REI Westward Padded Folding Chair Review

Bottom Line

The REI Westward Padded Folding Chair is for car campers who are willing to carry a little more bulk in exchange for exceptional comfort. Thick cushioning, a roomy seat, supportive armrests, and a 17-inch seat height made it one of the most relaxing traditional chairs in our testing, and it quickly became a favorite during high-desert and alpine use around Bishop and Mammoth Lakes, California.

The lawn-chair-style frame also proved sturdier than its casual appearance suggests. Aluminum crossbars handled repeated hard sit-downs without complaint, hinges moved smoothly, and the chair remained stable during normal frontcountry use. Built-in backpack straps and a top carry handle make the 8 lb. 8 oz. chair easier to move than its broad folded shape would suggest.

The compromise is storage and transport. Even folded, the Westward stays wide and rectangular, so it eats more trunk space than tubular folding chairs or collapsible pole-frame models. The 250-pound capacity is also lower than many competitors.

 If comfort is the priority and your chair stays close to the car, the Westward’s overall ranking makes sense. If you need compact packing, the Chair One High-Back or Flexlite Camp Dreamer is a better fit.

How We Tested

We tested the Westward in California’s high desert and alpine environments, using it for slow evenings outside, repeated setup and breakdown, and sitting on both flat and rougher surfaces. We paid particular attention to the thick padding, seat and armrest ergonomics, frame stability, hinge movement, backpack straps, cup holder placement, and how the wide folded profile affected transport.

The Westward is scored across comfort, durability, portability, and ease of use in the same system as the rest of the category. Its 8 lb. 8 oz. CleverHiker-measured weight, 250-pound listed capacity, and 17-inch seat height provide useful context for comparing it with more rugged heavy chairs and much lighter pole-frame designs.

Comfort

Hours of reading outside made the Westward one of the chairs our testers kept choosing when weight did not matter. Thick cushioning covers both the seat and back, creating a noticeably more furniture-like experience than the single layers of fabric used by most folding chairs. The aluminum frame keeps that padding supported, so the chair feels plush without becoming shapeless.

The 17-inch seat height also works well for many adults. Hips and knees settle into a natural angle, the armrests sit at a useful height, and the broad seat leaves room to reposition rather than pinning the body into a narrow scoop. Those details become more valuable the longer you stay seated, which is why the Westward performed so well during slow evenings around camp.

Heat is the one meaningful comfort penalty. There are no mesh vents through the padded seat or back, so the upholstery retains more warmth than the Trailhead or Campwell. Air can move around the open frame but not through the surfaces touching the body.

 We would choose mesh for hot, humid conditions; on cool evenings, the same padding is an advantage. That split explains why the Westward earns top marks for comfort: for campers who prioritize cushioning over ventilation, it is one of the most comfortable traditional chairs we have tested.

Comfort Score: 5.0 / 5.0

Durability

Abruptly dropping full body weight into the Westward was a useful stress test because it put the frame and crossbars under the kind of load that exposes weak joints quickly. The aluminum structure handled those impacts without visible distress, and repeated folding did not introduce binding or looseness at the hinges and pivot points.

The chair feels more substantial than a typical lawn-chair frame. Integrated crossbars brace it front to back, while the padded upholstery is designed for outdoor use rather than borrowing the feel of indoor furniture. That combination produces a solid platform without pushing the measured weight into the range of the heaviest steel-frame chairs.

There are still reasons the score stops. At 250 pounds, the listed capacity trails the King Kong, YETI Trailhead, Kijaro, and many other options, so buyers near that limit should pay attention. Capacity is not a complete measure of durability, but it does narrow the chair’s fit.

 The padding also holds moisture longer than open mesh and deserves better drying and storage after wet trips. For normal frontcountry use, however, the Westward feels built for years rather than seasons. The King Kong remains the stronger value for maximum abuse tolerance, while the Trailhead offers even burlier premium construction for more than twice the price.

