SITTING PRETTY

Lightweight, comfortable and stylish camping chairs are tested by Zoe Phillimore and Sian Lewis at festivals and fetes

- Zoe Phillimore and Sian Lewis

Portable folding chairs are so much more than just camping chairs. You don't need to be wild camping in the highlands to find one of these useful. Whether you're watching your children's sports events, enjoying a day's fishing, having a picnic in the park or relaxing at a campsite, the best camping chairs are versatile enough to have you sitting comfortably, whatever you're up to in the great outdoors.

Easy to carry and lightweight, folding chairs are designed to save your backside - quite literally. Think long and hard about what you're going to be using your camping chair for, though, before adding one to your shopping basket. If you’re not going to be far from your car or tent, you might not need to factor in the chair’s weight. If you’re taking your portable seat to the beach or a festival, however, you'll want to pick a lightweight option that folds up small.

Camping chairs come in a range of different heights, too. Low-to-the-ground options are great around a campfire and handy for kids (in our experience, children quickly grow out of kids’ camping chairs). Meanwhile, if you’re watching open-air theatre or sports, you'll probably want a higher vantage point, meaning a chair with longer legs. Either way, a cup holder is always welcome, too.

Keep reading to find out which camping chairs impressed us the most during testing.

How we tested

We put a range of styles to the test (Zoe Phillimore)

We’ve tested these chairs all over the country. We’ve tried them while camping on the beach, in fields and on other terrain, but we’ve also used them at festivals, fetes and sporting events. We used them in the garden around the fire pit and generally enjoyed some al fresco lounging around, while considering several key criteria: