The Finest Backpacking Chairs of 2023

Irrespective of how cool or cozy a camp chair is, it’s not a backpacking chair except you may carry it. For this overview, we seemed for chairs that provide stability of assist and sturdiness, are packable, and weigh beneath 4 kilos.

To decide on the perfect backpacking chairs, we researched and ranked greater than 10 chairs from eight manufacturers. We evaluated chairs based mostly on their options, worth, suggestions from our testing, and the quantity of optimistic critiques.

When you need assistance figuring out your distinctive wants, try our comparison chart, buyer’s guide, and FAQ. In any other case, scroll by way of our picks for the perfect backpacking chairs of 2023:

Editor’s Be aware: We refreshed this text on September 5, 2023, including a product and a number of other pictures, and making certain every current chair is in inventory and up-to-date.

The Finest Backpacking Chairs of 2023

The Finest Base Camp Chair

Whereas this didn’t make the reduce for backpacking (it doesn’t meet our weight requirement), it’s nonetheless certainly one of our favorites from base camp to trailhead and many locations in between.

Backpacking Chairs Comparability Chart

How We Examined Backpacking Chairs

Miya Tsudome is without doubt one of the major gear testers on this overview. Combining a decade of backpacking expertise with years of authoring gear critiques, she’s well-suited that can assist you take advantage of knowledgeable buying resolution on your backpacking chair wants.

Residing in Bishop on the flanks of the Sierra Nevada mountains, Miya spends most of her summers backpacking out to alpine climbing aims and is aware of how good it’s to have a snug seat to lounge in on the finish of a protracted climbing day.

She and the opposite testers on this overview spent a number of weeks assessing the consolation, stability, ease of setup, packability, and extra for all 13 chairs on this lineup. This info will allow you to wade by way of the plethora of chairs available on the market to seek out the perfect backpacking chair for you.

Purchaser’s Information: Easy methods to Select a Backpacking Chair

Consolation/Again Help

Though you may want a chair that’s mild and sufficiently small to pack in your backpacking journeys, it’s good to seek out one which doesn’t skimp on consolation or again assist for those who’re seeking to lounge on the finish of a protracted climbing day.

The REI Flexlite Air Chair supplies the right quantity of consolation and again assist together with its mild weight, which is why it’s our prime choose. With an 11-inch seat top, your again is properly supported whenever you settle into the chair, permitting you to lean again with out feeling unstable.

The Helinox Ground Chair, Chair One, and Chair Zero all have related seat heights and sturdy, supportive materials of their massive bucket seats — making all of them snug fashions.

Though the Crazy Creek Hex 2.0 chair doesn’t have the inflexible legs or construction of a typical tenting chair, this mannequin is remarkably snug. As a result of you may have the flexibility to regulate the straps, you’re capable of configure the angle of the again assist simply the way you prefer it, and we cherished having the ability to lean again with the complete assist of the chair cradling our our bodies.

Taking the idea of the Loopy Creek even additional is the Therm-a-Rest Trekker Chair, which lets you insert your sleeping pad into the chair design to create the plushest seat out of all those we reviewed. The one draw back is you will need to have a suitable sleeping pad along with the chair.

Decrease on the final consolation listing are the chairs with none again assist in any respect. This contains the Therm-a-Rest Z Seat and the Hillsound Equipment BTR Stool. These chairs are made for extra sensible use as an alternative of long-term lounging, and are additionally lighter than conventional camp chairs consequently, which can be fascinating for some people.

Stability

As a result of these backpacking chairs will doubtless be used on various terrain, stability is a crucial characteristic to contemplate when making your buying resolution. Our runner-up chair, the Helinox Ground Chair, is a superb selection on this regard, with its low-to-the-ground, square-shaped base.

This distinctive design characteristic distributes weight extra evenly throughout the bottom, making it much less doubtless you’ll tip over on uneven terrain. It’s also decrease to the bottom than different backpacking chairs in our lineup, making it much more secure.

Different chairs that rank excessive within the stability class are the Crazy Creek Hex 2.0, the Therm-a-Rest Z Seat, and the Therm-a-Rest Trekker Chair. Since none of those chairs have legs and all are seats which might be positioned immediately on the bottom, there’s little to no likelihood they are going to tip over, they usually simply can be utilized in sand, on rocks, on slopes, or snow.

