If you’re looking for the right camping essentials to help you keep you warm in colder weather, you might be considering whether a heated portable chair is right for you.
The question is: are heated portable chairs really worth bringing along? How do they work? What sort of power source do they require? And, are they really portable? We’ll let you know all the answers to these questions and give you our top recommendations too.
The bottom line up front: we’d recommend the POP Design The Hot Seat. It’s a good all-rounder, it’s durable, and it should work well for most outdoor adventures.
We’d also recommend:
- Blufree Extra Wide Heated Stadium Seat – a brilliant heated stadium seat
- FirstE Heated Camping Chair – a great-value foldable heated chair
We’ll be looking at:
- The best heated portable chairs, compared
- What to look for in a heated portable chair
- Our top 5 picks, including: key features, pros, and cons
- Some frequently asked questions
- More on our favorites and why we picked them
Table of Contents
- Best Heated Portable Chairs Compared
- What to Look for in a Heated Portable Chair
- Top 5 Best Heated Portable Chairs
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Our Final Thoughts – Which Heated Portable Chair is the Best?
Let’s get started!
Best Heated Portable Chairs Compared
What to Look for in a Heated Portable Chair
Here are a few of the key features to look for in a Heated Portable Chair:
Style
There are 2 basic types of heated portable chairs:
- Folding Chairs – these are similar to regular folding camping chairs, except that they have a heating element in either the seat or back area (or both). They’re quite versatile and can be used for any kind of outdoor pursuit.
- Stadium Seat – these are essentially chairs without legs. They can be attached, usually with safety straps, to a bleacher, giving you the perfect extra-cozy spot to watch a sporting event. You can also use these on the ground, on a beach, or inside your tent.
Heating Element and Settings
Some chairs only have a heating element in the seat area, others have an extra heating element in the back of the chair as well. Those may cost a little more and may take a little extra power to run compared to those with heating localized in the seat.
Some have multiple heat settings, which allow for some customization in terms of how warm you want it to be. Others simply have 1 setting (on or off).
Battery
Most heated chairs require you to use your own battery pack. Powered by USB, these are easily removed from your chair and recharged, they are also a convenient item to have around as they can be used for other electrical items too. We’d recommend something like the Solar Power Bank.
How long your battery pack takes to charge will vary, but it usually takes around 7 hours.
It’s important to safely dispose of worn-out batteries – for more information, you can read how to recycle different types of batteries.
Safety Features
As with heaters and other electrical items, it’s important to check if there are any extra safety features included. One thing to look for is an automatic shut-off when the chair reaches a certain temperature. If you leave your chair on by accident, this ensures it won’t overheat.
Dimensions
Of course, portable chairs have to be easy to carry! It’s worth looking at the dimensions of your chair when it’s folded down, as well as checking its weight. This will give you a better idea of how easy it will be to carry, and how to transport it alongside your tent and other gear. Some come with carrying bags, which make it a little easier.
Often, stadium-style seats come with backpack straps, so you can easily carry them similar to how you would a backpack.
Pockets/Extra Features
Some portable heated chairs have extra features, like cooler pockets for drinks in the armrests. This feature is for added convenience and is beneficial if you want to keep your drink cool while keeping your seat warm!
Most come with pockets for smaller items like your flashlight, water bottle, phone, keys, and so on. They may also have a special pocket with a zipper for your USB battery pack to keep it safe and dry.
Comfort and Support
Some chairs are more comfortable than others, especially if you’ll be sitting on them for a while. Look at how supportive your potential chair will be, and look for features like multiple reclining positions or adjustable armrests, if you want extra comfort.
Some chairs have high-density memory foam in the back for an even more comfortable seat.
Durability
To get a sense of how durable your chair will be, look for covers made from nylon or polyester, which are both long-lasting and easy to clean. You can also look for a powder-coated steel frame, which helps to prevent rust.
Top 5 Best Heated Portable Chairs
Now, here are our top 5 recommendations for heated portable chairs. We’ve chosen a mixture of foldable chairs and stadium-style chairs, so hopefully, you can find one that suits you!
