The Camping Chair for Bad Back – Best Options with Lumbar Support and Extras

Camping chairs are notorious for being uncomfortable to sit in for long periods of time. If you have back problems, this discomfort is a much more serious problem. Luckily, there are now plenty of camping chairs made specifically for people with bad backs.

The best camping chairs for people with bad backs strive to reduce pain and discomfort. They include lumbar support to help align your hips and spine. They also come in various sizes, which allows you to choose one that is appropriate for your height and weight. Their designs are meant to encourage good posture, which extends the length of time the chair remains comfortable to sit on. Some come with padding for enhanced comfort.

To help you decide which bad back camping chair is right for your needs, we’ve compiled a list of our top 6 recommendations. We narrowed down this list after testing over 50 different camping chairs. We made our selections based on size, material quality, additional features, and overall comfort.

Best Chair for Bad Back for Plus Sized People – Strongback Elite

As a tall person looking for proper back support, finding a camping chair appropriate for your height and easy on your back can be challenging. If you’re tired of always feeling like you’re being crammed into a child-sized camping chair, it’s time you get one that was designed specifically for your height.

The Strongback Elite is an excellent option for taller people. It’s meant for anyone over 5’8” and is capable of holding people who weigh up to 300 pounds. The chair’s structure is intended to align your hip and back, providing comfort and support for those who typically experience back pains when sitting in a camping chair.

It’s a very comfortable camping chair, but it does have a new feature we aren’t too thrilled about. The latest model has a mesh seat bottom which depresses down about 5 inches or so when put under weight. This provides enhanced breathability but ultimately makes the chair less comfortable.

Previous Strongback elite models didn’t have his new feature, so if you’re purchasing the updated model because you loved the comfort and support of the old models, be aware that you will be able to feel a distinct difference.

Armrests are an often overlooked feature when it comes to camping chairs, and with this chair, we found them very comfortable. In a way, the comfort of your body as a whole will affect the comfort of your back. So we appreciate how these armrests contribute to a positive, overall body comfort.

Although this chair was meant for larger people, the chair itself is very compact when folded up, making it very easy to store.

If you’re a tall or large person with minor to major back problems, this camping chair was made for you.

Editor’s Choice – KingCamp

The KingCamp is one of the most comfortable chairs on the list and our editor’s choice for the best camping chair for bad backs.

Poor posture is a significant cause of discomfort when it comes to sitting in camping chairs. Sitting for even a short period of time in a bad position can cause pain. The lumbar strap featured in this chair is designed to keep your posture fixed in the right position. By helping you maintain the correct posture, you’ll stay comfortable for longer.

The material used for this chair also contributes significantly to its overall comfort. Instead of using nylon, the standard material for camping chairs, KingCamp has chosen to use a much softer oxford cloth material.

For anyone unable to use the Strongback Elite because of its 300-pound weight limit, the KingCamp can help you out. With a more robust limit of 350 pounds, it provides the support you’re looking for.

We found the storage compartments of this chair very conveniently located. It has a head storage bag and side pockets, both of which provide quick, easy access to whatever you want to keep on hand. It also has a built-in waterproof cooler bag you can use to keep up to 3 cans cold.

The chair’s construction is more durable and long-lasting than any other camping chair on our list. This longevity means you won’t have to replace camping chairs as often, saving you money over time.

We can’t say the same about the construction quality of the carrying bag. Not only is the bag poorly made, but the fit is also too tight. It’s a real pain trying to squeeze it back in, and we’re sure the bag will not last as long as the chair.

This chair effortlessly blends comfort and support without sacrificing durability, making it one of our top choices on this list.

Best Choice for Smaller People – Strongback Guru

While the KingCamp and Strongback Elite are made for taller, larger people, the Strongback Guru is specifically designed for people with a smaller, lighter build who have issues with their back. Specifically, this chair is made for people under the height of 5’8”.

This a supportive chair that has built-in lumbar support. It’ll help keep your spine in line, which will, in turn, provide relief and relaxation for your back muscles.
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It also encourages your body to have good overall posture. Better posture means you’ll stay comfortable for much longer while sitting, and you’ll be supporting the overall health of your back.

People with a smaller build will find that not only does the size of this chair fit them well, it also has an incredibly cozy feel to it.

This camping chair is also more compact and lightweight than the Strongback Elite, making it easier to carry around and store. To add to this chair’s portability, Strongback has included a backpack-style carry bag so it can be carried while maintaining full use of your hands.

That said, though, any taller person considering this chair because it’s the more lightweight and portable option should know that this chair was not designed with their comfort in mind. The seat height can be very low for a taller person, which would make it a very uncomfortable chair to sit in for even a short period of time.

