REI Wonderland Chair

The REI Wonderland Chair looks like an unassuming camp chair at a good price. Give it a sturdy frame and recycled materials and it bumps it up a notch. REI took it one step further with a simple subtration. They chucked the bag. In it’s place is a sleep carry strap that clips together, holding it folded. This simple feature makes it a joy to carry and use without having to fuss around with a bag and earns it our Editor’s Choice.

Verdict: Editor’s Choice – Highly Recommended ^{_{see our rating system}}

$99.99 USD ($135.95 CAD) on REI.com

Big Agnes Big Six Armchair

The Big Six Armchair from Big Agnes is a cross between utralight and full size chair. It snaps together like a tent and then then the seat is hung on top. The poles are very sturdy but still lightweight. It has a capacity of 300 pounds.

Like the ultralight chairs, it takes a bit of setup but only about a minute. The fabric is taut an holds a drink nicely in either of the 2 cupholders. After you’re done it folds all down into a bag about the size of 2 water bottles.

Verdict: Highly Recommended ^{_{see our rating system}}

$249.95 USD ($319.95) on BigAgnes.com

Strongback Elite Chair

The Strongback Elite is a beefy chair with exceptional lumbar support. The back and side are wide and comfortable and the arms well-padded. Larger feet keep the legs out of the sand. Being so big and comfortable, it’s a bit bigger to carry but well worth the weight.

It comes with a god bag that’s easy to fit the chair into. The bag has 2 carry straps that can be used like a backpack. 1 small cupholder flips down from the side. It could be bigger for tumblers and phones but holds cans no problem.

Verdict: Highly Recommended ^{_{see our rating system}}

$149.95 USD on StrongbackChair.com

MEC Basecamp Chair

The MEC Basecamp chair is a sturdy addition to the campsite. I was impressed with the stability and sturdy feel to it. The back could be reclined a little more and the armrests a little wider but overall it was nice and comfortable. The cupholder holds a can easily as well tumblers with narrower bottoms. For carrying, the bag has a wide opening and shoulder strap for easy packing.

This exact model may have been discontinued so it might be harder to find in the future.

Verdict: Recommended (if your on a budget) ^{_{see our rating system}}

$35.48 USD ($47.97 CAD) on MEC.ca

Helinox Chair Zero Highback

The Chair Zero Highback is a ridiculously lightweight camp chair. It’s perfect when you don’t have a lot of room for a bigger chair like in a small car, a bike pannier or a pack pocket. The DAC poles fold out like a tent and the non-stretch seat hangs in them. The higher back is more supportive and just enough to rest your head on if you’re shorter than 5’10”. The whole thing packs up in 1 minute to less than 2 water bottles.

Verdict: Highly Recommended (if you need lightweight) ^{_{see our rating system}}

$179.95 USD ($229.95 CAD) on Helinox.com

Snow Peak Luxury Low Beach Chair

The Luxury Low Beach Chair from Snow Peak is a small, low chair with solid metal-work and high quality parts. It’s got a unique frame work it sits on the sides of the back legs. It packs up quickly into a close-fitting bag. The back is quite short but the recline, thick canvas, and seat edge are comfy for long sits around the campfire.

Verdict: Recommended (if you need a smaller chair) ^{_{see our rating system}}

$249.95 USD ($340.95 CAD) on Snowpeak.com

Dometic Go Compact Chair

Dometic makes camping and outdoor living gear like battery powered fridges, tables and, in this case, chairs. The Go series is all about living outside and taking life to the outdoors whenever.

The Compact chair weighs is made with a aluminum frame and weighs about 9.4 pounds and holds 280 pounds. A zippered bag has plenty of space for the chair when it’s folded. The recline on the back and arms is more than all the other chairs we tested but still plenty comfortable for chilling around the campfire or the dock.

Verdict: Recommended ^{_{see our rating system}}

$149.99 USD on Dometic.com

Alps Mountaineering Rocking Chair

The Rocking Chair from Alps Mountaineering is exactly that, a rocking chair. It’s big, wide, stable and rocks well. You do feel the ground under it while rocking so it’s nicer on smoother ground but patio, grass, deck and smoother dirt are great. It folds in half and latches closed when you’re not using it. It also locks open so you don’t fold yourself into the chair, or a campfire, while having a nap.

