Finest Tenting Chairs of 2023

Why You Should Trust Us

The GearJunkie team has tested a huge variety of camping chairs for countless hours at campsites, while road-tripping with camper trailers, during long hunts, and at the base of peaks or trailheads after a backcountry ski day.

We polled our crew to determine their absolute favorite camp chairs and why. We gather every year for a group campout to test a new collection of camping chairs side by side, and we use these camp chairs throughout the year, from season to season and sport to sport.

We’ve used these camp chairs while crewing ultramarathons and enjoying slam poetry and concerts at the park. We’ve also used these camp chairs at home for outdoor birthday parties and sitting around portable fire pits.

Some of our editors have used their choice camp chair across every season for many years with no sign of deterioration or a desire to switch. Beyond our team’s experience, we also considered the most popular, most durable, and bestselling camp chairs on the market as well as a broad range of price points and features for a range of users.

Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose a Camping Chair

Here are the primary factors we use when testing camp chairs. Scroll through to help ensure that you pick the best camping chair for your individual needs. We will note that these choices are specifically for kicking back during car camping and the like. If you’re looking for a more packable and lightweight option, take a look at our in-depth review of backpacking chairs.

Type of Use

How will you use the chair? Whether you enjoy car camping, backpacking, soccer game viewing, backyard barbecuing, or some mix of it all, it helps to have a clear idea of how you’ll use your camping chair. It will help you narrow down which of the other factors are most important.

Value

This ties into the above consideration. Are you looking for a chair that works for backpacking? Do you plan to use it once a month, once a week, or every day?

These factors will affect the price and can help you determine if it’s worth spending more for a chair that pairs comfort with packability (like the Helinox Zero High-Back). Or perhaps a budget pick like Coleman will suit your needs better without emptying the wallet. For the best of both worlds, we are partial to our top pick, the REI Co-op Skyward chair which pairs an affordable price with comfort and quality.

Comfort

Nobody wants an uncomfortable camping chair. When considering comfort, we looked at seatback height, width, height off the ground, materials, amount of cushion, rigidity versus flexibility, overall shape, and ergonomics. Comfort varies from person to person and depends a lot on your size, build, and mobility.

If you’re looking for a traditional chair, the ALPS Mountaineering King Kong sports a pleated seat that was high on our list of the most comfortable. And for a slung-back style of chair, look no further than the hammock-inspired builds of the NEMO Stargaze Recliner Luxury Chair and ENO Lounger DL Chair.

Weight and Packed Dimensions

This is paramount if you’re backpacking, semi-important when packing the rig for car camping, and not very important when setting up in the backyard. Camping-style chairs won’t pack up as small as backpacking chairs, but will typically collapse to a more travel-friendly form for moving around.

Traditional collapsable chairs like the REI Co-Op Skyward or Coleman Portable Quad Chair have a classic stow technique that most everyone has seen before and only require a simple pulling together of the legs to collapse down into a more compact package. Then, there are folding-style chairs like the GCI Outdoor Kickback Rocker Chair, which fold along a central axis and create a flat package for moving about. And finally, there are the DIY-style chairs, such as the Helinox Chair Zero High-Back where some assembly is required, though at a great benefit to overall packability.

Carrying Style

When considering the packed dimensions, also consider how exactly you’re going to be toting your favorite camp chair around. Many are familiar with the fabric sleeves that encase collapsable chairs for travel, but there are few other options available.

Folding-style chairs typically don’t come with a carrying bag at all, and you’ll have to wrestle them around yourself. Collapsable chairs, like the ENO Lounger DL Chair or the Helinox Chair Zero High-Back will come with a bag that will pack away everything needed to set them up once you hit camp. And finally, a few chairs will sport integrated straps directly on the chair for shouldering them, such as the REI Co-op Wonderland.

Ease of Setup

No one wants to spend 20 minutes fighting to set up their camp chair — or worse, trying to wrangle it back into its carrying bag. We want to be able to set up and take down the chair without instructions or excessive time dedicated to the task.

