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 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. Walk around any campground or tailgate party, and you’ll notice the popularity of this variety of accordion-style seat. You can pick one up at just about any big-box store (sometimes for as little as $10), order one with your favorite sports team’s logo, or pay a premium for a similar model from Cabela’s or REI. Convenient carrying bag makes is easy to keep in the trunk.
It just requires a quick twist and your body weight on the chair to set it up. Foam chairs are a bit trickier to differentiate in this category. Because you sit directly on the ground, models like the Therm-a-Rest Z Seat and Nemo Chipper generally offer consistent stability or are as stable as the ground beneath them. Our only comment about sit pads like these is that because they are so light, if you get up to grab something on a windy day, they’ll blow off of whatever surface you had them on. Looking first at tent-style chairs, some really stand out. The huge base and larger diameter poles of the Big Agnes Big Six, while heavy, significantly increase its stability.
However, this isn’t really a chair, per se — you are still basically sitting on the ground. If you find getting up off the ground difficult and uncomfortable, then this seat may not be suitable for you. But for those who want a dry, warm spot to park their rear without adding more than a couple of ounces to their packs, this one could be your ideal solution. Like most chairs of this type, the Coleman Oversized Quad comes with an over-the-shoulder carry bag.
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They’re lightweight, sleek, and designed to help you in your most adventurous pursuits. Chairs are for luxury, and they’d serve no purpose without comfort. To justify lugging a purely luxurious item around with you, it must improve your outdoor experience. For this metric, we evaluated the myriad ways chairs can be more or less comfortable and used these characteristics to rate each product against each other.
It barely misses being the lightest chair of its kind, yet it’s significantly more comfortable and stable than its lightweight counterparts. When sitting down in the Zero, we immediately noticed the back support provided by its shape and the stability of the legs that keep its wobble to a minimum for such a light chair. When it comes to buying furniture, saving money and high-quality furniture are two of the decision factors. Our kitchen and dining room furniture products are manufactured by trusted brand names such as Broyhill, Lane, Real Living and more. We carry complete dining room sets that can complement or update your existing design, as well as individual dining room and kitchen tables, and the dining room chairs to match.
We also considered what body position the chairs put us in. When spending just a few minutes in a chair, most are comfortable enough. But, some chairs stood out for supporting the back for longer sessions.
We compared the depth of each tent-style chair, as some tipped us forward more than others. We prefer a deeper seat that lets us recline and relax, like the one found on our favorite model, the Big ozark trail tent Agnes Skyline UL, and the luxurious Big Agnes Big Six. Comfort is decidedly lower in foam chairs — we noted that the PowerLounger curled our shoulders in and dug into our underarms the least.
We were impressed with the usability of Renetto’s signature design. The canopy quickly and easily transforms into a carrying case—just wrap it around the chair and snap it closed with two plastic buckles, and you can carry the whole thing on your back like an oblong backpack. We brought this chair to a dense Los Angeles neighborhood to watch Fourth of July fireworks. We got some admiring nods en route to the celebration—and we had one of the more comfy seats at the show. After six months of regularly using the Coleman Cooler Quad Chair, we think it’s the best choice for most people who are seeking an upright chair for car camping, tailgating, and outdoor gatherings.