ALPS Mountaineering King Kong Review

The ALPS King Kong is a massive, single-person chair with the capacity of several chairs combined — it is rated to support up to 800 pounds. This seat is large and heavy but packs handily into a durable carry bag with two adjustable, backpack-style straps to easily lug it wherever you go. It also features two cupholders, two large side storage compartments, and a bonus mesh storage area behind the head.

Performance Comparison

Comfort

The King Kong is the most universally comfortable chair we tested. It features a large, well-padded seat with stable and adjustable armrests. Both the seat and the backrest are padded, helping it stay even more comfortable during those long lounge sessions in the campground. Unfortunately, the seat's padding also retains water if caught in an afternoon thunderstorm. But if properly stored, our testing team considers this padding a major bonus. Like other chairs that feature a similar design, this one has a slightly slouchy seat with a fairly upright back. Perhaps not everyone's favorite, but universally comfortable and big enough to scooch around and find your ideal position. We also appreciate the simple but ergonomic armrests. They are functional and comfortable for our testers of all sizes, and their straps make it easy to adjust them to your preferred height.

The King Kong measures 38 inches high with a 15-inch seat, which makes it straightforward to get in and out of. However, this size and height combination left some of our short-legged testers feeling a bit out of place in this oversized chair.

Portability

As one of the heaviest single-person chairs we tested, the King Kong is no small item to haul around. Weighing in at 14 pounds and featuring a beefy metal frame that measures over 3 feet long, this chair can be difficult to carry. Fortunately, ALPS thoughtfully included not one shoulder strap but two to help you distribute the weight of this large chair in a backpack-style storage bag.

Despite the size, we think the oversized and heavy King Kong is absolutely worth hauling around, considering its comfort and super rugged construction. If you know you're going to be parking far away and walking a mile to the beach or a parade, this might not be the right choice for that occasion. But for more casual affairs with a minimum commute, this chair is an all-around great choice.

Quality

If you can live with the heft and bulk of this chair, you will be rewarded with its mega durability. The King Kong frame is comprised of 1/2" powder-coated steel bars, and its seat is made from 600D polyester. The widely spaced legs make the chair extremely sturdy, especially on uneven or rocky terrain. Neither leaning back onto the rear two legs of the chair nor rocking the chair from side to side revealed any stability issues. It also packs into a reinforced carry bag, and the whole package is backed by a lifetime manufacturer's warranty.

The storage pockets of the chair are built from the same 600D polyester, with the added benefit of being lined with a smooth plastic-like material that can easily be cleaned. Surprisingly, the cup holders of the King Kong are made of just mesh — the only part of the chair that isn't thick and reinforced. We also noticed some of the fabric fraying after rubbing on other surfaces, but the damage was minor and mostly cosmetic. This heavy-duty chair even withstood the weight of 5 adults, far exceeding the 800-pound weight limit, when our testing team overloaded the frame during a morning coffee session at the Search and Rescue site in Tuolumne Meadows. Top-notch quality and a sturdy frame make this a great choice for those looking for a chair that will last many years.

Ease of Use

This chair is super simple to use, taking only a few seconds to set up and tear down. Assembly is like that of many of the other traditional models we tested. Simply pull apart two of its legs, and voila, you're done. A few features worth mentioning are the two large side storage pockets that can each easily hold a flat, average-sized magazine. Two small cup holders work great for aluminum cans and skinny bottles but won't hold a standard Nalgene, large coffee thermos, or even a wide smartphone. A short and wide mesh storage pouch runs along the width of the chair behind the head and is ideal for small items such as keys, lighters, utensils, and smartphones.

Although the armrests don't appear to be all that special, the King Kong is one of the few products in this review with satisfactory armrests. We love that you can easily adjust them to support different body types, a simple yet innovative perk. When it is time to break down this heavy-duty chair, it takes some finagling to fit everything back into the stiff and durable carry bag, but nothing overly irritating.

Should You Buy the ALPS Mountaineering King Kong?

Our testers love the King Kong due to its unrivaled sturdiness, size, and durability. ALPS Mountaineering wasn't kidding when they said they wanted to make a camping chair you can count on. If you use camping chairs regularly, the King Kong is worthy of your investment.

What Other Camping Chairs Should You Consider?

While we think the King Kong is the best option for people who use camping chairs often, whether in the campground, at a tailgate, or grilling at a BBQ, but we want to highlight a couple of other options with similar features. If you are looking for a more affordable model, consider the REI Co-op Skyward, which features a comparable design, wide seat, and a little shorter backrest. If you are considering maximum comfort and a design that is the epitome of quality and luxury, check out the Yeti Trailhead.