All of the chairs included here are easy to set up. Some simply fold open, whereas others take a couple of minutes to assemble. The NEMO Stargaze is one that takes a bit more time to set up. But we were able to do it without reading the directions, and the tradeoff for the fun, rocking chair feature is worth it. We wish the REI Co-op Wonderland was a bit more intuitive to fold out, but once you figure out its strap system it won’t take much time at all.

Height

The height from the ground to the bottom of the seat is an often overlooked yet extremely important consideration. This dictates not only how bent your legs will be but also makes a chair easier or more difficult to get out of. While most chairs don’t offer multiple heights, we will note that the ENO Lounger DL Chair does — with the choice of deploying either 3- or 10-inch legs.

In general, those with knee issues or mobility concerns will have an easier time getting out of taller chairs. If you fall into that category, consider something like the Coleman Quad Chair or the YETI Trailhead.

Stability

Sitting around the campfire should be a relaxing time. And that means not having to worry about falling out of your chair (especially if you’re enjoying a few campfire cocktails) or the chair toppling over when you move to get out of it. A wider leg base provides extra stability but often comes at the cost of weight and pack size.

Besides a wide base, also look for broader feet at the end of those legs. These will better distribute the load across the surface you’re sitting on and will avoid sinking into soft soils.

Features

Drink holders, pockets, carrying bags, armrest coolers, user-adjusted heat settings, and more — these extra features may seem inconsequential, but they can help take a camp chair from OK to awesome.

When we’re looking for a good camping chair, we like to balance the features it has with the overall complexity. It’s easy to pile on extra features, but annoying to have to extract yourself from a cocoon of cupholders, pockets, and straps. In general, one cupholder will do you, as well as a single accessory pocket to securely stash your keys.

Whether you choose the tiniest camp chair, the biggest camp chair, the cheapest camping chair, or something in between, don’t forget what it’s really all about: getting outside. Throw a fresh log on the fire, pull up a chair, and enjoy an evening under the stars.

FAQ

The most comfortable camping chair varies from person to person and depends largely on your body type and height.

The REI Skyward is among the most comfortable — it’s malleable yet supportive but not too rigid. Our testers also gave the YETI Trailhead extremely high marks for comfort and stability, although that does come with a price tradeoff. And if you want to lay back and take a nap, the GCI Zero Gravity chair is a winner.

First, think about how you’re going to use the chair. If you plan on backpacking or hiking into camp, then a small, lightweight chair will serve you best. If you’re car camping or hanging in the backyard, go for maximum comfort and features.

You may also want to consider your mobility and height. Lower chairs can be more challenging to get in and out of if you have knee issues or any other mobility concerns. Taller people also tend to prefer a chair with a bit more height to it.

Last, think about the features you would enjoy. Is a cupholder important? Or maybe you really want a rocking camp chair? Whatever it is, chances are you can find a camp chair that perfectly suits your outdoor-loving needs.

Yes. All the camping chairs on this list can get wet. Some will dry more quickly than others, but none of them will be damaged by a little rain.

The weight and packed size relate to how portable a chair is. For car camping, this mainly matters for fitting everything in your vehicle and carrying it short distances. The packed-down size can also be important for those with limited storage space.

If you’re spending a lot of time at the ball field, you may want a camp chair you can carry hands-free. Many of our top choices for camp chairs come with an included carry case for convenience. Most of those bags have a single strap to sling over your shoulder, but the ALPS Mountaineering King Kong carry-case has two backpack straps for even more aid.

If you plan to backpack or hike a longer distance with your chair, the weight and packed size are very important.

First, consider the type of trips you’re looking to take your camp chair on. If you’re more of the light and fast type, you may be better suited to a backpacking chair. But if settling down in front of a campfire sounds like your type of evening, a camping chair is likely right up your alley. We will note that there are a few chairs on the market that will do both, and these can be considered if you want one chair to do it all.

Then, think about the type of relaxing you’re looking to do. Some chairs are more suited to reclining, which while the ideal angle for star gazing, likely isn’t going to work great for roasting marshmallows. A chair like the ENO Lounger DL Chair is certainly among this camp, while the ALPS Mountaineering King Kong offers a more upright position.

Finally, take into account the features you’re looking to use while camping. Some chairs offer a good bit of storage, while others are particularly spartan. Some come decked out in multiple cup holders, while others leave it up to you to cradle your beverage.