ALPS Mountaineering King Kong Chair Review (Bought & Tested!)

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Summary: The ALPS Mountaineering King Kong chair is one of my absolute favorite camp chair picks. It’s tall, big, has a high weight capacity, and much more, at a very inexpensive price.

RELATED: The 21 Best Camping Chairs

I’ll link to my YouTube review here when it’s done (TBA)

Check out the King Kong:

1. Set Up

To set up this chair, follow these steps:

1. Undo the drawstring on the carry bag, and release the cinch strap.
2. Stand the carry bag upright and pull down on it slightly.
3. Grab opposite corners of the chair, pull them away from each other to open.
4. Ensure all poles are seated in their pockets for a flat frame.

Setup time: ~17 seconds

2. Pack Away

To pack away the chair, follow these steps:

1. Grab opposite corners again, lift it up, and pull everything together.
2. Lay the chair flat on the ground to slide feet into the bag first.
3. Stand upright and shake the rest of the fabric in; it takes longer due to extra material at the top.

Pack away time: ~48 seconds (including getting it back into the bag)

3. Unfolded Dimensions

As for the unfolded dimensions, here’s what I measured:

• Width: 35.6in (90.4cm) from armrest to armrest
• Length: 25.0in (63.5cm) from back of chair to front of seat
• Height: 37.7in (95.8cm) from ground to top of chair

4. Seat Size

Digging into the specific seat stats here is what I found:

• Total seat width: 23.9in (60.7cm)
• Actual seat width: 19.5in (49.5cm) after accounting for steel bars on both sides.
• Seat depth: 20.0in (50.8cm)

5. Seat Height

Regarding seat height, there is a distinct drop when you sit down:

• Front seat height: 19.0in (48.3cm)
• Actual seat height: 15.0in (38.1cm)

6. Backrest

Now, for the backrest height and width:

• Backrest height: 21.25in (54.0cm)
• Backrest width: 22.1in (56.1cm)
• Recline angle: 10 degrees

7. Armrests

Next, we look at armrest features:

• Material: Slightly padded with the same material as the chair.
• Adjustability: Fully adjustable using buckles at the back. Tighten the webbing strap for shorter arms; loosen the connection for longer arms.
• Comfort: Comfortable enough, especially when adjusted correctly.

8. Cupholders

For storage options, this chair has built-in extras:

• Cupholders: 2 mesh beverage holders (one on each armrest).
• Dimensions: Diameter slightly more than 3in (7.7cm), depth ~2.25in (5.7cm).
• Capacity: Fits cans and plastic bottles; the relatively shallow design is meant mostly for cans.

9. Pockets

As for pockets, there are 3 total storage spots:

• Armrest Stash Pockets: 2 pockets (one on each armrest), measuring ~10.5in x 7.75in (26.7cm x 19.7cm).
• Back Mesh Pocket: 1 pocket at the back, measuring ~17.9in x 4.5in (45.5cm x 11.4cm).

10. Materials & Quality

Here is what I found regarding build quality:

• Fabric: 600D Polyester (very thickly padded).
• Poles: Powder-coated steel (~0.75in / 1.9cm thick across the entire chair).
• Stitching: Rivets are simple, typical of budget chairs, but held up well.
• Weight Capacity: 800lbs (362kg).
• Origin: Made in China with a lifetime warranty.

The feet are larger than most to prevent tipping, and coupled with the heavy frame, I found this chair very stable.

11. Portability

For portability, the packed size dimensions come in at:

• Chair weight: 13.2lbs (~6.0kg)
• Bag weight: 0.5lbs (0.15kg / 8.2oz)
• Total weight: 13.7lbs (~6.2kg)
• Packed size: 39.25in x 8.5in x 7.25in (99.7cm x 21.6cm x 18.4cm)

12. Warranty

ALPS Mountaineering provides coverage for this model:

• Warranty Type: Limited Lifetime Warranty
• Coverage: Covers manufacturing defects and frame integrity over time (per ALPS sales page).

This is the best warranty available in the oversized category compared to standard limited warranties on budget chairs.