Measurement and Weight

Backpacking chairs should not actually an “important” backpacking merchandise, however they certain could make your tenting expertise rather more snug. Nonetheless, dimension and weight are vital issues to contemplate when selecting a chair to buy. You wish to make certain the chair received’t be too cumbersome to slot in your backpacking backpack and that it’s mild sufficient to justify bringing alongside.

The Therm-a-Rest Z Seat is for sure the lightest and most compact “chair” in our lineup. Weighing in at a mere 2 ounces and folding up accordion-style right into a dimension barely wider than a Nalgene bottle, this seat can simply slot in your pack with out including bulk or weight. It’s undoubtedly your best option for the ultralight backpackers who aren’t on the lookout for a chair per se however a pleasant seating pad for maintaining your bum heat at camp.

The Hillsound Equipment Stool is available in at a detailed second, weighing in at 12.2 ounces and likewise folding up right into a compact cylinder that may be stowed simply in one of many exterior pockets of your pack.

Each of those chairs are the lightest but in addition lack again assist. If you need a light-weight, packable chair that’s truly a correct “chair,” the lightest one is our class winner, the REI Flexlite Air. Weighing in at solely a pound and folding up right into a small 5×16-inch bundle, this chair is a superb selection for many who are aware about weight however don’t wish to sacrifice again assist.

The Helinox Ground Chair and Chair Zero are additionally good bets, weighing in at 1 pound, 4.8 ounces and 1 pound 2 ounces, respectively, and each pack up right into a small dimension.

Lastly, the Crazy Creek can be an ideal compromise between being light-weight and packable (however with out sacrificing again assist). It is available in at a light-weight 1 pound, 5 ounces and is a extra snug folding chair general, making it our most well-liked selection of chairs on this design class.

Ease of Setup

Each backpacking chair we reviewed has comparatively easy setups, permitting you to get from pounding the path to lounging at camp as rapidly and painlessly as attainable. Some chairs are noticeably simpler to arrange than others, nevertheless, which we’ll talk about on this part.

Indisputably the best chair within the lineup is the Therm-a-Rest Z Seat. Because it’s only a small, insulated pad, it folds up accordion fashion and could be dispatched as rapidly as eradicating the hooked up rubber band holding it collectively, opening it up, and sitting down.

The second best to arrange is the Hillsound Equipment BTR Stool. Merely lengthen and twist the legs open, and the stool is able to use.

The Crazy Creek can be a breeze to arrange however takes a second to regulate. You’ll wish to open up these folding seats and sit within them whereas adjusting their aspect straps for essentially the most snug match and to seek out your most well-liked angle.

The remainder of the chairs in our overview observe the usual tenting chair setup: unfold the chair legs and join them into all their joints to make the body, then merely stretch the seat material and set up their corners into the designated chair legs. This takes a minute or two tops.

Backpacking Chair vs. Tenting Chair

This complete overview particularly covers the perfect backpacking chairs, which could make a few of you surprise what the distinction is from tenting chairs. This is a crucial distinction to make.

To qualify as a backpacking chair, these seats have to be light-weight, pack right down to a comparatively small and transportable dimension, and be easy to arrange. When happening a backpacking journey, whether or not it’s in a single day or a multiday trek, house in your pack and weight matter. The entire chairs in our overview (in addition to the Coleman Quad) pack right down to a dimension that may match into or on the skin of a backpacking pack.

When you do a variety of automotive tenting, nevertheless, which implies you’re driving as much as a campsite and carrying your entire gear in your automotive, you may wish to take into account shopping for a camp chair as an alternative. All these chairs will usually be greater and extra snug, with taller backs for assist, and generally equipment like cup holders or further cushioning within the seat or backrest.

The Coleman Quad is a superb instance and easily folds open and closed, making it a breeze to seize out of the tailgate and pop open by the hearth.

Totally different Sorts of Backpacking Chairs

Whereas they could look like a comparatively easy buy, backpacking chairs truly are available many alternative sizes and shapes. The commonest kind is the two-piece, legs plus material bucket seat chair. The REI Flexlite Air, Helinox Ground, Chair One, and Chair Zero, ALPS Mountaineering Dash Chair, and Big Agnes Skyline UL Chair are all of this design, with collapsable legs and a cloth seat that may be rolled up and packed into your backpack.

