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.

I’m still using that older version of the Strongback Elite. The fabric is faded but it’s still going strong and just as comfortable. We tested the newest version for this camp chair roundup. Was it just as comfortable, supportive and sturdy as the original?

A few quick pros and cons and then we’ll get into the details.

Specs

Carrying

The size of the Elite makes it a big and comfortable chair. That also makes it a bit unwieldy to carry and pack. It’s middle of the pack when it comes to packing and carrying.

The Elite comes with a bag with a nice big opening and a drawstring for closing. The opening doesn’t quite close when the drawstring is pulled tight. The bag is larger around at the opening end so it fits better feet in first. Once you get the bag around the arms it’s easy to pack the rest of the way.

The bag has 2 straps with a velcro handle that wraps in the middle. It’s comfortable to carry and doesn’t hang down too low. Some bags hit the ground when carrying them normally. The straps are long enough to throw over your shoulder too.

The 2 separate straps can be used like backpack straps as well. I had to turn the chair in the bag to use like this so a padded spot was on my back. If you get part of the frame digging into your back, it’s not terribly comfortable.

Carrying without the bag is a little heavy but doable. I usually hold the front or back of the frame where it crosses which holds the chair together and is a convenient handle. I’d love to see a shoulder strap permanently attached to the chair with a clip to hold it folded so the bag isn’t needed all the time like the REI Wonderland.

Setup

Set up is very easy with the Elite. Just pull it open. All the poles slide open quickly and you’re ready to roll. If it’s in the bag then you need to pull it out first. Sometimes the arms or cupholder get caught pulling it out.

The big feet on the Elite sit flat on the ground and are nice and stable. These are the biggest feet out of all the chairs we tested this year and easily sit on top of sand or soft dirt.

Comfort

For looking flat and basic, the Strongback is very comfortable. The wide seat and back give you plenty of room. The recline is just right and the lumbar support is more than almost any other chair I’ve seen.

The back is 26″ off the seat of the chair. It comes to just over my shoulders. Not high enough to lean your head back against but fairly tall.

The seat is about 23 inches wide and 18 inches off the ground. Strongback says the Elite is great for people taller than 5’7″. I’m 5’7″ and it fits great and is comfortable. Shorter folks might want to go for the Guru chair they have.

Cupholder

It’s rare to see a really good cupholder on camp chairs. They need to fold or tuck under the chair to pack them up and be firmly attached to the chair.

The cupholder on the Elite is 4″ deep and 3″ across so it holds a drink can no problem. Narrow tumblers fit as well if the bottom is less than 3″. Bigger tumblers don’t fit well. Regular phones like the iPhone 14 fit as well.

I’d love to see a bigger multi-purpose cupholder that can hold larger tumblers and phones but the one on the Elite has the basics covered.

Packing

Folding the Elite is just pulling up on the middle of the seat and pulling forward on the middle of the back. It folds up quickly.

The size and weight that makes the Elite so comfortable makes it a bit harder to get back in the back. Once it’s folded, I usually hold the ‘X’ in the frame and slide the bag over. The bag is narrower at the bottom for the feet so it doesn’t pack well with the feet last.

Size and Weight

At 11.9 pounds the Elite is a fairly big chair. It makes it more comfortable but a little bit more to cary.

It’s 28 inches wide, 27 deep and 36.5 tall.

When packed up is 44 inches long and 11 inches across.

Quality

I’ve been very happy with the quality of my older Strongback and this newer version looks the same or better. A strong frame with steel rivets and 600 denier fabric means they last a long time.

The cupholders tend to get torn off at some point so those could use a bit of work but other than that the main part of the chair is very solid.

Who is Strongback?

Back in 2010, Ladd Lougee was sitting in some uncomfortable camp chair for the millionth time. Uncomfortable with a sore back yet again, he got to tinkering with something better. To many trips to the hardware store and 30+ prototypes later he had the original Strongback design.

He had an actual solution to the problem of uncomfortable camp chairs.

Since then strong back has ramped up production on a number of models, all with actual lumbar support, and distribute around the world.

Conclusion

Strongback is a standout in a vast sea of cheap camp chairs. They last longer and actually have some back support for a far more comfortable sitting experience.

The Elite chair is on the big side and not for backpacking but that’s exactly what makes them durable and comfortable. The cupholder could use some updating but it’s actually pretty good compared to most other cupholders. The bar is pretty low. A carrying strap attached to the chair would push this chair into the ‘perfect chair’ territory.

Doesn’t matter if it’s the campsite, backyard or beach, the Strongback is always a favourite with me.

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

Usual Price: $149.95 USD

The post Strongback Elite Chair Review first appeared on Pack & Trail.