8 tests × 5 Helinox chairs
The 5 Best Helinox Chairs (Bought & Tested!)
I’ve spent $530 on Helinox chairs over the past 5 years, and I tested them all side by side to find out which ones are actually worth your money.
This page contains affiliate links, and that means that I may earn a commission if you buy something, at no extra cost to you. You can find my full disclosure policy here.
The Podium
Quick Summary
Here’s everything I recommend.
Helinox Sunset Chair
My favorite of the five. You get a comfortable, high seat, a headrest with an adjustable pillow, mesh, pockets, and the thickest poles here.
Best for Portability
Helinox Chair Zero
- 1.15lbs, the only ultralight here
- 237in³ packed, the smallest here
- 100D aramid-polyester fabric
Check price on AmazonREI Co-op – New versionBackcountry – New versionCheck price on Dick’sCheck price on Helinox
Best Middle Ground
Helinox Chair One (re)
- 22.6 x 12.0in seat
- 10.25in seat height
- 2.46lbs
- Resin pole pockets, the fastest setup here
Check price on AmazonCheck price on REI Co-opCheck price on BackcountryCheck price on Helinox
Jump to: The Rest of the Best ↓ How I Tested ↓ Why You Can Trust Me ↓
The video
My full Helinox chairs video is coming soon, so subscribe if you don’t want to miss it.
Camping Guidance
30K+
Best for Comfort
Helinox Sunset Chair
Test scorecard · scored against other camping chairs
Helinox Sunset Chair
6.9out of 10
Setup5.5
Comfort7.2
Breathability7.3
Features5
Quality9.1
Weight10
Key info
- Seat size22.5 x 12.0in
- Seat height13.0in
- Backrest height29.25in
- Mesh31%
- Pockets2
- Capacity320lbs.
- Weight3.4lbs.
- Packed volume496in³
Pros
- The tallest seat height here
- Big, spacious seat
- Headrest with an adjustable pillow
- Thickest poles and the widest base
Cons
- Heaviest and bulkiest chair here
TL;DR
My favorite Helinox chair is the Helinox Sunset Chair, because it’s honestly great at everything: the seat, the height, the headrest, and the build.
The seat sits 13.0in off the ground, which is higher than most of my camping chairs. My knees stay almost level when I sit, and that makes it the most comfortable Helinox chair I own.
The seat itself measures 22.5 x 12.0in, so it’s as roomy as the Chair One (re)’s. The backrest also reaches past my shoulders for real head support.
The headrest flap at the top takes anything as a pillow, and I usually stuff the carry bag in there. On top of that you get 31% mesh, 2 pockets, and the thickest poles of the five.
However, it’s the heaviest and bulkiest of my Helinox chairs, plus the priciest too. But I think it’s well worth the money.
One quick note: Helinox now sells a Sunset (re) with a slightly wider seat. I think the original is good enough, so I’m sticking with mine.
Check out the Helinox Sunset Chair:
Best for Portability
Helinox Chair Zero
Test scorecard · scored against other lightweight chairs
Helinox Chair Zero
8.2out of 10
Ease of Use6.4
Comfort8.3
Quality9.5
Stability5.5
Portability9.8
Key info
- Seat size19.6 x 11.0in
- Seat height7.5in
- Backrest height19.1in
- Mesh2.9%
- PocketsNone
- Capacity265lbs.
- Weight1.15lbs.
- Packed volume237in³
Pros
- The only ultralight chair here
- Smallest packed size here
- Kevlar-class aramid fabric
Cons
- The lowest, smallest seat here
- Tips if you lean back far
TL;DR
If you’re counting every ounce, the Helinox Chair Zero is the only truly ultralight chair here, and an excellent one at that.
It weighs just 1.15lbs, about a third of the Sunset’s weight. The whole thing also packs down to 237in³, the smallest of the five by far.
The fabric is a 100D aramid-polyester ripstop. Aramid is the same fiber family as Kevlar, so it’s a lot tougher than it looks.
However, this is an ultralight chair, so you get the smallest and lowest seat of the five. You sit just 7.5in off the ground, on a 19.6 x 11.0in seat.
The side spread is narrow too, so it can feel a bit tippy if you lean backwards too much. So just don’t do that.
