The Best Camping Chairs of 2025

There’s no better way to end a day outside than to gather around the campfire. While we’ve all spent many an evening balancing on a log, it’s hard to beat the best camping chairs. That’s why we’ve tested close to 50 over the last decade and collected the top 14 on the market today in this guide.

In order to find the best, we’ve spent countless hours testing chairs in a variety of locations and weather conditions. From the wilds of the Desolation Wilderness to the swamps of Apalachicola, from birthday parties at the park to relaxing somewhere with a view, we’ve spent countless hours setting up, taking down, and, well, sitting.

While no single “best” chair will suit everyone, we’ve broken the list into categories that should help you identify the ideal chair for your needs. Look to our top-pick REI Co-op Campwell if you’re after the most well-rounded available, or snag a couple of Coleman Broadband Mesh Quad Chairs for the same price. Otherwise, read on for our other recommendations and buying advice.

Editor’s Note: We updated our Camping Chairs guide on January 31, 2025, to add the Kelty Discovery Low Loveseat Nest — an upgraded version of our favorite campsite couch that now comes with a few blankets to snuggle up in.

The Best Camp Chairs of 2025

Other Camping Chairs to Park It In

The seven camping chairs we’ve awarded above are excellent options for just about anyone (or any adventure), but they’re far from the only seats out there. Before you make your choice, check out the lineup of camp chairs we’ve ranked highly below. They might not be the best of the best, but they’re solid options and might be the best for you.

Camping Chair Comparison Chart

How We Tested the Best Camping Chairs

For half a decade now, we’ve been parking our behinds in camp chairs of every stripe, looking for the best seat in the house for kicking back in the great outdoors. Since 2019, we’ve personally researched, toted, and tested close to 25 different camping chairs in the wilds, comparing each and weighing their specifications against our idea of the perfect seat.

Our travels have taken us from the dark understories of the temperate rainforests of Olympic National Park to the granite crags of Southern California, and after a hard day of playing in the dirt, a good seat makes all the difference.

But it’s not just our opinions, either. 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.

Our Testing Process

The majority of our camp chair testing takes place exactly how you think it might: with butts in seats around the campfire. We’ve also used these chairs while crewing ultramarathons and enjoying slam poetry and concerts at the park, as well as at home for outdoor birthday parties and sitting around portable fire pits. Anywhere you could imagine toting a good chair for the occasion, we’ve made it happen and compared notes on relative performance.

Of the important metrics we look at, ease of set-up is primary among them, as a difficult-to-assemble camp chair is quickly sidelined for something easier to get into. Beyond set-up, we also compare notes on general comfort, beverage and essentials storage, and ease of transport. Every chair is rotated around to our selection of experts as well to ensure that a variety of body shapes and sizes have had their fair share of time in each seat.

We also take a hard-data approach here as much as we do with any other type of kit, and have pulled together a few in-house tests to ensure that manufacturer claims are confirmed. Primary among them is an honest weigh-in, as well as measuring important metrics such as seat height and packed sizes.

Before we’re through with them, these chairs also have their stated weight capacities challenged, a not-so-easy task when it comes to some of the more stout chairs out there (and a test that has resulted in at least one catastrophic failure). Piling in plate weights and then ourselves, we’re happy to announce that dang-near every chair so far has met the challenge up to their claimed capacity.

Our Expert Testers

Primary testers for this guide are Miya Tsudome and Nick Belcaster, both consummate outdoors folk from opposite ends of the West. Tsudome has over 10 years of experience with testing outdoor equipment and covers the California side of the equation, camping and adventuring around the Sierra Range for much of the year. Her search for the best camping chair out there has her testing new additions on a rolling basis.

Senior Editor Nick Belcaster, on the other hand, hails from Washington State and, after a long walk on the Pacific Crest Trail in 2018, is pretty ready to kick back in a comfy seat. He often deploys a camp chair during basecamp for climbing trips and the elusive (if not controversial) “seated top-rope belay.” Both testers have a keen eye for the balance a good camp chair needs to strike between comfort, packability, and ease of use.

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. And as new chairs roll out to the market, be sure that we’ve got them on our radar and are considering them as well.

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 a mix of everything, 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.

Car Campers: For those weekend warriors who pack the car and head for the outdoors as soon as 5 p.m. on Friday hits, a good chair is essential for hanging at the nearest campground. While just about any chair can be thrown in the back of the car and used campside, car campers will want to look for chairs that can withstand some abuse, aren’t too large or heavy, and fold up nicely for easy packing. 

