The best aluminium folding chairs, compared.
Top pick: Garden Pride grey director chair Best value: Hyfive blue director chair – Lowest price among listings at 4.3 or above with at least 50 reviews: £49.99, 4.4 from 214, aluminium listed at 2 kg. Updated 22 October 2026.
An aluminium folding chair is a chair you close flat and carry, with a frame the listing names as aluminium. In the UK you buy one for the garden, a fishing bank, a campsite or a patio you clear after use. The usual shapes are a director's chair with arms, a low camping chair, and a mesh recliner you leave in place. A suitable chair shows aluminium on the frame row, a load in kilograms, and a seat height that is the sitting height rather than the overall height of the chair. Carry weight matters as well. A chair near 2 kg is a different job from one nearer 6 to 8 kg. Listings often say there is no assembly, while the first fold can still be stiff. A seller's kilogram line is not a lab pass, and chairs in this kind of search often do not cite BS EN 581. Metal, load and seat height are set out in the [aluminium folding chair buying guide](/hub/garden-furniture/aluminium-folding-chair/sub/aluminium-folding-chair-buying-guide).
An aluminium folding chair is a chair you close flat and carry, with a frame the listing names as aluminium. In the UK you buy one for the garden, a fishing bank, a campsite or a patio you clear after use.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
Will you carry the chair?
The Garden Pride 8026 is an aluminium and canvas director's chair at £29.99, listed at 2.1 kg with a seat height of 45 cm and an open size of 44 x 58 x 78 cm. The star line is 5.0 from only two reviews, so the score is 73 and it does not qualify as best value, which needs 4.3 or above and at least 50 reviews. There is no kilogram load on the page, and the listing asks about weatherproofing without answering. Care text says to air-dry the fabric, not to machine-wash it, and to avoid long sun. The file describes the chair as very stiff to unfold. Arms are fixed and padded, and there is no carry bag. Rank 8 in Director's Chairs is a sales rank, not the score used in this comparison. It is a light, low-priced director if a two-review sample is enough for you.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a light director near a 45 cm seat and can accept a two-review sample.
Less suitable: You need a stated load, a bag, or a review count in the hundreds.
Specifications
Common questions
How much weight can it hold?
The listing asks that question and does not answer it. There is no kilogram row.
Is it weatherproof?
The page asks and does not answer. Care text says air-dry the fabric, avoid long sun, and wipe the frame. There is no waterproof rating.
Are the armrests removable?
The page asks. The arm-style row says fixed and padded.
The Ever Advanced grey pair, model RC-5022-LTGY-2P, is listed at £129.99 for two, with a 50 cm seat height, a stated load of 150 kg and a high back meant for a long sit. Across 226 amazon.co.uk reviews the line is 4.6, the largest sample in this folder and the reason the score is 88. The bullet describes a powder-coated steel and aluminium frame, so this is not an aluminium-only chair. A highlight claims 6 cm of padding, while UK reviews in the file put it nearer 2 cm or say the padding feels absent, and one buyer returned the chairs as too hard. The item-weight row prints 13.5 kg and the bullet prints 6.1 kg with a bag, and the components row disagrees with reviews about whether a carry bag is included. One review counts three recline positions where the listing says four. The first fold is stiff, and the pair is the top pick here for a padded camp sit, not for a 2 kg walk from the car.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a padded high-back pair for a long sit at the pitch and can lift a heavy chair.
Less suitable: You need a confirmed aluminium-only frame near 2 kg, or you will walk the chair in from the car.
Specifications
Common questions
Is the frame aluminium only?
No. The bullet says a powder-coated steel and aluminium frame. The material row only says metal.
How thick is the padding?
The highlight says 6 cm. UK reviews in the file say about 2 cm, or that the padding feels absent. One buyer returned the chairs as too hard.
Does it need assembly?
The listing says no. UK reviews say the first fold and unfold can be stiff.