Check out the Helinox Chair Zero:
Best Middle Ground
Helinox Chair One (re)
Test scorecard · scored against other lightweight chairs
Helinox Chair One (re)
7.9out of 10
Ease of Use7.8
Comfort9.7
Quality8.8
Stability10
Portability3.9
Key info
- Seat size22.6 x 12.0in
- Seat height10.25in
- Backrest height19.3in
- Mesh19.1%
- Pockets1 + carry bag
- Capacity320lbs.
- Weight2.46lbs.
- Packed volume334in³
Pros
- The biggest seat of the five
- Fastest setup here
- Wide, stable base
- Side pocket, plus the bag hooks on
Cons
- No mesh backrest anymore
- No head support
TL;DR
The Helinox Chair One (re) is the middle ground: the Sunset’s big seat at a lower weight, without the height or the headrest.
The seat is 22.6 x 12.0in, the biggest seat of the five, inching out the Sunset. And at 2.46lbs, the chair itself is still light.
Setup is the quickest of the five at 30 seconds, thanks to the high-grade resin pole pockets that the poles slip into much more easily. The base is also wider than the original Chair One’s, at a 16.0 x 15.0in feet spread, so it’s one of the most stable chairs here.
You also get a side pocket, and the carry bag hooks onto the frame as a second one.
However, Helinox took the mesh backrest away on the re-design, so you’re down to 19.1% mesh against the original’s 30.4%. The backrest also stops below my shoulders, so there’s no head support at all.
Check out the Helinox Chair One (re):
Everything else
The Rest of the Best
That’s the podium, but I’ve tested two more Helinox chairs. There’s also one I looked into and decided against buying.
- Helinox Chair One — the cheapest Helinox chair here, and the classic that started it all. But the Chair One (re) beats it on almost everything: the seat is bigger, there’s 1 in-built storage pocket, and the second tension line woven into the (re) makes for way more comfortable sitting. Go for the Chair One (re) instead.
- Helinox Chair Two — I bought it years ago because I wanted a high-back Chair One, but once I got the Sunset I stopped using it. The seat is smaller, and it sits at just 7.5in off the ground. The Sunset does the high-back job better.
- Helinox Chair One High-Back (re) — the one chair here I haven’t bought or tested. I considered it, but I decided not to, because the specs show less mesh and a lower seat height than my Sunset.
The 8 testsHow I Tested All 5 Chairs
Now, here’s how I actually tested these chairs, and every figure that came out of it. It’s the same tape measure, the same scale, and the same stopwatch across the board.
The Chair One High-Back (re) is the one exception: I haven’t bought it, so its rows come from comparing Helinox’s official specs against my tested data for the Chair One (re), the Chair Two, and the Sunset. It’s marked with an asterisk* wherever it shows up.
Setup and Pack Away
I timed myself setting up and packing away each chair. There isn’t a big difference: everything lands between 30 seconds and a minute.
| Helinox Chair | Setup (seconds) | Pack Away (seconds) | Total (seconds) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chair One (re) winner | 30 | 40 | 70 |
| Chair One | 35 | 40 | 75 |
| Chair Zero | 40 | 53 | 93 |
| Chair Two | 45 | 50 | 95 |
| Chair One High-Back (re)* | 40 | 55 | 95 |
| Sunset | 45 | 60 | 105 |
*Spec-derived estimate, since I haven’t tested the High-Back.
- The process is identical on every chair: you set the poles up first, then fit the fabric over the four corners.
- Size matters a little: the smaller chairs generally take a bit less time than the bigger ones.
- Why the Chair One (re) wins: its high-grade resin pole pockets let the poles slip in more easily than the fabric pockets on the original chairs. The fabric ones aren’t worse quality, just a touch slower.
Seat Size
I measured each seat’s width from side to side, then its depth from the back to the front, and multiplied the two for the seat area.
| Helinox Chair | Seat Width x Depth (in) | Seat Area (sq. in.) |
|---|---|---|
| Chair One (re) winner | 22.6 x 12.0 | 271 |
| Chair One High-Back (re)* | 22.6 x 12.0 | 271 |
| Sunset | 22.5 x 12.0 | 270 |
| Chair Two | 21.1 x 11.0 | 232 |
| Chair Zero | 19.6 x 11.0 | 216 |
| Chair One | 21.3 x 10.0 | 213 |
The High-Back* shares the Chair One (re)’s seat dimensions.
