Best Hunting Chair To Buy in 2024 [Reviewed]

The best hunting chair is one that is comfortable and fits your needs. A one-chair-does-it-all is possible, but the drawbacks are many and harsh.

Ideally, I’d recommend that you get one chair for big game stands and another for small game.

Having hunted across the US and sat on everything from a bucket to a recliner, I know what I need when I head out. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at some of the best hunting chairs to buy in 2024. 

Product Reviews

For Hunting Big Game

Big game hunting chairs assumes you are in one stand for the hunt. You can leave the chair in the stand for the weekend or the entire season.

1. BenchMaster Shooting & Hunting Chair – Best Overall

The BenchMaster Shooting & Hunting Chair is almost like a living room recliner. You can actually adjust the back to as much as a 50-degree angle so you can lean back slightly in comfort. 

The other accessory that pushes this to our No. 1 spot is the shooting rest. Let’s look more closely at the specifications. 

Specifications: 

• It has a monopod that fits on both of the chair arms, and has some horizontal and vertical adjustment range as well. 
• This detachable monopod swivels with the chair; you just ease around until you are lined up and take the shot.
• The chair spins 360 degrees.
• The seat cushion is well-padded and the back also has a foam insert.
• The legs are adjustable so you can set the height to your preference or what you stand requires. It also lets you make some adjustment to set the chair on uneven ground.
• The arms and legs also come off. You can put the chair on a flat surface, like a bench, with the legs off.
• The chair weighs in at 26 pounds, the heaviest in our list. 
• This chair will support all but the very biggest of hunters, with an advertised weight limit of 330 pounds

Pros

• The shooting monopod allows minimal movement when taking a shot.
• It has powder-coated steel for increased rust resistance.

Cons

• The feet on the chair legs need to be bigger if you are sitting on soft ground.

Summary: 

The BenchMaster Shooting & Hunting Chair offers comfort and functionality with its adjustable back and shooting rest. It features a swiveling monopod, 360-degree rotation, adjustable legs, and removable arms and legs. Pros include minimal movement during shooting, while cons involve the need for larger feet on soft ground.

2. Guide Gear Big Boy – Most Long-lasting Hunting Chair

The Guide Gear Big Boy is No. 2 on the big game hunting chairs for several reasons. It sits higher off the ground, and can seat people over 500 pounds extremely comfortably! Additionally, this chair is designed for durability and to be long-lasting enough to see you through several decades of hunting trips. 

Specifications: 

• It has comfortable arm rests.
• This chair, as mentioned earlier, holds up to 500 pounds. While I am well below that weight, I am still on the large size and can confirm that it is roomier than some other chairs.
• It has a steel frame. 
• This swivel chair swings 360 degrees.
• It has wide duck feet at the bottom of the legs, meaning you don’t sink into the ground. 
• It has a horizontal leg brace connecting two legs front and back, or each side depending on how you sit.
• The seat is made from a breathable mesh fabric. 

Pros

• It folds flat to make it easy to carry. It comes with a carry strap.
• The breathable mesh fabric is a positive if you hunt in warmer climates, allowing you to stay cooler for longer.
• This chair sits higher off the ground than other hunting chairs, making it an ideal choice for older hunters. 
• The chair’s height means you aren’t forced to stay in contact with puddles when it rains. 

Cons

• It weights 20 pounds. That is lot of weight if you carry it in and out of the woods for each hunt.
• If you hunt in cold places, that mesh fabric does not trap heat. You either bundle up and live with it or bring in a towel or blanket to cover the mesh.

Summary

This is the chair that is in my deer stand on my South Georgia hunting lease.

3. Hawk Big Denali Luxury Blind Chair – Most Comfortable Hunting Chair

The Hawk Big Denali Luxury Blind Chair is our third choice for a big game hunting chair. This one has even more room than the Guide Gear. The Big Denali is rated at 350 pounds, a good big less than our No. 1 choice.

