Our not-too-discriminating underage testers liked all the kids’ chairs, though over time we found several reasons to declare the REI Camp Chair the best of the bunch. The REI chair’s polyester seat material feels both more forgiving and more durable than the thinner material on the Ozark Trail Kids’ Folding Camp Chair from Walmart. The box-shaped cupholder is a little roomier than the round cupholders on the Coleman and the L.L.Bean Base Camp chairs—better for stubby water bottles or mugs of hot chocolate around the campfire. We found that the cheaply constructed Walmart chair had a cupholder that was too small for a soda can, or any of the hard-plastic or metal water bottles that the kids we know brought on a camping trip.
We think the REI chair functions better and will last much longer than the similar chair from Walmart. But the price difference is significant—and after six months of near-constant outdoor use, the Walmart chair was still in decent shape. If you are looking for an ultracheap choice, the Walmart chair is one. The Chair One is rated to hold up to 320 pounds, ozark trail wagon versus 250 pounds for the Flexlite and for the third chair we tested, the Alite Monarch Chair (the latter chair is no longer available, as Alite went out of business in late 2019). The GCI Outdoor chair also has a pocket built into the back that can hold a phone or a book. This chair comes in green or blue and is rated to hold up to 250 pounds.
The legs extend to give the top peak a height of about 8’10” which will be plenty of headroom for anyone underneath. Around 2010, when Beau got out of the military, we took a lengthy road trip across the country and through Colorado, Utah, Arizona and back up and east through Wyoming and South Dakota. Because this was the time before cell phone cameras (at least those worth anything) and Google Photos, when our computer crashed in Colorado we lost many early photos from that trip. But, those that remain include this shot of our magical camping spot south of Moab, which we found down a dirt road far south of town after showing up and finding every campsite (and hotel room) in Moab booked.
The design, size, and weight is nearly identical, but the nylon fabric has been replaced with polyester. Portable outdoor chairs are also helpful for anyone who doesn’t have the room or budget for permanent backyard furniture. And they can save your back, make it easier to juggle a picnic plate and a cold beverage, and generally help you to relax comfortably outdoors. Select a chair with a built-in canopy, which will give you a little patch of cool at any campsite or cookout. Getting our hands dirty with the top-rated 9×9 Neso Grande lightweight beach canopy tent.
Overall, we think the Ozark Trail canopy serves its intended purpose – a value brand 10×10 instant shelter that caters to price conscious consumers looking for an affordable shade option. And compared to some of the tents in the EZ-Up lineup, it sells for almost a 70% discount. One could, in theory, purchase a new Ozark canopy every year (which they might need to!) and still come out ahead over the years vs. purchasing a more expensive alternative. I have a vague memory of sleeping outdoors at summer camp in 5th grade—is it possible we cowboy camped?
A frequent reader of our site put the lightweight Cool Cabana pop up beach canopy to the test during a West Coast vacation. We put the lightweight Cool Cabana pop up beach canopy to the test during an East Coast vacation. Even though we’ve lived in multiple states where we could legally grow certain other things in our hydroponics tent, we haven’t.