The Best Camping Chairs Ranked by Real People (and Butts)
The Best Camping Chairs Ranked by Real People (and Butts)
Which camp chair is truly the best? We put 16 of the top camping chairs head-to-head in a March Madness–style bracket to find the ultimate winner. From budget-friendly favorites to premium lightweight options, our family tested them all for comfort, design, portability, ease of use, and quality—and some of the results might surprise you.
In this video, you’ll see:
– Real-world camp chair testing (no fluff, just sitting!)
– Honest comparisons of popular chairs like Helinox, REI, ENO, Big Agnes, Tommy Bahama, and more from retailers like REI, Amazon, Costco, and more
– Rankings and scores for comfort, durability, and packability
– The “people’s choice” champion from our camp chair tournament
If you’re shopping for the best camping chair of 2025, whether for car camping, kids’ sports games, or backyard lounging, this video will help you find the right seat for your next adventure.
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🚨 *CAMPING CHAIRS IN THIS VIDEO*
ALPS Mountaineering King Kong – https://amzn.to/4lJqQKB or https://alnk.to/1XYZqZb
Amazon Basics – https://amzn.to/4feQPHd
Kelty Lowdown -https://amzn.to/46qcABE
Kijaro Dual Lock – https://amzn.to/40weugd
REI Wonderland – See Youtube Shopping link
Coleman Cooler Quad – https://amzn.to/4m3iCws
Nemo Stargaze Evo-X – https://alnk.to/31txjVX or https://amzn.to/3TXk0ot
YETI Trailhead – https://yetius.pxf.io/JKvyee
GCI Comfort Pro Rocker – https://amzn.to/4nUwVFk or https://alnk.to/881vLBT
REI Flexlite Camp Dreamer – See Youtube Shopping link
Ozark Trail Adult Oversized Mesh – https://goto.walmart.com/c/2666693/565706/9383?subId1=yt-camp-chairs&veh=aff&sourceid=imp_000011112222333344&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fip%2FOzark-Trail-Adult-Oversized-Mesh-Camp-Chair-with-Cooler-Green-Gray%2F536752671&partnerpropertyid=2457117&MediaPartnerPropertyId=2457117
ENO Lounger DL Mesh – https://amzn.to/3TUKK93 or https://alnk.to/ei426sV
Helinox Chair One (re) – https://amzn.to/4kMT1qt or https://alnk.to/b7AorKd
Cabela’s Big Outdoorsman Muskoka – https://cabelas.xhuc.net/nXZJDR or https://bassproshops.vzck.net/vP9qeW
Big Agnes Big Six Armchair – https://amzn.to/3UyF2d7
Tommy Bahama Destination Relaxation XL Jumbo Padded – https://www.costco.com/tommy-bahama-destination-relaxation-xl-jumbo-padded-club-chair-.product.4000262287.html
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00:00 Camp Chair Madness
00:48 Shweet Shixteen
10:17 Excellent Eight
12:07 Terminal Quatro
14:50 Tournament Results
16:14 Analysis and Rankings
21:00 Camp Chair Recommendations
DISCLOSURE: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Some links in this description are affiliate links. If you click on a link we may earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you. Thanks for supporting the channel and more real-world gear tests!
Thank you so much for doing this, but really it just confirmed what I suspected all along, I will stick with my somewhat cumbersome zero gravity chair, for comfort and price.
Really suggest you look at the complete flex lite line at REI esp the low back XL? version is a lot like the helinox but for much less money. It’s shock cord puzzle but nowhere near as bad as the big agnes.
I own a Nemo but at age 70, it’s a little difficult to get out of.
One feature I looked for was how small it packs down. Some chairs are too big/heavy to carry and fit in the car. Here again, the Nemo is a winner.
I have had that same helinox chair for 14 years. It has sat alongside hundreds of campfires and has been seated by many buttocks. Only damage is a single hole from a popping ember while being unattended.
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🚨 *CAMPING CHAIRS IN THIS VIDEO* 👇 (Affiliate links, FYI)
ALPS Mountaineering King Kong – https://amzn.to/4lJqQKB or https://alnk.to/1XYZqZb
Amazon Basics – https://amzn.to/4feQPHd
Kelty Lowdown -https://amzn.to/46qcABE
Kijaro Dual Lock – https://amzn.to/40weugd
REI Wonderland – See Youtube Shopping link
Coleman Cooler Quad – https://amzn.to/4m3iCws
Nemo Stargaze Evo-X – https://alnk.to/31txjVX or https://amzn.to/3TXk0ot
YETI Trailhead – https://yetius.pxf.io/JKvyee
GCI Comfort Pro Rocker – https://amzn.to/4nUwVFk or https://alnk.to/881vLBT
REI Flexlite Camp Dreamer – See Youtube Shopping link
Ozark Trail Adult Oversized Mesh – https://goto.walmart.com/c/2666693/565706/9383?subId1=yt-camp-chairs&veh=aff&sourceid=imp_000011112222333344&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fip%2FOzark-Trail-Adult-Oversized-Mesh-Camp-Chair-with-Cooler-Green-Gray%2F536752671&partnerpropertyid=2457117&MediaPartnerPropertyId=2457117
ENO Lounger DL Mesh – https://amzn.to/3TUKK93 or https://alnk.to/ei426sV
Helinox Chair One (re) – https://amzn.to/4kMT1qt or https://alnk.to/b7AorKd
Cabela’s Big Outdoorsman Muskoka – https://cabelas.xhuc.net/nXZJDR or https://bassproshops.vzck.net/vP9qeW
Big Agnes Big Six Armchair – https://amzn.to/3UyF2d7
Tommy Bahama Destination Relaxation XL Jumbo Padded – https://www.costco.com/tommy-bahama-destination-relaxation-xl-jumbo-padded-club-chair-.product.4000262287.html
The bags are much easier to put on if you flip the chair upside down, with the top on the ground and feet sticking up. Then you can use both hands to put the bag on. Just be careful not to let the drawstring get tangled up in the legs.
