Backpacking chairs · Review

Helinox Chair One (re) Review (Tested!)

Helinox sent me this chair, but this review isn’t sponsored, and I put it through 11 measured tests.

  • Setup ~30 sec
  • Seat size 22.6 x 12.0 in
  • Seat height 10.25 in
  • Weight 2.46 lbs
The author testing the Helinox Chair One (re).
My Helinox Chair One (re).

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Disclosure Helinox sent me this chair. The review isn’t sponsored, and I tested it as objectively as I could.

Test scorecard · scored against other lightweight chairs

7.9out of 10
Stability10
Comfort9.7
Quality8.8
Ease of Use7.8
Portability3.9

The Helinox Chair One (re) has the biggest seat and widest stance of the 11 lightweight chairs I’ve tested, and nothing in that group sets up faster. However, at 2lbs 7.29oz it’s the second-heaviest.

What won me over
  • Biggest seat
  • Most stable
  • Fastest to set up
What let me down
  • Second-heaviest of the 11
Check price on AmazonCheck price on REI Co-opCheck price on BackcountryCheck price on Helinox

RELATED: Best Backpacking Chairs

If you prefer watching to reading, my video review of this chair is coming soon.

See the 11 tests
  1. Set up
  2. Pack away
  3. Unfolded dimensions
  4. Seat size
  5. Seat height
  6. Backrest
  7. Ventilation
  8. Storage
  9. Stability
  10. Materials
  11. Portability
  12. Pros, cons, recommendations
  13. Bonus – MUST read!

Set Up

Here’s what you get in the box:

  • Carry bag
  • Pole structure
  • Chair fabric
The carry bag, pole structure and chair fabric of the Helinox Chair One (re).
What’s in the box.
  1. Follow the shock-cording and secure the poles into their hubs.
  2. Locate the Helinox logo on the chair fabric; this marks the top of the chair.
  3. Next, secure the 2 top corners first, then the 2 bottom ones.
  • Setup time ~30 seconds

Pack Away

Fold it in half, but don’t overlap the pole pockets. Then, fold in the edges such that the width fits the bag.

The folded chair fabric of the Helinox Chair One (re) beside its carry bag.
What it should look like.
The author rolling the poles into the fabric of the Helinox Chair One (re).
Break down the poles and roll it up in the fabric.
  • Pack-away time ~40 seconds
    • Breaking the chair down 30 seconds
    • Getting it into the bag ~10 seconds

Unfolded Dimensions

  • Width 22.6incorner to corner
  • Depth 20.75inback to front
  • Height 28.1inground to the top of the chair
The author measuring the widest width of the Helinox Chair One (re).
Corner to corner is the widest point on this chair.

Seat Size

  • Depth 12.0inback to front of the seat
  • Seat area 271 in²the 22.6in width multiplied by the depth
The author sitting on the seat of the Helinox Chair One (re).
Sitting on the seat. I’m 5’3 and 117lbs.

I haven’t tested a lightweight chair with a bigger seat than this. It’s about 25% roomier than the average one.

Seat Height

Where you measure the seat height from changes the measurement entirely, so I’ve got three readings for you.

  • Front seat height 15.25inno one sitting
  • Bottom of the seat 11.1inno one sitting
  • Bottom of the seat 10.25inwith me in it
The measured seat height of the Helinox Chair One (re) with the author sitting in it.
The bottom of the seat sank from 11.1in to 10.25in when I sat down.

Take the seated figure as the honest one: 10.25in. Of the 11 lightweight chairs I’ve tested, only the Trekology YIZI GO puts me higher off the ground.

Backrest

  • Height 19.3infrom where the seat ends to the top of the chair
  • Width 21.75inside to side
The author leaning back in the Helinox Chair One (re).
No headrest here, the chair tops out below my neck.

Here are the recline angles, all read off a digital protractor while I sat in the chair.

  • Leg angle 19°
  • Backrest angle 33°
  • Total seat angle 104°

All of these were really comfortable angles, and I could sit in this for hours.

Ventilation

  • Material Polyester mesh
  • Mesh panels 216.0 x 8.25in each, at their longest
  • Breathing slits 4
  • Mesh coverage 19.1%of the seat and backrest together
The two mesh panels and four breathing slits of the Helinox Chair One (re).
Two triangular mesh panels, plus a slit at each corner.

Your typical lightweight chair lands between 20 and 30% mesh, so this one comes in just below. The original Helinox Chair One has 30.4%, and it’s the better summer chair.

Storage

  • Pockets 2
  • Side pocket 9.5 x 5.75inon the left of the chair
A jacket, sunglasses and a phone inside the side pocket of the Helinox Chair One (re).
My jacket, sunglasses and phone, all in the pocket together.

Your second pocket is the carry bag itself. Slot its two webbing handles onto the short front poles before you fit the fabric, and the bag hangs under the seat.

The carry bag of the Helinox Chair One (re) hooked onto the front poles as a pocket.
Hooked on, the bag becomes a pocket under the seat.

