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Head-to-head · Best Beach Chairs

ALPS Mountaineering King Kong Chair vs Yeti Trailhead Camp 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 comes out ahead by a clear margin (4.6 vs 4.1). ALPS Mountaineering King Kong Chair is best for: big-and-tall adult who needs a wide seat, high capacity, and stable platform at a beach base camp. Read the strengths below before deciding.

ALPS Mountaineering King Kong Chair
Higher ratedRanked #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 →
Yeti Trailhead Camp Chair
Ranked #3 in Best Beach Chairs
Yeti Trailhead Camp Chair
2 sources$300as of Oct 10

The Yeti Trailhead Camp Chair is the premium full-feature pick: a 500 lb-capacity FlexGrid-mesh chair built to outlast everything else on this list. OutdoorGearLab scored it 77/100 and ranked it #2 of 22 camp chairs tested. The catch is a $300 price and 13.3 lb weight, plus the absence of the cooler, shade or storage pockets cheaper beach-specific chairs include.

Strengths
  • — Steel frame with powder coat plus reinforced pivot points handles years of salt and UV
  • — 5-year warranty backs the build quality at the highest level in the category
  • — FlexGrid mesh fabric is breathable, quick-drying, and conforms to your body without pressure points
Watch-outs
  • — Heavy and bulky at 13.3 lb folded — not a chair you carry far from the car
  • — Only one cupholder and zero storage pockets feels sparse for a $300 chair
$300 · Buy at jamesriverarchery.comFull 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.

Yeti Trailhead Camp Chair

The Yeti Trailhead Camp Chair uses breathable, quick-drying FlexGrid mesh, where the ALPS Mountaineering King Kong Chair has a heavy polyester sling that is slow to dry. The ALPS holds 800 lbs against the Yeti's 500 lbs and costs less. The Yeti has no shade canopy, which the GCI Outdoor Waterside SunShade Backpack Beach Chair builds in, and its seat sits higher than the low seat of the Rio Beach Classic 5-Position Lay-Flat Folding Beach Chair.

Specs side-by-side

SpecALPS Mountaineering King Kong ChairYeti Trailhead Camp Chair
Weight Capacity800 lbs500 lbs
Empty Weight14 lbs13.3 lbs
Seat Height15-19 in16.75 in
Seat Width24 in—
Unfolded Dimensions37 x 24 x 38 in30 x 25 x 36 in
Folded Dimensions39 x 8 x 8 in43 x 11.75 x 9 in
Frame MaterialPowder-coated steelPowder-coated steel
Fabric600D polyesterFlexGrid mesh (UV-rated polyester)
Carry StyleBackpack carry bag with adjustable strapsTwo-strap carry bag (shoulder or backpack)
Cup Holders21 (fits 10-30 oz Yeti drinkware)
Warranty—5 years
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