13. Best Oversized Camp Chair?

Now, how does this compare to other oversized options like the Coleman Big N Tall, Coleman Cooler Quad, and YETI Trailhead? I’ve tested these models extensively because they are the main competitors in the oversized category.

Differences	ALPS King Kong	Coleman Big N Tall	Coleman Cooler Quad	YETI Trailhead
Seat Size (W x D)	19.5 x 20.0in	19.1 x 19.0in	19.0 x 18.5in	19.5 x 16.5in
Backrest Height	21.3in	20.0in	23.5in*	24.0in
Seat Height	15.0in	15.2in	13.5in	16.0in
Lumbar Support	No (4.0in slouch)	Semi (3.3in slouch)	No (5.3in slouch)	Yes (1.5in slouch)
Angle of Recline	10°	9°	9°	25°
Mesh	0%	0%	0%	100%
Armrests	Adjustable	Semi-adjustable	Semi-adjustable	Non-adjustable
Pockets	3	3	2	0
Cupholders	2	1	1	1
Pole Material	Steel	Steel	Steel	YETI-proprietary
Fabric Material	600D Polyester	Polyester	Polyester	Polyester and Polypropylene
Pole Rivets	Average	Average	Average	Biggest
Weight Capacity	800lbs.	600lbs.	325lbs.	500lbs.
Warranty	Lifetime	1 year	1 year	5 years
Setup	17 seconds	11 seconds	8 seconds	22 seconds
Pack Away	48 seconds	44 seconds	35 seconds	36 seconds
Total Weight	13.7lbs.	10.0lbs.	8.2lbs.	14.7lbs.
Packed Length	39.3in	38.1in	37.5in	43.0in
MSRP	$80	$70	$54	$300

Seat Size

The King Kong has the biggest usable seat size at 19.5 x 20 inches. While YETI matches the width (19.5in), its depth is shallower (16.5in). This allows sitting with legs crossed comfortably, unlike the smaller Coleman models.

Backrest Height

YETI leads at 24 inches for head support. King Kong sits second at 21.3 inches with less rigidity. The Cooler Quad markets 23.5 inches but is flimsy near the top, reducing usable height to ~19 inches.

Seat Height

YETI is the highest overall (16in). King Kong sits comfortably in the middle at 15in, comparable to an office chair for easy mobility. Coleman Cooler Quad is the lowest at 13.5in.

Lumbar Support

YETI offers the best support with only a 1.5-inch slouch. King Kong slouches 4 inches compared to Big N Tall’s semi-support (3 inches) or Cooler Quad’s significant sag (>5 inches).

Recline

Typical camp chairs have very little recline, coming in at between 9 to 10 degrees as you can see from the table, and the YETI is significantly more reclined than that for much more comfort.

Mesh

The YETI is made of a full mesh-like construction all around the entire chair, which was so great for hot summer days. The rest of the chairs ran quite hot.

Armrests

King Kong features adjustable armrests secured by buckles. Coleman models lack these securing buckles, so they tend to slip over time without manual adjustment during use.

Pockets & Cupholders

Only the King Kong includes two cupholders and the largest pocket storage volume among this group of oversized chairs, beating the single cupholder standard on other models.

Weight Capacity & Warranty

King Kong boasts an 800lbs capacity with a lifetime warranty. This outperforms Coleman’s limits (325-600lbs) and 1-year coverage while matching YETI’s durability focus at a lower price point.

Overall Recommendation

• Best Value: ALPS Mountaineering King Kong (6 test wins at $80 MSRP).
• Best Comfort: YETI Trailhead (8 test wins at $300 MSRP).

The King Kong comes in second after the YETI, beating all other chairs in 6 tests, including weight capacity and warranty. If you’re looking for the best value for money, then that’s definitely the King Kong. However, if you want pure comfort and can afford the price tag, the YETI Trailhead wins 8 tests overall but comes in at a massive $300 price-point.

The ALPS Mountaineering King Kong is a great chair if you need the best value for money, a high weight capacity, a very generous seat size, plus a tall seat height, all at an inexpensive price.

14. Bonus – MUST Read!

I know this because I tested the ALPS Mountaineering King Kong Chair against 20 other camping chairs. Check out my Best Camping Chairs article to find out.

Or, check out the King Kong: