Best Affordable Camping Chairs 2018

After 14 days of crowdsourcing, hands on testing and research, we have decided that ALPS Mountaineering KingKong Camping Chair is our top pick for the best camping chair of 2018. The product surpassed our expectations regarding the overall durability and stability of a camping chair. Not to mention that it also flaunts a rugged yet elegant design [Read more].

Wouldn’t it be nice to unwind and stray away from all the hustle and bustle of your routine driven life?

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to just strip off all the stress that crept through your entire being because of the demands from work?

Then camping is probably one of the best things that you can do to achieve this. But to get the best out of your camping experience, you need to be prepared with the essential gear and equipment such as a camping chair.

While there are a lot of camping chairs available in the market today, most of them tear off easily or get crushed when you place something slightly heavy on top of it.

To save you the worry of finding the right camping chair to accompany on your trip, we did all the tedious work for you.

After 2 weeks of gruelling crowdsourcing, hands on testing as well as research we were able to come up with a list of the 5 best camping chairs in 2018.

For each product, we carefully evaluated each feature to provide you an independent review. We also highlighted each of their strengths and weaknesses.

Read more about camping chairs in this article and start packing for your outdoor adventures!

5 Best Camping Chairs of 2018

​"What to Consider Before Buying a Camping Chair?"

When deciding to get a camping chair, you can’t just buy any product you see in the market with tags like “Best Value” or “Bang for the Buck”. While there are those that offer come with high quality material and real value for your money. However, you can also fall victim to cash grabbing cheap camping chairs that abound the market nowadays.

With that being said, careful thinking and research should be done before buying a camping chair. Here are the most important features or factors that you ought to consider.

1. Type of chair

Chairs can come in different types. Minimal camp chairs are those that can be folded or those that serve as stools. When you want to travel right, then you might want to consider these types of chairs.

Regular camping chairs are those that are equipped with aluminum legs, arm rests and back seats. These usually come with a carrying bag that comes also with a strap. If you have extra space in your tent or vehicle then you can consider these chairs.

Luxurious chairs appear like recliners. They provide better stability and support and come in with more additional compartments and extensions.​

2. Weight

Another important factor that you need to consider is weight. Since you will probably be backpacking, you need to keep everything light. Who would want to carry a 50 lb chair when climbing mountains? No one.

Usually camping chairs can weigh as low as 2 pounds to 20 lb. It is best that you keep a range of 10 to 15 lbs when choosing the right camping chair. The heavier the chair is, the more weight it can accommodate, so include that whenever you want to buy one.

3.​ Material

When choosing a camping chair, you need to buy one that can withstand the harsh elements of the outdoors: rain, extreme heat, mud and several more.

To maintain good stability and durability for the legs of the chairs, they are usually made up of aluminum. In terms of the fabric choice for the seating material, coated rip stop nylon still remains to be the gold standard. They provide excellent durability, water resistance as well as comfort. They also provide good ventilation to keep your back cool.

Closed cell foaming padding is also a good addition to the seat of the chair to provide a softer more comfortable feel. In addition, they will not absorb.

For folding seats, they usually feature carbon fiber to stay robust especially in the back seat.​

4. Portability

Portability is also one of the most important factor you need to look into when buying a camping chair. Camping stools or folding chairs are the best choices whenever you are preparing for a long backpacking trip. Some chairs come with carry bags with strap to help you carry them.​

5.​ Added Features

Modern camping chairs now come with a ton of useful added features.

Cup holders, although not as important, still are worthy additions to camping chairs. They help you relax more when you are enjoying the view while sipping on a cup of your favourite drink.

​Arm rests are usually added features for camping chairs. Some people say that they are unnecessary and just add more weight to the chair. However, they come in very handy whenever you want to relax.

