Best camping chairs

The best camping chairs are comfy and sturdy. Folding camping chairs also need to be easy to put up and fold down, and the more lightweight a camping chair is, the better. 

We recruit a small army of testers to try out popular camping chairs from Argos, Decathlon, Go Outdoors and more. 

We ask them to rate the chairs and we also test durability, ease of folding and unfolding, stability and how long camping chairs take to dry out if caught in a sudden downpour.

Our testing reveals two Best Buy camping chairs. Our top picks that beat the rest. 

The best camping chairs

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The camping chairs we tested

All the camping chairs we tested are listed in alphabetical order below.

Only logged-in Which? members can view the best camping chairs from our tests.

Join Which? to get instant access to our test results and Best Buy recommendation below. 

Argos steel folding camping chair

Available from Argos (£13)

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Weight 2.3kg

Seat dimensions (H x W x D) 41 x 49 x 40cm

Dimensions folded (H x W x D) 80 x 17 x 14cm

Need to know Full dimensions when unfolded (H x W x D) 80 x 73 x 49cm; 110kg maximum user weight; one cup holder; one-year guarantee; other colours available.

Eurohike Peak folding chair

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Weight 2.2kg

Seat dimensions (H x W x D) 45 x 49 x 38cm

Dimensions folded (H x W  xD) 85 x 20 x 20cm

Need to know Full dimensions when unfolded (H x W x D) 84 x 84 x 48cm; 90kg maximum user weight; one cup holder; other colours available.

Hi-Gear Kentucky Classic chair

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Weight 3.5kg

Seat dimensions (H x W x D) 57 x 57 x 47cm

Dimensions folded (H x W x D) 101 x 22 x 20cm

Need to know Full dimensions when unfolded (H x W x D) 103 x 84 x 57cm; 110kg maximum user weight; one insulated drink holder; padded seat and back; 90-day warranty; other colours available.

Hi-Gear Vegas XL chair

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Weight 3.8kg

Seat dimensions (H x W x D) 65 x 47 x 41cm

Dimensions folded (H x W x D) 98 x 24 x 19cm

Need to know Full dimensions when unfolded (H x W x D) 103 x 71 x 64cm; 120kg maximum user weight; one side storage pocket; padded seat; 90-day warranty; other colours available.

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Highlander folding garden camping chair

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Weight 2.2kg

Seat dimensions (H x W x D) 49 x 49 x 38cm

Dimensions folded (H x W x D) 87 x 20 x 14cm

Need to know Full dimensions when unfolded (H x W x D) 90 x 82 x 49cm; 100kg maximum user weight; one cup holder; other colours available.

Outwell Folding Furniture Goya XL

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Weight 5kg

Seat dimensions (H x W x D) 58 x 58 x 40cm

Dimensions folded (H x W x D) 112 x 28 x 16cm

Need to know Full dimensions when unfolded (H x W x D) 97 x 73 x 67cm; 150kg maximum user weight; solid armrests; two-year warranty.

Pro Action aluminium deluxe camping chair

Available from Argos (£55)

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Weight 2.7kg

Seat dimensions (H x W x D) 43 x 54 x 43cm

Dimensions folded (H x W x D) 86 x 20 x 16cm

Need to know Full dimensions when unfolded (H x W x D) 86 x 79 x 54cm; 110kg maximum user weight; one cup holder; padded seat and back; one-year warranty.

Quechua comfortable folding camping chair

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Weight 4.3kg

Seat dimensions (H x W x D) 57 x 53 x 38cm

Dimensions folded (H x W x D) 106 x 21 x 18cm

Need to know Full dimensions when unfolded (H x W x D) 90 x 58 x 79cm; 110kg maximum user weight; solid armrests with padding; two-year warranty.

Quechua steel and aluminium reclining camping armchair

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Weight 4.7kg

Seat dimensions (H x W x D) 70 x 49 x 39cm

Dimensions folded (H x W x D) 86 x 55 x 10cm

Need to know Full dimensions when unfolded (H x W x D) 106 x 61 x 39cm; 110kg maximum user weight;  seven reclining positions; solid armrests; two-year warranty.

