Contrary to what the name suggests, camping chairs are not just for camping. While they are an essential to pack alongside your tent, these foldable chairs are excellent for all sorts of purposes. Heading to the park or the beach for a picnic? Run out of garden furniture and in need of an extra seat for a surplus of guests? The answer, as you've probably guessed, is a camping chair.
These affordable outdoor chairs are light and functional yet also often strong and heavy duty, with some even offering comfortable back support. Online sites like Argos, Amazon and Decathlon all have fantastic options, whether they're inflatable or folding, cheap or with a bit of luxury. Whatever you're looking for, sit back, relax and read on for our suggestions.
Quick List - Top Camping Chairs
CAMPING WORLD
Cushioned Back Rest and Seat for More Comfort While Camping
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It is important that your chair is fully waterproof to cope with the temperamental British weather or any potential showers elsewhere. Most camping chairs are made from a synthetic plastic material like polyester, making them excellent at keeping out the rain.
In addition, the frame portion of a foldable chair should be made from a strong and sturdy metal. The best metals to look for are steel and aluminium, as these will ensure that your chair stays upright after years of use and that the poles don't end up getting bent over time.
If you're planning on taking your chair to different locations, find one that weighs around 5 kg or less. Keeping in mind that chairs that come with additional extras like cushions, table inserts and even other chairs will be weightier and therefore harder to carry around for extended periods of time.
While it might be worth checking a chair's size when fully extended to see if its dimensions fit yours, the more important measurements to check are those of the chair when it's folded. The smaller the chair is when folded, the more convenient it will be to pack.
Chairs tend to fold down into a cylindrical shape and fit into a long, thin bag. For chairs like these, look for those that are around 20 cm or less across and under 100 cm in length. Other chairs will fold away into squares, which are much harder to carry but can be more comfortable and sturdy once they're set up.
Don't forget your air bed, for maximum comfort. Check out our useful guide here.
It goes without saying that you want a chair you know you can properly relax in without being worried that it might collapse beneath you. The chairs that have moving parts and loose material, can be more at risk of collapsing more than normal home furniture, so it's crucial for your safety that you check the maximum user weight that the manufacturer recommends.
Unfortunately in quite a few cases, this weight limit is quite low, sometimes as low as 100 kg. But, if that doesn't work for you, or you're worried kids and dogs might pile on and potentially cause some damage, there are some options that go up a bit higher, meaning more people can enjoy the comfort and convenience of a camping chair.
Of all the things that make carrying your camping chair easier, be that weight or size, having a bag with a strap is by far the most helpful. Not only will it give you a method for carrying your chair that fits perfectly, but it will also stop your chair from awkwardly unfolding as you carry it.
These bags tend to be made of the same waterproof material that makes up the chair itself, in order to protect it from damage. They also provide a neat storage solution when you're not using your seat.
Camping chairs might be incredibly functional and pulled back in some respects, but that doesn't mean they don't have little features which make the experience of sitting in them a little more luxurious.
One such feature is a cup holder, which allows you to have your cold beer or warming mug of tea at hand whenever you want to take a sip. Other additions worth keeping an eye out for include cushioning – particularly around the head and neck – and table space, which will both help to improve your time spent in your chair.
To find the best way of keeping those drinks nice and cold, check out our cool boxes here.
The final choice you'll have to make about your chair is the sort you'd like to get. When most people think of a camping chair, they think of one with a foldable steel frame, and this choice is definitely the most versatile and the easiest to use. The frame is fitted with a canvas upon which you sit, with some even offering added cushioning to make them very comfortable indeed.
If you're planning on being somewhere for a bit longer, such as a long weekend at a campsite, you might want to think about investing in an inflatable chair. These are nowhere near as common – or popular – as they take a while to blow up and are at risk of popping, but they can be nicer to sit in than foldable chairs.
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Trail Outdoor Leisure Padded Folding Camping Chair | ![]() | Lightweight Camping Chair That Weighs Only 3.5 kg | |
2 | CAMPING WORLD Oversized Moon Saucer Chair | ![]() | Cushioned Back Rest and Seat for More Comfort While Camping | |
3 | KingCamp Moon Camping Chair | ![]() | Padded Moon Chair That Folds Down to Under 100 cm | |
4 | Pro Action High Back Padded Camping Chair | ![]() | Weatherproof Chair Designed by Outdoors Experts | |
5 | King Camp Camping Chair | ![]() | Camping Chair With Hard Plastic Cup Holder to Prevent Spills | |
6 | XGEAR Camping Chairs With Detachable Table | ![]() | Two Person Camping Chair Set With Table | |
7 | Quechua Extremely Comfortable Folding Camping Chair | ![]() | Reclining Camping Chair With Head Rest and Neck Support | |
8 | Intex Inflatable Pull Out Camping Chair | ![]() | Inflatable Armchair That Doubles as an Air Bed | |
9 | Brunner Foldable Action Sofa | ![]() | Folding Camping Sofa Seats Two at a Time | |
10 | Quechua Camping Tripod | ![]() | Folding Seat for Hiking and Long Queues |
Lightweight, comfy, versatile and affordable: what more could you want from a camping chair? At only 3.5 kg, this is the lightest chair that has proper back support, meaning you can take it with you anywhere. It also folds down wonderfully, which will only make transporting it easier.