Stability

  • Front spread 16.0in
  • Side spread 15.0in
The author measuring the front feet spread of the Helinox Chair One (re).
Front feet first, on level grass.
The author measuring the side feet spread of the Helinox Chair One (re).
Then the same tape down the side of the chair.
  • Feet spread area 240 in²front spread multiplied by side spread
  • Foot diameter 1.12in

My cut-off for a stable chair is 12.0in per side, and both spreads here clear it easily. Nothing else in this lightweight group puts its feet that wide.

The author rocking in the Helinox Chair One (re) with all four feet still on the ground.
I rocked it hard in both directions and it stayed put.

Materials

  • Fabric 300D polyester
  • Mesh Polyester
  • Poles Green-anodized DAC aluminum alloy
  • Hubs DAC nylon resin
  • Zipper YKK

The spec sheet says 300D polyester while most other Helinox chairs use 600D, and I’m not sure why that is. It didn’t feel any less durable to me.

The DAC branding printed on a pole of the Helinox Chair One (re).
The DAC branding is printed on the poles themselves.
  • Seat poles 0.55in
  • Leg poles 0.71in
  • Center bar 0.75in
The author measuring the center bar of the Helinox Chair One (re).
The center bar is the thickest part of the frame.

There’s extra padding reinforcing every corner, double stitching right round the chair, and I couldn’t find a single loose thread.

The double-stitched seam on the seat of the Helinox Chair One (re).
Every seam on the seat is stitched twice.
  • Made in Vietnam
  • Weight capacity 320lbs
  • Warranty 5 years

Portability

  • Total weight 2lbs 7.29oz
    • Fabric 13.05oz
    • Poles 23.06oz
    • Carry bag 3.18oz
  • Trail weight 2lbs 4.11ozif you leave the carry bag behind
The packed Helinox Chair One (re) beside a 1-liter Nalgene bottle.
Packed down, next to my 1-liter Nalgene.
  • Packed size 15.0 x 5.25 x 4.25in
  • Packed volume 334 in³
  • Carry handles 2
  • Daisy chain webbing Across the length of the bag

Pros, Cons, Recommendations

Now, what are the pros and cons, and would I recommend the Helinox Chair One (re)? Here it is against the original Chair One first, because that’s the comparison most people are making.

DifferenceChair One (re)Chair One
Setup✓ 30 sec35 sec
Seat size✓ 22.6 x 12.0in21.3 x 10.0in
Seat area✓ 271 in²213 in²
Seat height✓ 10.25in9.6in
Backrest height✓ 19.3in18.8in
Angle of recline (no one sitting)✓ 18°30°
Amount of mesh✗ 19.1%30.4%
Pockets✓ 21
Pole thickness✓ 0.55-0.75in0.54-0.67in
Fabric300D polyester600D polyester
Feet spread area✓ 240 in²167 in²
Weight✗ 2lbs 7.29oz2lbs 3.24oz
Packed size✗ 15.0 x 5.25 x 4.25in13.6 x 4.5 x 5.0in
Packed volume✗ 334 in³306 in³

Bigger seat size

  • Chair One (re): 271 in²
  • Chair One: 213 in²

That’s 20% more seat. Helinox also added a second tension line running all along the chair to spread your weight, and I found it the more comfortable of the two to sit in.

The second tension line running the whole length of the Helinox Chair One (re).
The second tension line runs all along the entire chair.

Overall more comfortable

  • Seat height: 10.25in, up from 9.6in
  • Backrest height: 19.3in, up from 18.8in
  • Angle of recline: 18°, down from 30°

That last one matters most. The original leans much further back, which strains your neck if you’re trying to stay upright.

A larger feet spread

  • Chair One (re): 240 in²
  • Chair One: 167 in²

It didn’t feel tippy however hard I rocked.

An easier setup

  • Chair One (re): 30 seconds
  • Chair One: 35 seconds

The pole pockets on this one are high-grade resin, so the poles slip in instead of catching. I had no tight corners even on the first try.

An additional pocket

  • Chair One (re): 2 pockets
  • Chair One: 1 pocket

The extra one’s a 9.5 x 5.75in side pocket. I counted the carry bag, which is attachable to the chair, as 1 pocket.

Thicker DAC poles

  • Chair One (re): 0.55-0.75in
  • Chair One: 0.54-0.67in

Everything else on the frame matches, so you’re getting DAC poles and hubs, a YKK zipper, reinforced corners and a 5-year warranty either way.

Heavier

  • Chair One (re): 2lbs 7.29oz
  • Chair One: 2lbs 3.24oz

That’s 4oz you carry for the extra size.

Bigger in packed size

  • Chair One (re): 334 in³
  • Chair One: 306 in³

That’s 10% bigger.

More expensive

It costs roughly 20% more than the original Chair One, and Helinox hasn’t retired that one.

Less mesh than the original

  • Chair One (re): 19.1%
  • Chair One: 30.4%

In hot weather the original is the cooler seat.

Overall recommendation

If you want the roomiest, most stable lightweight chair I’ve tested, the Helinox Chair One (re) is worth the upgrade over the original.

Bonus – MUST Read!

Every one of these 11 lightweight chairs went through the same tests, and my Best Backpacking Chairs article lines every measurement up in one place.

Or, check out the Helinox Chair One (re):

Check price on AmazonCheck price on REI Co-opCheck price on BackcountryCheck price on Helinox

I measured every number on this page myself.

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