Staying alert and comfortable is a challenge while hunting for long periods of time. Whether you sit in stands and blinds or spot and stalk, having the right chair can make all the difference between a cold and miserable hunt and one then ultimately ends in success.
In this guide, we’ll look at the different types and features the best hunting chairs and stools have to offer. It’s all about choosing the right hunting chair for how you hunt, and one that can be used to your advantage.
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*Last updated 2025-02-10 at 13:18 / Product Links & Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The Best Hunting Chairs for Blinds and Stands
Whether you hunt from a treestand, ground blind, or prefer mobile hunting, there is a chair here for everybody with features hunters will truly appreciate. Here are the Top 10 hunting chairs of each type.
1. ALPS OutdoorZ Stealth – Best Blind Chair
Why You’ll Like It – If you’re looking for an excellent bling chair, the ALPS OutdoorZ Stealth is our top recommendation. The rugged powder-coated steel frame is sturdy and includes fully adjustable legs with wide ball and socket feet for uneven ground.
While not light, weighing a little over sixteen and a half pounds, it folds easily into a compact carry to bring it to your blind or stand and back. Besides, the Stealth chair is not meant for run and gun hunting. It’s meant to be packed in once each trip or set up in a permanent stand.
At it’s lowest setting, the seat sits 19” off the ground, and 23” at its highest, making it perfect for a variety of blinds and stands. The steel frame is rated to support loads up to a stout 275 pounds, although it would not be a good idea to max it out.
Drawbacks – The main concerns with the ALPS Stealth are the fabric and packability. Some have experienced seat fabric fraying and squeaking swivels within the first year or two of use. ALPS has a good warranty and customer service so in the rare event you have trouble you should be covered.
2. Browning Strutter – Best for Turkey Hunting
Why You’ll Like It – The Browning Strutter is a hunting chair designed specifically for the needs of hunting turkey. It comes in two great turkey hunting camo patterns – Mossy Oak Break Up and Realtree Edge.
The Strutter sits low to the ground (3-4 inches) with angled padded armrests. The chair has an ample 25” x 16” seating area and supports up to 300lbs.
The Browning Strutter Hunting Chair has a quality powder-coated steel frame and a padded shoulder strap. While not lightweight at 8-1/2 lbs, the chair does collapse compactly into a carry bag with a shoulder strap.
3. Millennium G100 Shooting Chair – Premium Choice
Why You’ll Like It – The G100 is the premium choice, possessing every feature you might want. This is an exceptional shooting chair designed with hunting at the forefront. Features like a 360-degree swivel base, adjustable tripod legs, and a full-back ComfortMAX seat have made many hunters happy.
The G100 is a sturdy chair thanks to an aluminum frame that folds up and collapses for easy movement. Millenium advertises this chair at 8.5lbs but in reality, it is a little closer to 10. The quality of materials is evident everywhere, from silent swivel movement, powder-coated frame, to the sturdy seat back fabric.
There are even pre-drilled holes for mounting a G101 shooting stick (sold separately) or to match up with an M600 bow-holder (also sold separately).
Drawbacks – The main drawback is the price, but as a premium chair are getting your money’s worth. The construction is superior and has a 400lb weight capacity that similar hunting chairs can’t match. Some hunters have had an issue with comfort, but that was mostly due to personal preference and health issues.
4. ALPS OutdoorZ Rhino MC Hunting Stool
Why You’ll Like It – The ALPS Rhino MC Hunting Stool is the best hunting stool for the money. At first glance, it just looks like a 3-legged camping chair, but there are features for hunters abound.
Starting with an extra-wide 19” x 19” seating triangle and angled back and wrapped in one of 2 camo patterns. The triangle seat is sized for the hunter wearing thick clothing, is extremely comfortable, and doesn’t dig into your thighs and you’ll love the angled back support for sitting in the blind and shooting.
Then there are the two mesh pockets for easy access to gear. The Rhino MC collapses in seconds and slips into a small carry bag. The whole thing weighs just 5-1/2 lbs., plenty light enough for carrying into your hunting locations.
Drawbacks – The number one complaint is the carry sack. It’s hard to slip the bag on or off the chair when it is folded. If you get this stool, you should plan on packing it in a backpack or duffel bag. The Rhino MC is rated to 375 lbs, but avoid this chair if you’re on the heavy side. People with average weight shouldn’t have any trouble with it.
5. Primos Double Bull Tri Stool
Why You’ll Like It – The Double Bull Tri-Stool is a favorite among hunters when it comes to comfort. It weighs about 7.1 pounds and utilizes two bands of fabric for the back support. The stool will hold weights up to 300 pounds, but some hunters have had friends weighing more than 300 pounds use it without problems.
The Double Bull doesn’t come with a carry bag, but it’s easy enough to slip into your pack without it. Many hunters say that the chair is still the best one they’ve had. The steel frame is solid and generally silent. If you find yours is squeaking or creaking, a strategically placed shot of grease will solve that issue.