Durability Score: 4.7 / 5.0

Portability

Weight is not the Westward’s biggest transportation problem; shape is. At 8 lb. 8 oz., it undercuts several bulkier full-size models, such as the King Kong and Trailhead as well as the Kelty Low Loveseat and GCI Rocker. But the frame folds flat into a broad rectangle rather than collapsing into a narrow tube, which makes fitting it into a fully loaded trunk more awkward than the scale alone suggests.

Built-in backpack straps are the feature that keeps the chair from becoming a nuisance. They distribute the broad frame more naturally for a walk from the parking area, and a sewn-in top handle gives another option when you are already wearing a pack or only moving the chair a short distance. Those details are thoughtfully matched to the chair’s unusual folded shape.

For longer approaches, the portability limit becomes clear. The Chair One High-Back and Flexlite Camp Dreamer break down into dramatically smaller bundles, while ordinary tubular chairs can slide into narrow gaps that the Westward cannot use. The trade works for the intended setting: car camping, backyards, sports sidelines, and short carries where the exceptional cushioning is worth a larger rectangle in the vehicle. Anyone packing a crowded car or walking far should choose a more compact design.

Portability Score: 4.1 / 5.0

Ease of Use

Operating the Westward itself is nearly effortless. Slide the folding frame open and the chair is ready, with no locking levers, separate poles, or fabric sleeves to manage. The 17-inch seat is accessible for many adults, and the sturdy armrests provide a solid place to push when standing up.

Ground shape matters more than mechanics. Instead of four independent feet, the chair uses front and rear crossbars with molded nubs at the corners. Those bars add structural support, but they do not conform well to roots, rocks, or lumpy sites.

 On uneven terrain one side can sit higher, so we prefer to place the Westward on relatively flat ground. That limitation is easy to avoid at developed campgrounds, patios, and sidelines, but it is worth remembering at rougher dispersed sites.

The remaining features are intentionally simple. A single cup holder swings out from beneath the seat and can handle a large bottle, including a 32-ounce Hydro Flask. Its low position is less intuitive than an armrest holder, and there is no extra pocket for a phone, book, or snacks.

 Even with those omissions, the chair performs very well because the owner spends almost no time figuring it out. The only real learning curve is choosing a level spot; setup and breakdown themselves are about as simple as full-size camp furniture gets.

Ease of Use Score: 4.8 / 5.0

Should You Buy The REI Westward Padded Folding Chair?

Buy the Westward if your camping style involves long evenings near the car and comfort matters more than compact packing. It is particularly well suited to campgrounds, patios, barbecues, sidelines, and other places where thick padding and a supportive upright posture are worth carrying a broad folded chair.

Skip it if you regularly hike your chair into remote sites, have a very small vehicle, or need a capacity above 250 pounds. The YETI Trailhead offers more durable mesh construction and a higher capacity at a steep premium, while the King Kong is cheaper and much higher-capacity if you can tolerate additional weight. The Chair One High-Back is the portability-focused alternative.

The Westward’s appeal is straightforward: it feels better than most conventional camp chairs for long sitting sessions, and the backpack straps keep its bulk from becoming a complete dealbreaker.

What Other Camping Chairs Should You Consider?

Head over to our guide to the guide to the best camping chairs to find out how the REI Co-op Westward Padded Folding Chair compares to our other recommendations. And consider some of our other faves: 

YETI Trailhead Review: The Trailhead offers similarly high comfort with breathable mesh, a 500-pound capacity, and exceptional long-term durability. It costs more than twice as much and remains heavy.

ALPS Mountaineering King Kong Review: The King Kong provides thick fabric, excellent durability, and much greater capacity at a lower price. It is heavier and less breathable, but an excellent value for frequent car camping.

Helinox Chair One High-Back (re) Review: Choose the Helinox if you want full upper-body support in a package that weighs less than 3 pounds and packs much smaller. You will give up padding, armrests, and the Westward’s furniture-like feel.