POP Design The Original Hot Seat Heated Stadium Seat – Best Back Support
Key Features
- Chair Style: Stadium/bleacher seat
- No. of Temperature Settings: 3
- Max. Weight Recommendation: N/A
- Size Folded: Not stated
- Size Unfolded: 20 x 20 x 16 inches (50.8 x 50.8 x 40.6 centimeters)
- Weight: 11 pounds (5 kilograms)
The POP Design The Original Hot Seat Heated Stadium Seat is a handy, portable stadium/bleacher seat, ideal for all your big games. It’s not the lightest thing to carry, but it does fold down neatly and will only take up a small amount of space in the trunk of your car. It also has backpack straps which is incredibly helpful.
This chair has 3 temperature settings, with a heating element in the seat area, but not the back. It’s easy to change the settings, it’s color-coded so you’ll know which one to pick. It requires a USB battery pack, like the IXNINE Portable Solar USB Charger.
There are many pockets to store small items, including a zip pocket to keep the portable USB battery pack safe and dry, and a larger back pocket for more sizeable items. You can choose to have the armrests up or down depending on how much room you have to use it. It’s comfortable to sit in, has great back support, and includes a high-density support foam in the back area.
It’s made from durable polyester, which means it should last for a long time to come, and it’s easy to wipe clean. It lacks any extra safety features like automatic shut-off when it reaches a high temperature.
Pros
- Comfortable with high-density support foam padding
- Folds down neatly, and includes backpack straps for easy carrying
- 3 temperature settings
- Option to have armrests up or down
- Lots of storage pockets
Cons
- On the heavier side
- Lacks extra safety features
FirstE Heated Camping Chair – Best Value
Key Features
- Chair Style: Solid back folding chair
- No. of Temperature Settings: 1
- Max. Weight Recommendation: 330 pounds (149.7 kilograms)
- Size Folded: 9.8 x 9.8 x 36.2 inches (24.9 x 24.9 x 91.9 centimeters)
- Size Unfolded: 22.4 x 22.4 x 36.2 inches (56.9 x 56.9 x 91.9 centimeters)
- Weight: 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms)
The FirstE Heated Camping Chair is one of the lightest folding, heated camping chairs out there. Although it’s light to carry, it is quite large when folded. So while it’s portable, it might be a good idea to check the dimensions to make sure it’ll fit neatly in the trunk of your vehicle.
It has 1 temperature setting. The heating element is only in the seat part of the chair. It needs a USB-powered battery pack to make it work. We’d recommend something like the IXNINE Portable Solar USB Charger, which works really well with any heated portable chair. The chair heats up very quickly.
It has some pockets to hold items like torches, water bottles, your phone, or any other fairly small items you want to keep safe. It’s comfortable, with supportive padding in the back and soft armrests for extra comfort.
The chair is strong and durable, with waterproof fabric, so you won’t have to worry about it getting wet. It has wide feet to keep it stable, but lacks any other safety features; ideally, you want something with auto shut-off when it reaches a high temperature.
Pros
- Good value
- Fairly lightweight to carry around
- Has pockets
- Comfortable
- Waterproof fabric and sturdy frame
Cons
- Fairly large when folded down
- Lacks safety features
POP Design The Hot Seat – Good All-Rounder
Key Features
- Chair Style: Solid back folding chair
- No. of Temperature Settings: 3
- Max. Weight Recommendation: 300 pounds (136.1 kilograms)
- Size Folded: 8 x 8 x 37.5 inches (20.3 x 20.3 x 95.3 centimeters)
- Size Unfolded: 33 x 21.5 x 39 inches (83.8 x 54.6 x 99.1 centimeters)
- Weight: 11 pounds (4.9 kilograms)
The POP Design The Hot Seat is a high-quality camping chair. It’s not too heavy and folds down into a fairly compact shape.
It has 3 temperature settings, with a color-coded indicator for ease of use. It requires a USB battery pack, which is not included. Go for something like the Solar Power Bank which will work nicely here. It only has heating in the seating area, not the back, which is something to bear in mind.
The chair has many small pockets around the sides and the front of the seat so you can easily get to any items you need. It has a heater control pocket too, so you can quickly change the temperature settings. It’s comfortable to sit in, with high-density support foam in the padding to provide additional back support. It also has 3 reclining positions.
It comes with a strong, durable frame made from powder-coated steel to help prevent corrosion. While it’s quite sturdy, it doesn’t have any extra safety features, like auto shut-off.