The Outsider 86827 is an aluminium director's chair at £52.99, listed at 2.52 kg, with the bullet saying 2.6 kg, and a stated load of 159 kg, the highest kilogram line in this folder. It scores 4.5 from 27 reviews, a small sample next to the Hyfive single, so the score stays at 77. The seat-height row prints 82 cm, the same figure as the overall height of 48 x 60 x 82 cm, and UK reviews call the seat low, with one buyer saying it is not as high as stated. A second size row of 85 x 15 x 52 cm is not labelled. Included components do not list a bag, and some buyers find the chair hard to close. The rust-proof wording is the seller's line, not a lab result, and this listing does not cite BS EN 581. Treat it as a light aluminium director only if you read 82 cm as the chair height, not the sitting height.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a light aluminium director and will treat 82 cm as the chair height, not the sitting height.
Less suitable: You need a printed seat height near 45 cm, a large review sample, or a bag in the box.
Specifications
Common questions
Is the seat 82 cm high?
That is what the seat-height row prints, and it matches the overall height. UK reviews call the seat low, and one says it is not as high as stated. Do not treat 82 cm as a confirmed sitting height.
Does it include a carry bag?
Included components say no other components. A question on the page asks about a bag and the spec block does not answer it.
Is the frame aluminium?
Yes. Frame material is aluminium, item weight 2.52 kg, stated load 159 kg. The rust-proof line is the seller's wording.
The Boosden FC-Thick-Grey2-Fabricx1 is a padded armless folding chair at £69.00, listed at 5.85 kg, with a bullet that describes 2.4 inch foam and rubber feet. The frame material row says metal, not aluminium, so you should not relabel it. The technical load row says 100 kg and the bullet says 330 pounds, and the file does not reconcile them. The star line is 4.5 from two reviews, and the saved listing has no review text, so the score of 66 rests on that star line alone. Open size is printed both as 46.7 x 55.1 x 74.9 cm and as 48.5 x 48 x 75.5 cm, and the folded size is given in inches. It sits at rank 430 in Living Room Chairs, which is a sales rank rather than evidence of outdoor use. Keep it as a padded metal chair in this set, not as an aluminium folding chair.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a padded folding chair and you already accept an unspecified metal frame.
Less suitable: You need aluminium on the frame row, a review you can read, or a single load figure.
Specifications
Common questions
Is the frame aluminium?
Not stated. The frame material row says metal.
What is the weight limit?
The technical row says 100 kg. The bullet says 330 pounds. The file does not reconcile them.
Are there customer reviews to read?
The star line is 4.5 from 2. The saved listing has no review text.
The Hyfive 74109 is an aluminium director's chair at £49.99, listed at 2 kg with a stated load of 120 kg and a fabric seat you wipe clean. It scores 4.4 from 214 amazon.co.uk reviews, which puts the score at 85 and makes it the best value in this folder: the lowest price among rows at 4.3 or above with at least 50 reviews. Many reviewers call it light and sturdy for fishing and garden use, and the listing sits at rank 4 in Fishing Chairs. Others report a torn seat, loose joints, a short leg or a break after repeated use, so the fabric fails before the tube in those accounts. Plastic film left in the pivots is a repeated complaint, and one review says it does not fold into a shoulder column the way many steel camping chairs do. The included-components row lists an arm pad, not a carry bag, and the size rows disagree at 47 x 59 x 79 cm against 56 x 47 x 79 cm. It is the best-value light director here if you accept that canvas risk.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want one light aluminium director for fishing or the garden and will check the canvas after the first sits.
Less suitable: You need a bag in the box, or a chair whose reviews do not include torn fabric.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this the same chair as the Hyfive pack of two?
No. This model is 74109 at £49.99 for one. The pack is 74109-1PACK, also £49.99, with a different width row and a 4.2 star line from 104 reviews.
What do UK reviews say about the fabric?
Many call it light and sturdy. Others report a torn seat, loose joints, a short leg, or a break after repeated use. Plastic film in the pivots is a repeated complaint.
Does it come with a carry bag?
The included-components row lists an arm pad, not a bag. One review says it does not fold into a shoulder column like many steel camping chairs.
