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Head-to-head · Best Beach Chairs

Rio Beach Classic 5-Position Lay-Flat Folding Beach 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

Rio Beach Classic 5-Position Lay-Flat Folding Beach Chair comes out ahead by a clear margin (4.6 vs 4.1). Rio Beach Classic 5-Position Lay-Flat Folding Beach Chair is best for: solo beach day or value-minded buyer who wants a real lay-flat chair under $60. Read the strengths below before deciding.

Rio Beach Classic 5-Position Lay-Flat Folding Beach Chair
Higher ratedRanked #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 →
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

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.

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

SpecRio Beach Classic 5-Position Lay-Flat Folding Beach ChairYeti Trailhead Camp Chair
Weight Capacity250 lbs500 lbs
Empty Weight10 lbs13.3 lbs
Seat Height8.5 in16.75 in
Unfolded Dimensions32 x 25 x 23 in30 x 25 x 36 in
Folded Dimensions29 x 25 x 4.5 in43 x 11.75 x 9 in
Recline Positions5 (including lay-flat)—
Frame MaterialAluminumPowder-coated steel
Fabric600D polyesterFlexGrid mesh (UV-rated polyester)
Carry StylePadded backpack strapsTwo-strap carry bag (shoulder or backpack)
Cup Holders11 (fits 10-30 oz Yeti drinkware)
Warranty—5 years
← See the full ranking of best beach chairs