6. Guide Gear Big Boy Blind Chair – Largest Hunting Chair
Why You’ll Like It – If you are a large hunter and find other chairs uncomfortable or not strong enough, look at the Big Boy Blind Chair. At 500lbs, it easily boasts the highest weight capacity. The seat itself is wider (21” x 19”) than most and the Dura Mesh fabric conforms to your shape, rather than relying on padding.
To reach that 500 lbs capacity, the Big Boy is built on a heavy-duty steel tube frame and has round “duck feet” for improved stability. The whole thing weighs 20 lbs in total. The armrests are there and functional, but not large enough to get in the way of movement.
Drawbacks – The Big Boy tends to unfold on its own when carrying it from place to place, a small bungee cord solves that issue. The armrests are not as sturdy as the rest of the chair. The legs are not adjustable, so if you expect any uneven ground, consider upgrading to the Millenium G100 or ALPS Stealth chairs.
7. Guide Gear Swivel Hunting Chair
Why You’ll Like It – The Guide Gear Swivel Hunting Chair is essentially a souped up metal folding chair for sitting in a tree stand all day. The steel tubing legs and frame is sturdy, with matte black powder-coated paint, and a 360° swivel situated on top.
For comfort, you’ll be sitting on a 2-1/4” thick padded cushion and leaning back on a padded backrest. The seating is covered with tough 300d nylon with a PUR coating for wear and water resistance. The chair weighs a bit under 12 lbs, so it is more suited for a permanent blind or deer stand.
Drawbacks – The fabric will make a whispering sound if you scoot on it, and many people have complained about the lack of comfort when it comes to the backrest. The backrest padding is not as good as the seat, mostly just thick fabric over the steel frame.
8. ALPS OutdoorZ Tri-Leg Hunting Stool
Why You’ll Like It – The ALPS OutdoorZ Tri-Leg is about as basic of a hunting stool as you can get. But don’t let the low price fool you, it has earned the praise of many hunters out in the field.
For one thing, it is just 2 pounds in weight and has its own carry strap attached to the legs, if you don’t want to use the carry bag. It handles weights up to 250 pounds and some hunters claim it can handle weights in excess of that amount.
If you do a lot of hunting from blinds or like to simply set up next to trees, the Tri-Leg Hunting Stool should be a winner. The value is good, so buy several and toss them in a duffel for easy transport and set up in the field.
9. ALPS OutdoorZ NWTF Vanish Hunting Chair
Why You’ll Like It – The ALPS OutdoorZ NWTF Vanish Hunting Chair is an excellent low-profile turkey hunting chair. It weighs just 7 pounds and can handle a maximum weight of 300 pounds (ca. 136 kg). It has padded armrests and a mesh back for airflow.
Like all ALPS chairs, it utilizes a powder-coated steel frame, and a padded shoulder carry bag. If you look closely, you’ll notice the arms have padding. It’s for resting your arms, but it also prevents noise from accidentally banging your gear against it.
Drawbacks – The Vanish turkey hunting chair sits low, 9” in front, 6” at the back, and some hunters find this leaning to be a little too much for their hunting applications, but diehard turkey hunters swear by it.
10. REDNEK Portable Hunting Chair
Why You’ll Like It – The Rednek blind chair features a unique square tubing design that you don’t see on other three-legged stools. The tubes run all the way from the ground up to the backrest, which makes it incredibly sturdy. There is no movement when you lean back, which you might find very appealing.
The legs are individually adjustable with push pin sliding feet that are self-leveling. Both the seat and backrest are padded, with removable covering for washing and removing scent. The seat swivels a total of 180 degrees, which is more than enough for most situations.
Drawbacks – The seat can hit the frame when swiveling, and some extra padding can solve that problem. The Rednek chair breaks down and is portable, but not quite as compact as our top chairs.
Selecting the Right Hunting Chair for You
There’s quite a bit to consider when picking out your next hunting chair. Think about how you typically hunt, or what specific application you want to use it for.
Deer stands have different needs than ground blind hunting, for example. The guy or gal who is hunting from a blind is more concerned about comfort and mobility than they are about the total weight or ease in portability since they are unlikely to move them once they’re set up.
A run and gun turkey hunter, however, should be more concerned about weight and whether the chair can be used on uneven ground.
With those factors in mind, it is helpful to quickly review the types of chairs and stool that are best for hunting, and what type of hunting they are best suited for.
Types of Hunting Chairs
Each type of chair has a hunting application it’s best suited for. Some are geared more towards comfort, while others are aimed at a specific application like ground blinds and mobile hunting.
- Swivel Shooting Chairs – Just as the name sounds, these chairs allow you to swivel where the action is so you can get a shot at birds, deer, or other game, usually from a blind. Some swivel shooting chairs come with attachments for a shooting stick so that you can steady your aim.
