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There are few moments as glorious as feeling your butt nestle down into a camping chair after a long day of driving, unpacking the 4WD and setting up a tent in the dirt and heat. The promise of being able to fold out that chair, plant it near the fire and take in that view is what it's all about.
You can feel it now, can't you? Your back settling into that familiar canvas. The crackle of flame on wood. The release of gas as you crack open that first cold one. The best.
If this moment speaks to you too, then choosing the right camping chair isn't a decision to take lightly. Just like choosing a camping fridge, gazebo or mattress, you need to get it right. And with such a vast array of prices and options, it can be tough to determine what features are gimmicks and what will actually enhance your camping experience.
So, let's dive in. How do you choose the best camping chair for you? And once you are done, why not check out our picks for the best camping chairs in Australia.
Being an outdoor nation, there's no shortage of options when it comes to choosing the best camping chair. You need to start at the most likely use-case for the chair itself: when will you need it and how will you use it?
If you want to have a sitting solution when you've got very limited space or weight concerns, then you've got to go ultra-portable. In this regard little fold-up stools, low-profile event seats or compact foldout chairs are going to be the most practical in this instance. Even if they're not the most luxurious. These camping chairs are often small and light, and able to pack up with a very small footprint so they can be easily strapped to the side of a backpack.
The vast majority of us will use our camping chair while… you guessed it… camping, be that in a tent, a trailer, campervan or motorhome. And as a result, the majority of chairs in the market serve this audience. They're often affordable, rugged and utilitarian.
At the cheaper end of the scale you can expect just the bare minimum of features, such as a drink holder, but little else. However, as the price increases, so do the features. Lumbar support, anti-sink feet, pockets, insulated cup holders, side tables, headrests and coolers are the most likely features you will come across.
These kinds of chairs often come in two main forms: quad-chairs and director's chairs. While the former can also come in high back and low back variations, as well as being great for camping, they are a good backup for other, non-camping endeavours: at work when out in the field, or at home when big gatherings supersede home furniture stocks, for example.
While similar to your standard camping chair, there is a sub-category purpose built for those who have the fishing bug. Caught hook, line and sinker. Makers of these chairs are aware that they will often be used away from campsites and often on sand. They provide wider feet as a result and offer features such bait pockets, side-tables and even rod holders.
Another sub-category spinoff from your standard camping chair is Family. Here you'll find kid-sized seats and highchairs, often coloured or even branded in a "cool" way that appeals to kids. There's also Scoop and Moon chairs that mother and child can curl up in. You'll also find multi-person camping chairs that can hold a few humans at once and even suspending camping chairs that can act like hammocks.
There's a growing range of luxury camping chair options for those with some money to spend. These include recliners, which are able to hold your weight at various angles set by the user. There are also chairs made with premium materials, particularly in the headrest and back support; strong carry bags and all the trimmings. You can even get yourself a rocking camping chair if you so desire.
The bones of the camping chair, its frame, plays a significant role in defining its weight, durability, capacity and shape. Aluminium frames are lighter than steel frames, but they're not as strong. Steel is much stronger, but heavier. Powder-coated steel is more weatherproof than standard steel. Frames that cross-brace are generally stronger too.
Potentially this is the most important component in your camping chair as it plays a large role in defining comfort. Nylon is cheaper and lighter than polyester, plus it's quicker to dry after rain or condensation. However, it has a lower weight capacity, can tear easier and is more impacted by weather, especially sunlight.
Thickness is measured in denier (D), with a lower number indicating a thinner material. Thinner is lighter, but thicker is stronger. Some chairs may opt to add more padding on top of the base fabric for added comfort. You may also want to consider a chair with a mix of materials, such as Neoprene padding or mesh to allow for airflow.
And remember, dark colours may be less offensive, but they absorb heat.
What can your camping chair hold so you don't have to? Drink holders are the base requirement for many consumers, but some now come with insulation to keep your beverage cool. Pockets that can store phones, sunscreen, keys and insect repellent are very handy. Little side bags can do the same but are potentially big enough to hold a book or a magazine as well. Fishermen will be particularly enamoured by cooler bags built into the fabric that can store bait.
A super handy addition to any camping chair is a side table. These can be used to hold food and other items for easy access. Side tables can be a cheaper and lighter plastic or a sturdier material. Be wary of the material they are made of as cheaper surfaces will bubble and blemish under heat and rain. Also remember that side tables do make packing (and thus storing) your chair more of a challenge and add to its overall weight.
There are two types of comfort features you'll find in a camping chair. The first is the rests: headrest, footrest and armrest. The bigger backed chairs offer somewhere for you to rest your head. Chairs with plastic or otherwise solid armrests give you a strong place to support your limbs. While footrests, especially those that can be adjusted, seal the deal when it comes to "kicking back", especially on recliner chairs.
The second is padding. Premium chairs will also offer padding in these areas, as well as additional, even adjustable, lumbar support. Just note that padding usually takes longer to dry.
We've been unable to determine an answer to this. Years of experience in the field hasn't yielded a consistent and sustainable methodology for keeping "those bloody kids" off our camping chair. The only sure-fire strategy is to simply not get up. Alternatively, get a matching chair for them.
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