Helinox Floor Chair Overview | CleverHiker

Backside Line

Rating on the prime of our checklist of the finest backpacking chairs, the Helinox Floor Chair wowed us with its stability and campsite consolation. Gear analyst Jory Brass didn’t assume he’d like a low-riding chair. Nonetheless, the Helinox Floor Chair modified his thoughts after testing it subsequent to 10 of his different favorites whereas overnighting at a number of New Mexico campsites. 

Sitting low to the bottom makes it simpler to increase your legs whereas lounging in camp, or to achieve for a camp range whereas stress-free in a semi-reclined place. 

This chair didn’t ace all of our assessments. In spite of everything, it does take extra effort to get out and in of a floor chair.  Moreover, its weight is 4-6 ounces heavier than our favourite ultralight fashions. Nonetheless, we like how the Helinox Floor Chair lets us stretch out our legs after an exhausting day of backpacking. Plus, the chair’s stability is fairly darn good, because of its distinctive sq. base and low heart of gravity. 

For us, this chair’s apparent positives outweigh its attainable negatives. In the event you really feel extra comfy extending your legs in camp, you would possibly even select the Helinox Floor Chair over its sibling – and top-ranked chair on our checklist – the Helinox Chair Zero.

How We Examined

For 2 months, CleverHiker Editor and Gear analyst Jory Brass examined the Helinox Floor Chair within the Land of Enchantment. Discipline assessments may appear low-tech, however sitting round on this chair, packing and unpacking it, and sticking it on a scale are the strategies we selected for reviewing its consolation, weight, packability, stability, and ease of use.

Consolation

On the finish of two months of testing, the Helinox Floor Chair had risen towards the highest of our checklist for consolation. 

The news seat itself is kind of comfy. Our 200-pound tester has loads of room – with out corners and edges digging into his shoulders and quads (which occurs with another fashions). The seating angle is barely reclined, making it simple to sit back, prolong our legs, and calm down in camp. Vertical slits and facet mesh present air flow, conserving us cool in scorching or humid climate. 

We have now minimal consolation complaints after utilizing this chair within the frontcountry and backcountry. As you may think, it takes somewhat extra work to get out and in of a floor chair, particularly for those who’re stiff after cooling down from a tough day on the path. This one sits about 6 inches decrease than the standard, tent-style backpacking chair. 

As soon as seated, although, we discover it comfy to relaxation in a number of positions. Particularly, it’s simpler to stretch out our legs in entrance of us – to get our blood circulating to empty the lactic acid from our achy legs. Nonetheless, some campers will favor the extra upright seating positions of different consolation standouts.   

Most backpacking chairs are comfy for brief stints. The Helionox Floor Chair is among the chairs we will sink into comfortably for an hour or extra.

Weight & Packability

In contrast with different backpacking chairs we weighed and examined, the Helinox Floor Chair ranked in the course of the pack for weight and packability. Weighing 1 pound 6 ounces, it was properly below our 2-pound cutoff for a backpacking chair, but 4-6 ounces heavier than ultralight chairs. Weight-wise, the Helinox Floor Chair is nice, however not nice, by backpacking chair requirements.

Its packed dimension is in keeping with different chairs we examined. When stuffed, the Helinox Floor is shorter than different backpacking chairs and has a bigger circumference than a 1-liter Nalgene bottle. We will cram the stuff sack into the stretchy facet bottle pocket of our backpack, nevertheless it takes some work when our pack is full.

In brief, weight and packability aren’t this chair’s strengths. However it’s clearly a backpacking chair – not a tenting chair. We have now no qualms about carrying the Helinox Floor Chair into the woods, given its consolation and stability.

Stability

Stability is a transparent energy of the Helinox Floor Chair. As a part of our subject testing, Gear Analyst Jory Brass examined its stability on stable floor, mushy floor, and sloping floor. The chair stood agency on all surfaces as he rocked backwards and forwards, leaned facet to facet, and shimmied to place some strain on the chair’s body. 

The Helinox Floor Chair boasts a number of stability options that different backpacking chairs can’t declare. The chair’s sq. base not solely gives help in all 4 instructions but in addition resists sinking. It did nice resisting sinking into sand or the mushy mattress of pine needles at our campsite alongside the Sandia Crest Path. Plus, the body is made with a premium DAC Aluminum alloy and pre-bent poles that may take some abuse. As a floor chair, its heart of gravity can be fairly low, making it extra secure and fewer prone to tip over.

Ease of Use

Like most backpacking chairs, the Helinox Floor Chair is fairly simple to make use of. Preliminary setup took us round 45 seconds with out directions. All of the connection factors are intuitive, and the Helinox branding on the prime of the seat makes it simple to align it with the aluminum body. The stuff sack is appropriately sized for the chair. The premium aluminum poles pack down properly, however the chunky plastic hubs for the sq. base stow considerably awkwardly. 

As talked about earlier than, the hardest half about utilizing a floor chair is moving into it and getting out of it (particularly for those who’re tremendous sore from logging some miles). With the seat suspended solely 4-5 inches off the bottom, it takes extra work to decrease your self right into a sitting place. In the event you’re older or battle with mobility or stability, you’ll in all probability favor a extra typical backpacking chair that sometimes positions you 10-12 inches off the bottom. 

Nonetheless, sitting on the Helinox Floor Chair is far simpler in your physique than sitting on the bottom.

Ought to You Purchase the Helinox Floor Chair?

In the event you like the thought of a secure backpacking chair that allows you to stretch out your legs at camp, the Helinox Floor Chair ought to be at or close to the highest of your checklist. We additionally like this chair for tenting on mushy floor, because of its sq. base, which doesn’t sink into sand or riverbanks as a lot because the toes of most backpacking chairs. 

Our tester has all the time used a taller backpacking chair, however he could change to this floor chair to offer his mountaineering legs somewhat extra love in camp. Nonetheless, sitting low to the bottom gained’t enchantment to everybody, particularly if in case you have bother getting up or down after a protracted day on the path. Plus, this chair isn’t the lightest of the bunch, so ultralighters could favor shedding a number of ounces with an ultralight backpacking chair or sit pad. Total, although, we’re large followers of the Helinox Floor Chair.

What Different Backpacking Chairs Ought to You Contemplate?

For extra backpacking chair concepts, please see our finest backpacking chairs information for extra options, together with these: 

Helinox Chair Zero Overview: In the event you’re not dedicated to a floor chair, the Helinox Chair Zero topped our 2025 checklist of one of the best backpacking chairs. 

Trekology Yizi-Lite Overview: Do you want floor chairs however can’t afford the Helinox? The Yizi-Lite additionally sits low to the bottom and prices virtually thrice lower than Helinox backpacking chairs. 

Large Agnes Skyline UL Overview: In the event you put consolation and stability first however wish to sit greater off the bottom, we suggest the Large Agnes Skyline.