Verdict: Recommended (if you want a rocking chair) ^{_{see our rating system}}

$149.99 USD ($200 CAD) on AlpsMountaineering.com

The post Best Camp Chairs of 2023 first appeared on Pack & Trail.

The Compact Chair in the Go line is a sturdy camp chair with a nice bag and quite the recline. We tested one recently to see how it stacks up with a bunch of other popular camp chairs. How’d it do? Read on.

Specs

Carrying

The bag for the Compact isn’t the standard chair bag with a drawstring at the end. The dual-zipper opens half the bag to make it easier to put the chair in. The bag fits well without too much extra space.

There are two handles on the bag, a small grab handle on the end which works well if you’re slinging things onto the roof rack and the short shoulder strap. It’s long enough to go over your shoulder but won’t drag on the ground at all.

The chair stands on it’s own while it’s folded so it can stand easily in the bag too.

Setup

Dometic have built the Compact a little different than regular camp chairs. The parts that move are large metal brackets that rotate instead of having flimsy hinges or stuff that slide. So far the parts have been very sturdy and move well.

Unfolding is just pulling the arms apart…. and sitting of course!

Comfort

The Compact is comfortable to sit in. It feels wider and sturdy. The recline on it is more than all our other camp chairs but I sit leaning back anyways. The arms are a comfortable angle to sit with when you’re that reclined.

The soft part of the seat is about 18 inches wide and the back is about 22 inches tall from the seat. It comes up to just below the top of my shoulders. Not enough to put my head on it.

There is a pocket in the back of the seat that can hold the bag but it does push on your bag when you’re sitting. I wish the pocket went a bit lower and then it would be a nice lumbar support. It probably would be for people taller than me at 5’7″ though.

Cupholder

The Compact chair doesn’t have a cupholder. When camping we have tables all around so that’s not a big deal but at the beach, it’s nice to have an included cupholder so you don’t have to put your drink down in the sand. Most chair cupholders only hold 1 small can so if you’ve usually got a larger tumbler it wouldn’t fit anyways.

Packing

Folding the chair is just sliding the arms together. Everything slides together like a regular camp chair.

Packing into the bag can be done a couple ways. The easiest is to just chuck the open bag on the ground, put the feet in the first and zip it up.

When everything’s muddy or wet, I hold the chair under my arm, wrap. the chair around the feet, and zip it up from there. Not as easy but keeps the bag off the ground.

After it’s packed up, the bag is about 40″ x 6″ x 6″.

Size and Weight

With the chair folded out, it’s about 28.74″ deep, 32.01″ tall, 24.53″ wide. Packed up, the bag is about 40″ x 6″ x 6″.

The weight of the Compact sits about in the middle of our testing group at 9.39 pounds. Not lightweight but not the heaviest either.

Quality

The quality on the Compact chair is very good. It’s very stable and all the connections move well. All the parts seem to be very solid.

Who is Dometic?

The Dometic lineage starts all the way back in the ’20s with the invention of the refrigerator. As a child company of Electrolux, the first company to mass-produce refrigerators, Dometic starts selling small, silent refrigeration units for boats and RVs. They eventually make their way into the backs of overlanding and camping vehicles.

Now they make a whole range of products for mobile living like chairs, electric colers and heaters, storage, toilets and tables. Their aim is to be the most sustainable company in those markets with innovative low-carbon products. No point in making products to explore the wilderness if we have none left.

Conclusion

Dometic make solid gear. They know gear that lasts a long time is a better value and stays out of the landfill longer.

The Compact Chair is a sturdy, good looking chair with an nice zippered bag. Folding and unfolding is easy and the bag works well. The back of the chair is more reclined that others we tested but still very comfortable. The seat and armrests sit nice with that level of recline.

As part of their Go line, the Compact fits well with whole line of products for mobile living. Chairs, coolers, heaters, tables and other stuff for living on the road, the beach, the campsite, or the backyard.

Verdict: Recommended ^{_{see our rating system}}

Usual Price: $149.99 USD

The post Dometic Go Compact Chair Review first appeared on Pack & Trail.