This article was written by Morgan Goldberg, a contributing writer for Real Simple with seven years of editorial experience in the interior design, food, and travel spaces. To come up with this list, she spent hours researching the best lawn chairs and narrowed down the options based on usage, material, portability, and more. She also spoke to Jessica Foster, Home Depot’s online merchant for direct fulfillment for patio furniture.
But with a vintage-style look, it’s not too sporty to serve as full-time backyard seating. We also let two boys, ages 1 and 5, play with them and sit on them in the backyard for six months. After all that, we concluded that the REI Co-op Camp Chair – Kids’ is the best choice for anyone who wants to buy a practical, portable outdoor chair for a small child. 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.
A comfy outdoor chair makes a big difference in relaxation levels, and with a variety of affordable patio chair options you can easily find the right combination to suit your space and needs. We look for cup holders, reclining lock-outs, canopies, trays, accessory pouches, and headrests. We like cupholders that fit standard 12-ounce cans securely, adjustments and joints that worked smoothly, and anything else that made our experience with the product more enjoyable. The pistons force the user forward into an upright position, almost tipping forward, and the rocking motion doesn’t feel nearly as natural as a regular rocker.
The Flexlite Camp Boss here slots in right in the middle, combining a near-ideal mix of weight, comfort, and durability for many campers. It is pricier by $20 and heavier by a significant 1 pound 3 ounces, but we consider patio furniture sets the Camp Boss the more approachable and well-rounded pick. Thoughts of camping chairs may conjure up images of $10 specials out front a big-box retailer, but let’s reorient ourselves to a slightly higher standard.
Once it’s deployed, though, there are few complaints — unless you want cupholders on your chair. All in all, we like this chair, even if we like a few others a little bit more. Of course, we want to be sure to include any possible downsides, and we think some of this chair’s features could be improved upon. For outdoor patio furniture example, although the padded foam encased in nylon fabric provides comfort for prolonged relaxation sessions, this chair isn’t very breathable under-bottom. Additionally, while the chair seems to be sturdy and reliable for the long haul, the carrying bag that comes with it doesn’t hold up to the same quality.
We expect a proper car camping chair to not only fold up for easy transport, but to be comfortable, supportive, and made to last—even in rough and tumble weather. Below are our top picks for 2023, which run the gamut from budget-friendly models to comfort-first chairs and fun designs that rock and recline. For more information, check out our detailed comparison table and buying advice below the picks.