Helinox Chair Zero Backpacking Chair Overview

Backside Line

This ultralight backpacking chair prices a reasonably penny, however the Helinox Chair Zero pulls off the right mix of consolation, packability, stability, and ease of use. That’s why it’s on the high of our listing of one of the best backpacking chairs after testing it for 2 months in New Mexico’s excessive desert mountains. 

The Chair Zero isn’t the lightest backpacking chair we examined, however Helinox made these two additional ounces depend. This chair has higher consolation, again assist, and stability than the opposite light-weight backpacking chairs we reviewed. It nonetheless manages to be one of many lighter and extra packable chairs round. 

We will’t fault this chair for something aside from value. Even then, its price ticket might be justified by its premium efficiency. Moreover, it prices ten {dollars} lower than final yr, which is uncommon given the present market tendencies. Once we’re shopping for a backpacking chair, we wish one which’s light-weight and clearly a consolation improve over pure camp furnishings. That’s the Helinox Chair Zero, which we advocate to all backpackers who need a high-performing chair that received’t weigh them down.

How We Examined

This spring and summer season, CleverHiker editor and kit analyst Jory Brass backpacked with the Helinox to see if it nonetheless lives as much as its legendary repute. He additionally automobile camped within the New Mexico wilderness, evaluating it to the opposite 10 greatest backpacking chairs in the marketplace to evaluate their consolation, packability, stability, and ease of use.

Consolation

Light-weight backpacking chairs aren’t as snug as heavier tenting chairs, however we discovered the Helinox Chair Zero loads cozy at our New Mexican campsites. The inside track seat has sufficient area for our broad-shouldered gear analyst to take a seat comfortably with out corners or edges digging into his traps, armpits, or quads. 

Whereas we used this chair principally in cooler temperatures and within the shade, its vertical air flow slits ought to hold our backs cooler if we needed a full solar session within the chair. The backrest extends excessive sufficient to supply significant again assist. In different phrases, this chair ticks all our consolation containers within the subject, which is spectacular for its comparatively low weight. 

Positive, a number of the heavier chairs we examined are barely extra snug. Nevertheless, the Helinox Chair Zero is sort of snug for such an ultralight backpacking chair.  

Weight & Packability

In comparison with different basic, scoop-seat backpacking chairs, the Helinox Chair Zero deserves the ultralight label. At one pound two ounces, it’s tied for the second lightest chair we examined, and solely two ounces behind the lightest on the listing. That’s nicely under our two-pound cutoff for a backpacking chair. 

The DAC aluminum alloy body retains this chair’s weight and bulk to a minimal (whereas supporting hikers as much as 265 kilos). Likewise, the ripstop polyester seat is skinny but sturdy, which additionally helps with weight and packability. Made with such premium supplies, the Chair Zero packs into a comparatively slender stuff sack that matches into the aspect bottle pockets of our mid-sized backpack. 

When you’re keen to hold any backpacking chair into the backcountry, you shouldn’t have any qualms about lugging the Chair Zero in or in your pack. It’s price the additional pound.

Stability

Stability is the place the Helinox Chair Zero holds a transparent benefit. Whereas its rivals’ chairs have a equally low heart of gravity and supply a reliable base at stage campsites, the Chair Zero performs higher when Gear Analyst Jory Brass makes use of it on uneven floor. The Helinox chair can maintain its personal (and us) on sloping, gentle beds of pine needles and slanting granite.

Particularly, the Chair Zero has strong lateral stability for such a light-weight backpacking chair. As our 200-pound tester danced and shimmied aspect to aspect to place stress on the chair’s ultralight body, the Chair Zero dealt with the abuse. The chair’s heart pole runs aspect to aspect and encompasses a vast, 14-inch base. That pays off when issues actually go sideways at camp. 

Conversely, the Chair Zero doesn’t deal with ahead or backward leans as nicely. The chair has a large base, however its brief legs sit a lot nearer collectively from entrance to again. We didn’t must lean again too far to really feel the entrance legs carry off the bottom – placing us liable to falling backwards.    

Total, we discovered the Helinox Chair Zero to be a reliable backpacking chair. As an ultralight, it’s not as secure because the considerably heavier choices or its low-riding sibling, the Helinox Floor Chair. Nevertheless, we discovered that this chair’s ultralight building didn’t compromise stability as a lot as a number of different chairs we examined and reviewed.

Ease of Use

Like most backpacking chairs, establishing the Helinox Floor Chair is easy. It’s an ordinary, tent-style backpacking chair with aluminum poles related by shock wire. You merely stretch the seat cowl over the body and slip the ends of the poles into the nook pockets. 

Our preliminary meeting and disassembly instances averaged simply over a minute – barely longer than our common. The one factor that slowed us down was slightly element. Reasonably than placing the Helinox branding on the high of the seat – like most backpacking chairs – the branding runs up one aspect. This makes it more durable to determine the highest, backside, and sides of the seat – very like fumbling with the fitted sheet on our mattress. Clearly, this isn’t a giant drawback and will probably be a non-issue when you bear in mind the Helinox brand runs up the highest left of the chair.

Ought to You Purchase the Helinox Chair Zero?

We like nearly every part about this premium backpacking chair – with the doable exception of its premium value. Greater than any chair we examined and reviewed, this one strikes the right steadiness between weight financial savings and luxury, packability, and stability. In comparison with the competitors, the Chair Zero is simple to hold on the path, and it offers loads of benefits at camp with higher consolation, again assist, and stability than you’d count on from an ultralight backpacking chair. 

When you’re a budget-oriented backpacker, you’ll be higher off with certainly one of our greatest finances picks. Nevertheless, in case you’re keen to pay a premium for ultralight efficiency, we’re assured that the Helinox Chair Zero will probably be a sensible choice for you.

What Different Backpacking Chairs Ought to You Contemplate?

When you’re not offered on our high decide, please browse the opposite chairs that made our full information to the greatest backpacking chairs. 

REI Flexlite Air Chair Overview: If the Helinox chair is just too wealthy on your blood, the Flexlite is 2 ounces lighter and prices $40 much less whereas offering comparable efficiency. 

Helinox Floor Chair Overview: The Chair Zero’s cousin boasts excellent stability and sits low to the bottom, so we are able to stretch out our legs comfortably at camp.

Trekology Yizi-Lite Overview: If value is your greatest concern, we discovered the Yizi-Lite to be very snug and surprisingly packable for such an inexpensive backpacking chair.