The Hyfive pack, model 74109-1PACK, is two aluminium director's chairs at the same £49.99 shelf price as the single 74109, with a stated load of 120 kg and a polyester seat. The star line is 4.2 from 104 reviews, so the score is 79 and the pack misses the 4.3 cut used for the best-value flag. The open size is printed as 47 x 56 x 79 cm and the seat depth as 43 cm, which is not the same size block as the single. The listed weight is 3.65 kg, and the file does not say whether that is one chair or the pair. UK reviews call the first fold stiff, mention springs that open suddenly, squeaks until the joints are oiled, and plastic film left in the tubes. You get two chairs on one listing, but you do not get the single's 4.4 from 214, and the file does not say the pack is two of model 74109.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want two director's chairs and accept a smaller, slightly lower review sample than the Hyfive single.
Less suitable: You are buying one chair and want the 214-review sample, or you need a documented carry bag.
Specifications
Common questions
Why is a pair the same price as one Hyfive chair?
Both listings print £49.99. They are different ASINs, with different width and star lines. The file does not say the pair is two of model 74109.
Are they stiff to fold?
UK reviews say yes. Some mention springs that open suddenly, squeaks until the joints are oiled, and plastic film left in the tubes.
Is the frame aluminium?
Yes. The frame material row says aluminium, and the stated load is 120 kg.
The Grand patio BoHong-6 is a powder-coated aluminium Textilene recliner at £79.98, listed at 8 kg with six back positions and no printed load. It scores 4.2 from 35 reviews. Two size rows disagree, at 58 x 70 x 113 cm and 70 x 70 x 88 cm, so you cannot quote one footprint. The arm-style row says armless, while German reviews in the file describe wooden arms and a footrest that are not in the UK specification, and only two of the review blocks are from the UK. The listing says it arrives fully assembled and that you unfold it, which is a different job from a 2 kg director. Textilene is mesh rather than a cushion, and there is no carry bag. At 8 kg it belongs on a patio you leave it on, not in a walk from the car park.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a patio recliner you leave in place and can live without a printed load.
Less suitable: You need arms, a kilogram limit on the page, or a chair you will carry to a pitch.
Specifications
Common questions
Does it need assembly?
No. The listing says it arrives fully assembled and you unfold it.
How many back positions are listed?
Six, in the bullet and in the reclining-position row.
Are there arms?
The arm-style row says armless. German reviews in the file describe wooden arms and a footrest. Those parts are not in the UK spec, and only two of the review blocks are from the UK.
The HomlyPro CC-265-GRN is a low folding camping chair at £24.30 with a carry bag in the components row and a drink holder in the bullet, listed at about 2.2 to 2.3 kg and a stated load of 100 kg. The frame row says metal, not aluminium, so it stays in the table as an unresolved frame. It scores 3.8 from 28 reviews, the lowest star line here. Reviews also describe the colour as blue or grey against a green title, and one review says the chair broke after two days. The surface row says hard floor while the bullet says grass, sand and uneven ground. There is no seat-height row, and reviews call the seat low. It is the bag-and-price option in this folder only if you do not need the word aluminium on the frame row.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a cheap low camping chair with a bag and you have accepted an unspecified metal frame.
Less suitable: You are shopping for a confirmed aluminium director, or you need a higher seat.
Specifications
Common questions
Is the frame aluminium?
The frame row says metal. The title says a metal frame. Aluminium is not stated.
Does it come with a bag?
Yes. Included components are a carry bag and the chair.
What load is printed?
The bullet says 100 kg. One review says the chair broke after two days. That is a review, not a second load figure.
Eight amazon.co.uk listings were scored from the star line and the review count. The score is the stars divided by five, times 70, plus up to 30 from the log of the review count. A 4.6 from 226 reviews therefore outranks a 5.0 from 2 reviews. Price is not inside the score. It is used only for the best-value flag: the lowest price among rows at 4.3 or above with at least 50 reviews. Conflicting seat heights, padding, bags and load units are described on the card. They are not a second hidden penalty. Load, rust, waterproofing and comfort were not lab-tested. A seller's kilogram line stays a seller claim. None of these listings cites BS EN 581.
Amazon star rating
70%Stars on amazon.co.uk, scaled so a five-star line contributes 70 points. The score is not a strength test.
Review count
30%Up to 30 points from the log of the amazon.co.uk review count, so a large sample outranks a five-star line with two reviews.
Eight amazon.co.uk folding chairs are on this page. The score uses the star line and the review count, not a lab test. Start with the frame row, then the printed load, the seat height and the carry weight. The top pick is the Ever Advanced pair because that sample is the largest, and the frame is steel and aluminium. The best value is the Hyfive single at £49.99, the lowest price among rows at 4.3 or above with at least 50 reviews. A 5.0 from two reviews does not qualify.
An aluminium folding chair is a chair whose frame the listing names as aluminium, made so you can close it and move it. In the UK the name covers three shapes. A director's chair usually has arms and weighs about 2 to 2.6 kg. A low camping chair sits nearer the ground and is the shape more likely to include a carry bag. A Textilene recliner is mesh on a powder-coated frame, often with several back positions, and it is heavy enough to leave on the patio.
Boosden and HomlyPro say metal on the frame row. Aluminium is not stated. Ever Advanced is steel and aluminium. A steel camping chair is a different product and is not scored here.
The Outsider seat-height row prints 82 cm, the same figure as the overall height. UK reviews call that seat low. Do not treat 82 cm as how high you sit, and do not treat a 6 cm padding line as settled when reviews say otherwise.
Listings say no assembly, and UK reviews still call the first fold stiff. Do not force the hinge. Dry the fabric before a cover. A stiff hinge is not the same fault as a break on the second day. Stop if a tube cracks under someone, or if a venue wants a BS EN 581 file.
The frame row is the first cut. Aluminium is named on the Outsider, Garden Pride, both Hyfive directors and the Grand patio recliner. Ever Advanced is a powder-coated steel and aluminium frame, so it is a mix. Boosden and HomlyPro say metal only and must not be relabelled. Steel camping chairs were removed from this set and are not scored here. The load is the next line, and only the figure on that listing.
Seat height has to be the height you sit at, not the overall height of the chair. Garden Pride prints 45 cm. Ever Advanced prints 50 cm. Outsider's seat-height row prints 82 cm, the same figure as the chair height, and UK reviews call that seat low, so 82 cm is not a confirmed sitting height. HomlyPro has no seat-height row and reviews call the seat low. Carry weight is the practical split. The Hyfive single is listed at 2 kg, Garden Pride at 2.1 kg and Outsider at 2.52 kg.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You have to carry the chair and you want aluminium named on the frame row. The Hyfive single is listed at 2 kg with a stated load of 120 kg. Garden Pride is the other light director, at 2.1 kg with a 45 cm seat height and only two reviews. Grand patio at 8 kg is the chair you leave in place.
You want a short carry and a bag in the components row. HomlyPro includes a carry bag and prints a 100 kg load, at about 2.2 to 2.3 kg. The frame row says metal, not aluminium. Ever Advanced is the long sit reviewers call heavy, and its bag line disagrees between the bullet and the components row.
You want a high back for a long sit and you can lift a heavy chair. The Ever Advanced pair prints a 50 cm seat height and a stated load of 150 kg. The frame is steel and aluminium, and the 6 cm padding line is disputed in UK reviews. It is not a 2 kg walk from the car.
The top pick in this set is the Ever Advanced grey pair. It has the highest score, from 4.6 and 226 amazon.co.uk reviews, at £129.99 for two, with a stated load of 150 kg and a seat height of 50 cm. The frame is steel and aluminium, not aluminium only, and the 6 cm padding line is disputed. The best value is the Hyfive blue director chair at £49.99: the lowest price among listings at 4.3 or above with at least 50 reviews, listed at 2 kg with a stated load of 120 kg and 4.4 from 214 reviews. Torn canvas still appears in those reviews. Neither result is a lab test, and neither is a claim about every aluminium folding chair in the UK.
Hyfive blue director chair
Lowest price among listings at 4.3 or above with at least 50 reviews: £49.99, 4.4 from 214, aluminium listed at 2 kg.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Sources from the research digest. Page updated 22 October 2026.
Expert source (DIY & tools): Lee Burkhill (Garden Ninja) (external profile) – public expert commentary used as a research source, not as a contributor to our pages.
This article contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk. If you buy through these links we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts come from the amazon.co.uk listings. This is not a lab test.