Different varieties of chairs you could find for backpacking are stools, just like the Hillsound Equipment BTR or foldable chairs just like the Crazy Creek. Stools could be nice to have on a fishing or river journey, and foldable chairs are an ideal ultralight possibility for lounging at camp after a protracted day of climbing with out carrying an excessive amount of weight or bulk.

Essentially the most distinctive fashion of backpacking chair we’ve come throughout is the Therm-a-Rest Trekker Chair, which makes use of your sleeping pad to make an opulent, snug camp seat. Whereas it requires you to have a suitable sleeping pad, it makes use of one thing that’s already in your pack to create a chair, which we actually like. Plus you should utilize it with out the pad as a foldable seat, making it a flexible possibility.

Lastly is the bottom pad fashion seat, just like the Therm-a-Rest Z Seat. Whereas it might not seem like a lot, this insulated pad can be versatile and so mild it’s exhausting to not pack. The distinction between sitting on the chilly floor and having an insulated piece of froth beneath you is night time and day, and you can even use it as further cushioning beneath your sleeping pad or to increase it in case you have a three-quarter-length pad.

It’s value taking a second to consider how you’ll more than likely make the most of your chair earlier than deciding which would be the greatest backpacking chair on your wants.

Construct High quality

Backpacking chairs are available all sizes and shapes and are made with totally different supplies that have an effect on their general construct high quality. Helinox is excessive on the listing when it comes to the standard of supplies in its chairs, with its light-weight, aluminum leg poles and ripstop polyester seats. The REI Flexlite Air and Flexlite Camp Boss are made with the identical supplies, making certain their mild weight is met with a high-quality design.

Large Agnes is an organization that doesn’t skimp on high quality both and is thought for top-shelf tents and sleeping baggage. The corporate’s chair sport isn’t any totally different. The Mica Basin and Skyline UL are made with what Large Agnes calls “plane aluminum pole techniques,” and the proprietary high-tenacity Robic nylon with polyester ripstop ensures sturdiness.

Whereas the Crazy Creek Hex 2.0 might seem like a easy chair, it’s made with 8mm high-density cored EVA closed-cell foam which supplies insulation and has a sturdy outer shell made with 210D coated ripstop nylon for abrasion-resistance and weatherproofing. The carbon fiber stays inside the folded seat are remarkably sturdy and make sure you’ll have a chair that lasts journey after journey.

FAQ

Discovering the perfect backpacking chair has to do together with your threshold of consolation and the way a lot you’re keen to hold. If weight isn’t your major concern and you’ll solely be climbing for a brief period of time, hauling one thing just like the Big Agnes Mica can be an ideal possibility, because it packs a variety of consolation into a comparatively small bundle.

If ultralight minimalism is essential, nevertheless, you could wish to persist with the bare-bones, no-frills Therm-a-Rest Z Seat, a easy sq. of froth that may disappear in your pack. It completely relies on private desire.

That mentioned, not all backpacking chairs are equal. Some are undoubtedly increased high quality than others, and it’s vital to contemplate the sturdiness and dependability of something you’re taking into the backcountry. All the things on this information has been examined by adventurers who know what to search for in strong, dependable gear, and you may belief their trustworthy opinion.

Backpacking chairs provide the final word stage of backcountry consolation. There’s nothing fairly like sitting in an precise chair across the hearth after a grueling hike as an alternative of getting sap throughout your shorts and leaning towards a knobby tree. Consolation nearly at all times comes at the price of weight, although, which backpackers are at all times making an attempt to whittle down.

A backpacking chair ought to strike an acceptable stability between consolation, weight, and bulk. When you don’t really feel snug carrying it for miles in your again, it received’t be well worth the reward you get on the finish of the day.

Backpacking chairs ought to have the ability to pack up sufficiently small to suit simply inside, or strap to the skin, of your pack.

Whereas the lightest backpacking “chair” now we have on this listing is the Therm-a-Rest Z Seat, this actually doesn’t provide a lot assist and luxury. The lightest product we’d classify as extra of a traditional “chair” we reviewed is the REI Flexlite Air Chair, coming in at round a pound.

Tenting chairs, usually, don’t pack down as small and are fairly cumbersome however do provide a great deal of consolation. To qualify for this listing, every backpacking chair have to be light-weight, pack right down to a comparatively small and transportable dimension, and be easy to arrange.