Buying guide for Best hunting blind chairs
Being able to sit quietly for long periods is key to successful hunting. If your hunting blind chair isn’t comfortable, your back will get stiff and your arms and legs will start to ache. That doesn’t just impact your physical well-being; it also affects your concentration. When it comes time to take that all-important shot, your stance and ability to focus will be compromised. That’s why you need a good hunting blind chair.
Fortunately, you have a huge amount of choice when it comes to buying a hunting blind chair. That’s great, but the variety of designs and materials can make things less straightforward than you might think.
Here at BestReviews, we’ve been looking at all the latest models so we can help you decide which will suit you best. Our product recommendations offer something for every budget, and in the following buying guide, we look at their construction and the support they offer in more detail.
Key considerations
Chair style
Before we look at materials and other features, it’s worth starting by asking what constitutes a hunting blind chair. Judging by the number of designs available, it can be different things for different people.
Stool: You can find hunting blind stools that weigh just a couple of pounds. They are compact and easy to carry and a good choice if your sitting time is going to be relatively short.
When does a stool become a chair? There are three-legged models that have a cushioned seat and backrest. These are often a very affordable option, though the padding can make them a bit bulky to carry.
Cooler seat: There are seats that attach to the top of a storage bin or cooler. The main challenge here is getting them to the blind and a lack of height adjustment.
Rucksack chair: There are stools and chairs that incorporate a rucksack or bag for carrying some of your gear or storing it while in the blind. Portability could once again be an issue, though.
Office-chair style: The most popular type of hunting blind chair at the moment is the one that’s based on office chairs. We look at their advantages below.
Camping chair: We would avoid a collapsible camping chair in which you sit back in a bucket-style seat. It might be very comfortable for relaxing, but it’s not designed for sitting upright.
If you want minimum weight, the lowest price, and you don’t mind giving up a bit of comfort, you might want to choose a hunting blind stool rather than a chair.
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Features
Frame
Pretty much all hunting blind chairs have some kind of steel frame. It’s strong and reasonably light. The steel is invariably powder-coated (a kind of baked-on plastic skin) to prevent rust.
The weight can be anything from a couple of pounds for a lightweight stool to over 15 pounds for some high-end models. If you can leave the chair in the hunting blind for the season, weight isn’t really a problem, but it is a consideration if you’re afraid it might go missing and need to take it home each time. You’ll also want to check how well the frame folds down and whether it has a strap or bag to make carrying it easier.
Legs
There are several different leg arrangements. Sometimes these are just horizontal bars like you find on many deck chairs. It keeps the cost down, but the chair can be awkward on uneven ground, and you probably won’t get any height adjustment. Tripods are stable on any terrain but not necessarily level.
The best hunting blind chairs have four legs that are independently adjustable. They also have feet that help spread the load and reduce the chance of them sinking into the ground.
Seat
The seat is either a foam pad or mesh. Foam has long been a popular choice, but modern mesh chairs — particularly the contoured style — can be just as comfortable. Additionally, when it’s warm the mesh allows airflow that helps keep you cool. Mesh also won’t get waterlogged and is more durable in general. Some mesh seats have a padded cover as an optional extra, so you can change it depending on the conditions.
Arms
This is another area to look at. Arms can make a big difference in comfort (particularly if they’re padded), but there’s a danger of them getting in the way, especially if you’re a bowhunter. Adjustability and being able to remove the arms easily would be a bonus.
Height
Some chairs sit surprisingly low to the ground — too low perhaps for your blind. Also, if you want all-day comfort, it’s important to be able to adjust the seat height to suit your stature (see the Tips section below). Cheap hunting blind chairs don’t provide for this, but most mid-range and better models do.
Weight limit
The amount of weight the chair supports can be a big deal. Most are good for at least 250 pounds, and 300 pounds isn’t unusual. The maximum we’ve seen is 500 pounds. You might also want to check seat width, particularly if the chair has arms.
Swivel
The ability for the seat to swivel is another advantage. A little movement can relieve cramped muscles if you’ve been sitting for a while, but more importantly, you can track and cover different areas without getting up. The amount of swivel varies, though most offer 360°. The one thing you don’t want with swiveling is noise. It’s a good idea to check owner feedback (though bear in mind that not everyone looks after their gear as well as they could).
Did You Know?
A few hunting blind chairs allow the attachment of an adjustable shooting stick (gun rest), though it costs extra.
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Accessories
Hand warmer: The Outdoors Way Electric Hand Warmer
The last thing you need when you’ve been waiting patiently is for your hands to be so cold you can’t control your rifle or bow properly. This rechargeable warmer not only keeps your fingers supple, but it also includes a useful LED light and a small power pack to charge your phone or camera.
Deer call: Illusion Systems Extinguisher Deer Call
In a field test by the North American Hunting Club (NAHC), this call received a 99.6% approval rating. Adjusts instantly from fawn to doe to buck. Included phone app has instructional videos to help you perfect your technique. Made in the United States, each one is tuned by hand and tested.
Hunting blind chair prices
Inexpensive: The cheapest of these seats is a three-legged stool, and you can get good quality for around $20. Some of them even have backs. Of course, they don’t match a proper hunting blind chair for comfort and support. These start at around $45.
Mid-range: There’s plenty of choice between $50 and $90, with the features you want for those long periods in the blind. However, you won’t find many swivel chairs in this bracket.
Expensive: If you want 360° rotation and that all-important silent mechanism, you’re going to be paying $110 and up, with top prices at around $170.
If you’re buying a seat cushion, check the fabric. “Water resistant” is not the same as “waterproof.” If it’s the former, an additional waterproof cover is highly recommended.
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Tips
Medical experts recommend that for proper healthy posture, you should stand for at least 15 minutes of every hour. While that’s good advice, it’s not always practical. Here are a couple of things you can do to minimize strain and discomfort if you’ve got to sit for longer periods.
- Sit upright. Avoid the temptation to rest your weight forward with your hands or arms on your knees. We all slip into bad habits, so keep reminding yourself to sit up straight!
- Rest your feet flat on the ground. Adjust your chair height so your knees are level with your hips or slightly lower. Keep your feet below your knees, not tucked under.
- Don’t cross your legs.
- Stretch and move your muscles. Every so often, turn your head all the way left, then all the way right to relieve neck muscles. You can also exercise muscle groups throughout your body while sitting just by tensing and relaxing them a little.
FAQ
Q. Can I leave my hunting blind chair out all year?
A. Although materials like powder-coated steel and polyethylene/plastic used for seating offer a reasonable degree of weather resistance, most manufacturers do not recommend leaving the chair out in all weathers. To protect yourself and your equipment, you can use a treestand umbrella to keep the rain off. Generally, if you don't want to take it home, it’s recommended that you wrap it in something like a heavy-duty trash bag.
Q. Are camouflage patterns important?
A. You’ll find plenty of debate about this! We don’t think it’s such a big deal for this kind of hunting chair. It’s not like a tree stand, which is out in the open (though many of those aren’t camouflaged either). Although camouflage is popular, and there’s nothing wrong with it, the hunting chair is going to be inside a blind, and that structure is doing the job of hiding you from the animals.
Q. Do padded seat cushions make a hunting blind chair more comfortable?
A. This is very much a question of personal preference. Some people swear by them, but other chair designs can be equally comfortable. The downside of foam cushions is that they are often less durable, can get soaked if they don’t have a waterproof cover, and if you leave them outside they will very soon become a comfortable home for rodents and bugs.
