This is The Wise Adventurer’s guide to the best heavy duty camping chairs on the market. Heavy duty camping chairs are the ones that are built for the big boys, the heavy sitters, and anyone else who has a habit of being tough on equipment.
We’ve tested and analyzed dozens of chairs in search of the best seats in the house, and after careful consideration found that the Nemo Stargaze Recliner is hands down the best camp chair on the market. With a 300-pound weight capacity, sweet reclining and swinging action, and a full height chair back, the Stargaze is almost too good to be true.
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It won’t be everyone’s first choice though, and that’s ok. Some folks want the most overbuilt chair on the market for peace of mind, and others simply want something tough and supportive that won’t break the bank. The good news is, we’ve got picks down below for all of the above.
If you’re a newcomer to camping chairs, or just aren’t sure where to start your search, make sure to check out our handy buyer’s guide down at the bottom. There we’ll break down what makes a chair tough, standout features to look for, and everything else you need to know to find the perfect chair.
Alright folks, please take a seat.
Specs:– Capacity: 300 lbs (136 kg)- Weight: 7 lbs (3.2 kg)- Foldable: Yes- Packed size: 23.5” x 6.5” x 6.5” (60cm x 17cm x 17cm)- Seat height: 36” (92cm)- Seat Width: 27” (68cm)- Price: $$$
Put simply, once you’ve sat in a Nemo Stargaze Recliner, you’ll never want to sit in any other camp chair ever again. The Stargaze is a thoroughly unique take on the classic camp chair, and combines all the best parts of a hammock, a recliner, and a standard folding chair into one outrageously luxurious seat.
This is made possible by Nemo’s dynamic suspension system, which requires zero adjustment on your part to go from fully upright to fully reclined: You simply lean back in the chair when you want to recline, and then lean forward when you want a regular seat. This dynamic system also allows you to rock yourself back and forth completely suspended off the ground, which feel like being in a camping hammock with back support and a head rest. Yes, it’s that good.
From a materials standpoint the Stargaze is rock solid. The entire frame is made from aircraft aluminum from the legs to the back supports, and the body is made from a tough water-resistant nylon mesh. All together the Stargaze is rated to hold up to 300 pounds worth of camper, and should you ever actually manage to damage or break the Stargaze, it’s also backed by Nemo’s famous lifetime warranty.
This is a tough chair to criticize (especially after you’ve sat in one) but at risk of stating the obvious, we’ll point out that it’s on the expensive side. It’s not the most expensive chair on our list, but there are definitely cheaper chairs out there you’re just looking for a comfortable place to sit that you don’t have to worry about breaking.
Specs:– Capacity: 500 lbs (227 kg)- Weight: 13.3 lbs (6 kg)- Foldable: Yes- Packed size: 43” x 13” x 9” (109cm x 33cm x 23cm)- Seat height: 17” (43 cm)- Seat Width: 25” (64 cm)- Price: $$$
Yeti’s line of coolers, bags, and drinkware are known for two things: One, they’re widely considered to the best on the market, and two, they’re widely considered to be the most expensive on the market. We’ve found both cases to be more or less accurate over the years, but we’ve never met anyone who bought a Yeti cooler and didn’t absolutely love it.
Put simply, the Yeti Trailhead is basically the Yeti cooler of camp chairs. It’s insanely tough, packed with premium features, is as comfortable as it gets, and yes, it’s expensive.
With that being said, there are a few standout technologies that make the Yeti a worthwhile investment. For starters, Yeti uses a combination of a locking aluminum frame and their proprietary “Flexgrid” fabric to create a highly supportive seating surface that eliminates the pressure points associated with a standard folding chair. That same fabric is also highly breathable and UV-resistant, so you don’t have to worry about it getting brittle over time from sun exposure.
Yeti also implements extra-wide “GroundGrip” feet on the Trailhead, which are incredibly stable on anything from campsites to deep beach sand. The armrests are spacious and comfortable, the back support is top-notch, and yes, the cupholder is wide enough to hold even the largest insulated Yeti tumbler. Aside from the price, we don’t really have anything negative to say about the Yeti. It doesn’t recline, swing, or rock, but if you just want a comfy and bulletproof place to sit, it’s an absolute home run.
Specs:– Capacity: 800 lbs (363 kg)- Weight: 13 lbs (5.9 kg)- Foldable: Yes- Packed size: 41” x 7” x 7” (104cm x 18cm x 18cm)- Seat height: 18” (46cm)- Seat width: 24.5” (62 cm)- Price: $
The Alps Mountaineering King Kong Camp Chair has grown to legendary status over the last year or two. Its outrageous 800 pound claimed weight capacity and spacious seat was an attention-getter from the start, and slowly but surely, more and more customers confirmed the King Kong’s utter indestructibility.
Strength is great, and the King Kong’s ability to quite literally support a full-grown horse is impressive, but that’s not the only thing the chair has going for it. Its quilted seat and back are lightly padded, which adds tons of comfort and even a little warmth on cold nights around the fire. You’ll also find dual cup holders in the Kong’s adjustable armrests, and an abundance of storage thanks to the dual pockets on either side of the chair and a large mesh pocket on the back.
