Best Climbing Tree Stand for Hunting – Reviewed [2023]

In this post, we’re going to share our top recommendations for the best climbing tree stand. We’ll review the best climbing tree stands on the market and provide you with some pros and cons for each one, along with some tips to choose one to fit your needs.

What is the Best Climbing Tree Stand?

Climbing tree stands are a great piece of hunting gear to add to your setup. They allow for extra mobility by enabling you to reach tucked away spots that ladder stands simply can’t reach. Plus, it offers you the option to adjust when deer traffic is out of range or it’s late in season and they’ve gotten used to your usual tricks.

For this review, we’ve tested some of the best climbing tree stands on the market for their level of comfort, climbing ability, noise level, and packability to help you find the best option.

Overall Best Climbing Tree Stand: Lone Wolf Sit and Climb Combo II

Lone Wolf Sit and Climb Combo II Review:

With the Sit and Climb Combo II, Lone Wolf has made a name for themselves in the world of lightweight climbing tree stands.

But don’t let the light weight part fool you, as this sturdy stand for big guys can carry up to 350 lbs.! So if you’ve put on a little extra over the holidays, no worries 😉

The wide version also caters to the big fellas, with a foot platform size that is roughly 4.5 sq ft. This gives you plenty of room for a wide range of motion when aiming and taking your shot.

Even better, the climber includes some thick cushioning and supporting backrest to help you make it through extended hunts.

A favorite feature of this climbing tree stand is the pivoting sit and climb bar. It allows you to easily tuck the seat away and sit on the bar while climbing, but then it folds down to help keep the bar out of the way so you have a clear shooting lane.

It’s like the team at Lone Wolf have thought of everything. They even include an instructional video to help you set up the tree stand for the first time so you don’t get stuck or confused.

Finally, a bunch of extra features were included to make the deal even better:

• Padded seat bar for added comfort
• Adjustable backpack straps for ease of carrying
• Footrest to allow for better posture while sitting

You get all that and a bag of chips for a comfortable climbing tree stand that packs down to a slim profile of merely four inches with it’s sleek, compact design.

That’s why we recommend the Lone Wolf Sit and Climb Combo II as the best climbing tree stand on the market.

Pros:

• Lightweight and compact design
• Every feature you could ever want
• Focus on comfort and utility

Cons:

• Pricier than some other models
• Complicated to set up, but the instructional video help

Best Climbing Tree Stand Alternative: Ol’ Man Alumalite CTS

Ol’ Man Alumalite CTS Climbing Tree Stand Review:

With the best brand name on the market, the Ol’ Man Alumalite CTS is a fan favorite and often recommended climbing tree stand.

And it’s easy to see why. It’s lightweight, easy to use, and the front bar makes a perfect rest for hunting with a crossbow.

Not a crossbow hunter you say? No problem. The front bar can also be moved down and used as a foot rest as well. Now who doesn’t love that!

Plus, gun hunters will love it too because they include a gun rest with the climber. Other climbing tree stand manufacturers make you pay extra, but the Ol’ Man has it included.

Another highlight of this tree stand is how well-designed it is for packability. It’s extremely lightweight with a narrow profile that makes it easy to trek through thick bush.

But despite being a lightweight climbing tree stand at only 21 pounds, it has a maximum weight capacity of 300 pounds. So it will suit most hunters shapes and sizes.

However, there is one thing that we noticed which was a little bothersome… the noise.

This tree stand is a little noisier than some of the other climbing tree stands, with most of the noise being made during set up and packing.

However, once off the ground, it only made as much noise as any other climber on this list, so maybe it’s not that big of a deal unless your hunting gear tends to be a nit noisy already.

Also, we recommend practicing the setup a few times before you go hunting. It can take a little time (and make some extra noise) if you’re not familiar with it at first.

But once you get the hang of it, the time to the 10 foot mark up the tree is half of what you can expect with most climbing tree stands on the market.

So although this climber tree stand makes more noise than some of the other options, at half the price of the premium climbing tree stands it’s a great buy.

Pros:

• Easy to pack and carry long distances
• Very comfortable climbing tree stand with padded seat
• Rail is a great crossbow rest, and the gun rest is included.

Cons:

• Lots of noisy clips and attachments that can rattle
• Complicated to set up the first few times until you get the hang of it

Most Comfortable Climbing Tree Stand: Summit Goliath SD Climbing Treestand

The name says it all… if you’re a goliath of a man, then the Summit Goliath SD Climbing Treestand was made especially for you.

Most hunters don’t require a foot platform that can hold more than 200 to 250 pounds. But the Goliath can handle up to 350 pounds for you bigger boys that still wish to hunt from a tree.

It’s the tree stand for big boys, but it’s no heavier than any of the other tree stands we’ve covered in this article. It’s only 21 pounds, which is nothing but for goliath-sized men to carry.

They’ve put a lot of focus on comfort with this one, and there are pads just about everywhere you’d expect them to be. Padded seats, cushy backpack straps, and a closed front bar where you can rest your arms (or your rifle!) if you need a break.

Plus, Summit Treestands are known as one of the best climbing tree stand brands on the market, and the Goliath is one of their deluxe models with extra features:

• DeadMetal: sound deadening SD technology to mask noise during setup and be the quietest climbing stand while seated.
• Quickdraw Cable Retention System: makes setup easier by eliminating all the noisy pins, nuts and bots you’ll find with other brands.
• RapidClimb Technology: easy to use stirrups to make climbing a piece of cake and prevent you from accidentally losing the lower half of your tree stand while mounted.

Basically, they’ve thought of everything to make one of the best lightweight climbing tree stands available, and we highly recommend it.

If you’re an average size hunter, or lightweight and compact yourself, this climbing stand might be a little too bulky for trekking in and out of the woods. Try looking at some of the other climbing stands on this list before you buy.

Also, if you’re primarily going to be bow hunting, you might opt for an open front climbing stand instead to allow for a more unobstructed view while aiming.

Pros:

• Extra wide seat makes it extremely comfortable
• Made for big guys with extra room and weight capacity
• Has all of Summit’s high-tech features for ease of use

Cons:

• Larger size might be too much for smaller hunters to carry comfortably
• Closed Front design might not be the best for bow hunting

Conclusion: Buying the Best Climbing Tree Stand

When shopping for a climbing tree stand, there are many options to consider, and you pay most importance to it’s size, safety features, and pricing to get the right climbing tree stand for you.

By considering the factors and the climbing tree stand reviews we mentioned above, as well as doing your own research, we’re sure you’ll quickly find the right one for your needs.