As we’ve come to expect from Strongback, this is another high-quality and durable chair. The fabric used is a heavy-duty polyester that is meant to resist wear and tear. It’s also made with a steel frame that increases its reliability.

For people with a smaller build and height, you can stop your search for a supportive chair that’s good for your back and trust in the Strongback Guru’s specialty design.

Best Heavy-Duty Chair for Bad Back – Alpha Camp Chair

Boasting a 450-pound weight capacity, the Alpha Camp Chair is easily the most heavy-duty chair on our list.

Its durability and extra weight capacity do add some excess weight, however. This chair weighs a total of 13.2 pounds, which for a camping chair, is pretty heavy. So, it might not be ideal for backpack camping, but if you’re just taking it in and out of your vehicle, weight probably won’t be a significant concern.

The chair features side pockets for convenient storage of a book, phone, or any other personal device. And so you can stay hydrated without ever having to leave the comfort of your chair, there are a built-in cooler bag and drink holder, similar to the one found on the KingCamp chair.

Also, like the KingCamp chair, the material used on this Alpha Camp chair is a soft oxford fabric. Whether you prefer this material over the more traditional nylon camp chair material is a matter of personal preference. However, those who enjoy the plush feel of oxford fabric will enjoy an added degree of comfort.

During testing, we found an issue with the front crossbars. When the chair is set up on soft ground, the crossbars dig deep into the surface and don’t work very well. This resulted in some noticeable discomfort while sitting on the chair.

Considering this chair is designed with heavier-weight people in mind, it’s no surprise that Alpha Camp has chosen to use a sturdy, steel frame design. It provides a degree of reliability and longevity that other alloy metal chairs cannot.

However, what did surprise us is how inexpensive this chair is compared to other sturdy steel camping chairs.

The additional weight capacity and rugged durability of the Alpha Camp Chair make an excellent option for heavier-weight people with back problems who don’t want to sacrifice comfort for reliability.

Best Lightweight Chair for Bad Back – Fundango Chair

Looking for a camping chair that’s lightweight but still provides generous back support and weight capacity? You’ll want to consider this bad back chair from Fundango.

It has a 300-pound weight capacity, the same as the Strongback series camping chairs. And that same support comes at a reduced chair weight of only 9.7 pounds. Combined with the fact that this chair can be broken down and stored in a heavy-duty carrying case, it not only makes it the lightest weight camping chair on the list, it makes the most portable as well.

Like the other chairs on this list, it features a lumbar strap to ensure your posture remains in the right position for comfort while sitting for long periods of time. It’s worth mentioning that the lumbar support is adjustable and comes with an alignment strap, allowing you to customize where your back is supported easily.

It has some tremendous organizational features such as mesh pockets and armrests with cupholder that make it easy to keep everything you need to enjoy yourself within arm’s reach.

Although this chair’s frame is made with steel, the plastic joints that hold the frame together are cheap and poorly made. Chair joints are among the most vulnerable parts of any camp chair and the most likely to break.

Choosing to use cheap, unreliable material for such a critical part of the chair doesn’t inspire much confidence in its longevity. Ultimately, we wouldn’t expect these joints to survive much abuse.

For many campers, the ability to reduce weight wherever possible is a core priority. Heavy-duty camping chairs built for larger people with back problems are notoriously heavy. That’s why it’s great to see that Fundango has created a lightweight option for those who value portability as well as support.

Best of the Rest – Coastrail Outdoor

We came across this camping chair during testing and wanted to include it on our list because it has some pretty unique features.

It has a different design than the other chairs we’ve already mentioned. It has a triangular steel frame that has a 400-pound weight capacity and provides excellent balance.

The lumbar back is a familiar feature that ensures your posture remains in the right position. However, what makes it stand out is that it’s the only chair that uses cushioning. It has a 1.6-inch seat cushion and padded headrest, which softens the feel and increases the comfort of this chair.

Coastrail has also included a small smartphone pocket and a pretty hand foldable cup holder with an adjustable drawstring on one side.

Unlike the other chairs on this list, it doesn’t have large, wide armrests. We felt a noticeable difference in comfort level because of this.

Something else you should be aware of is that, similar to the Alpha camp. The legs dig deep into soft ground, which will cause additional discomfort. This could become a big problem, especially for anyone planning to use this chair on the sand.

Although this chair is not suited for soft ground, it performed surprisingly well when set up uneven ground. This is mostly thanks to the dynamic footpads, which automatically adjust to the contours of the ground. This feature doesn’t work miracles, so we don’t want you to expect it will level off the chair on radically uneven surfaces. But, for slight to moderately rocky and uneven ground, it makes a noticeable difference.

For anyone who enjoys a soft, comfy camping chair with an ergonomic design, you won’t be disappointed with the Coastrail Outdoor.