- The big three sit together: the Chair One (re), the High-Back and the Sunset all give you nearly the same, very spacious seat.
- The small end: the Chair Zero and the original Chair One run about 25% smaller in seat area, with less width and less depth.
- Still enough for me: I’m 5’3, and even the Chair Zero gave me more than enough room.
Seat Height
For seat height, I sat down in each chair and measured from the ground up to the bottom of the seat.
| Helinox Chair | Seat Height (in) |
|---|---|
| Sunset winner | 13.0 |
| Chair One (re) | 10.25 |
| Chair One High-Back (re)* | 10.25 |
| Chair One | 9.6 |
| Chair Two | 7.5 |
| Chair Zero | 7.5 |
The High-Back’s figure* comes from the Helinox site: its assembled height is 3 inches lower than the Sunset’s, which works out to the same seat height as the Chair One (re).
- 7.5in is low: your knees end up well above your hips, and it’s the least comfortable way to sit.
- 10in feels noticeably better: that’s about the average height across the 21 camping chairs I’ve tested.
- 13.0in surprised me: the Sunset sits higher than most of my camping chairs, and it was by far the most comfortable of the five.
Backrest and Head Support
I measured from the end of the seat to the very top of each chair, then sat down to see if I could lean my head back comfortably.
| Helinox Chair | Backrest (in) | Head Support | Pillow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunset winner | 29.25 | Yes | Adjustable |
| Chair One High-Back (re)* | 29.25 | Yes | Adjustable |
| Chair Two | 27.75 | Yes | Adjustable |
| Chair One (re) | 19.3 | No | None |
| Chair Zero | 19.1 | No | None |
| Chair One | 18.75 | No | None |
“Adjustable” means I could set the pillow to my own height. The High-Back* shares the Sunset’s backrest height.
- Three chairs give you real head support: backrests close to 30in, each with an adjustable pillow.
- The packable chairs stop short: the Chair Zero, Chair One and Chair One (re) all come in under 20in. That reaches near the top of my back, but gives no head support at all.
Features
Helinox’s two main comfort features are mesh for breathability and pockets for storage. For the mesh figure, I measured the total seat and backrest, measured the mesh on it, and worked out the proportion.
| Helinox Chair | Mesh (%) | Pockets |
|---|---|---|
| Sunset winner | 31 | 2 |
| Chair Two | 31 | 2 |
| Chair One | 30.4 | 0 |
| Chair One (re) | 19.1 | 1 |
| Chair One High-Back (re)* | 19.1 | 2 |
| Chair Zero | 2.9 | 0 |
My own Chair Two is the older, pre-mesh version; the current one carries about 31% mesh, like the Sunset.
- A third of mesh is the sweet spot: a mesh backrest plus panels in the seat, and it’s really nice and breezy on hot summer days.
- The re-designs dropped the mesh backrest: that’s why the Chair One (re) falls to about 20%, from the original’s 30%.
- The Chair Zero barely breathes: two small slits in the seat, and that’s 2.9% of it.
- Pockets follow weight: the lighter chairs skip built-in pockets, and the bigger ones fit two that hold a lot. A 1-liter bottle, a book, a can, and my phone all went in.
Materials
Every Helinox chair here uses the brand’s proprietary DAC aluminum poles, so I measured the pole thickness on each one, and checked the fabric and weight capacity too.
| Helinox Chair | Pole Thickness (in) | Fabric | Capacity (lbs) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunset winner | 0.63–0.75 | 600D polyester | 320 |
| Chair One (re) | 0.55–0.75 | 300D polyester | 320 |
| Chair One | 0.54–0.67 | 600D polyester | 320 |
| Chair Two | 0.51–0.67 | 600D polyester | 320 |
| Chair Zero | 0.51–0.67 | 100D aramid-polyester | 265 |
| Chair One High-Back (re)* | Unsure | 300D polyester | 320 |
“Unsure” because Helinox doesn’t publish pole specs for the High-Back, and I haven’t measured one.