The frame is solid and hardwearing, while the canvas material has just the right amount of give to be comfortable. This camping chair might not have all the bells and whistles, but sometimes all you need is functional simplicity, and that is definitely provided here.
Lots of camping chairs, while convenient, can be lacking in comfort. That is not the case with this product, though, with its heavily cushioned back, sides and seat. And, it's cushioning that lots of people, no matter what their size, will be able to enjoy thanks to this chair's very high maximum user weight.
To make you even more relaxed, it has a cup holder right by your side, and the carry bag with a shoulder strap will make it simple to carry this more substantial chair.
Here's another chair with a circular shape that's just perfect for curling up in around the campfire. The extra cushioning will make it even more comfortable, and with a weight limit of 120 kg, this chair is an option open to more people than most.
The cup holder can either function as a place for you to put your drink or a pocket to put some of your essentials, and despite it being nice and wide when it's open, it folds down neatly to fit into an easy-to-carry bag.
If you're looking for a classic camping chair with a bit of extra cushioning, this option ticks those boxes. Made by Pro Action, you know it will be able to withstand whatever the British weather throws at it.
This chair folds down to a compact size, making it very easy to carry from A to B. It might not stray too far from the basics, but when a camping chair works as well as this one, why would you need to?
This camping chair is easily one of the coolest on our list. With its round 'moon' shape and sleek frame, it's definitely a cut above in the style stakes. But style hasn't meant that substance has been compromised and this chair will still open and close within seconds.
With the solid cup holder, you'll always have somewhere to put your drink, and because this cup holder is made from hard plastic, it is far more secure than the usual offerings holders which are made from flimsy fabric.
Not content providing you with just one place to sit, XGEAR give you two chairs and a table-come-footrest as well. The seats themselves are traditional camping chairs with cup holders, but they also have a pocket for putting little bits and bobs in, a reclining back and a cushion for your head and neck.
The table can either be put between the two chairs or used as a footrest, but you might notice that the table won't work that well for putting any items that need to stay stable like food or drinks, seeing as it's made from the same soft material as the chairs.
A foldable reclining chair with a bit more structure, this offering from Quechua would not look out of place in and amongst your other garden furniture. The springy mesh offers just the right amount of give and the cushion will give your head the support it needs.
Instead of folding into a cylindrical shape, this chair folds into a square, and not folding up in the usual way means it will be harder to carry than others. It also doesn't have a carry bag, making it a little more awkward to move from place to place.
Inflatable chairs like these are so much fun. They are far easier to sink into than any foldable model, so they're really great if camping comfort is your main priority. As an added bonus, this chair also extends so you can fully lie down, meaning it can double up as an air bed!
While it may be comfy, this chair does face all the problems that inflatable camping chairs run into. It is sensitive to bursting, something you don't have to think about with foldable chairs, and remember to factor in the time it will take – and the pump you'll probably need – to blow it up.
If there's two of you, instead of getting two different camping chairs, why not get this large, cushioned sofa with plenty of space for two? You can cosy up on a cold day, and the cup holders on each side mean you don't have to fight your way to your drink, either. There's even a magazine pocket at the back!
Even though it says it will fold down to quite a small size, being made for two does make this chair bulkier, which you will notice if you're trying to move it any great distance. For this reason, it's better if it's put up somewhere where you don't need to move it, so you can enjoy its comfort without the trouble of carrying it.
In need of a chair you can get out anywhere at any time? This option, weighing only 1 kg, is so light you'll forget you're carrying it and its tiny size means it won't be imposing in almost any space you're in. Despite it being small and compact, however, it can still take up to 110 kg – small but definitely mighty!
This folding seat is more a stool than a chair, and without a back or a particular space to sit, lots of people might struggle to relax in it. With all this in mind, this camping chair is much better for short rests when you're on the go than kicking back for any length of time.
No. 1: Trail Outdoor Leisure|Padded Folding Camping Chair
No. 2: CAMPING WORLD|Oversized Moon Saucer Chair
No. 3: KingCamp|Moon Camping Chair
No. 4: Pro Action|High Back Padded Camping Chair
No. 5: King Camp|Camping Chair
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