In a Nutshell:
The Ozark Trail XXL Director Chair is a reasonably comfortable, versatile camp chair, offered by a reliable company. Recommended for anyone up to 500 pounds who is looking for a basic camp chair.
Value for the Money
Comfort
Brand Reliability*
Aesthetic Flexibility**
Overall Rating
3.7/5
Benefits
Drawbacks
Recommended For: Anyone up to 500 pounds who is looking for a basic camp chair.
Would you describe yourself as a bigger, taller, or heavier person? Do you love spending time in the great outdoors?
If you answered yes to both of those questions, you’ve undoubtedly run into a problem that’s all too common where bigger folk are concerned.
Simply put, it can be notoriously difficult to find big and robust furniture to support you properly. That’s as true for camp chairs as it is for recliners and the like. Where camp chairs are concerned, most of them top out at around 300 pounds of supported weight. That works for the majority of the market, but if you happen to be heavier than that, you’ll find that pickings can be slim.
The good news is that there are options available, and the Ozark Trail XXL Director Chair is a great option. We’ll be quick to point out that it’s not perfect, but it definitely belongs on your shortlist of options to consider.
In the sections that follow, we’ll tell you everything this well-priced chair has to offer and be quick to point out its shortcomings. That way, you’ll have all the information you need to decide for yourself if this is the high-weight capacity camping chair you’ve been looking for. If that sounds good, let’s jump right in and take a closer look.
Key Features of XXL Director Chair By Ozark Trail
Owing to its extra-wide seat, the first thing you’ll notice about this oversized director’s chair is that it looks rugged and robust. The Ozark Trail XXL Director chair’s metal frame also has an all-business look about it too, which clearly sends the message that this is a go-anywhere chair.
It would be overselling it to call this a handsome chair. That term rarely applies to camp chairs, but it’s not bad-looking. If you want something in camo, this isn’t your chair. Your only color options are red or blue, both with black trim.
Chair Specifications
In terms of basic stats, here’s what you’re looking at:
As you can see from the numbers, this is a big chair. It’s also somewhat heavier than many other camp chair options on the market, so you’ll need a strong back to pack it in, especially if you’ve got a long hike to get to the other side before you set camp for the evening.
Aside from the impressive amount of weight the chair can support, the thing we like best about the numbers above is the width of the seat. At a whopping 28”, this chair can accommodate just about anyone.
Normally, we’d caution against buying a chair with a significantly wider seat than you need. In the case of a recliner or lounge chair, it matters because if the seat is too wide, you won’t be able to use more than one of the armrests effectively. But where camp chairs are concerned, it’s not the end of the world. These are occasional seating options, and you won’t typically spend such extended periods sitting in one that it starts to be an issue.
Not Adjustable
The XXL Director chair by Ozark Trail is not adjustable. However, it is marginally above average in terms of comfort compared to other camp chairs.
Padded Armrests
The seatback has some slightly padded sections that do at least a little something to enhance comfort, and the armrests are nominally padded, too. But this isn’t the chair you’ll want to spend most of the day in.
Suppose you think you may be in a position where you’ll spend several hours in this chair. In that case, it’s probably worth investing in a throw pillow or a bit of block foam (have the width cut to taste) and have it upholstered, so you wind up with a custom-fitted seat pad for a bit of added comfort.
Includes Fold-out Side Table
Regarding extras, the Ozark Trail XXL Director camping chair has a fold-out side table attached to one of the chair arms. The table is big enough to hold a small plate, which makes camp dining convenient, and a few miscellaneous supplies if and as needed.
In addition, the tray has a handy cup holder, which virtually eliminates the risk of spilling your drink. The one thing this chair doesn’t have, however, is storage. Fortunately, this is also easy to remedy via DIY engineering. Buy a mesh bag for storage, attach a D-Ring, and clamp it onto one of the chair’s support struts.
If you want something easier to access, you could always drill a small hole in one corner of the tray table and affix the D-Ring there, but many people will balk at the idea of defacing their chair. Either way, adding a bit of storage is easy if you want or need it.
No Assembly Required
While most of the furniture you can buy online today comes unassembled, that’s rarely the case for things like camp chairs. If you order one of these, it will arrive ready to go right out of the box. Just unpack, unfold, and sit down—that’s all there is to it.
Pros and Cons of Ozark Trail XXL Director Chair
We like almost everything about this sturdy little chair. Its best features are, in our view, the width of the seat, the generous amount of supported weight, and its surprisingly modest price.
On the other hand, the Ozark Trail 500 lb. Capacity XXL Director chair is a bit heavy; it lacks any built-in storage and is only offered in two (bright) colors. If you’re looking for something more subdued, that might be a little off-putting. We don’t regard any of these as outright deal-breakers, and at least where the storage issue is concerned, there’s an easy DIY fix.
Ozark Trail XXL Director Chair Review Conclusion
The Ozark Trail XXL Director chair is a good, if somewhat basic, director’s style camp chair offered by a company with a solid reputation in the market. While it has a few shortcomings, these are generally easy to fix and overlook. We recommend it.
Recommended Reading
Guide Gear Big Boy Comfort Swivel Hunting Blind Chair Review
We analyzed the Big Boy Comfort Swivel Hunting Chair, a versatile camp chair that supports up to 500 lbs.
LivingXL Heavy-Duty Portable Chair Review
We explored the LivingXL Heavy-duty Portable Chair, a robust option for outdoor enthusiasts weighing up to 1000 pounds.
REFERENCES & RESOURCES:
- Around Home: A Director’s Chair, Los Angeles Times.
- How to Replace the Seat on a Director Chair, SFGate.
- 8 Ways to Reuse Camping Chairs, Green Eco Services.