The REI Co-op Campwell Chair, Coleman Broadband Mesh Quad Chair, and ALPS Mountaineering King Kong are great choices to grab and go. The ENO Lounger DL slings low for easing back, and has a cupholder to keep your beverage close. 

Backyard Chillers: For kicking it at backyard barbecues and hanging out around fire pits, there are those chairs that you can pack up and bring along, or those chairs that stay at your house for when you’re hosting the party. If you want an easily portable option, look for a foldable chair with a nice design so your friends will be asking where you got it. If you want a mainstay for your own backyard, look for a bigger lounge chair that your guests will be fighting over. 

The Dometic Go Compact Chair is a great, stylish choice for packing up to take to your friend’s outdoor birthday party, bonfire, or concert with their good looks and easy-carrying design. The YETI Trailhead Camping Chair and GCI Outdoor Freeform Zero Gravity Lounger are good choices for keeping out on the deck for your friends to relax while you tend to the grill. And the NEMO Stargaze Recliner Luxury Chair is a novelty pick for rocking next to a fire and looking up at the stars. 

Beach-Goers: When packing for the beach, you usually want to keep the load light to avoid lugging too much from the car to your spot. You’ll want to find a chair that isn’t too heavy, comes with a good carrying system, and is low enough so you can lean back and relax under the sun. 

The BOTE Aero Chair XL was made specifically for beach-goers with its inflatable build, low-to-the-ground seat, and integrated cup holder. The wide surface area of this chair makes it sit easily and comfortably on the sand.

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 collapsible chairs like the REI Co-Op Campwell or Coleman Broadband Mesh 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 ENO Lounger DL 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 collapsible chairs for travel, but there are few other options available.

Folding-style chairs typically don’t come with a carrying bag, so you’ll have to wrestle them around yourself. Collapsible chairs, like the ENO Lounger DL Chair, will come with a bag that packs away everything needed to set them up once you hit camp. Finally, a few chairs, such as the REI Co-op Wonderland, will sport integrated straps directly on the chair for shouldering them.

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. And it’s hard to deny the ease of inflating the BOTE Inflatable Aero Chair XL, which pumps up in minutes.

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 Broadband Mesh 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.

Price & Value

Are you looking for a chair that works for both backpacking and camping? Do you plan to use it once a month, once a week, or every day? These factors will all play an important part in finding the right camp chair for you.

These factors will also affect the price and can help you determine if it’s worth spending more for a chair that pairs comfort with packability (like the ENO Lounger DL Chair). 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 Campwell chair, which pairs an affordable price with comfort and quality.

Budget

While there are plenty of cookie-cutter cheap camp chairs out there, we find little reason to settle for these options when some smart shopping can net you a chair that’ll be more comfortable, last longer, and all at nearly the same price. Budget camp chairs will mostly be of the standard collapsible tube frame design, and make use of simple fabric seats with typically one integrated cupholder.

For less than $100, you can get into a real budget chair like the Coleman Broadband ($30) and still have plenty left over to snag a few more to pad out your camping furniture set. Even our best overall pick finds itself in this price range, and for $60, its tough not the recommend the REI Co-op Campwell. This price category holds the largest amount of chairs, making it the reasonable range you could expect to spend on a good camp chair that covers the basics. 

Mid-Tier

Between $100 and $200, you’re generally paying for either higher quality materials and design or a specialist chair that aims to offer up something that most chairs don’t. For the money, you can slide into double seats, quilted or insulated seats, and reclining systems or adjustable heights.

The Dometic Go Compact Chair ($150) is a great choice in this price range, as you get a chair with a robust aluminum structure and beechwood armrests that feels more deluxe than budget models. The KUMA Lazy Bear ($140), too, offers up a much deeper seat than most other chairs, and added insulation for colder nights.

Premium

For $200+, you can get the BOTE Inflatable Aero Chair XL, YETI Trailhead Camping Chair, or NEMO Stargaze Recliner Luxury Chair. This expensive category enters even more into the specialty category, with inflatable chairs and rocking recliners, or will get you high-quality materials and accessories such as UV-rated breathable fabric or included soft coolers and cupholders.

Consider these types of chairs if you’re looking to make a long-term investment, where you’ll get an extended amount of use out of the seat. The YETI Trailhead is a great straight-ahead camp chair for just about anything, while the BOTE Aero or NEMO Stargaze are both experts in their fields, and award-winners in their own right.

Frequently Asked Questions