Last Updated on March 2, 2022 by Afsar
Are you looking for the best ice fishing chairs? Well, you are in the right spot.
Ice fishing is fun. And to make it more enjoyable, it is necessary to bring the necessary ice fishing gears. One of the most important things to buy for ice fishing is the ice fishing chair.
Unless you are going for a short ice fishing trip, you should get an ice fishing chair. It will help you to sit down and relax while reeling in the fishes. Some of the manufacturers precisely make chairs for ice fishing, and some of them are catering for outdoor activities.
I took in the hard work to help you sort the chairs that can be used for ice fishing. In this article, I will share some of the best ice fishing chairs of the market to help you get the best bang for your buck.
Table of Contents
The Best Ice Fishing Chairs 2022
This page may contain affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
| Image | Model | Weight | Weight Capacity | Beverage Holder | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
  | Eskimo 34789 Chair | No | Buy from Cabelas | ||
  | Barronett Blinds Turkey Ground Chair | 7 lb | 250 lb | No |  |
  | Eskimo 27613 | 8 lb | 300 lb | Yes | |
  | GCI Outdoor Quick-E-Seat | 4.4 lb | 250 lb | Yes |  |
  | Eskimo Chair | 5.2 lb | 300 lb | No | |
  | Eskimo Plaid XL | 9 lbs | 300 lb | Yes | Paid link |
  | Coleman Woodsman II | 3.05 lb | 225 lb | |
|
  | Wise Outdoors Super Sport Seat | 12.4 lb | 350 lb | No | |
  | KingCamp Heavy Duty Chair | 14.8 lb | 330 lb | Yes | |
  | Portal Tripod Stool | 4.5 lb | 225 lb | Yes | |
  | Coleman NFL Cooler Quad | 7.8 lb | 300 lb | Yes | |
  | KingCamp Chair | 11.2 lb | 353 lb | Yes | |
Eskimo Folding Ice Chairs
Eskimo is a household name when it comes to ice fishing. They have tons of fishing gears which cater to the ice fishing market. This is a folding ice chair coming from Eskimo. This compact and versatile ice fishing chair can be bought in two different sizes: regular and extra-large. 19mm steel and 300-denier polyester carry case with durable construction ensure seamless performance.
Looking at the picture, you can tell that the ergonomic three-legged design is not very common in the market. However, it provides great stability and comfort while saving space. There are many other chairs that will provide more benefits, but this one is all about simplicity. Besides that, this is undoubtedly one of the cheapest ice fishing chairs you can find in the market.
Best Cheap Ice fishing chair
- Very cheap price
- Sturdy and durable construction
- Chair height: 30″
- Seat height: 16.5″
- 19mm steel with 300-denier polyester carry case
- Ergonomic three-legged design
- Saves spaces
- Available in two sizes
- Simple ice fishing chair without any fancy features
Wise Outdoors Super Sport Hunting Seat
Even though this is primarily made for hunting, this makes a great ice fishing chair. The bottom is made of an insulated cooler, and the top is a traditional seating system of a chair. Tough polyester camo fabric and 1″ thick premium foam padding are used in this ice fishing chair. The heavy-duty plastic 10 Gallon bucket is rated for handling up to 350 pounds. The insulated cooler can be removed, and an adjustable shoulder carry strap system is provided for easy carrying.
The seat is quite well-built and has decent padding. If you are looking for a chair with a lot of padding, this might not be the ice fishing chair you are looking for. However, the price of this cooler chair is very reasonable and offers great durability.
Insulated cooler + padded chair
- Tough polyester camo fabric
- 1″ Thick premium foam padding
- Available in two different colors
- The insulated cooler can be removed
- 10 gallon bucket rated for over 350 pounds
- Adjustable shoulder strap for easy carrying
- Seat 11′ x 12″ Overall Height 31″
- A little bit expensive
KingCamp Heavy-Duty Steel
This folding chair from KingVamp is a full-fledged chair for camping. It is made for camping, fishing, and outdoor relaxation, but it can be used for ice fishing too. If you are looking for a chair which would provide extra comfort with additional features, this chair can serve you good. It has a rugged steel frame which can support up to 330lbs. The seat height is 17.3 inches, and it weighs 14.8 lbs. Rugged and water-resistant 600D oxford fabric is used in this chair. You will find the padded hand armrests very comforting while waiting for the fish to bite the hook.
