of friends and family to test and judge all the chairs in this review. This crowd included children, numerous people over 6 feet tall, several dogs, a dozen senior citizens, and a flock of Girl Scouts, spanning ages 12 to 80 years old.

Camping chairs are useful luxury items that can be used while camping and barbecuing, hanging out on the sidelines of a soccer game, on the beach, or tailgating and enjoying outdoor concerts. However, not all chairs are made for the same style of use or comfort. We evaluated each model across myriad tests in four mutually exclusive, thorough metrics. How each one performs in every test then determines its score for that metric. Here we break down their performances by metric to get down to the specifics of each model.

Usually, you get what you pay for. Not so with camping chairs. The ALPS Mountaineering King Kong was the top-scoring chair and was one of the best values. That said, if you want something lighter and about half the price, the GCI Comfort Pro is our top value choice. The Kijaro Dual Lock Folding Chair is also a great value and has fantastic seat support. Finally, the Mountain Summit Gear Loveseat is worth mentioning; it provides two seats, upping its value by decreasing the price-per-seat cost.

Comfort is our most highly weighted metric, accounting for 40% of the overall score for each camping chair. After all, deciding to buy a chair instead of sitting on a log, crashpad, or the ground means you probably value comfort quite a bit. So don't waste your money on one that isn't comfortable. Factors we considered when evaluating comfort were armrests, lumbar support, a headrest, back ventilation, and the chair's overall design.

There are several chairs that we think are exceptionally comfortable. The King Kong is roomy and slightly padded, has large/adjustable armrests, and remains cozy in that slouchy kind of way while offering pretty good support in a tall, spacious seat. Similarly, the Kelty Low Loveseat is comfortable with large padded seats but is much lower to the ground and fits two people instead of just one. Though the Mountain Summit Gear Loveseat doesn't offer the same padded comfort as the Kelty, it is still quite comfortable and offers a higher position above the ground that some of our taller testers appreciated.

If you prefer a less slouchy, flatter, and more supportive seat, the Kijaro Dual Lock locks into place, stopping the seat from sagging. The GCI Comfort Pro has a similar shape and design, but it lacks the locking mechanism of the Kijaro and is slightly less supportive because of it. Still, it offers more support than most in this category, making it easier to get in and get out of. Perhaps the most comfortable of all the chairs that feature a locking mechanism is the Yeti Trailhead. This camp chair stood apart from the competition thanks to its innovative FlexGrid fabric that offers a ton of comfort while also alleviating pressure points and conforming to your body. We also think the Helinox Sunset Chair is surprisingly comfortable, offering a high back and supportive shape that increases rest day comfort while lounging around in camp.

Recliners like the ALPS Mountaineering Escape and the Best Choice Zero Gravity are in a league of their own. If the Tuolumne Search and Rescue team has anything to say about the comfort metric, the Zero Gravity was the coveted and most sought after design throughout the testing season. The Zero Gravity supplies excellent comfort whether seated or reclining thanks to a breathable textile fabric that distributes your body weight.

This metric is the second most important rating criterion that we evaluated, accounting for a quarter of each product's overall score. Given the variety of ways you can use a chair, it is mandatory to choose a product you won't mind moving and transporting. Factors that affect a chair's portability are its packed size, weight, carry bag, and overall transporting experience.

Thanks to their light weights and compact designs, the Helinox chairs are the clear winners in this category. The Chair One weighs a mere two pounds yet boasts a 320 pound weight limit. The chair supplied durability for a variety of body types (thanks to a heavy duty polyester construction and anodized aluminum alloy poles) without adding a ton of weight to the compact design.

The Helinox Sunset Chair breaks down and folds into a surprisingly compact carry bag. Despite having a high back and being impressively durable, this model weighs just 3.24 pounds and is the one of the lightest chairs that we tested. If that's not enough, its carry bag can also double as a pillow for a personalized headrest.

The REI Co-op Flexlite Camp Dreamer is similarly lightweight, weighing just a few ounces more and packing away into a case nearly as small. We also appreciate the REI Co-op Outward Low Padded. It's fairly lightweight, and though it doesn't fit into a small compact package, it has backpack straps for hands-free carrying. While not as packable considering weights that exceed 13 pounds, the Yeti Trailhead and ALPS Mountaineering King Kong also feature a backpack-style carry bag that makes portability a bit easier.

The ENO Lounger DL and the Nemo Stargaze Recliner Luxury also score well in this metric because of their similar abilities to be broken down into smaller segments and stuffed into a small carrying case. At 4.6 and 7.7 pounds, respectively, they're also reasonably light. For that matter, the ALPS Mountaineering Rendezvous is also a reasonably portable chair with a low profile.

Weighing in at 7.3 pounds, the REI Skyward is also a somewhat light model. It's a bit shorter than most traditional chairs, and we always felt that bringing it with us was totally worth it. Our testers also love the Kijaro Dual Lock, which has a built-in carry strap on the back of the frame that locks into place so you can still toss it over your shoulder if you forget your carry bag.

Like most things you spend money on, you want your chair to be made from high-quality materials and thusly durable. To properly test these chairs' ability to stand up to real-life abuse, we stood on them and plopped very heavily into them. We sat in them and bounced up and down and in every direction. Some chairs barely moved. Some chairs nearly fell over. And some chairs had some creaky results that made us question how long they would last if consistently treated this way. We also scrutinized every seam, pole joint, and material to evaluate any wear and tear or potential flaws.