Mesh pockets and compartments are also important additions that help you increase your storage space.​

How We Assessed and Evaluated These Products

For this article, we had a total of 2 weeks of crowdsourcing and hands on testing for each product. In our search for the best camping chairs of 2018, we have shortlisted as much as 20 products all of which were subjected to our rigorous process of evaluation.

In here we focused on the factors and aspects that make an excellent camping chair. While this may sound easy, we had a difficult time narrowing the list since each of the products all performed well during our test.

However, since our goal is to help you decide, we have gone through each tedious task to come up with a list of the 5 best camping chairs of 2018. We focused on the overall durability, stability, material used, portability, weight as well as design.

At the same time, we also asked our peers with their view of each of the products we have featured in this list. We sought to it that we make every review as transparent and as objective as we possibly can. We collated reviews from reputable sites like Morningchores.com and Outdoorgearlab.

After weeks of grueling testing, crowdsourcing and research, we finally have come up with the 5 best camping chairs available in 2018.

In the following reviews, we have highlighted each of the main specifications as well gave our points as to what their strengths and weaknesses are.​

So without further ado, here are the 5 best camping chairs of 2018.

Our Top Picks

1. Eureka Director’s Chair - Second Runner Up

The first entry on our list is the Eureka Director’s Chair. This product is one of the most versatile chairs in our list.

You can use it while camping or while lounging around the porch or while watching a sporting event with your friends.

Along with the sheer comfort it brings, the Eureka also offers a ton of features that will make your camping experience fun and convenient.

The chair’s frame is constructed with powder coated steel, this allows a strong and durable build that can withstand the harsh elements of the outdoors.

You are also assured that the legs stay upright and will not sink easily into the ground.

To give better support, the chair is equipped with a main seat area, backrest, armrest which are all padded with foam to provide more comfort. The breathable 3d spacer ventilated mesh in the lumbar panel helps maintain your back as cool as possible.

To bring more into the table, oh we mean chair, the product is also equipped with a sturdy side table made from laminated fiberwood, within the table is a cup holder that lets you place your drink while you enjoy the view.

Boasting a durable and strong build, the chair can support weights of up to 300 lbs. Never worry about bringing it to your camping trips as it can be folded to a small package.

When we received the product, we immediately marvelled at the simplistic yet elegant design of the chair however we noticed that it was heavier than expected and was slightly larger compared to its counterparts. Also, the cup holder is only meant to accommodate small cups and cannot fit bottles or mugs.

The second entry on our list is the Kijaro Dual Lock Folding Chair. This product just screams comfort and support when we first saw it.

In our assessment, the Kijaro Dual Lock Chair delivers in three aspects: support, comfort and especially portability, a factor which is often overlooked by camping equipment manufacturers.

Using advanced technology, the chair is built with the most durable steel and also features a patented dual lock system which further fortifies the product’s overall durability and security.

In addition, the chair can easily be folded and packed with just a single press of a button. It also has a built-in carry strap that lets you transport it wherever you like.

One of the main key feature of this chair is that its snag free seating with durable Diamond Ripstop Polyester. This allows better back support and comfort especially in long durations. It has a highly breathable back mesh which keeps your back cool despite hot conditions.

Additionally, it flaunts two good sized cup holders as well as a side organizer with a mesh pocket secured by a zipper, to provide more security to your belongings.

The product comes in a wide array of colors and can accommodate weights of up to 300 lb. Weighing only 10 lbs, the Kijaro camping chair is highly portable.

What is missing though with this product is a side table. Because of this, putting plates or other things on the chair is hardly possible.​

Coming from a company that is well renowned in the field of outdoor gears and equipment, our third recommendation will surely deliver on the important aspects.

Made with premium grade steel, the frame of the chair is built to withstand even the harshest conditions of the outdoors, giving you assurance that it can live up to the standards of ALPS products.

To be specific, the frame of the ALPS Mountaineering is constructed with their high quality patented power coated steel which can accommodate and carry weight of up to a whopping 800 lbs, now that’s definitely strong!