Pros
- 3 reclining positions
- 3 heating options
- Comfortable
- Lots of storage pockets for smaller items
- Durable
Cons
- Doesn’t provide any automatic shut-off safety features
Blufree Extra Wide Heated Stadium Seat – Best Stadium Seat
Key Features
- Chair Style: Stadium/bleacher seat
- No. of Temperature Settings: 1
- Max. Weight Recommendation: N/A
- Size Folded: Not stated
- Size Unfolded: 32.7 x 25 inches (83.1 x 63.5 centimeters)
- Weight: 7.4 pounds (3.3 kilograms)
The Blufree Extra Wide Heated Stadium Seat is a really good all-rounder in terms of a stadium seat. It folds down to a small size, it has backpack straps to make it easier to carry, and it’s lightweight.
The chair has 1 setting with heating in just the seat area. It requires a USB battery pack, like the IXNINE Portable Solar USB Charger.
The chair has plenty of storage pockets on the side, including a zip pocket to keep the battery pack protected against the elements. You can have the armrests up or down, depending on how much room there is. The padding in the back area and armrests is excellent.
It’s made from durable polyester and is easy to wipe clean. However, there aren’t any extra safety features like automatic shut-off.
Pros
- Comfortable
- Lightweight
- Easy to carry
- Lots of storage pockets
- Durable and easy to clean
Cons
- Lacks extra safety features
KingCamp Folding Heated Camping Chair – Most Comfortable
Key Features
- Back Style: Solid back folding chair
- No. of Temperature Settings: 3
- Max. Weight Recommendation: 353 pounds (161 kilograms)
- Size Folded: 38.2 x 8.7 x 7.9 inches (97 x 22.1 x 20.1 centimeters)
- Size Unfolded: 24.4 X 23.6 X 41.3 inches (62 x 60 x 104.9 centimeters)
- Weight: 11.3 pounds (5.1 kilograms)
The KingCamp Folding Heated Camping Chair is a great choice if you require a comfortable, extra-supportive chair. It’s oversized, which adds to the comfort. It also collapses down into a carry bag, making it easy to transport, although it is slightly heavier than some of the others on this list.
The chair has heating in the back and seat area, with 3 temperature settings and a ‘quick warm’ feature, which is helpful. It fits any USB battery pack, like the Solar Power Bank.
This chair has some exciting extra features, like a cooler bag built into the armrests to keep your drinks cold. It’s comfortable and supportive with great lumbar support and adjustable armrests.
The strong steel frame makes it quite durable, and also provides extra-tough seams for its soft fabric. It’s sturdy, and it has an overheating switch-off feature, meaning you won’t have to worry about excessive temperatures if you leave it on by accident.
Pros
- Super comfortable and supportive with adjustable armrests
- 3 temperature settings and ‘quick warm’ feature
- Has extra features like a cooler in the armrests
- Includes automatic switch-off to prevent overheating
- Folds down very easily
Cons
- Slightly heavier than some of the others on this list.
Frequently Asked Questions
Before we give you our final verdict, here are some frequently asked questions about heated portable chairs:
Are there any safety concerns with heated portable chairs?
The only thing to be mindful of, is accidentally leaving it switched on, as a general safety precaution. It’s easy to get into the habit of switching it off after each use, but look for a chair with automatic shut-off if you’re worried about that.
Are folding camping chairs good for your back?
It does depend on the situation, as camping/outdoor activities can be difficult when you have back pain. It depends on how supportive your chair is, and how much lumbar support it provides. Look for a chair with strong memory foam padding for extra comfort.
You may find that a bleacher-style seat is actually an improvement for your back, compared to sitting on regular stadium bleachers.
How else can I keep warm by camping?
You can do a few things to keep warm while camping. Wearing lots of layers is always a good practice. We’d also recommend bringing a hot water bottle with you, as these are an easy way to keep your sleeping bags warm at night.
You can also get camping heaters – check out our guide to the best camping tent heater for our top recommendations.
You can check out the Eureka! Guide on how to keep warm in a tent for more ideas.
Our Final Thoughts – Which Heated Portable Chair is the Best?
We’d recommend the POP Design The Hot Seat. It has 3 heat settings, it’s comfortable and durable, and will work well in most outdoor situations.
If you want a stadium/bleacher seat, we’d go for the FirstE Heated Camping Chair as it’s great value.
If this has helped, feel free to share it online with your friends and family. We’d also love to hear your thoughts. Do you have any recommendations for heated chairs? How do you stay warm on a camping trip? Leave us a comment below!