Unsurprisingly, the chairs rated to hold 500 pounds or more scored well here. After several months of testing, the steel frames and 600-denier nylon fabric construction of the King Kong (rated to 800 pounds!) and the Kelty Loveseat didn't show any signs of wear or tear. Their frames didn't shift or creak under load. And while their high denier fabric is not as breathable as the mesh that some of the other chairs have, it is more durable than most. Since both of these chairs were very popular with our testers, they sustained several ember burns from being around so many campfires. Despite these small melted holes, the fabric showed no other signs of strain or wear. Another chair worth mentioning is the Mountain Summit Gear Loveseat, which features a solid and high-quality design that holds up to 500 pounds. Our testing team more than doubled that weight limit without permanently damaging the overall structure. Though the fabric is thinner and less padded than the Kelty Low and King Kong, the durability remains high.

Though its mesh appears thin and less substantial, the REI Skyward has proven quite durable. It has a 300-pound capacity which is about average for this group, but it feels very solid and stable even when jumping into it. And though we don't recommend leaving your chair out for full seasons of UV exposure, this is one of the few models we've actually done this to. After over a year and a half of sitting outside in a high-elevation environment (5000 feet above sea level), the only difference in this chair is a slight fading of the canvas-like material. Another camp chair that features a perforated and breathable material that also resists damaging UV rays is the Yeti Trailhead. This luxurious chair is rated to 500 pounds and returns your investment by providing a durable cross-over frame that increases sturdiness and stability with grippy feet that hold the chair in place.

Ease of use encompasses how hard it is to set up and take down each chair and how well the features work to enhance (or not) the overall experience. After all, the odds of you wanting to take a chair with you anywhere are probably lower if it's challenging to set up or the features are aggravating. Fortunately, most of the chairs we tested were reasonably straightforward — even the more complex packable chairs were a cinch after a small learning curve.

Most of the traditional models, like the ALPS King Kong, GCI Comfort Pro, and REI Skyward, only require pulling apart two opposing vertical frame pieces to be set up. The Mountain Summit Loveseat is similar to these traditional frames, yet features seating for two people and is easy to set up and break down despite its heavier design. The REI Outward Low Padded simply unfolds like an old-school folding chair. The GCI Outdoor Freestyle Rocker is also impressively easy — just pull the two sides away from each other with a large labeled handle, and you're good to go. While the Yeti Trailhead is somewhat more involved than simply pulling opposing corners, the instructions make it easy to follow along.

The super-portable models have a more elaborate setup. The Helinox Chair One and Sunset, ENO Lounger, and REI Flexlite Camp Dreamer all have a separate frame and fabric seat that had to be assembled. Most of them aren't difficult, but it's more involved than setting up any of the traditional chairs.

Two chairs that we specifically wanted to call out in this category are the ENO Lounger DL and Nemo Stargaze Luxury Recliner. These chairs have several poles in an odd configuration that we found complicated. It was always a long process to get everything to fit back into its designated storage bags, and it never quite went how we wanted. These were the chairs we would leave set up and drag around to avoid dealing with disassembly and reassembly. That said, as with anything, the process gets easier the more you do it.

Over the years we've tested camping chairs of various shapes and sizes, along with several niche designs with specific purposes. We found that each model could fit into three different types, namely, traditional camping chairs, portable camping chairs, and specialty chairs. The more traditional camping chair designs tend to be heavier and less portable while supplying the greatest amount of comfort. Chairs like the Best Choice Zero Gravity or Yeti Trailhead are great examples of traditional designs at their finest.

Portable camping chairs tend to prioritize compact and lightweight performance while sacrificing some comfort and durability. Camping chair options that specialize in portable performance tend to weigh less, pack down smaller, and offer aluminum instead of steel in the construction of the frame. Models like the Helinox Chair One, the Helinox Sunset and the REI Flexlite Camp Dreamer are great examples of portable options in this review.

Finally, specialty chairs provide a niche that crosses the line between packability and traditional chair options. The Nemo Stargaze Reclining is a great example of a specialty chair as it's quite expensive and specializes in a recliner position for those who want to gaze at the stars while experiencing the comfort of a camping chair. If you're interested in a less traditional model, such as a recliner or a rocking chair, they will likely fit into this category.

When considering the purchase of your next camping chair, it is important to consider the specific use you will expect the chair to provide. Are you interested in a packable design that is lightweight and compact so that you have the option to sit comfortably in the backcountry? Are you interested in the most comfortable chair you can find for ultimate relaxation in the comfort of your own home? Are you interested in chairs that offer upright positioning for better back support? The list goes on. Overall, our testers highlighted camping chairs that were perfect for the backcountry, the beach, the campsite, and those that are better left at home.

The luxury of having a comfortable seat while camping or lounging in your backyard can add a lot to the outdoor experience. In addition to making relaxing, eating, and drinking more comfortable, you can maximize your lounging enjoyment. To find the best overall competitor in our fleet, we rated each one's comfort level, size, portability, durability, and ease of use. Whether you're car camping, lounging around the campfire, or sunbathing after a dip in the deep blue, the best model for you will ultimately depend on your lifestyle.