(Pictured above: Me posing with my number one chair pic)
In this quick guide, you’ll see the three best camping chairs for larger people.
As a larger dude, I’ve done my fair share of testing these (and breaking some along the way) and there is a clear winner.
Let’s Get Started!
(The Top 3) Camping Chairs for Heavy People
#1 The ONIVA – Picnic Time PT-XL
A lot of chair companies TALL THE TALK, but can’t WALK THE WALK.
In all seriousness, I have beat up the chair I have from this company. I’ve even plopped down hard on the chair in some of my more…….not as bright moments. It still hasn’t broken on me!
I’ve brought it to the beach, campsites, viewing events, parking lots, you name it……I’ve probably brought it there. (I use camping chairs a surprising amount) This guy still hasn’t broke on me.
Comparing this to other chairs I’ve used (I even broke a metal one in high school) this chair is SOLID. and definitely is better than other heavy duty chairs I’ve used.
I’ll say, that I do wish the arms were a little wider, but I am very very large and still fit quite comfortably inside.
Other than that, it really is awesome and my favorite chair I’ve ever owned. It’s really everything most people that are larger are looking for when it comes to a chair.
If I was REALLY nitpicky, I guess I do wish it come in more colors. I do like the blue mine came in though. Also, surprisingly for how long its sat in the sun on multiple occasions (and even accidentally went into the ocean partially once)
I should mention a couple more things about this chair:
It sits LOW. Not so low that its annoying in any way, but in a comfortable way for large people. This is kind of hard to explain, but if you’re larger and you’ve ever sat in a chair too high you’ll know this awesome.
It’s kind of heavy. Not to heavy, and not that it matters too much because you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do right? You’ll notice a significant difference in weight though between this chair and others. Especially if you’ve got an older aluminum chair. Big difference!
Last thing, you’ll notice that the back leans. I think this might be the key factor in why the chair feels so comfortable.
Having the back lean just slightly backwards makes it so their isn’t so much strain on my back when I sit. (I carry a lot of my weight in the midsection).
#2 ONIVA – Big Bear XXL
IF I wasn’t so happy with my current chair, this is the option I’d go with.
Made by the same brand as my number one pick, this chair just looks really nice to sit in. It has GREAT reviews as well from other sitters. (lol)
From looking at the dimensions. It’s very wide, and also a good height, and it is very very sturdy.
This is honestly the three most important factors when it comes to getting a chair for a larger person. If any one of those three things are missing……..it’s basically unusable.
Think for a second, what if your chair isn’t wide enough? Then it’s either uncomfortable to sit in……..or you can’t sit in it at all.
Or, what if it’s too tall? Give it a few minutes, and I can almost guarantee your back will start to hurt. NOT FUN. That’s why I like that these chairs sit at the right height.
The other reason this is my second favorite pick?
I trust this brand a lot now after what I’ve put my current chair through……..and since it’s the same brand as this one I believe it would also hold up similarly. The one I have now is showing no signs of give, so I’d assume that this chair would be of the same quality.
#3 Strongback Heavy Duty
Now, I am VERY interested in this chair. This is a VERY good chair compared to other options out there. It fits all the qualifications of a good chair for a larger person, and then some.
THE PROBLEM.
It only goes up to 300 pounds.
Everything else about it looks AWESOME.
Particularly though, the best thing is the way the chair is bent so it gives your back more support. As a large person I cannot tell you how much I love that. Back pain is very annoying for larger people. Very very very annoying.
The way it’s bent really does separate it from others, and I found tons of people online saying how much it really did help them. So, If I do end up getting under 300 pounds (crossing my fingers) I might end up getting one and trying it out.
Now, earlier when I said that everything else looks awesome…….
Really, everything about this chair looks great. The height, the way it looks, the build quality, it all looks good. Plus people online agree, which is probably the most important thing.
Something surprising about this chair….
Lots of padding on the chair. I noticed, that a lot of outdoor chairs for larger people didn’t have much padding. So, seeing this was just another thing that set it apart.
Sidenote: I have no idea why companies making chairs for larger people wouldn’t add padding? IT honestly makes absolutely no sense. You would think they would be adding more for their heavy duty chairs. Just odd.
In summary: An insanely good chair for larger people, that unfortunately only goes up to 300 pounds.
Other Things you should know before you get a heavy duty outdoor chair –
I’ve been using my Oniva for almost two years now, and it’s been awesome……..but sometimes I don’t have it with me and I use other people’s outdoor chairs. I used to be almost 500 pounds, and back then it really wasn’t a good idea. I broke (my own) and other people’s chairs pretty frequently. It can be EMBARASSING. Nowadays I’ve gotten under 400 pounds, and I haven’t broken any chairs at this weight. Yes, I’m careful when I get in them, but I’m not as worried as I was when I was almost 500 pounds.
Here’s why I’m telling you this……
You might be able to get away with a chair that’s not meant for larger people. Yes, you might break the chair. But for me personally, I haven’t broken any chairs since I got under the 400 pound mark.
Something else you should know….
Even if you’re planning on losing weight, these chairs are awesome. You’ll want to use yours even when you’re smaller. People all the time use mine, and they love that it’s larger. It’s spacious, and really feels nice to sit in. You won’t want to get rid of it even after you’ve lost weight.
Prices do not equal quality –
You know they say you get what you pay for? That is not necessarily the case. I owned another chair that was supposed to hold my weight, and it broke fairly quickly. So definitely do your homework before you go and buy a heavy duty.
Many of these come with great warranties –
If they don’t come with a warranty, many will offer one for a fee. But I did notice that most of these chairs come at least come with some form of a warranty.
These are heavier than normal Lawn Chairs.
Here’s why this is a big deal.
Basically, you might not think it’s a big deal that they’re heavier, but when you need to carry one around for awhile in can be a pain. To give you an idea of how heavy they are, I went to the garage earlier and put one over my shoulder. Then I compared it to my “regular chair”. It’s at least double the weight of the “regular chair”. They really are quite heavy. I guess this makes sense, since they are made better.
The most important thing you should know –
Chairs do have a lot to do with preference. While the chairs on this list are ones that I want to get in the future, and one that I personally love……..you might not like the chairs I chose. For instance, my girlfriend is also larger and she didn’t like the chair as much as I did.
Conclusion:
I hope you enjoyed this article! If you have any questions or comments please leave them below!
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