Bottom Line
The Moon Lence Portable Camp Chair ranks high on Amazon, but backpackers should weigh the pros and cons of this budget-oriented chair before buying it for their backcountry adventures.
The good news is that this portable chair is not only affordable but also the most comfortable chair we tested. We love its deep scoop seat and extended back rest, which gives our gear analyst the support he needs for his bad back.
The bad news is that Moon Lence’s budget components make this portable chair heavier than we recommend for backpacking. Plus, our stability tests revealed possible durability issues, which may limit the Moon Lence Portable to level, frontcountry campsites. That’s why it didn’t rank higher on our guide to the best backpacking chairs.
Overall, we find this cheap and comfortable chair a better fit for the campground and rafting trips, rather than the wilderness, due to its weight and “meh” performance on uneven terrain. That being said, backpackers who care more about comfort and price may be willing to overlook weight and durability concerns to buy this budget-friendly portable chair.
How We Tested
Gear analyst Jory Brass carried around 11 backpacking chairs throughout the backpacking season. He packed them into New Mexico’s high desert backcountry campsites to test their comfort, packability, stability, and ease of use. This review is based on these field tests, side-by-side comparisons, and testing notes from other CleverHiker gear analysts.
Quick Specs
Moon Lence Portable Chair
Best Cheap & Comfortable Camp Chair
CleverHiker Rating: 3.7/5.0
Price: $35
Weight: 2 lb. 2 oz.
Weight Limit: 400 lb.
Seat Height: 11.5 in.
Pros
- Affordable
- Supportive
- Stash pockets on both sides
- Comfortable back support
- High off the ground
- Breathable & quick-drying
Cons
- A little heavy for backpacking
- Durability concerns
- Set up / tear down is a bit slow
Comfort
Let’s start with the good news: The Moon Lence Portable ranked at the top for comfort, based on side-by-side comparisons in the field.
Rated to hold up to 400 pounds, this hybrid camping/backpacking chair features an oversized scoop seat. With this extra room, Gear Analyst Jory Brass felt that he sat in the chair – not on it, which was the case with some of the smaller chairs he tested. His broad shoulders fit comfortably inside the chair’s frame, and so did his thick lower body. This made for a more comfortable, relaxed sitting experience at the campsite.
We also appreciate this seat’s sizable back rest, which provides better back support than other chairs we tested. Jory, for example, has chronic back problems, so he appreciates the Moon Lence Portable Chair’s support, especially when he sits down for more than an hour. It’s undoubtedly a support upgrade over ultralight backpacking chairs.
In short, this chair’s price isn’t its only plus. Its comfort and back support give budget-oriented backpackers another reason to buy the Moon Lence Portable.
Weight & Packability
The downside of all that comfort and support is weight. The Moon Lence Portable chair weighs 2 pounds 2 ounces on our gear analyst’s kitchen scale. Technically, that’s heavier than CleverHiker’s cutoff weight for a backpacking chair. For us, this is more of a camping chair than a backpacking chair since few backpackers are willing to lug around an extra two pounds of pack weight. Thus, it’s fair that Moon Lence lists this portable chair as a Camping/Backpacking crossover.
Despite the extra weight, the Portable’s packed size is pretty average. Its stuff sack dimensions are similar to other scoop-seat backpacking chairs we tested; however, the packed volume is greater, due to the chair’s bulky plastic hubs and cheaper seat fabric. If your backpack is full, you may struggle to stuff this chair into your pack’s expanded side pockets. The Moon Lence Portable Chair is more portable when clipped or strapped to the bottom of your backpack.
If you’re a weight-conscious backpacker, you should pass on the Moon Lence Portable Camping/Backpacking Chair and choose a lighter option. If you care more about comfort than packability, you may be willing to haul this oversized chair into the backcountry, even though it weighs over two pounds.
Stability
Our stability testing yielded mixed results for the Moon Lence Portable Chair.
On the plus side, this budget-friendly backpacking chair didn’t budge much as we rocked side to side, leaned forward and backward, and bent over in laughter. The front legs lifted slightly as we leaned backwards, but we felt well-balanced as we leaned in other directions. Its stability is undoubtedly due to its weight and size, which are more like a campground chair than a backpacking chair.
On the minus side, it took less than a minute for our 200-pound tester to bend two of the Moon Lence Portable Chair’s legs while testing its stability. After Gear Analyst Jory Brass shimmied side to side in the Moon Lence chair on slightly uneven terrain, the chair no longer sat flush on level ground. It wobbled noticeably with only three legs touching the pavement. This not only raises concerns about the stability of this budget backpacking chair but also its durability and the claimed weight capacity of 400 pounds.
If you pull the trigger on this budget pick, you’d better stick to level ground – and baby it – or it may not last long. It will help if you’re on the smaller side, too.
Ease of Use
The Moon Lence Portable isn’t tricky to use, but we had some pet peeves after assembling and disassembling it in our field tests. Our initial setup took three minutes, which is three times longer than our average. We were slowed down by the chair’s taut fabric, which required an arm workout to stretch over the aluminum frame.
Plus, we initially had trouble distinguishing the top, bottom, and sides of the seat material. We had to rotate the seat 2-3 times to get it lined up with the frame. The length and width dimensions were similar, and the Moon Lence branding was on the side of the seat, not on top like most camp chairs. These little details slowed us down when we were first getting to know this chair.
Likewise, repacking this portable chair is hit or miss. The chair’s side pockets can get in the way when we try to wrap the seat fabric around the tent poles, and the bulky plastic hubs also take some finessing to fit into the stuff sack. Fortunately, the stuff sack is zippered from end to end, which makes it a little easier to massage those parts into their case.
Also, keep in mind the durability issues we experienced during our short stability tests. Since the chair legs bent so easily on uneven ground, campers should take extra care in finding a level campsite to use this Moon Lence chair.
Should You Buy the Moon Lence Portable Camping Chair?
We love the price of the Moon Lence Portable Chair, but backpackers should weigh this chair’s tradeoffs before buying it. Bigger and heavier than most backpacking chairs, this budget-friendly chair provides plenty of comfort and back support.
However, its budget components make the Moon Lence chair heavier and less durable than the premium backpacking chairs we reviewed.
That’s why we prefer this crossover as a camping chair over a backpacking chair. But budget-oriented backpackers might pull the trigger if they care more about price and comfort than weight and durability.
What Other Backpacking Chairs Should You Consider?
Our guide to the best backpacking chairs showcases several alternatives to the Moon Lence Portable Camping Chair:
Trekology Yizi-Lite Review: Comfortable, packable, and affordable, the Yizi-Lite topped the Moon Lence Portable to be our CleverHiker Budget Buy. It’s our favorite budget backpacking chair.
REI Flexlite Air Backpacking Chair Review: The best value on our list, the REI chair scores high across the board while costing much less than the premium backpacking chairs we reviewed.
Big Agnes Skyline UL Review: Another oversized and supportive backpacking chair, the Skyline UL is more packable, stable, and durable than the Moon Lence Portable – for a premium price.