- Adjustable Tripods – Tripod chairs have three adjustable legs that enable you to adjust the height of each leg for better comfort and for greater stability over uneven ground.
- Folding Chairs – Folding chairs are a lot like the chairs you see in camps. They’re portable but comfortable, and weight often isn’t a huge factor. They can sit like a normal chair at an average height for sitting in ground blinds or be low to the ground for turkey hunting.
- Hunting Stools – Hunting stools are often the lightest and easiest to pack. They fold up so that you can carry them while hunting, making the most portable hunting chair option.
What Type of Hunting Will You Do?
The next step is matching the chair to how you plan on hunting. Are you planning on hunting deer from a deer stand, or are you hunting that elusive elk via the spot and stalk method? Or maybe you’re after waterfowl from a ground blind. Regardless, each type of hunting is going to need its own type of chair.
- Deer Stands – With a deer stand, chances are you’re going to be sitting and waiting a long time. Back support and a padded cushion are an absolute must. It’s important to have a chair that is height adjustable to your deer stand, because not all stands are built the same way. At the same time, you might want the ability to swivel and take the shot whichever direction the deer comes from.
- Ground Blinds – Like deer stands, ground blinds may require you to sit and wait for a while, which requires good back support and a padded cushion. Unlike a deer stand, you may need to sit low in the stand, especially if you’re hunting turkey or waterfowl.
- Spot and Stalk – Spot and stalk hunters need portability, a lightweight design, and comfort for sitting on an observation point and glassing for hours when it comes to a chair. You need something that is comfortable when searching for your game, yet light enough that you can pack with you when you put the stalk on an animal.
- Bowhunting vs Rifles – If you bow hunt, you need a chair that allows you to shoot from any direction without impeding your aim. With a rifle, a handy feature some chairs have is a bench rest or a built-in shooting stick that allows you to steady your rifle when you take the shot.
Hunting Chair Features & Design
It’s hard to imagine that something like the simple chair could make such a difference in your hunt, but it can. Just think about all the times you went hunting and sat for a while.
Were you comfortable or sore when you got up to shoot? Were you able to focus on the animal you were hunting or were you thinking about your aching back, the chair’s rocking on unsteady ground, or the fact you were too low or high in the blind?
A good chair will do what you want it to do while still being unobtrusive when you need it to be. Here are some features hunting chairs now have that can vastly improve your comfort and your hunt.
- 360° Swivel Seat – A 360-degree swivel seat allows you to rotate your body for a shot, rather than having to completely readjust your body.
- Adjustable Tripod Legs – On uneven ground, each leg can be set to its own height to create a level seating point. Without this, get ready for a wobbly day of keeping your balance.
- Gun/Shooting Rest – Some chairs come with an integral shooting rest or a place to hook your shooting sticks in, so you have a stable platform to shoot from.
- Seat Height – Your seat height is important, especially in a blind or a stand situation. An adjustable-height lets you customize the angle of your shot based on your personal height and the stand you are in.
- Stools vs Backrest/Armrest – Of all the chairs, stools aren’t the most comfortable, but they do have their advantages. Most are lightweight and adjustable but don’t have the needed backrest for relief from long hours sitting. Backrests and armrests add to comfort, but armrests can get in the way of a shot and both add significant weight, especially if you’re hiking long miles in the backcountry.
Even if you find the right chair or stool with all the features you’re looking for, you can still have a bad choice due to poor design and shoddy materials. Here are some things to look out for:
- Frame Materials – The frame materials should be lightweight but strong, like aluminum or composite. Don’t settle for frames made from heavy steel or cheapened by making them out of shoddy plastic or metal.
- Quiet Movement – A chair that creaks when unfolded, or squeaks when swiveled is obviously not a good thing. Quality hunting chairs will be silent on both features.
- Seat Materials – The ideal seat material is odorless with scent lock, or one you can wash the cover to remove any remaining scent. Padding should also be scent-free and be firm yet comfortable to sit in for long hours. Mesh is more comfortable and breathable than solid backed chairs.
- Weight Capacity – Be sure to get the right stool or chair for your weight. Some chairs aren’t made for big and tall men, which means they’re more likely to break in the field at some point.
Final Recommendations
As you can see there are many hunting chairs to choose from. What you end up buying depends on where and how you hunt. Having a quality frame with good padding are key to getting the most comfort and use out of the product. We boiled down all these options into a few recommendations:
- Premium Hunting/Shooting Chair – Millennium G100
- Best Swiveling Hunting Chair – ALPS Stealth
- Best Turkey Hunting Chair – Browning Strutter
- Best Hunting Stool – ALPS Rhino MC
Looking for more hunting blind and tree stand gear? Check out our Best Tree Stands, Best Safety Harnesses, Best Climbing Sticks, Best Tree Stand Blind, Best Ground Blinds, Best Layout Blinds, and Best Tree Stand Umbrella guides!
*Last updated 2025-02-10 at 13:18 / Product Links & Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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