TAKE A SEAT

The Best Lawn Chairs for Tailgating Season and Beyond

More comfortable, more portable — these seats for kicking back outside are calling your name (with a holder for your beer)

By John Lonsdale

John Lonsdale

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September 11, 2023

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When it comes to seating for tailgating or catching a show in the park, sometimes you need more than just a good blanket. With convenient carriers and lightweight frames, the best lawn chairs (occasionally known as outdoor folding chairs) are still super portable, but give you the comfort and back support you need — and often, a special spot that’s perfect for holding a cold drink. Ready to find your seat for the backyard and beyond? Below are some of our top picks.

In This Article

What Are the Best Lawn Chairs?

Lawn Chairs for Tailgating

Buying Guide: How We Chose the Best Lawn Chairs

What Are the Best Lawn Chairs?

Here’s a breakdown of the chairs we think lead the pack when it comes to portability, durability, and most importantly chillax-ability.

BEST OVERALL: GCI Outdoor Wilderness Reclining Portable Backpack Chair

MOST DURABLE: Yeti Trail Head Camp Chair

BEST FOR TAILGATING: Coleman Camping Chair with Built-in 4 Can Cooler

MOST LIGHTWEIGHT: Lawn Chair USA Webbing Chair

BEST FOR EATING: TIMBER RIDGE Portable Laurel Director’s Chair

1. GCI Outdoor Wilderness Reclining Portable Backpack Chair

BEST OVERALL

Amazon

Sorry, the best recliner isn’t in your living room — it’s out on the lawn. Once you sit down in this chair, you can move through four different angles until you find the most comfortable reclining position. GCI’s lawn chair comes with several other relaxing features, like a pillow for your head when you want to take a mid-afternoon nap. There’s even a back pocket to store random pieces of gear, from your phone to a blanket.

Next to the wood armrest is a cup holder for a water bottle or to set whichever beverage you’re drinking instead of leaving it on the ground — a must-have when you don’t have a lid for your drink or when you’re camping. With its strong powder-coated aluminum and steel frame, the chair can hold up to 250 pounds.

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All packed up, it weighs only 8.6 pounds. Instead of breaking it down and trying to fit it back into a carrying case, you can fold it down and haul it on your back with two backpack straps.

Buy GCI Outdoor Wilderness Reclining… $75.60

2. Yeti Trail Head Camp Chair

MOST DURABLE

Huckberry

Wait, does the Yeti that makes coolers also make chairs? That’s the one. The durable Trail Head Camp Chair is, of course, a good fit as your main piece of tailgating gear. While this chair can’t keep your beer on ice like your Hopper can, a removable cup holder puts your drink always within reaching distance.

Yeti used Flexgrid for the seat, which is a material the brand claims should hold its shape, so no one has to know you sit in it more than you do your office chair. Plus, you also shouldn’t tip over thanks to the chair’s wider feet. It weights a little more than 13 pounds, and it collapses down so you can put it back in its cover, which also has a shoulder strap.

Buy Yeti Trail Head Camp Chair $300

3. Coleman Camping Chair with Built-in 4 Can Cooler

BEST FOR TAILGATING

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Amazon

Don’t want to pack the cooler? No problem. This foldable Coleman chair comes with its own. You can throw some ice in its side pocket cooler and keep up to four drinks cold by your side. The chair has cushioning on the seat and behind your back, and it can hold up to 325 pounds total.

We also like the addition of the pocket built into the seat for storing a book, magazine or your smartphone. It folds up so you can carry it back home in its carrier, which comes included.

4. Lawn Chair USA Webbing Chair

Amazon

Here, the lawn chair of all lawn chairs. After all, it’s right in the name. We love the retro look and portability of these folding lawn chairs, which stands out from the more utilitarian look of most outdoor chairs.

This Lawn Chair USA Webbing Chair folds flat when not in use, and is super lightweight at about four pounds, so you can easily take it with you when your friends are grilling in the stadium parking lot or if you want to carry multiple chairs at once. It also comes in over 30 designs.

Buy Lawn Chair USA Webbing Chair $74.99

5. TIMBER RIDGE Portable Laurel Director’s Chair

Unless you’re the one manning the grill at the BBQ, or babysitting the smoker at the tailgating outpost, you’re going to want to have a good seat prepped for when you eventually chow down. Don’t resort to balancing a paper plate precariously on your lap — get TIMBER RIDGE’s Laurel Director’s Chair instead, the ultimate lawn chair for foodies in the great outdoors.

The frame has a flip-down side table to keep all your snacks, drinks, and essentials within easy reach. Plus, with an attached cooler bag and cupholders, you can crack open a cold one and then keep it cool for hours under the sun until kickoff. It’s as comfy as it is versatile too, with a full backrest and padded armrests.

Buy TIMBER RIDGE Portable Laurel Director's… $79.99

Lawn Chairs for Tailgating

There are a few considerations to keep in mind when shopping for the best lawn chairs for tailgating online. Do you also want yours to have a holder for your coffee thermos or for a cold bottle of beer? Do you want it to be compact enough to fit in your trunk? All of these things are easy to find when you’re shopping for a new chair. But all in all, the best lawn chairs should, without question, be comfortable enough to sit in for hours in a parking lot and be easy to store and transport.

What Are the Best Lawn Chairs?

Here’s what we considered when looking at the top-rated lawn chairs, from lightweight build to durability from the elements.

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Portability and Weight: One of the best things about lawn chairs is their foldability, letting you take them with you wherever you might need some seating. Unlike heavier patio furniture, most lawn chairs are easy to carry, load and unload from your car. In fact, the heaviest chair in this guide weighs about 13.3 pounds, but we’ve included lawn chairs that weigh in as little as about four pounds.

Comfort: Outdoor seating isn’t built to feel the same way as, say, your couch or a massage chair. But we included ergonomic, nap-worthy lawn chairs for when you want to sit down outside, thanks to included accessories like built-in pillows, reclining features and well-placed cushioning.

Durability: Lawn chairs are made for the outdoors, and most on our list can withstand spills, rain and everything in between. That said, some can still be covered to help you both carry them and shield them from rain, dust and other damage.

Chair Cover: Many lawn or camp chairs include a cover that will help protect the seat and material from getting dirty or wet when you’re storing them. A lawn chair with a cover might be the way to go if you’re frequently traveling to the beach or camping.

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