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Judging by that description, you might expect the Alps Mountaineering King Kong to be a $100+ seat, but you’d be mistaken there. The Kong is actually both the strongest and the most affordable chair on our list, which is pretty wild considering its outright quality and reputation.
Big and tall campers will likely have nothing but positive things to say about the King Kong, but shorter folks may see the Kong differently. That’s because due to the outright size of this camp chair, shorter and/or more petite campers often find its seating area hangs down a bit too low and extends a bit too far to make a good fit. Apart from that, the only gripe worth mentioning here is that the King Kong is big and heavy, although that’s to be expected from a chair named after a 150-ton gorilla.
Specs:– Capacity: 400 lbs (181 kg)- Weight: 15 lbs (6.8 kg)- Foldable: Yes- Packed size: 41” x 12” x 12” (104cm x 30cm x 30cm)- Seat height: 19” (48cm)- Seat Width: 42” (107cm)- Price: $$
Nobody does car camping essentials on a budget quite like Kelty. The Kelty Loveseat is the two-person version of the classic Kelty Essential Camp Chair (which is also great and has a 300 lbs capacity).
We’re fans of the Loveseat because it’s got all the same great features as the Kelty Essential like comfortable quilted/insulated padding, rock-solid 600D polyester fabric, and a sturdy powder-coated steel frame, but it’s built to handle even more abuse.
Share it with a partner, friend, or pet, or hog it all to yourself. The choice is yours, but it’s always nice to have the option of stretching out and putting your feet up when it’s just you in the chair. It’s also worth noting that every Kelty Loveseat ships with a unique “Carry-Wrap” bag, which is made from the same materials as the chair (it’s even quilted) and doubles as a sling to haul firewood around camp, a cozy little bed for your pet dog/cat/raccoon, a durable welcome-mat for your tent, or any other use you can dream up.
There aren’t really any drawbacks to the Loveseat as a car camping chair, although it is naturally both bulkier and heavier than the single-person models by default. We’ll also point out that the 400-pound capacity rating is likely going to be split between you and someone else, so do the math before your pull the trigger. All things considered, it’s an excellent and excellently-built camp chair that packs a ton of features and comfort into its attractive price.
Specs:– Capacity: 325 lbs (147 kg)- Weight: 10.5 oz (4.7 kg)- Foldable: Yes- Packed size: 40” x 9” x 9” (100cm x 23cm x 23cm)- Seat height: 19” (48 cm)- Seat Width: 25” (64 cm)- Price: $$
Yes, Kelty made our list twice, and you shouldn’t be surprised. Heavy duty yet comfortable camp chairs are kind of their wheelhouse, and the Kelty Deluxe Reclining Lounge Chair is one of the finer things in outdoor life that also happens to be a great budget pick.
The Deluxe Recliner is basically their classic Essential Camp Chair with the addition of a three position-adjustable reclining back. Again, you’re getting the same high-quality materials Kelty specs in all their camp furniture including 600D polyester fabric, quilted cushioning throughout, and a powder-coated steel frame. The icing on the cake is the set-it-and-forget-it reclining system, which uses a spring-loaded locking mechanism to secure the chair in either an upright, half back, or fully-relaxed position as you see fit.
Weight capacity is rated at a respectable 325 lbs, which is pretty darn tough, especially for a recliner. The Deluxe Recliner is also reasonably light, packs down reasonably small, and includes that same sweet roll-tote storage bag as the Loveseat above.
If you’re the type who constantly finds yourself balancing on the rear legs of your camp chair, this recliner is your ticket to ride. With that being said, just know that this recliner is still a bit on the “reclined” side even when in its fully upright position. It’s still plenty comfortable to sit in, and you won’t be constantly fighting gravity to sit up straight or anything, but it’s definitely committed to a relaxed posture.
Specs:– Capacity: 250 lbs (113 kg)- Weight: 12 lbs (5.4 kg)- Foldable: Yes- Packed size: 35” x 25” 5” (89cm x 64cm x 13cm)- Seat height: 20” (51cm)- Seat width: 21” (53 cm)- Price: $$
If you’re the type that wants to relax but can never sit still, a camp rocker is just what the doctor ordered. GCI Outdoor invented the modern rocking camp chair, and their Freestyle Rocker is our favorite model currently on the market.
We love the Freestyle because rather than using your typical curved rocking rails, GCI Outdoor outfits the Freestyle with a full-blown hydraulic rocking system, which looks (and feels) as cool as it sounds. This is an important detail to note if you’re interested in a camp rocker, because there’s really nothing more annoying than having to pick every little rock, stick, and acorn out from under your chair to get it rocking smoothly.
In addition to the smoothest rocking motion in the game, GCI Outdoor’s Freestyle rocker also scores high marks for its simple one-step setup/breakdown process, well-ventilated mesh backing, and tough powder-coated steel frame.