Donning a wide seat, the chair can surely provide a comfortable seat for even those of bigger sizes.

The seat and the back of the chair is made more durable thanks to its 600D padded polyester fabric equipped with equally durable cushion to provide better support and comfort. It has adjustable armrests that let you change its length.

It features several compartments and a large pocket that is attached to the arm rest. At the back you have a mesh pocket and to add more storage, it dons two beverage or cup holders in the front portion of the armrest.

Weighing at 13 lbs, the ALPS Mountaineering can be on the heavier side, with this you may have qualms in regards to transporting the chair. However with this, you get a chair that can be easily folded and can be placed in a heavy duty case.

Another worthy entry on our list is the Kamp Rite Director’s Chair with Side Table and Cooler.

This product has a lot of features that will let you consider it to be your next camping companion.

Constructed from reinforced lightweight aluminum, the frame of the chair is built to endure extreme conditions and with its light weight, it can easily be opened and folded down.

It features a heavy duty polyester fabric that provides a good level of comfort and convenience.

With its oversized padded seat and curved armrest, expect a cozy and peaceful time with this chair.

In terms of storage and compartments, the chair dons a built in side table with a cup holder. It also has a built-in ice cooler that can hold beverages and cans while you lounge on the chair.

Weighing at 13 lbs just like the ALPS Mountaineering, the Kamp Rite Director’s chair can be on the heavier side.

However, despite the heavy weight it possesses, it can only support weight up to 350 lbs which can be a huge disappointment. Not that 350 lbs is not sufficient enough, but to think that with 13 lbs in weight, the product should accommodate a heavier weight.​

The last but definitely not the least entry on our list is the KingCamp Moon Leisure Camping Chair.

Featuring excellent material and an ergonomic design, the product is made to deliver on convenience and portability.

Constructed with durable steel and high quality polyester fabric, the chair feels very comfortable and sturdy.

The product comes with a wide array of colors which come in two: red and black, blue and black and green and black.

The padded seat as well as armrest provides better stability and comfort.

Boasting a very lightweight of only 10 lbs, it can carry weight of up to 260 lbs.

Boasting a very lightweight of only 10 lbs, it can carry weight of up to 260 lbs.In regards to the compartments, it has a large pocket at the back of the seat. It can be folded easily and can be placed securely in the carry bag that comes with the purchase.

Our major gripes with this chair is the fact that it sits too low on the ground and also, the seat is too narrow. With this, people with a larger build can look elsewhere.

Our Recommendations:

Editor's Pick: ALPS Mountaineering King Kong Camping Chair

Choosing the top camping chair among this list of products is a hard task. All of them offered good value for your money and also delivered on their promise.

After careful deliberation and comparison with the other products, we decided that the ALPS Mountaineering King Kong Camping Chair may be the best camping chair of 2018.

The main seat as well as the back and armrests are all padded to provide better comfort and convenience. In addition, it features a mesh back to allow better heat management to keep your back cool.

With its highly durable frame, persons weighing even up to 800 lbs need not to worry. The product can be easily folded and also comes with a carrying bag to give it better portability.

The Mountaineering King Kong is another testament to the high quality products from ALPS.​

Runners Up: Kijaro Dual Lock Folding Camping Chair and Eureka Director’s Chair

Coming in at second place is the Kijaro Dual Lock Folding Camping Chair. One of its highlights is its snag free seating with durable Diamond Ripstop Polyester which gives better support for your back. With this, you never have to worry about long durations of mere sitting down.

With a single press of a button, you can also fold and keep the chair in your car or any vehicle. Equipped with several compartments, you are sure to never lose out on storage space.

Another honourable mention is the Eureka Director’s Chair which is probably one of the most elegant looking chair we have reviewed for this article. It features a highly durable frame that is able to withstand harsh conditions of the outdoors. In addition, it has a breathable mesh to keep the back of the seat well ventilated.