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Head-to-head · Best Beach Chairs

ALPS Mountaineering King Kong Chair vs Rio Beach Classic 5-Position Lay-Flat Folding Beach Chair

Which is the better buy? Side-by-side on rating, price, strengths, and watch-outs — with the published ratings we averaged to get there.

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The short answer

ALPS Mountaineering King Kong Chair and Rio Beach Classic 5-Position Lay-Flat Folding Beach Chair score essentially the same (4.6 vs 4.6). Pick the one whose trade-offs match your priorities — the strengths and watch-outs below are where they actually differ.

ALPS Mountaineering King Kong Chair
Ranked #1 in Best Beach Chairs
ALPS Mountaineering King Kong Chair
4 sources$89.99as of Oct 11

Big-and-tall buyers get their champion in the ALPS Mountaineering King Kong Chair: 800 lb capacity, a 24 in wide seat, roughly $100 retail. OutdoorGearLab ranked it #1 of 22 camp chairs they tested with a score of 80/100, and GearJunkie awarded it best heavy-duty pick. A bulky 14 lb folded weight and limited breathability are the trade-offs; for a stable beach base camp the value is hard to beat.

Strengths
  • — 800 lb weight capacity is the highest in this comparison and most camp chairs anywhere
  • — Wide 24 in seat plus 15-19 in seat height accommodates big-and-tall adults comfortably
  • — Comes in at around $100 — a third of the Yeti Trailhead Camp Chair's price
Watch-outs
  • — 14 lb folded weight and 39 in carry length make it bulky to transport
  • — Heavy polyester sling is poor in hot weather and slow to dry after wet conditions
  • — Cup holders too narrow for some large bottles
$89.99 · Check Price on AmazonFull review →
Rio Beach Classic 5-Position Lay-Flat Folding Beach Chair
Ranked #2 in Best Beach Chairs
Rio Beach Classic 5-Position Lay-Flat Folding Beach Chair
1 source$63.99as of Nov 5

The Rio Beach Classic 5-Position Lay-Flat Folding Beach Chair is the low-seat foldable beach chair you grew up with, and at roughly $55 it's the budget pick on this list. DIVEIN, Outoria and Beaches and Coral all praised the build for the price, singling out the wooden armrests, the lay-flat recline and the 8.5 inch ground-hugging seat. No headrest and a weaker fabric-to-frame attachment are the trade-offs against pricier chairs.

Strengths
  • — Wooden armrests with marine-grade coating add upscale feel for the price
  • — 600D polyester fabric with 16 bar-tack stitching points reinforces wear points
  • — Padded backpack straps plus 10 lb weight make it easy to carry
Watch-outs
  • — No headrest or neck support beyond what the seat back provides
  • — Fabric-to-frame attachment can wear or break after a couple of seasons
  • — Recline mechanism can be tricky to lock into the position you want
$63.99 · Check Price on AmazonFull review →

How they stack up

ALPS Mountaineering King Kong Chair

The ALPS Mountaineering King Kong Chair holds 800 lbs, against 500 lbs for the Yeti Trailhead Camp Chair and 250 lbs for the GCI Outdoor Waterside SunShade Backpack Beach Chair, and it costs less than the Yeti. It has two cup holders and three storage pockets where the Yeti has one cup holder and no storage pockets. Its polyester sling is poor in hot weather and slow to dry, while the Yeti's FlexGrid mesh is breathable and quick-drying.

Rio Beach Classic 5-Position Lay-Flat Folding Beach Chair

The Rio Beach Classic 5-Position Lay-Flat Folding Beach Chair has an 8.5 in seat height, lower than the 11 in GCI Outdoor Waterside SunShade Backpack Beach Chair and the 16.75 in Yeti Trailhead Camp Chair. It reclines through five positions including lay-flat, against four on the GCI, and weighs 10 lbs against 14 lbs for the ALPS Mountaineering King Kong Chair. It costs less than the GCI, the ALPS and the Yeti.

Specs side-by-side

SpecALPS Mountaineering King Kong ChairRio Beach Classic 5-Position Lay-Flat Folding Beach Chair
Weight Capacity800 lbs250 lbs
Empty Weight14 lbs10 lbs
Seat Height15-19 in8.5 in
Seat Width24 in—
Unfolded Dimensions37 x 24 x 38 in32 x 25 x 23 in
Folded Dimensions39 x 8 x 8 in29 x 25 x 4.5 in
Frame MaterialPowder-coated steelAluminum
Fabric600D polyester600D polyester
Carry StyleBackpack carry bag with adjustable strapsPadded backpack straps
Cup Holders21
Recline Positions—5 (including lay-flat)
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