Regatta Kruza chair

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Weight 3.9kg

Seat dimensions (H x W x D) 58 x 57 x 45cm

Dimensions folded (H x W x D) 97 x 21 x 17cm

Need to know Full dimensions when unfolded (H x W x D) 105 x 88 x 54cm; 100kg maximum user weight; one drink holder; padded seat and back; one-year guarantee; other colours available.

Vango Hampton DLX camping chair

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Weight 6kg

Seat dimensions (H x W x D) 78 x 50 x 38cm

Dimensions folded (H x W x D) 97 x 58 x 12cm

Need to know Full dimensions when unfolded (H x W x D) 116 x 59 x 58cm; 140kg maximum user weight; six reclining positions plus adjustable lumbar support; solid armrests and padded seat and back; two-year warranty; other colours available.

Vango Micro Steel tall camping chair

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Weight 2.3kg

Seat dimensions (H x W x D) 45 x 42 x 38cm

Dimensions folded (H x W x D) 44 x 14 x 11cm

Need to know Full dimensions when unfolded (H x W x D) 104 x 57 x 65cm; 120kg maximum user weight; two-year warranty.

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How we test camping chairs

We test popular folding camping chairs from Decathlon, Halfords, Go Outdoors, Vango and more.

We buy every camping chair we test and our testers try out every single seat, so you know our tests are truly comparative and unbiased.

Find out more about how Which? is not influenced by product manufacturers or retailers and how your support helps us stay editorially independent. 

Comfort and stability

A small army of testers try every single camping chair, rating them for how comfortable they are to sit in, how stable they feel, and how easy they are to get in and out of.

The best camping chairs get the comfort thumbs up from almost every tester. 

The worst wobble when we sit in them, have weak arms that make getting out of the chair difficult, and don't offer much back support. 

Water resistance

Each chair is drenched in water and left to dry in a mild breeze for four hours. 

The best camping chairs are completely dry in under two hours.

The worst we test are still damp to the touch after four hours, or still have water held in the fabric.

Durability

Each camping chair is open and closed 100 times to simulate long-term use. 

We also drop each chair when folded and unfolded to see if they survive a few bumps and scrapes.

While none of the chairs we've tested have major issues, the best emerge without a scratch, while the worst have scuffs and scrapes on their frames.

Portability

We test how easy it is to get each folding camping chair into its carry bag, if it comes with one, and how easy they are to carry.

We also try fitting them in the boot of a 2019 Hyundai i10 (252 litre boot) to see how easy each chair can be transported in a small car.

Lightweight camping chairs, with roomy bags and a small footprint are the best.

The worst are heavy, large and have protruding bits of the frame that hit our legs when being carried.

Ease of folding and unfolding

We test each camping chair for how easy they are to fold and unfold.

The best camping chairs are intuitive and don't need much force to open and close. 

The worst are stiff and difficult to assemble.

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What is the most comfortable chair for camping?

It's somewhat personal, but our army of testers, of different ages and ability, generally agreed on the most comfortable camping chairs.

• Tall backs Our testing found people typically found chairs with taller backs more comfortable, giving more back and neck support.
• Padding We found some chairs without padding that people liked, but in general camping chairs with padded seats and/or backs were more comfortable.
• Seat width Some camping chairs are narrower than others, our testers generally preferred the wider seats
• Arms Some camping chairs don't have arms, and these were typically less liked by our panel of testers, as there was nowhere to rest their arms (aside from their lap) and it made getting in and out of the chair more difficult

Best camping chairs for older adults

Our testing found solid arms really helpful if you need a bit more support getting in and out of chairs.

They'll give you a sturdy surface that you can push off from to get out of your seat, and to steady yourself when sitting.

It's also worth looking for camping chairs with specially designed flat feet, which lower the chances of the camping chair sinking into wet ground or less stable surfaces like sand on a beach.

Best ultra lightweight camping chairs

The camping chairs we've tested range in weight from around 2 to 5kg.

The lighter weight chairs are similar in design, usually made of fabric on a metal frame that fold down into a long, thin cylinder shape.

Some camping chairs fold even smaller, perfect for backpacking, but we've found them more tricky to set up and put down.

We've also found the comfort of these chairs lighter weight chairs to vary, so the quickest way to find the best is to read our reviews.

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