I’m surprised that their was no chair from Kuma in the comp
Oh My Word! You are hilarious!!! New subscriber here. I do love camping and the perfect camp chair is a great thing. You should write a children’s book….heck a funny adult book would be great too.
I ended up getting the GCI Rocker. I really wanted a rocking chair to take camping and it was nice to see how high it got.
Absolutely moronic. The Cabela’s Muskoka is one of the best chairs ever
If you were going to compare it to a rocking chair, why not one of the Cabela’s rocking chairs?
Seriously, folks.check out that chair
Any thoughts on the Mac Sports Rock n Lock? Looks like a GCI Costco knockoff
They no longer make the BEST camp chair ever. The MAC Outdoors Commander is the most comfortable chair ever made. It’s like a nice wide cloth folding Adirondack chair. It has wide curved arm rests that are just positioned perfectly. The seat is wide and there is no bar going across the front of it to cut into the back of your legs and the slope of the back rest was just ideal. It was rated to 300 lbs. It was marketed in a few solid colors and all of the major college football logos and colors. If you took it to a picnic you had to keep your eye on it because every one would grab in it while you were going after a cold beer. I’ve probably had 100 people tell me how comfortable it is (I bought several spares after I saw how good they were.) I don’t know why they are discontinued, but none of the products offered by the company since then are anywhere close in comfort.
I’m gonna jump on that Kijaro bandwagon
The only flaw for the Kijaro Dual Lock is that bagged up its probably a foot longer than a standard camp chair. It barely fits in my sedan trunk and I when camping I basically need to arrange my trunk packing entirely around the length of the packed up chair.
Are your sisters triplets? They all look the same!
I love the microphone extender…keeping with the family reunion camp theme. 😂😂
Needed the Academy outdoor $6 chair. The true pinnacle of camp chair. Buy it, throw it in the trash, go home. Repeat
This the VERY BEST rating system I have ever seen. How gear and funny is your family. This feels my heart with warmth when I am watching!
butts up!! love it
Guidesman® Hard Arm Folding Quad Chair
Throw the bag away and enjoy a chair that’s not going to squish you.
No One tigris, No NatureHike? senseless video
Great video! Thank you for this!
G r e a t. Video🎉🎉🎉
There’s so much negativity in the world… I just wanted to say your video is excellent. Very well done you’re very funny. Well done. ❤️
I feel guilted into buying the Amazon basic chair because I felt so bad for it sitting alone and being recorded. It looked so sad and ashamed.
Brilliant!!!! What a great video……fantastic family fun.😊
I have the older nemo and a gci rocker. I love the nemo but my wife likes the gci more for some reason.
I got 2 chairs similar to the yeti under the mac name at costco on sale i think for $60, great value for the quality without the name and the bag has 2 straps to carry like a backpack, but heavy and bulky not very portable
I’m up to the point of the video where you start having people sit in the helinox chair. I haven’t yet seen you have any of these people try to set up and pack up any of these chairs. This is a very important point. I can tell you from experience that the helinox chair, while very comfy, was too difficult for me to set up and then pack up. It requires quite a bit of muscle to do both.
Kijaro is good but after 5 years the seams in seat started to separate.
Love this!
If the makers used a zippered or Velcro bag that opens all the way up, it might resolve the skinny bag issue. Thanks for the great review! I have my eye on the Nemo now!
Bread box as typical standard of measurement? no! Packs down to about 3 jimmy john subs😅that had me laughing
Not a whole lot of sitting time just yet but the Iceco HA1600 got my business with materials, comfort (variable headrest and reclining), and 10yr warranty
Great format and writing.
I’d love to have your take on the moto-camping staple: Kermit chair. It’s high quality, high portability, but a PITA to set up & take down (although it can be simply folded and carried if you don’t need to stow it on a motorcycle).
For dog shows every other weekend, the lightest, cheapest is best. No worries if you get home and realize you forgot your chair. For my skill and patience level., just place the collapsed chair on the ground with legs pointing to the sky and put the bag OVER the chair, vowing to cut off the strings that close the bag when you get home. For the back yard, a rocker wins. Mesh for summer.
Loved the hands-on (butts-on?) testing style by a range of sizes and body types. I am a happy owner of the Kijaro. Great video.
I’m a fan of the iClimb Heavy Duty folding chair.
Kijaro dual lock. Had ours for quite a few years. Still like them. Stable & comfy. The price was right as well. 2 sizes available.
Y’all are an absolute hoot! Thank you for doing the work and getting to the bottom of this long perplexing problem. You are spot on about the bags!
The Renetto canopy chair turns the problem of the bag into the benefit of a sun shading canopy.
Thank you to you & your family for doing this.. it was a delight =-)
Fun way to do it.
awesome testing!! Thank you!! Love your cooperative family.
It may not be available this late in the season but Costco carries a knockoff of the Nemo Stargaze that’s 1/3 the price. It’s definitely cheaper manufacture (not mesh, much heavier, manual seat adjustment instead of just leaning forward or back) but the 2025 version added a nice footrest.
A big thank you to your family for participating in this unbiased camping camp review! 😊
Knock off Nemo is about $28 at Sams club.
This is one of the best, if not the best, camping gear channel on youtube. Normal, everyday folks giving their opinion.
I just spent 24 minutes of my life watching a family do a chair bracket….and I have no regrets😂
I am so glad I found your channel! I would love the Nemo, but my budget loves the $40 chair. But that sleeping bag chair looks amazing!