These styles don’t take all that long to set up, but it’s a small sacrifice in time that you make with most portable chairs. For us, we try and keep our packable chairs under or around 2 pounds to minimize their impact on our pack weight. Bringing along a chair is already outside of the typical realm of “essentials,” but 2 pounds can be something worth swinging for a short weekend trek. Activities beyond your backyard, like camping, tailgating, and hanging in the park, require a lightweight folding lawn chair that you can pack up, throw in your car, and easily carry to your desired destination.
Because weight isn’t a major factor, you can get a well-made and comfortable camping chair at a reasonable price—starting at around $50 and reaching as much as $300 for the YETI Trailhead. Top choices from this category include the REI Co-op Skyward Chair, Alps Mountaineering King Kong, and GCI Outdoor Kickback Rocker. This review represents a combined effort of two of our senior review editors, Ethan Newman and Maggie Nichols. Not only that, but he’s spent years of his life car camping, and that means spending a ton of time in camp chairs. He has gotten even pickier over the past few years as chronic spine issues have surfaced, so he’s always on the lookout for a quality, comfortable, and supportive sitting surface. Maggie is a seasoned multi-sport athlete who’s spent years guiding folks both young and old in the great outdoors — and requires a comfortable seat from which to write about it all.
Don’t underestimate the design potential of a basic folding lawn chair. Yes, it may be utilitarian and nondescript, but this ubiquitous piece of outdoor furniture can serve as a blank canvas for forward-thinking design that borders on artwork. The material is also plasticky and heats up underneath us after sitting for a while, outdoor patio furniture which leaves something to be desired. But if you love the classic look and want a simple, very portable lawn chair, this might just be the ticket. It has one of the longest packed down lengths and is surprisingly heavy at nearly 17 pounds. The rocking feature also is really only nice if you’re on flat, stable ground.
They are an employee gift that will be appreciated or a giveaway item that will make prospects and customers excited. “It’s plain, but that’s what makes it a great template to create a unique piece for your home,” Hsu says. “You can have a lot of fun making something that’s aesthetically pleasing.” Hsu’s reimagination of a folding chair uses wood, plastic laminate, and strips of cork.
The more popular style folds inwards and ends up a torpedo shape that you can slide into a carry bag. The smaller, more manageable dimensions make these chairs easier to carry. Eagles Nest Outfitters, better known as ENO, is a hammock company first, but that expertise has translated nicely with their Lounger DL Chair.
The design, size, and weight is nearly identical, but the nylon fabric has been replaced with polyester. The Ozark Trail Oversized Mesh Chair from Walmart, although similar to our pick in size, was far less comfortable, with rough-feeling material that was obviously of lower quality. We later found, after six months of patio furniture sets frequent use, that the stitching along one arm had come unravelled and that the small straps holding up the back of the armrests had both ripped in half. The GCI Outdoor chair also has a pocket built into the back that can hold a phone or a book. This chair comes in green or blue and is rated to hold up to 250 pounds.
Instead, they’re meant to be storable and packable to take in seasonally or to travel with. We generally take our lawn chairs car camping or to the beach, and so we like them to be fairly portable. Products scored higher here if they weighed less and packed up smaller. Portable, affordable, and compact, lawn chairs are practical for toting to your friend’s backyard while also offering a larger dose of personality than your average camping chair. We don’t have plans of stashing these nostalgic gems away anytime soon. REI’s Flexlite collection ranges from the light and minimalist Flexlite Air to the durable, headrest-equipped Camp Dreamer.
It has a weight capacity of 250 lbs and measures 23.25 x 34.25 x 19.38 inches. If your lawn chairs are still dirty after hosing them down, scrub them using a rag or a soft brush and a mixture of warm water and mild dish soap. The Lawn Chair USA Classic Lawn Chair came out on top because it’s just so universal. With a foldable, lightweight aluminum frame and retro, UV-resistant webbing, it’s equally ideal for camping, tailgating, and hanging in the park. The only downside is that this chair weighs 8.3 pounds, which can be a deterrent for adventurers who like to hike to their campsite.