Summer is here, and whether you’re thinking about picnics, camping or festivals, or dreaming about days spent on beaches and riverbanks, a comfortable, portable seat is essential. We look at this year’s best outdoor chairs
BBC Countryfile Magazine favourite
HelinoxChair 2
£129.95, helinox.eu
Ultra-lightweight (1,185g) and extremely easy to carry, Helinox’s Chair 2 has an ingenious design that provides comfort and support when assembled, but takes up next-to-no space when broken down; it measures just 46cm in its carry-sack. Despite the slightly daunting amount of pieces, it’s very easy to put together and break down. It’s also genuinely comfortable, with a high supportive back and lots of mesh to improve venting, and it can hold 145kg of weight. The carry-sack (once stuffed) doubles as a pillow, fastening into place with Velcro. Your bum ends up close to the ground and some people may struggle to get out of it, but it’s a very stable design.
VERDICT The comfy, clever chair you can take anywhere. 9/10
Alpkit Vagabond Highback Chair
£44.99, alpkit.com
With a comfortable bucket seat, high supportive back and headrest, the design is well thought through, and the lightweight seat (1.39kg) positions you low for camping convenience. It’s easy to assemble and carry (48 x 15cm packed), with robust construction.
VERDICT Nicely priced, practical perch for proper campers. 8/10
Best for budget
Mountain Warehouse Bucket Camping Chair
£29.99, mountainwarehouse.com
This bucket chair does a great job without breaking the bank. It’s comfortable, supportive and stable; it’s lightweight, folds down small (66 x 14 x 14cm packed) with a carry bag; and it’s tough.
VERDICT A bargain bottom-supporting campsite chair. 6/10
Outwell Campana
£74.99, outwell.com/en-gb
With a medium-height, extra-broad seat and well-padded curved backrest, this chair hits the sweet spot for pragmatic design. The back is quite low and there are no fancy extras, but it opens and locks into place quickly, is lovely to sit in and provides excellent stability.
VERDICT A reliable, roundbacked, comfy camping chair. 7/10
Best for durability
Dometic Forte 180 Ore
£105, dometic.com/en-gb/outdoor/uk
They don’t come sturdier than the Forte, which pops open to supply a rock-solid seat and nifty side table. Tipping the scales at 8.22kg, it can hold 180kg of weight and is likely to outlast all of us. The high, upright seat is great for posture. There’s no carry bag but it folds flat.
VERDICTA super-solid outdoor throne with side table. 8/10
Best for fishing
Vango Radiate DLX Chair
£120, vango.co.uk
Plug this into a power bank (bring your own) and it will keep you warm on chillier days, thanks to the inbuilt Graphene heating element with four heat settings. Easy to erect and very comfortable, it has a lushly padded backrest, adjustable pillow and seven seat settings.
Weighing 5.86kg, it’s large, but folds flat (112 x 12 x 65cm packed).
VERDICT A versatile, comfortable seat with in-built heat. 7/10
Moon Chair
£89.95, ticketothemoon.com
The hammock chair from Indonesian brand Ticket to the Moon is pretty easy to set up and ridiculously comfortable, especially if you rig up the accompanying floating footrest. Weighing just 1,700g, it can hold 120kg in static weight (provided you pick a strong branch).
VERDICT A hammock chair for carefree campers. 8/10
Quecha Reclining Chair
£44.99, decathlon.co.uk
Offering multiple settings, this decent-value deckchair-style chair suits various scenarios, from sitting up while playing cards to reclining near-horizontally. The mesh backrest aids airflow while an integrated pillow adds to the comfort levels. Weighing 4.65kg, it’s reasonably strong (max load 110kg) and folds flat to 86 x 58 x 10cm.
VERDICT An affordable, laidback deckchair. 6/10
Kelty Loveseat Low
£94.99, ellis-brigham.com
This pops into place with ease, and the steel frame supplies ample support for two people; it can hold over 181kg. The seat (height 34cm) is easy enough to get in and out of. It weighs 7.12kg and, when packed away in its carry-sack, measures 60 x 112 x 80cm, so fits in most cars.
VERDICT For couples who like to snuggle by the campfire. 7/10
For more reviews of outdoor gear, go to countryfile.com/country-kit