Specifications

• This chair also has arm rests. 
• The legs are a quad-pod arrangement with big duck feet ponds to keep you from sinking into the ground. 
• The seat material is solid and filled with foam. 
• The frame is steel and weighs 21 pounds. 
• It comes with a carry strap. 
• Get a small mesh bag to attach to the chair to hold the arm bolts when you take them off.

Pros

• The foam filling in the material will stop the cold wind.
• The arms come off when you fold it up to carry it. This means it folds as flat as possible. 
• It has a high back more comfort for really long hunts.
• It has a seat that curves down on the front edge that is less restrictive when supporting your thighs.

Cons

• There is no cross support for the legs near the bottom.
• In warm areas, the foam-filled seat material will trap heat.
• While the arms do come off, that means you then have to keep up with the arms and the bolts that secure them to the sides of the chair.

Summary

If you need wide, go with this chair. The legs splay widely so it is very stable. A narrow splay is not stable.

Small Game

Small game includes things like dove where you hunker down in the bushes or next to cover like a pivot irrigation axel. You take the chair into the field and out when you leave, so your top requirements include something lightweight and maneuverable. 

4. Hunters Specialties Dove Stool – Best for Hunting Birds

The Hunters Specialties Dove Stool is an ideal seat for the dedicated bird hunter. The looped steel tube legs have elbow covers which means this will not sink into the ground like straight legged chairs that have small feet. 

Specifications: 

• The bottom has two straps that go from frame to frame to stop the legs from spreading too far. Collapse the seat and the straps are carry handles. 
• The camo pouch under the seat lets you store extra ammo, the birds you shoot, water or other things you might need on the field. 
• At 3.27 pounds empty, you can carry it anywhere. Varmint hunters will appreciate the low weight.
• The weight limit is 225 pounds, which is generous, but may not be enough for the largest hunter.
• It is 18 inches tall, which is not the shortest of hunting chairs, but a good bit shorter than a swivel hunting chair you have in a deer blind.

Pros

• It is light weight and easy to carry around. 
• It works well as a fishing chair too.

Cons

• If you weigh in at more than 250 pounds, you need a different seat. 
• There is no backrest so you have to prop against something if you need that support.
• It does not swivel; you have to turn on the seat.

Summary

This is the ideal hunter chair for dove hunters. It works very well for those who chase varmints like coyote.

5. Black Sierra Tri-Hunt Stool – Easiest to Dismantle

The Black Sierra Tri-Hunt Stool is a three-legged hunting seat. At 6 pounds, it is nearly twice the weight of the hunting stool, but it will support 300 pounds. It also has a backrest. Tradeoffs happen!

Specifications 

• It has a cup holder on the side. The cup holder only pivots up and down. If you want to remove it, you have to drill out the rivet. Then, you are going to need something else to hang it back on the chair leg if you want it back.
• The triangle seat is not meant for long term support for your thighs. This is a chair that lets you sit for a bit, stand up to shoot or shoot and then walk out to retrieve your quarry.
• The carry strap is on the back. When it folds up, another strap hanging on the back wraps around to keep it from opening.

Pros

• It is easy to set up and dismantle. 
• This chair is fairly light, meaning you can easily move from stand to stand when varmint hunting.

Cons

• The back rest will make it a bit harder to turn 180 degrees for a shot at a dove zooming behind you.
• There is no storage pouch, and therefore, the cup holder is held on with a rivet so removing it does take some work.

6. Mojo Decoys Mud Seat

At 28 inches tall, the Mojo Decoys Mud Seat is designed for duck hunters because of the splayed feet on the end of the single pole. These feet are what set the Mud Seat apart.

When you open the feet, they spread out. The paddle feet then sink into the muck or the ground and give you a secure and stable platform. Once the seat sinks to a certain point, it should not go any further.

Specifications  

• At just over 5.5 pounds, this is not exactly light, nor is it heavy. You are supposed to carry this one into and out of the blind or stand. 
• It has a carry strap to help make transporting it easier.
• The single alloy steel pole has two height settings. You could drill out additional holes to make it lower, but that will also cut into coating on the metal.
• The seat is meant to provide support and keep you high up enough that you can stand to shoot when the birds come in.

