Most folding camping chair round-ups test £40–£100 chairs from the big outdoor brands. Plenty of people don't need that. If you want something to sit on at the campsite, a festival or in the back garden, a new chair for under a tenner does the job. Below are the folding chairs we have in stock right now, with an honest verdict on each and what to check before you buy.
Quick verdicts
| Chair | Price | Condition | Best for | Colour in stock |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Folding Canvas Camping Chair with Armrests | £8.99 | New, unused | Budget camping, festivals, spare seats | Black |
| Moon Chair: Extra-Wide Padded | £12 (RRP £44.99) | Slight second | Comfort on the campsite and in the garden | Black |
1. Folding Canvas Camping Chair with Armrests: best budget folding chair
Verdict: the one to buy if you just need a seat. It's a classic canvas folding armchair on a tubular steel frame. It's new and unused, comes with a nylon carry bag and costs £8.99. That's cheap enough to keep one in the car boot and not worry about it at a festival.
- Price: £8.99
- Condition: new and unused
- Colour: black
- Max load: 100 kg (about 15.7 stone)
- Seat: 41 × 49 cm, 40 cm off the ground. Backrest height 78 cm, and 83 cm wide including the arms.
- Packs into: a nylon drawcord bag with a shoulder strap
- Good for: campsites, festivals, fishing, football touchlines and extra garden seating
- Consider something else if: you want padding or plan to sit for hours. The moon chair below is more comfortable.
Shop the Folding Canvas Camping Chair: £8.99
2. Moon Chair, Extra-Wide Padded: best for comfort
Verdict: the most comfortable chair here for the money. It has an extra-wide cradle seat with sloped sides, cushioning all the way round and a heavy-duty steel folding frame. It packs into its own carry bag.
- Price: £12 (RRP £44.99)
- Condition: slight second. These are brand new but have minor manufacturing marks. Some have weak rivets, which can be swapped for an M8 nut and bolt in a couple of minutes.
- Colour: black
- Good for: long evenings at the campsite, the garden, and festival camping where you have space to carry it
- Worth knowing: seconds carry no warranty. Unused chairs can be returned within our standard returns period.
Shop the Moon Chair: £12. We've covered moon chairs in more depth in best moon chairs for festivals and moon chairs for camping: what to buy and what to skip.
How to choose a folding camping chair
Weight and packed size
If you're carrying the chair from a car park to a pitch, as at most festivals, packed size and weight matter more than anything else. A basic folding chair is the easiest to carry. A padded moon chair is bulkier but more comfortable once it's up. If you're driving right up to your pitch, go for comfort.
Price
The big-brand chairs in most review round-ups cost £30–£100. For occasional use, a £10–£15 chair covers most people. Spend more if you'll use it every weekend or need a specific feature, such as a very low pack size for backpacking.
Condition grading: new, seconds and surplus
As a surplus retailer, we sell some stock that isn't straight off a shop shelf. Here's what our grades mean:
- New / unused: never used. It may be old stock or come without retail packaging.
- Slight second: brand new but with a small manufacturing fault or cosmetic mark. We always say what the fault is on the product page. Seconds have no warranty.
- Used surplus: ex-issue or pre-owned, graded by condition. We don't currently have any used chairs in stock.
Camping, festival or garden?
- Camping: you'll sit in it for hours, so comfort wins. Look at the moon chair.
- Festivals: you'll carry it a long way, and it might get lost or damaged. A cheap folding chair is the sensible choice.
- Garden: buy whichever you'll find most comfortable. It'll live folded in the shed.
Weight limits
Every chair has a maximum load. Our canvas folding chair is rated to 100 kg (about 15.7 stone). If you need more than that, ask us before you buy. For heavier users, a steel frame and a wide seat, like the moon chair's, give a more solid base than a lightweight frame.
FAQs
What's the best cheap folding camping chair in the UK?
For under £10, our Folding Canvas Camping Chair with Armrests is new, unused, rated to 100 kg and costs £8.99. If you want padding, the Moon Chair is £12 as a slight second (RRP £44.99).
Are seconds chairs safe to use?
Our seconds are brand new with minor faults, and we list each one on the product page. Weak rivets on some moon chairs can be replaced with an M8 nut and bolt. If you're not happy with an unused item, you can return it within our standard returns period.
Can I take a camping chair to a festival?
Most UK festivals allow folding chairs in the campsite. Rules for arena areas vary, so check your festival's guidance before you go.
Can I buy in store?
Yes. Military Mart has been trading since 1999, and our stores stock camping kit alongside military surplus. Stock moves quickly, so call ahead if you're coming for a particular chair.
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