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See the 10 tests

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

Set Up

Here’s what you get in the box:

• The poles
• The chair fabric
• The carry bag

1. Follow the shock-cording to set up the poles.
2. Locate the words “this side up” on the chair fabric, and fit it over the poles via the 4 pole pockets.

• Setup time ~40 seconds

Pack Away

Fold the fabric in half first, with the pole pockets close together but not overlapping. Then fold the sides in until it’s narrow enough for the carry bag.

• Pack-away time ~53 seconds
  • Breaking the chair down 35 seconds
  • Getting it into the bag 18 seconds

Unfolded Dimensions

• Width 19.9inleft to right
• Depth 18.75inback to front
• Height 25.4inground to the top of the chair

Seat Size

• Width 19.6incorner to corner
• Depth 11.0inback to front of the seat
• Seat area 216 in²

Seat Height

I took this measurement twice, with the chair empty and then with me in it.

• Bottom of the seat 8.6inempty
• Seated 7.5inwith me in it
• Front edge 10.75inempty

So the seat sinks 1.1in under my weight.

Backrest

• Height 19.1infrom the end of the seat to the top
• Width 19.9inside to side

I also sat in the chair and took the angles with a digital protractor.

• Leg angle 16°
• Backrest angle 33°
• Total seat angle 107°

At 107° my back stays straight and I can sit here for hours. Anything under 100° leaves me scrunched up with an aching lower back.

Ventilation

There are 2 breathing slits in the seat area, and no mesh panels anywhere.

• Breathing slits 2
• Each slit 6.25 x 1.75inlongest length by tallest height
• Total ventilation 2.9%slit area against the seat and backrest

That’s normal for a chair with slits instead of mesh, which usually land between 2 and 3%. A chair with real mesh panels gives you 20 to 30% instead.

Stability

• Front spread 14.1in
• Side spread 10.6in

It isn’t a wide spread, but it never felt too tippy when I leaned out over the side.

• Feet spread area 149 in²
• Foot diameter 0.87in

The side spread is the second-narrowest of the 11 backpacking chairs I’ve tested, so the frame does flex and tip if you rock backwards.

Materials

• Fabric 100D aramid-polyester ripstop
• Poles DAC aluminum
• Hubs DAC resin
• Carry bag 50D ripstop nylon

• Leg poles 0.53in
• Seat poles 0.51in
• Center bar 0.67in

I went over the stitching too, and couldn’t find a single loose thread on it.

• Weight capacity 265lbsmost ultralight chairs stop at 250lbs
• Warranty 5 years
• Made in Vietnam

Portability

• Total weight 1lbs 2.41oz
  • Fabric 4.87oz
  • Poles 12.94oz
  • Carry bag 0.60oz
• Trail weight 1lbs 1.81ozif you leave the carry bag behind

It also packs into the smallest bundle of any chair I’ve tested.

• Packed size 13.75 x 4.3 x 4.0in
• Packed volume 237 in³

There’s a small carabiner loop by the cinch cord as well, in case you want to clip the bag to a pack.

Pros, Cons, Recommendations

Now, what are the pros and cons, and would I recommend the Helinox Chair Zero?

Very lightweight

At 1lbs 2.41oz it’s the second-lightest chair I’ve tested. Only 5 of them come in under 2 pounds at all, and the REI Flexlite Air beats it by about an ounce.

Backpacking Chair	Weight (lbs.)
REI Flexlite Air	1.07
Helinox Chair Zero	1.15
NEMO Elite	1.42
REI Flexlite Camp	1.89
Big Agnes Skyline	1.89

Extremely small packed size

It also has the smallest packed size of the lot. At 237 in³ it’s about 20% smaller than the Flexlite Air, and it went back into its bag more easily too.

Backpacking Chair	Packed Size (L x W x H, in)	Volume (in³)
Helinox Chair Zero	13.8 x 4.3 x 4.0	237
NEMO Elite	13.0 x 5.0 x 4.0	260
Big Agnes Skyline	17.0 x 4.5 x 3.8	287
REI Flexlite Air	14.0 x 5.0 x 4.3	298
REI Flexlite Camp	14.3 x 5.3 x 5.0	379

Great quality materials

You get:

• 100D aramid-polyester ripstop fabric
• DAC aluminum poles
• DAC resin hubs
• 50D ripstop nylon carry bag

Aramid is the same family of fiber as Kevlar, so the fabric is much stronger than nylon at the same weight. DAC also makes the best poles you can put on a chair.

Decent seat size

Despite being this light, the seat isn’t small. At 216 in² it’s on par with the Helinox Chair One, which isn’t an ultralight chair at all.

Backpacking Chair	Width (in)	Depth (in)	Area (in²)
NEMO Elite	18.5	9.0	167
Quechua MH500	19.5	10.0	195
NEMO Moonlite	20.3	10.0	203
REI Flexlite Air	19.8	10.5	208
REI Flexlite Camp	21.0	10.0	210
Trekology YIZI	21.3	10.0	213
Helinox Chair One	21.3	10.0	213
Helinox Chair Zero	19.6	11.0	216
Big Agnes Skyline	21.3	10.5	224
Naturehike Ultralight	21.5	10.8	232
Helinox Chair One (re)	22.6	12.0	271

Accurate to the marketed specs

Every figure I measured lined up with what Helinox lists. My packed weight of 1lbs 2.41oz, my assembled weight of 1lbs 1.81oz and my packed size all matched. The unfolded dimensions came out a tad bigger, and that’s the only place it differs.

Low seat height

The marketed seat height is 8.5in, and my empty chair measured 8.6in. But once I sat down it dropped to 7.5in, the third lowest of the 11 chairs. Most of the others give you 9 to 11 inches, and that’s a real difference if you have trouble getting out of low seats.

Backpacking Chair	Seat Height (in)
Trekology YIZI	10.8
Helinox Chair One (re)	10.3
Big Agnes Skyline	10.1
Quechua MH500	9.8
Helinox Chair One	9.6
Naturehike Ultralight	9.5
REI Flexlite Camp	9.0
NEMO Moonlite	8.5
Helinox Chair Zero	7.5
REI Flexlite Air	7.3
NEMO Elite	7.3

Less than average seat support

You end up feeling more like you’re sitting in a hammock than in a camp chair. Ultralight chairs don’t usually give you much seat support, and this one is no exception.

Less stability than average

Its feet spread area is 149 in², the third smallest of the 11 chairs, and the 10.6in side spread is the second narrowest. Tip back too far and it does feel unstable.

Backpacking Chair	Feet Spread (F x S, in)	Spread Area (in²)
REI Flexlite Air	9.7 x 11.8	114
REI Flexlite Camp	11.3 x 11.6	131
Helinox Chair Zero	14.1 x 10.6	149
NEMO Elite	16.1 x 9.8	158
Helinox Chair One	14.0 x 11.9	167
Naturehike Ultralight	15.9 x 12.0	191
Trekology YIZI	14.5 x 14.2	206
Quechua MH500	14.4 x 15.0	216
NEMO Moonlite	18.1 x 12.0	217
Big Agnes Skyline	15.8 x 13.8	218
Helinox Chair One (re)	16.0 x 15.0	240

Bonus – MUST Read!

I measured every number on this page myself.