Camping chairs, explained
A camping chair is the one piece of gear you sit in for hours. This guide explains the kinds that exist, what the specifications mean and how to match a chair to how you camp, so you can choose without guessing.
The main kinds of camping chair
Most camping chairs fall into a few groups. Folding chairs are the everyday choice: a fabric seat on a foldable frame that packs down flat. Lightweight and compact chairs trade padding for a small, light pack. Recliners add an adjustable back, and some add a leg rest. Heavy-duty chairs use thicker frames and a higher weight rating. Stools are the smallest option, with no back at all.
Each has a page here: see folding camping chairs, lightweight camping chairs, camping recliner chairs, heavy duty camping chairs and camping stools.
Five things that decide comfort
Seat height. A low seat is easy to relax into but harder to get out of. A higher seat is kinder on knees and backs. Back height. A high back supports the shoulders and neck, a low back saves weight. Padding. Padded seats feel better at first and take longer to dry. Armrests. They help you stand up and hold a drink, and they add width to the pack. Fit. Seat width and depth matter more than most listings suggest, so check the measurements against your own.
If you are choosing for a back that complains, start with a supported back and a seat height you can leave without using your hands.
Frame and fabric
Frames are usually steel or aluminium. Steel is strong and usually heavier. Aluminium is lighter and is common on chairs sold as lightweight. Fabric is usually a woven polyester; a thicker weave is generally tougher, and mesh panels breathe in heat but offer less padding. A chair that stays in a hot car or a sunny camp all summer will age faster than one that is kept in its bag.
Look at the joints and the stitching where the fabric meets the frame. That is where a chair that is going to fail usually fails.
Weight rating
Every chair has a maximum load. Standard chairs are commonly rated somewhere around 100 to 120 kg and heavy-duty chairs are often rated higher, but the number that counts is the one printed on the chair or its listing. Leave a margin: a chair used every weekend, or dropped into more than gently, is working harder than a rating suggests. The heavy duty page covers this in more detail.
Match the chair to how you camp
Car camping or caravan: pack size matters less, so choose comfort: padding, a higher back, a cup holder, perhaps a recliner. Hiking and backpacking: weight and pack size come first, so a lightweight chair or a stool. Fishing: stability on uneven ground and a seat you can sit in for hours. The beach: see beach chairs, where sand and salt change the choice. Around the fire or the van: a chair with a side table keeps a drink and a torch within reach.
Before you go
Sit in the chair at home first, set it up and fold it away twice, and check it fits in the space you have in the car. When you are packing the rest of the trip, use the camping checklist, and if you also need somewhere to put things down, read about folding camping tables.
All the guides
- What makes the best camping chairThere is no single best camping chair. Here is how to decide which one is best for you: use, body, pack size, frame, fabric and weight rating.
- Folding camping chairsFolding camping chairs compared by fold style: quad fold, directors chair, X-frame and roll-up. How each packs, sits and wears.
- Lightweight camping chairsHow to choose a lightweight camping chair for hiking, backpacking and travel: weight, packed size, frame material and what you give up to save grams.
- Camping recliner chairsWhat a camping recliner offers over a standard chair: recline positions, leg rests, weight and pack size, and who benefits from one.
- Camping chairs with a side tableCamping chairs with a built-in side table, cup holder or pocket: how they work, what they add in weight and when a separate table is better.
- Heavy duty camping chairsHow to choose a heavy duty camping chair: reading the weight rating, frame strength, seat width and what to check before you trust a chair with your weight.
- Camping stoolsCamping stools compared: tripod, four-leg and folding stools. Weight, packed size, comfort and where a stool beats a chair.
- Folding camping tablesFolding camping tables compared: aluminium and steel, roll-top and frame, height and size, and how to pick a table for cooking, eating or a side table.
- Beach chairsHow to choose a beach chair: low seat or reclining, backpack straps, sand and salt, sun cover and what to check before a day at the beach.
- Camping checklist for AustraliaA practical camping checklist for Australia: shelter, sleeping, cooking, water, light, safety and comfort, plus what to check before you leave.