The side table comes with a cup holder to secure a cup of hot coffee or chocolate. There is enough space to keep a book or cellphone on the side table. A fold-way insulated cooler bag with 12 liters capacity can be used to keep small stuff. It is relatively easy to set and fold the chair, which takes a couple of seconds. The packed size of the chair is 36.6 X 22.8 X 7.1 inches. In a nutshell, this ice fishing chair is very comfortable. The only downside I think is the weight, which is 14.8 lbs. So, if you feel the weight is okay to carry, it is the best ice fishing chair for you to have this winter.
Overall, the best ice fishing chair
- Rugged steel frame
- Weight capacity: 330 lbs
- Durable wear-resistant 600D Oxford fabric
- Padded armrest
- Side table to place book and coffee or beverage cup holder
- Insulated cooler bag (12 liters)
- Easy to fold and unfold
- Multi-purpose
- Expensive
- Slightly heavy
GCI Outdoor Quick-E-Seat Folding Tripod Field Chair with Backrest
GCI outdoor’s Quick-E-Seat is an excellent folding tripod chair which looks like the chair from Eskimo. This stunning chair comes with all the necessary features an ice fisher would ever need. First thing first, it is highly portable. It weighs only 4.4 pounds, but the weight capacity is 250 pounds. The auto-fold technology allows it to be folded within seconds. The ergonomic design with the padded seat and extra-wide backrest ensure good comfort. On the right side fo the chair, you will find a beverage holder.
It is reasonably easy to unfold the chair within seconds. Also, you will find an integrated shoulder strap which makes it easy to collapse and carry almost anywhere. This tripod ice fishing chair can be bought in two different colors: Black and Midnight. Considering the price, this is a great ice fishing chair to have.
Lightweight tripod folding ice fishing chair
- Tripod portable design
- Easy to fold and unfold
- Weighs only 4.4 pounds
- Padded seat and extra-wide padded backrest
- Beverage holder
- The integrated shoulder strap allows easy carrying
- Low price
- Available in two colors
- The sturdy powder-coated steel frame has a weight capacity of 250 pounds
- Not to use for a long time
Portal Tripod Stool
Portal tripod stool is a great fishing and camping chair that can be used for ice fishing purposes. Portal Outdoor has a wide range of great outdoor and camping recreation products, and this happens to be one of them. It is made of sturdy powder-coated steel with 600 denier polyester. The durability of this tripod ice fishing chair allows it to be used in different types of activities like camping, picnicking, sports events, and more.
It has a padded backrest for extra comfort. On the side, it comes with a shoulder strap which allows easy opening, closing, and carrying. On the side pocket, there is a beverage holder to hold your water bottle and a net bag to keep small stuff like your cellphone. This ultra-light ice fishing chair weighs only 4.5 pounds and has a maximum weight capacity of 225 pounds.
- Heavy-duty steel frame construction
- Padded backrest
- Ultralightweight design: weighs only 4.5 pounds
- Maximum weight capacity: 225 pounds
- Side pocket to keep the phone
- Beverage holder
- The shoulder strap allows easy carrying
- Available in four different colors
- Multi-activities supported
Kelty Lowdown Chair
If you are looking for something comfortable for ice fishing, I think this lowdown chair by Kelty will suffice. It uses a durable steel frame material, and the body fabric is made of 600D polyester. As you can see, the adjustable arm will allow you to chill while fishing.
The whole thing weighs around 7.375 lbs and has a maximum weight capacity of 350 lbs. It is primarily designed to help relax around the fire, but it surely can be used for ice fishing, sitting at a music festival, or maybe just in the backyard. It uses a shorter profile to keep you close to the ground so that you can easily notice what’s going on under the ice.
- Available in different colors
- Low-profile design
- Raised off the ground to provide enough space between you and the ground
- Insulated beverage holder
- Adjustable armrest
- A comfortable chair and fully featured
Coleman NFL Cooler Quad
Coleman’s NFL Cooler Quad chair is an excellent option for tailgating and camping. However, one can surely put it into good use for ice fishing purpose too. By looking at it, you will feel that this chair is going to be very comfortable. Unlike most other ice fishing chairs listed in this article, it has a full backrest with side handles. You will find a beverage holder on the right armrest of this ice fishing chair.
