• The Yeti Trailhead Field Chair is smaller, lighter, and more affordable than the classic Trailhead.
• The smaller size and foldable design make it a legitimate option for camping when space is tight.
• Despite the lightweight build, the chair is still capable of holding up to 350 pounds.

The Yeti Trailhead is the camp chair we recommend for most people because of its durable frame, breathable material, and flexible feet that are stable on uneven ground. That said, the chair is not without its flaws. The Trailhead is heavy, large, and quite expensive. Yeti’s latest, the Trailhead Field chair, addresses these issues and stands out as a smaller, more affordable choice. It’s just as portable as the best budget camp chair you can buy right now, Coleman’s Quad, and significantly cheaper than that other Trailhead while still being incredibly comfortable.

The Field Chair fits a very specific niche for me. While the larger, bulkier Trailhead is built for car camping or planting in your backyard, this Yeti is lightweight and far easier to toss over your shoulder as you head to the campground, the beach, or the park. It stands out as the creme de la creme of full-size portable camp chairs. At the same time, it’s also Yeti’s more affordable chair to date.

The Trailhead Field chair is notably smaller and lighter than the original Trailhead. Compared to that other chair’s steel frame, the aluminum here makes the frame noticeably lighter. It’s not quite as sturdy as powder-coated steel, but it’s quite hardy and certainly a step above the the metal tubes you’d see in a cheap camp chair.

It’s a chair I feel like I could actually carry over my shoulders for more than a mile without any real difficulty. Even walking it deep into Sheep Meadow in Central Park along with a tote bag full of picnic supplies was no real hassle.

Much like other camp chairs, it collapses in and up. Because of the relatively compact size, it’s quite portable as well, fitting comfortably in the trunk of my friend’s sedan alongside backpacks, blankets, jumper cables, and a bottle of wiper fluid.

One of the main reasons why Yeti’s chairs do well in our testing is because of how comfortable they are to sit in. While the slight recline of the Trailhead Field helps, comfort mostly comes down to the material of the seat and back. Yeti uses a proprietary fabric it calls Twilite. Its UV-resistant polyester blend can hold up to 350 pounds without tearing or fraying but has enough give that it flexed with my body. I actually felt myself relax twice: when I first sat down, and again more deeply after I settled into the material. This is a pretty stark difference against the rough and inflexible material on a basic Coleman chair. In one of those, I find myself having to shift my weight to stay comfortable.

It’s worth noting that this is a different material from the FlexGrid found in the Trailhead. It feels different too. The Twilite fabric is not as bouncy nor does it have the same mesh-like texture. While this might sacrifice a bit of breathability, it’s smoother and has a more traditional look to it that I might even rate it slightly higher in overall comfort. Without as much springiness, I don’t feel the same kind of resistance or bounce back when I sit down. Similarly, the fabric doesn’t feel as coarse against my skin.

While it’s not part of the Trailhead Field chair itself, I very much appreciated the carrying case. It isn’t just a bag with a nylon strap. That strap is a bit wider than what you find on most other cases of camp chairs we’ve tested and comes with some padding. Think a comfortable backpack strap. The width and padding may seem minor, but they do a lot for the comfort when I’m carrying the chair. With most others, I generally expect the strap to dig into my shoulder and leave a giant red line of irritation by the time I reach where I’m going.

As much as I appreciated the compact size of the chair and how tightly it folds up, there are a few creature comforts I missed—the most noteworthy being arm rests. There were a number of times on the first day of testing the chair that I instinctively reached my arms out searching for somewhere to rest them.

Similarly, while the chair actually does have a small clip designed to hold a detachable cupholder, which works with all three Yeti chairs, you have to buy that cupholder separately. If you don’t want to shell out an extra 20 bucks, which is a bit steep in my opinion, the ground or your hand are your only real options (and both free).

Yeti is always going to ride the fine line of quality and cost. The brand’s coolers, water bottles, and backpacks are often more expensive than comparable options from other companies. However, I rarely, if ever, think that Yeti’s version isn’t the best available choice if you need gear that will stand up to years of heavy use. The Trailhead Field chair is certainly in line with this. It’s more expensive than all but one other camp chair we recommend (the other Trailhead). But its comfort, durability, and portability mean that you probably won’t regret spending the $225 if you’ve got it.

Shop the Yeti Trailhead Field Chair