Pros

• The chair’s support allow you to rise quickly and take your shots when the birds start coming in.
• The wide paddle feet are specifically designed to penetrate and provide a stable platform.

Cons

• This chair isn’t designed to be comfortable, making it the wrong choice for when you hunt in freezing weather.  
• While it does fold up a bit, you are still carrying a seat with three small paddles on the other end.

Turkey and Varmint

A turkey and varmint seat is meant to be as light as possible, folds up fast and unfolds equally fast. You move several times during the hunt and the chair goes with you.

7. Beard Buster Ground Chair

The Beard Buster Ground Chair is what turkey hunters and some varmint hunters want.  It is a combination seat cushion and backpack. 

The seat is big enough for most. If you want more cushion or a bigger seat, order the Jumbo Seat which clips on to the existing Beard Buster. It may take some maneuvering when you sit down to get the big cushion in the right place.

Specifications: 

• The cushion is attached to the bottom of the shoulder straps bag, so you can walk away without worrying about leaving the seat behind. 
• When you sit on the ground, the cushion is there so you are not actually sitting on hard dirt. 
• The bag lets you carry fold up decoys, calls, drinks or whatever else you might need on the hunt. Since the pack has two shoulder straps, you only take it off when you need to get something out. Otherwise leave it on your back.
• It has two rods, one on each side that are partly attached to the bag. These serve as support bars so you can lean back and have back support. This is not as good as a true backrest on a chair, but it is certainly better than nothing if you do not have a tree to lean on.
• The straps on the sides let you adjust the rods so that you can lean back or sit straight up. The back is also cushioned.
• At 3 pounds empty, this is easy to carry all day if necessary.

Pros

• It is easy to carry with immediate set up. 
• It is lightweight and the drawstring bags lets you carry other things.

Cons

• You will be sitting on the ground. The bag will not hold full-size 3-D decoys.

Buying Guide

Before you run out and buy a hunting chair, you need to decide what you are hunting. Match the chair to the hunt.

1. Function

How are you going to use the chair? If you are in a stationary blind and your shots are always in front of you or about 30 degrees to each side, then you can get a full chair with armrests and even a rifle rest. If you stand and sit a lot, skip the arms and the gun rest.

2. Accessories

Some accessories are handy, but they do add weight. A cup holder on a dove seat is a good. A backpack or bag for a turkey ground seat is handy. Regardless, make sure the chair comes with a carry strap. A back sling is better and shoulder straps are best.

3. Comfort

Sit in any hunting chair for any length of time and you will get uncomfortable. Your legs can get stiff, which is a result of poor blood flow. You need something that you can sit in for some time and that will vary with your body size. Bigger hunters simply need more support.

4. Strength

By strength, I mean how much will the chair support. This is a trade off. The more weight the chair holds, the more the chair weighs. How much do you weigh? How much do you want to carry around?

The exception here is turkey & varmint chairs that are little more than a stadium chair without the metal arms. These have no weight limit because you are sitting on the ground.

5. Swivel

This is important. Unless you are shooting straight ahead and only straight ahead you need to turn to the right or left. Yes, you can twist your body, but that puts you into an uncomfortable shooting position.

If you are shooting birds passing by, then you won’t be twisted long. If you are waiting for that buck to step out, you may be there a while. The longer you have to bend, the more your body will resent this. Holding up a gun or bow gets more difficult by the minute.

When the chair turns to let you line up straight, then you can be patient and wait for the best shot.

FAQs 

Conclusion

No hunting chair is perfect for all occasions. If I had to pick one, it would be the BenchMaster. The arms come off so if needed I can turn myself without turning the chair. It does swivel.

The legs will even come off, which cuts the weight a lot. I figured out a way to put shoulder straps on the rear side of the back and I can see carrying this into the woods to hunt turkey or varmints.