If you are into American football, this is the best ice fishing chair for you. You can show off your team pride by choosing your favorite team’s design reflected in the chair. Team logos can be found on the front and back of the chair. It features a built-in three can soft cooler with program pouch and cup holder. 17.5mm powder coated frame ensures sturdiness, and it weighs only 7.8 with a maximum weight capacity of 300 pounds.
Great for American football lovers
- Built-in 3 to 4 can soft cooler
- 17.5mm powder-coated steel strame
- Team logos on the back and front of the chair
- Available in almost all team colors for American football
- Weight capacity: 300 lbs
- Carrying case
- Side storage pouch
Coleman Woodsman II Chair
Coleman’s Woodsman II is a great chair for camping, fishing, and other outdoor activities. It is simple, compact, and comes at a very reasonable price. It has a foldable design which allows it to be transported very easily. Also, the foldable design makes it easy to store this chair. Powder-coated aluminum and tough polyester used in this chair ensure high durability. It weighs 3 pounds and has a maximum weight capacity of 225 pounds.
One thing that needs to point out is the sharpness of the bottoms of the legs. Try not to put it into soft ice, rather thick ground. Otherwise, it might get messy and cause extra trouble than joy. Also, please bear in mind the weight capacity is only 225 pounds. Anything over that might break it.
- Lightweight
- Simple and compact design
- Easy to fold allows high portability
- Supports 225 pounds
- 15.5-inch seat with backrest
- Powder-coated aluminum with polyester offers high durability
Travel Chair Ultimate Slacker 2.0 Tripod
As the name suggests, the chairs from TravelChair are designed for travelers. However, we the anglers can definitely take advantage of the lightweight design of these tripod chairs. Aluminum and polyester mesh is used in this chair. It comes with a clever design of putting two legs positioned at the chair, which allows great balance and stability on both even and uneven surface. You will find a carry and closure strap which will help you transport it easily.
You can buy these ice fishing chairs in several different colors, including black, blue, green, red, and more. On top of that, the abrasion and fade resistant Nailhead fabric of this chair protects it from rocks, branches, and other small tools. It weighs only 4.8 lbs and has a maximum weight capacity of 275 lbs.
- Maximum weight capacity: 275 lbs
- Available in multiple colors
- Integrated carry and shoulder strap
- Powder-coated steel used
- Abrasion and fade-resistant nylon head fabric used
- Great for multi-activities
- Great for both even and uneven surface
- Reasonable price
Aotomio Fishing Chair
Aotomio’s fishing chair might not be the most popular one in the list but surely flares well against the other items. Unlike most other ice fishing chairs, this one from Aotomio comes with a small amount of padding on the bottom and back, which ensures better comfort. You will also find a mesh design which makes it more breathable. 600D Oxford fabric is used in this chair, which is highly durable. A 210D outer bag can be found to keep essentials.
On the right side of the chair, you will find a mesh holder cup which can hold a vacuum cup or a bottle of water. The chair itself weighs 7.5 lbs and has a weight capacity of 280 lbs. It is equipped with a storage bag for easy carrying. You can use this ice fishing chair for multiple activities like picnic, hunting, BBQ, and more.
- Great for multiple activities
- Small padding on the back and bottom adds extra comfort
- Mesh design offer breathability
- Water cup holder on the right armrest
- Easy carrying: comes with a storage bag
- 600D Oxford fabric used
- 210D outer bag to store essentials
- Weighs 7.5 lbs
- Maximum weight capacity 280 lbs
KingCamp Heavy Duty Steel Camping Chair
A big guy looking for an ice fishing chair would approve this model. This heavy-duty ice fishing chair weighs 11.2 lb and supports up to 353 lb. A heavy-duty steel frame is used in this chair to offer high durability. It is quite easy to open and close the chair. A carry bag allows easy storing of the chair. KingCamp uses aluminum armrest but sadly no beverage holder is found on it. However, a cooler bag is provided where you can keep your can or water bottle.