Our main complaint with the GCI is that although its 250-pound weight capacity is undeniably stout, it still falls short of behemoths like the King Kong, Yeti Trailhead, or even Kelty’s line of camp furniture essentials like the Loveseat or Recliner above. It also folds down flat rather than packing into a compact shoulder bag like most camp chairs, so although it isn’t particularly heavy or bulky, it’s less versatile from a carrying and transporting standpoint than most.
See, here’s why heavy duty camping chairs are great: At some point in our lives, we’ve all either seen it happen, or it’s happened to us personally: You go to sit down in your favorite camping chair, and next thing you know there’s a tear, a squeal, a snap, and then BANG! Suddenly you find yourself sitting on the ground wondering what just happened while all your friends try their hardest not to point and laugh.
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With the best heavy duty camping chairs, you don’t have that problem. A heavy duty camping chair is overbuilt on purpose: It’s made from stronger materials than most of us will ever need, and knowing that gives you peace of mind while camping. These chairs are worth their weight in gold after a long day out on the trail, which is made even sweeter considering how affordable many of them are.
The first and most important thing you should look at when shopping for a heavy duty camping chair is its maximum capacity. Maximum capacity is the measurement of how much weight a chair is built to support, but that doesn’t mean that a 250-pound chair is all you need if you weigh 250 pounds.
That’s because maximum capacity is a chair’s limit on weight at rest. It doesn’t account for the added stress of constantly getting up and sitting down, rocking back and forth, or sharing the chair with your favorite pet.
We recommend shopping for a chair with a maximum capacity of at least 50 pounds more than your approximate weight when fully clothed. The higher you go, the more bulletproof the chair is likely to be, so when it doubt, aim high.
Heavy duty camping chairs are pretty much all built for car camping, and as such portability isn’t a huge factor for most people.
With that being said, if you’re planning on carrying your chair any further than from the car to the campsite (like into a ball game or a music festival, for instance) a little added portability is a feature worth paying for.
Generally speaking, we prefer a chair that’s 15 pounds or less and packs down into a proper carrying case with a shoulder strap. Lighter chairs can get away with a basic handle, but for anything over 10 pounds or so, we prefer something more convenient.
Materials and durability are the lifeblood of the best heavy duty camping chairs. Without a rugged frame, durable stitching, and high-strength fabrics, it’s only a matter of time before something gives and you’re right back on the ground much to the delight and amusement of everyone around you.
As far as frames go, the most durable chairs typically use either powder-coated steel or aluminum from top to bottom. Both are viable options, but aluminum frames tend to be a bit lighter (and therefore more expensive) than their steel counterparts.
Be wary of steel frames that are simply painted rather than powder coated: These designs are much more prone to rust, and typically signal that a chair is made from inferior materials all around.
You’ll also want to pay close attention to the fabric toughness of your chair, which is typically expressed in a measurement called “Deniers” abbreviated as 300D, 600D, etc.
You don’t need to know what deniers are to know how they work: A 400D polyester fabric is tougher than a 200D polyester, a 200D nylon is tougher than a 150D nylon, and so on. When in doubt, go with the highest denier you can find. Fabric toughness varies by material type, but generally speaking we don’t recommend going any lower than 300D in a heavy duty chair.
Heavy duty camping chairs are often built for the largest among us, and that can be both a blessing and a curse. Extra-wide or extra-long seating areas have the unfortunate habit of creating an awkward fit for shorter or smaller campers, which can create pressure points in the back and legs.
Ideally, you’ll get a chance to sit in your chair of choice before buying, whether it’s one a friend owns or something you see in-store, but if that’s not the case, don’t sweat it. Just take note of the seating dimensions of any chair you’re considering (namely seat height and width), and make sure it scales with your body type. You’ll also want to keep in mind that any chair with a seat height below 16” is going to feel small and/or low for most campers.
The best heavy duty camping chairs include added comfort features to help set them apart from your typical bargain bin folding chair. Some features like adjustable height arms and padded headrests are great year-round, but others are more subjective.
For example, chairs with insulated padding are great in the colder months, but some folks find that they run hot in the middle of summer. On the opposite end of the spectrum, chairs with breathable mesh backs are great in the warmer months, but aren’t our first choice for keeping warm around a fire.
We found the Nemo Stargaze Recliner to be the best heavy duty camping chair overall for its excellent combination of weight capacity, top-shelf materials, and premium comfort features. There’s just nothing else like it on the market, and if you’ve got the money to spend, the Stargaze is an absolute home run product.
If you want something even more stout and don’t need the added bells and whistles that the Stargaze brings to the table, the Yeti Trailhead is another wise investment that’s outrageously comfortable and overbuilt to stand up to years of serious abuse.
Both of these options are definitely on the pricier side though, so if you’re looking for a classic style camp chair that doesn’t require a payment plan, you just can’t go wrong with the Alps Mountaineering King Kong and it whopping 800-pound seating capacity.
Source: https://gardencourte.com
Categories: Outdoor
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