Unless you want your toddler constantly sitting in your chair, it’s best to get them their own little chair. Most toddler camping chairs are pretty cheap and there are plenty of cute designs that your child will love. When choosing the best toddler camping chairs though, I mostly focused on stability. These are chairs which have low seat heights and wide legs so your toddler won’t topple over.
Scroll down if you need advice for choosing a toddler camping chair. Otherwise, below are the best camping chairs for toddlers reviewed, as chosen by myself and other camping parents.
Best Toddler Camping Chairs
1. Hiccapop Omniboost Folding Chair Tray
Verdict: All-around best camping chair for little toddlers
The OmniBoost is a fantastic portable chair for older babies and toddlers. It’s low to the ground so your toddler can sit comfortably with her feet on the ground. The fabric doesn’t even sag too much when sitting. I also love that there is a removable tray, so you can plop a toddler in there for snacks or meals. You can also remove the entire seat fabric and wash it for easy cleanup. Unfortunately, the base is a bit too wide to fit on most picnic table seats, so your child will have to eat on the ground. I also wish it had a 5-point restraint instead of just 3-point. Still, it’s a super-sturdy, lightweight chair which is practical for camping.
Specs
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- Weight capacity: 45lbs
- Chair weight: 2lbs 10oz
- Seat height: 6″
- Buy here
2. Baby Delight Go With Me Camping Chair
Verdict: Sturdy chair with lost of nice features and suitable for older kids too, but your toddler’s feet won’t touch the ground
This chair is also on my list of best baby camping chairs. It is designed in a very practical way so you can get a lot of use out of it. There is a canopy (so it’s a good beach chair too), storage pockets, a removable tray and a 5-point harness. It’s also very stable and won’t tip over. The weight limit is 75lbs, so your child can use it as she grows too.
The tray annoyingly slants forward and easily comes off, so you can’t really put a plate of food on the tray. However, it is good if you want to give your baby some coloring books or toys. Also, the seat height is 12 inches. Your kid’s feet will not touch the ground for a while! Only choose this one if you care more about the canopy and having a chair which will work with older kids too.
Specs
- Weight capacity: 75lbs
- Chair weight: 7.5lbs
- Seat height: 12”
- Buy Here
3. Melissa & Doug Camping Chairs
Verdict: A super cute, cheap camping chair for bigger toddlers
These camping chairs by the brand Doug & Melissa come in several cute insect designs. They are better suited for slightly older kids (age 3-5). However, they are good if you have a larger toddler and want a camping chair that you’ll be able to get a few more years’ of use out of. The seat height is 10” and sags down to about 8” when sitting. There’s a high weight capacity, which shows that the chair is well-built.
Specs
- Weight capacity: 125lbs
- Chair weight: 2.7lbs
- Seat height: 10”
- Buy Here
4. Pacific Play Tents Animal Camping Chairs
Verdict: Simple chair with cute designs
These toddler camping chairs are super cute. Despite the fact that they are very cheap, the chairs actually hold up well. The 100lb weight limit is a sign of good quality. The chair is really tiny so, despite what the manufacturer says, kids older than 5 years old probably won’t fit in it. Your toddler will still get a couple years’ of use out of it thought.
Specs
- Weight capacity: 100lbs
- Chair weight: 2.6lbs
- Seat height: 10”
- Buy Here
5. Redmon Kid’s Camp Chair with Umbrella
Verdict: Cheap camping and beach chair
If you want a camping chair which can be used at the beach too, this one is a good pick because it comes with a detachable umbrella. The umbrella is a bit dumb in that you can only attach it at one spot and it’s hard to adjust. However, the chair itself is sturdy and the right size for a toddler. The manufacturer says ages 2-5 but realistically it will be too small by the time your child turns 4.