The armrest is hard but the seat and back are padded to make it comfortable for the users. It is great for big guys and can be used for multiple activities. If you are planning to carry it by hand, you might need to consider the weight of it. Due to the high-quality of the materials, it is a little bit expensive than its counterparts.
Best for big guys
- Heavy-duty steel frame
- Aluminum arms
- Padded back and bottom for extra comfort
- Cooler bag keeps drinks fresh
- Easy to open and close
- Weighs 11.2 lb
- Weight capacity of 353 lbs
- Great for big guys
- Space-saving design
- Multi-purpose activity
How to choose the best ice fishing chair
Comfort
Even though most of the angler would just be glad to have the opportunity to sit down, some of them may complain about the comfort factor. Not a lot of the ice fishing chairs on the market will offer exceptional comfort. The reason is simple: it is not made for recreational purpose. However, leaving that notion behind, we can still find some ice fishing chairs which are capable of offering a good amount of comfort. Some of the ice fishing chairs of the market come with a good amount of padding. These padding can be found on the armrest, backrest, and bottom portion of the chair. Please note that not all of the ice fishing chairs will comes with armrests. So, if the armrest is something that you can not sacrifice, you better look for it when buying a chair.
Design
Do you want a chair with tripod design or you are more of a traditional design kind of guy. While tripod designs will make the chair lightweight, they are somewhat awkward for heavy people to sit down. Also, the comfort you will get from them is lesser than the four-legged ice fishing chair.
Portability
Portability is one of the major factors to check when buying an ice fishing chair. Otherwise, we could just grab any chair from our home and bring it to the hut. Instead, we want better portability in our chair. Most of the ice fishing chairs available on the market come with a folding design. Some of these ice fishing chairs are easy to fold and unfold. Usually, the folding design makes it easier for the user to carry, transport, and store. Once folded, it will take very less space. As a result, you can just put it on the trunk of the car or in your garage.
Size and weight
The purpose of buying an ice fishing chair is to use it in an ice fishing hut. Before purchasing a chair, you have to know the measurements of the shelter. You will have a hole, maybe an ice fishing heater, ice auger, and many other gears. These will leave a tiny amount of space for you to put a chair. If you end up buying a bigger chair, you might not feel well. This is why I strongly recommend buying a small ice fishing chair.
Weight plays a vital role in finding the best ice fishing chair. Unless you have an ice fishing sled, you will have to carry the chair from your car to the ice fishing spot. Please bear in mind that you may have to carry other stuff at the same time. This might become annoying if your chair is heavy. I suggest buying a lightweight ice fishing chair.
Frame
Most of the ice fishing chairs will come with steel frame. They are sturdy but can be cumbersome. Some of the chairs may offer Aluminum frame, but it will definitely crank up the price. A rugged steel frame also ensures that the weight support is higher than regular chairs.
Armrest
This is totally your call. Not all of the ice fishing chairs will feature armrest. This is an additional feature which adds extra comfort to the chair. However, having armchair will slightly increase the weight of the chair. Some manufacturers even provide padded armrest. So, if you are a person who loves to have armrest, you can choose the KingCamp’s chairs, as they tend to offer this feature.
Additional features
Having a cup holder or a cooler pack can come very handy. Sometimes, a mesh bag is also provided to put small stuff like essentials. KingCamp’s chair comes with a small side table which accommodates a hole for holding beverage or coffee cap. Besides placing the coffee cup, you can also put a book over that side table. Some of the chairs will come with a strap or carrying bag, which makes it super easier to transport from here to there.
Final Verdict
I hope this article will help you to find the best chair for ice fishing. If you are struggling to make a decision, please take a look at the factors outlined above, which will give you a good hint about what to look for when making a buying decision. Portability is a very vital factor, but that doesn’t mean that you have to sacrifice comfort. However, portability should be given more priority than comfort. Look at the mentioned products to have a better idea of what to expect from the market.
(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading...
Afsar is an avid kayak blogger born near the coast. He has a passion for kayaking and started as a child. He has paddled in various conditions and locations and promotes responsible kayaking. Afsar’s blog is widely read, and they are a respected voice in the kayaking community, offering valuable content on kayaking trips, gear, tips, and tricks. Afsar collaborates with other bloggers and brands and continues to inspire others through their writing and social media.