- Thinner chairs, thinner poles: the small chairs come in at about half an inch on the seat and leg poles, with a thicker center bar at about two-thirds.
- The Sunset gets the thickest set: not just the center bar, but the seat and leg poles too.
- The Chair One (re) got an upgrade as well: its center bar is up to 0.75in, matching the Sunset’s.
- The fabric honestly feels the same: I didn’t even realize the re-designed chairs use 300D polyester against the originals’ 600D.
- The Chair Zero is the outlier: a 100D aramid-polyester mix (aramid is the Kevlar fiber family), and a 265lbs capacity instead of the 320lbs on all the others.
Feet Spread
For stability, I measured the spread of the feet across the front of each chair, and again along the side.
| Helinox Chair | Front x Side Spread (in) | Spread Area (sq. in.) |
|---|---|---|
| Sunset winner | 16.1 x 18.3 | 294 |
| Chair One (re) | 16.0 x 15.0 | 240 |
| Chair One High-Back (re)* | 16.0 x 15.0 | 240 |
| Chair Two | 16.3 x 14.6 | 237 |
| Chair One | 14.0 x 11.9 | 167 |
| Chair Zero | 14.1 x 10.6 | 149 |
The bigger the spread area, the harder the chair is to tip.
- The Chair Zero is the tippy one: it has the narrowest side spread here, and it can tip if you lean back too far.
- The original Chair One does better: its side spread is 1.3in wider, and it didn’t feel tippy at all.
- Everything else is rock solid: the Chair One (re) and the high-backs all spread past 237 sq. in., with the Sunset the widest of the lot.
Portability
Finally, I weighed each chair, then measured its packed length, width, height and volume.
| Helinox Chair | Weight (lbs) | Packed Volume (in³) |
|---|---|---|
| Chair Zero winner | 1.15 | 237 |
| Chair One | 2.20 | 306 |
| Chair One (re) | 2.46 | 334 |
| Chair Two | 2.78 | 520 |
| Chair One High-Back (re)* | 2.82 | 524 |
| Sunset | 3.40 | 496 |
Weight is the chair plus its carry bag.
- Only one chair is ultralight: the Chair Zero, at 1.15lbs and the smallest packed size here. The rest get progressively bigger and heavier.
- The middle ground packs midsize too: the Chair One and Chair One (re) land at 306 and 334in³.
- The high-backs cost you space: the Chair Two, the Sunset and the High-Back pack roughly 60% bigger than the non-high-back chairs.
The scoresAll Test Scores
The scoreboard
These scores aren’t from a fresh scoring run. The Sunset and the Chair Two earned theirs in my full camping chairs roundup against 21 camping chairs, and the other three in my backpacking chairs roundup against 11 lightweight chairs. Nothing has been re-scored for this post.
Scored in my camping chairs roundup
- Helinox Sunset ChairBest for Comfort6.9
- Helinox Chair Two6.7
Scored in my lightweight backpacking chairs roundup
- Helinox Chair ZeroBest for Portability8.2
- Helinox Chair One (re)Best Middle Ground7.9
- Helinox Chair One7.2
The two groups were scored against different sets of chairs, so don’t compare numbers across them. That’s how the Chair Zero’s 8.2 can sit above my favorite chair here, the Sunset. The Chair One High-Back (re) isn’t on the board because I haven’t bought or tested it.
The methodWhy You Can Trust Me
All of this comes from my own long-term testing, so here’s what actually went into it.
$530
It starts with buying these Helinox chairs with my own savings, without accepting any sponsorships from brands.
5+ years
Then comes the testing. I’ve owned some of these chairs for more than 5 years, so the data covers real long-term use, not a weekend review.
8 tests
After that, I measured all of them side by side across the same 8 tests, from seat size to packed volume.
30,000+
The last step is sharing everything: this blog, and the videos for the 30,000+ campers subscribed to my YouTube channel.
Every figure above is from my own testing – measured by hand, bought with my own money.
Disclosure
Helinox sent me the Chair One (re). The review isn’t sponsored, and I tested it as objectively as I could. Every other chair on this page I bought with my own money.
