How to Pick the Perfect Camp Chair

If you’ve ever shopped for a camp chair, you’ve likely felt overwhelmed by the sheer number of options out there. These days camp chairs come in all shapes, sizes, and colors so it can be hard to know what is best for you and your needs. As a self-proclaimed camp chair aficionado, I will take you through all the different types of chairs so you can be sure to find the right one for you and your needs!

At camp with Karissa, Linhbergh, and Ernesto

Though this blog post was made in partnership with REI, the opinions are entirely our own.

Please note: The links provided in this blog post are affiliate links. If you end up purchasing some of these pieces of gear we get a very small portion of the sales. Thank you as always for supporting us and our life on the road, it gives us the opportunity to share so extensively with you all!

The wide world of chairs

Camp chairs cover a wide range but they all have their own specialties. The key is finding the right chair for you and your needs. In this blog post I will break down the chairs into categories and take you through where all of them excel. I’ll also point out some potential activities and scenarios that they are best suited for! That way the next time you find yourself looking for a new chair, you will know exactly what type to look for!

I personally break camp chairs down into the following categories:

• Minimalist chairs

• Folding chairs

• “Luxury” chairs 

Minimalist chairs: These chairs are typically going to be the lightest, pack the smallest, but also could be argued to be less comfortable.

Folding chairs: Packed with nostalgic charm, folding chairs are a classic for a reason. They fold down and are super comfortable.

Luxury chairs: These are chairs that don’t necessarily pack small but boy are they comfortable. 

Now that we’ve established our chair classes, let’s look at each individually and discuss their strengths and what they are best suited for! In each section I will talk about the category as a whole but also note some details of the specific chairs I’m using.

Minimalist Chairs

Minimalist camp chairs are typically going to be any chair that is lightweight and packs small. These are the types of chairs that Owen and I have always carried with us on the road because our space is at a premium and we have to pay for every pound that we drive around. 

The small form factor makes them easy to keep in your car so they’re ready to use at a moment’s notice, however they do have to be “built” every time you use them which takes a little time. However, I personally have never found these chairs to be too much of a pain as we’ve been full time “minimalist chair users” since 2012!

Sadly our trusty two legged chairs are no longer sold as the company went out of business

These chairs are best for the following activities: car camping, overlanding, vanlife, full time travel, backpacking, or any adventure where you are pressed for space or need to be light on weight!

This category also includes camp stools, legless seats, and our tried and true two legged chairs. (pictured above)

Now for some brief notes on a couple of sample chairs!

Weighing in at just 1 lb. this chair is light and easy to take with you anywhere! The max weight capacity is 250 lbs. but I would air on the side of caution with this one because of how lightweight it is. If you’re in windy conditions you will want to put a rock on it so it doesn’t blow away in the wind, that is how light it is!

A little heavier than the Flexlite at 1 lb. 14 oz. This is one of the best built camp chairs I’ve ever had the pleasure of sitting in. The back is adjustable so you can lean back or sit more upright in it. The mesh back is breathable and comfortable. I liked it so much I swapped out one of our camp chairs for this one, which I was not planning on doing.

Owen holding the Flexlite and Moonlite chair for size comparison. Gotta love the form factor of a minimalist camp chair. They can be stashed just about anywhere to take with you and provide a comfortable seat.

Folding Chairs

Folding chairs are everything that a camp chair isn’t. Their nostalgic charm takes us back to backyard bbq’s and concerts in the park. Though they aren’t as compact, folding chairs are a classic for a reason. They fold down, are easy to carry, and are super comfortable when you sit in them for longer periods of time! Plus they’re so easy and fast to set up.

Owen and I haven’t carried these types of chairs with us on the road simply because they don’t pack down as small. However, if space is not at a premium for you, I couldn’t recommend folding chairs more because of how comfortable they are!

Folding chairs are best for the following activities: car camping, vanlife (if you have the space), backyard bbqs, hanging out in the park, day at the beach, and for taking to concerts!

Now for some quick notes on our sample chairs!

This chair is a twist on a backyard classic. We loved how soft and comfortable the straps are that make up the seat by comparison to the plastic vintage variety! The backpack straps make this chair easy to carry to and from the beach or park. This chair is at home around camp or even at home in the yard!

I really enjoy this chair. The Climbing-inspired rope seat is comfortable but has a really cool look to it! The bifold design makes for an easy setup and takedown. It has a convenient rope handle on the side so you can carry it with you when you head outside. If we lived in a house we would absolutely have two of these for yard lounging!

Scroll through the images to see Owen holding both versions of the folding chair to see how they stack up against one another! Those backpack straps are a real winner on the Outward Classic!

Luxury Chairs

I will come out and say it… This is the class of chairs I wish we could carry! Luxury chairs are just that, luxurious. Though they usually are not light and tend to be heavy, they are wildly comfortable to sit in for long periods of time. If you spend a lot of time at camp or in the yard these are going to be the chairs for you. I could see this being a lovely seat for curling up with a book and a blanket around camp!

Luxury chairs are best for the following activities: Hanging out at camp, yard parties, hanging out in the park, day at the beach, and for lounging around with a book!

This classification of chairs also includes rockers and outdoor loungers!

Though this is a luxury chair, I intentionally used this as one of my examples because it packs down surprisingly small for the size and comfort! I love that it is fast and easy to set up and the cover is easy to wash. This chair is really warm on cold evenings which is not something I can say about any of the others that I tested. This chair is also great as we used it in a house for extra seating when we found ourselves a little short on places for people to sit!

Again, we were so impressed with how small this chair packed down to. The size and comfort of this lounger makes it an enticing choice for anyone who can afford the space!

There are so many incredible camp chairs out there on the market. The key to finding the right one for you is to know how you personally will be using it. Once you know that, you can work backwards to find the right option for you, your needs, and the types of adventures that you do! I hope that you found this to be helpful in your quest to find the perfect camp chair! If you have a favorite, toss it in the comments below to help give our fellow readers some more options to look into!