Ahead of Camping Season 2024, We Check Out XL Chairs – Which Came Out on Top?
Written by Lisa and Mark Baker
There are lots of heavier duty chairs available in the camping market – so, as two larger than average people, we decided to test out some of the popular chairs marked as XL.
All chairs tested come with their own carry bag and are specifically designed for camping and outdoor use.
Finding the right camping chair as a larger person
Being large can be down to weight, being taller than average or both. Both of us have aching knees and hips, so we both need good support from a chair – but it’s rare we find a chair we both find equally comfortable.
I am short and heavy, my husband is tall and just a bit heavier. Finding a camping chair that is a comfortable height for us both to get on and off easily can be a big ask, and while I love the idea of a matching set, and we always buy two, in practice we often each wind up taking two different chairs camping with us as with different heights, our needs are different!
The other thing that we find frustrating is that camping manufacturers rate chairs in KG not Stone and pounds.
So, for the oldies like me, ahead of the 2024 Camping Season, we tested four camping chairs marked ‘XL’, all within our weight limit and here’s how we found each of them – complete with weight limits in measurements we can all understand!
Casilda XL Moon Chair – Outwell
We actually bought several of these a few years back and it’s still one of our favourite camping chairs. We aren’t alone in loving these big cosy chairs, it’s consistently been one of Outwell’s best selling chairs for years.
These big black chairs are lovely and padded, very eye-catching and distinctive and even though ours were bought in 2020, we still get compliments about them on the campsite (we actually bought them after ogling a fellow campers’ set up!)
Outwell haven’t changed the design in years, and why would you, they work well, it’s one of their best sellers!
It’s the only camping chair I’ve found that can double us an armchair, being only 5ft 1, the seat is so wide I can bring my feet up and cuddle in! It’s not so good for me to get off and on easily though, as it’s pretty high, so I wouldn’t use it in the daytime. It’s the kind of chair I will settle into with a blanket in the evening, rather than one for sitting outdoors where I will be getting up and down.
It’s not a problem Mark shares – obviously getting up and down isn’t an issue for him and he finds it really comfortable.
The frame is super solid, however we were gutted when we got sand in the mechanism, which makes them really hard to open and close now – note to self, camping chairs are not made for the beach! We would buy these again as we love them – but they are missing a cup holder, which is handy if you are snuggling up for the night, hard for shorties like me to reach down to grab anything off the floor.
Old Favourite
Price: £83.99 RRP – but plenty of offers below this price on popular camping stores
Comfort: 10/10
XL Size: 10/10
Ease of Getting on and off: Lisa – 7/10, Mark – 10/10
Max weight: 150kg (23 stone and 8 lb)
Cup Holder: no
Hi Gear Vegas XL – Go Outdoors.
This is a very popular chair from the high street chain – but for us, it was the one chair neither of us liked at all! It’s quite basic to look at, but there were a few colour choices available in store – black, navy and a navy and green pattern, and the price is very reasonable.
It’s a classic but we didn’t really like the look or the comfort of the chair, it didn’t feel supportive or terribly padded and while we know it’s a big seller, and labelled XL, we didn’t find it anywhere near XL enough for us (cough! A bit snug!)
It also supports the lightest weight out of all the chairs we reviewed, but for lighter people on a budget, it’s a classic and popular choice.
Best priced chair for lighter people
Price: £35 (on offer at two for £50)
Comfort: Lisa – 5/10, Mark – 5/10
XL Size: Lisa – 8/10, Mark – 5/10
Ease of Getting on and off: Lisa – 5/10, Mark – 7/10
Max weight: 120kg (18 stone 12 lb)
Cup holder: yes
Olympus XL Camping Chair with Cup Holder – Olpro
New for this season in two attractive colourways, we took the new Olpro Olympus XL chair on trial and we absolutely love it.
Looks-wise, it’s nice and distinctive. Our favourite colourway is the grey and black (it’s also available in black and green) and the Olympus XL really IS XL. It’s also the first chair we’ve found that we can both get off and on easily and sit comfortably on – so while we always buy two, but never seem to take matching chairs, I expect we will be taking two camping with us this summer (although it will be in a caravan as our joints aren’t quite what they were now!)
The frames feel really sturdy and durable, and when compared to cheaper chairs direct you can really see the difference. That’s something that matters to a larger person more than most.
Mark explains:
“I have no problem getting off and on camping chairs, the biggest problem I have is a fear of falling through them after a few unfortunate incidents with garden chairs!
“For that reason, I am really careful which camping chairs I will even test, let alone buy and I love this one! The Olympus XL offers a generous amount of space, the chair easily took my weight and it felt very comfortable with plenty of padding. The cup holder really matters to me, and it’s the one thing really missing from many camping chairs.
“This chair is really well padded, it is comfortable to sit on for an evening and sturdy enough to use inside and outside the tent, and it looks really smart, so much so, I expected a much higher RRP – and for me the cup holder is a big selling point, I really like it.
“These chairs would definitely be a good addition to our camping kit.”
I agree. Definitely our favourite camping chair among these.
Best all round
Price: £55.00
Comfort: 10/10
XL Size: 10/10
Ease of Getting on and off: Lisa – 10/10, Mark – 10/10
Max weight: 140kg (22 stone and 0.65 lb)
Cup Holder: Yes
Thor Over-Sized Chair, Excalibur – X-Large (Amazon Exclusive)
Really lovely, comfortable camping chair and we both liked it.
Available in a dark grey colour (called Excalibur), this is a very heavy-duty chair and took the most weight out of all the chairs we tested – definitely wide, comfortable and durable enough to take campers of a larger size.
My 5ft 1 frame found this a little high to jump off and on – and there was no cup holder. But this is a very solid chair designed for larger than average people and if that’s why you bought this, you definitely wouldn’t be disappointed, because it looks great too!
Best for people over 25 stone
Price: £87.99
Comfort: 10/10
XL Size: 10/10
Ease of Getting on and off: Lisa – 7/10, Mark – 10/10
Max weight: 180kg (28 stone and 4lb)
Our 2024 winner
Well, even after four years, the Outwell Casilda is still going strong, and we remain Outwell devotees – but we surprised ourselves by both falling for the significantly cheaper Olympus XL. It’s our new favourite camping chair and the one we will be taking to our first trip next month. Now comes the harder choice – where shall we head off to?
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All images except the header image are the manufacturers official images.
Header image: Mark and French Bulldog Meg testing the Olympus XL Chair in our back garden – ahead of the start of (fairweather!) camping season 2024! Copyright: Lisa Baker
