Michael Murtaugh/NYT WirecutterAlthough countless folding chairs offer serviceable seating and easy storage, we also wanted to find picks that are stylish. We didn’t want our recommendations to be reminiscent of a fusty ad hoc town-hall assembly. We also aimed to find chairs that had the following attributes:Comfortable: We prioritized chairs with wider seats and backs, ventilation, and flexible or curved components.Durable: We included chairs made from wood, steel, and plastic. We avoided fabric, which can be prone to breaking down.Compact: We considered chairs that could collapse into a range of sizes but preferred those that folded to a depth of 5 inches or less. We also preferred chairs that were easy to lift and move. Our picks fold up seamlessly, though the Fermob chair does so best. From top: Fermob Bistro Metal Chair, Case Narin Folding Chair, HDX Plastic Seat Folding Chair. Michael Murtaugh/NYT WirecutterWith those criteria in mind, we perused dozens of designs sold at both big-box stores and smaller retailers, and we pored over owner reviews. In total, we’ve tested 10 folding chairs over the years by repeatedly opening and closing them, sitting in each one for an hour at a time, and consulting with other Wirecutter journalists who owned the chairs about their long-term performance.In our latest round of testing, we measured the dimensions of the seats and weighed each of the contenders, as opposed to relying on the manufacturer’s label. And of course, we sat in them a lot. In Wirecutter’s Long Island City, New York, test facility, we captured feedback from eight panelists.
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