Specs
- Weight capacity: 125lbs
- Chair weight: 3lbs (+1lb for umbrella)
- Seat height: 11”
- Buy Here
6. Jakks Pacific Character Chairs
Verdict: Good for older toddlers who love cartoon characters
The brand Jakks Pacific makes several toddler camping chairs with cartoon characters on them (including PJ Max, Peppa Pig, Toy Story, Trolls, Spiderman, and more). For some reason, the PJ Masks chair is cheaper than the other characters. The legs do a good job of locking in place and the seat height is low enough for a 2 year old. The manufacturer says ages 3+ but most kids will probably be too big for it by age 4.
Specs
- Weight capacity: N/G
- Chair weight: 3lbs
- Seat height: 10”
- Buy Here
7. Adjustable Height Folding Highchair
Verdict: Good if you want one travel chair which is good enough for mealtimes and sitting
What’s cool about this chair is that it has adjustable-height legs. When fully upright, the seat height is 22 inches. A standard picnic table is 29 inches high, so this puts your toddler at a good position for eating. In the lower position, the seat height is 12 inches. This is too high for a toddler’s legs to touch the ground but there is a foot rest attached to the tray. So, while this isn’t the perfect toddler camping chair, it’s a good solution if you travel a lot and only want to bring one chair for your toddler.
Specs
- Weight capacity: 30lbs
- Chair weight: 11lbs
- Seat height: 12” (seat), 22” (highchair)
- Buy Here
Can I Use a Booster Seat on an Adult Camping Chair?
Most booster seats are designed to be used with straight-backed hard chairs. You can put a booster seat on them and maybe even strap it in place. However, your toddler will probably end up slanted and could easily fall out. In addition to that issue, toddlers won’t be able to get in/out of the chair by themselves so it isn’t a good solution for hanging around camp.
Here’s a booster chair on an adult camping chair. Notice how the kid is falling off to the side.
Choosing a Toddler Camping Chair
When choosing these toddler camping chairs, I was looking at a few main things: Stability, seat height, cuteness, features, and whether it works for eating.
Stability
This is by far the most important feature of a camping chair for a toddler. Toddlers are really squirmy and you don’t want the chair tipping over – especially in front of the campfire. For this reason, you’ll want to choose a camping chair which has:
- Four legs (instead of two)
- Wide legs, preferably wider than the seat
- Solid construction
- Safety features like locking legs
Seat Height
The chair seat height should be low enough that your toddler’s feet touch the ground when sitting. As a short woman, I can testify to how uncomfortable it is to have your legs dangling in a chair which is too big for you! Further, if the seat height is too tall, your toddler won’t be able to get in/out of the chair by themselves.
Unfortunately, most toddler camping chairs have a seat height of around 12 inches – which is too high for most toddlers. A seat height of 10 inches or under is better for toddlers. To figure out exactly what seat height your toddler needs, measure the length of your child’s lower leg (from the bottom of the heel to under the bent knee).
It will make your life easier if your toddler can get in/out of the chair by himself.
The red line indicates where you should measure seat height so your toddler’s legs don’t dangle.
Cuteness
Cuteness matters when picking out gear for toddlers. At least that’s the case with my kids. They’d rather have fun designs and bright colors than typical “boring” camping gear.
Whether It Works for Eating Too
Most camping-style toddler chairs aren’t great for eating; your child’s won’t be able to sit up properly in the chair and will end up making a (bigger) mess. Some camping chairs allow for better posture though and come with snap-on trays which make eating easier. There are also some portable high chairs for toddlers which can work for camping too. So think about how your toddler will use the chair and buy one which makes sense for this purpose.
Features
Also consider how important these features are for you when choosing the toddler camping chair.
- Tray: These make it possible for your child to eat semi-normally. If the chair has a tray though, it probably doesn’t have a cup holder.
- Cup holder: Cup holders are awesome because you can fill them with snacks and your toddler will sit contently (at least for 5 minutes) snacking in the chair.
- Canopy or umbrella: These usually sound nicer than they really are. Unless the chair is positioned perfectly, the canopy or umbrella might not provide any shade. It’s still nice to have that option though.
Image credits:
“Relaxin” (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) by seanabrady,
“Camping chairs” (CC BY-NC 2.0) by Simon & Vicki,
“Setting up camp in Seneca Rocks this wee” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by dionhinchcliffe,
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