When it comes to essential caravan accessories, folding chairs are surely near the top of list, must-have items to make the most of living the outdoor life. Here we test the Caldera Moon Chair by the British specialist camping company Gelert.

There are many factors to bear in mind when deciding what camping chairs are the right ones for you to take on your caravan holidays, so here at Practical Caravan we conducted a group test to see which are the best folding chairs on the market.

We took comfort into consideration – is the chair in question to be used at table or for lounging? How much support does it offer? Does it let you sit high or mere millimetres from the ground? And how easy are the chairs to get out of? A chair with a firm seat base, chunky handles and a high seating position will all help in this regard.

How much space does the chair take up when folded? You might have a good sized tourer, but four folded chairs will consume a lot of valuable storage space, so this is a serious consideration. The space it takes up and its size will also impact the chair in terms of how portable it is. Most caravanners will be looking for light chairs that are easy to move from A to B – some might even want a chair that can fit in their rucksack on walking trips.

Which, of course, is where weight comes in – how heavy is the chair? And not just that, what is the heaviest person that the chair can support? The benchmark for this test is 100kg, or about 15.5 stone – this is something well worth checking before buying a folding chair.

But that’s not all. We also considered how easy the chairs were to erect, their price and other factors such as if their feet are too small and sink into the ground. So, how did the Gelert Caldera Moon Chair fare?

This steel framed camping chair costs £40. We think that moon chairs look incredibly inviting – and few styles of chair are as roomy. 

So we were surprised that the Gelert is only rated to 100kg – it could easily swallow bigger and, consequently, heavier folk. And, sadly, this chair is not as comfortable as it looks. This is because the bars that form the rounded edge press against the backs of your legs when you lie back. It’s also too low to put alongside a picnic table and it doesn’t provide sufficient support to make sitting upright comfortable. For these reasons, this chair only scored two out of five.

So, what other seating options are there for your caravan holidays? Well, also reviewed in Practical Caravan’s group test of folding chairs were the £20 Kampa Tub Chair, the £60 Alite Mayfly, the Coleman Sling Chair which got four out of five, the Easy Camp Director’s Chair which we also gave four out of five, the Gelert Milldale Executive Chair which received a five-star rating and the Outwell Spring Hills camping chair which not only got five stars, it was also the Editor’s Choice, so we’re sure you can find a chair to suit your needs.