Backpacking chairs · Vs review
NEMO Moonlite Elite VS. Helinox Chair Zero: I Bought & Tested Both
I bought both chairs with my own money and ran them through 8 side-by-side tests.
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NEMO Moonlite EliteBackpacking Chair
- Setup~60 sec
- Seat size18.5 x 9.0 in
- Seat height7.25 in
- Weight1.42 lbs
Helinox Chair ZeroBackpacking Chair
- Setup~40 sec
- Seat size19.6 x 11.0 in
- Seat height7.5 in
- Weight1.15 lbs
The short answer
The Chair Zero is the better chair, and the cheaper one. Get the Elite if you want one that reclines.
The Helinox Chair Zero won almost everything I measured. It’s lighter, it packs smaller, it goes up 20 seconds faster, and its seat and backrest are both bigger. The NEMO Moonlite Elite beats it on two things: it’s the only chair under 2lbs I’ve tested that reclines, and at 93.5% mesh it’s much cooler to sit in.
Side by side
Where they actually differ
| Measured | NEMO Elite | Helinox Zero |
|---|---|---|
| My score | 7.1 / 10 | 8.2 / 10 |
| Set up | 60 seconds10 of those are the groundsheet | 40 seconds |
| Pack away | 70 seconds5 of those are the groundsheet | 53 seconds |
| Seat size | 18.5 x 9.0in166.5 in² | 19.6 x 11.0in216 in² |
| Seat height, seated | 7.25inSinks 3.0in | 7.5inSinks 1.1in |
| Seat support | Firmer, more like a normal chair | Slack, more like a hammock |
| Backrest | 15.5 x 17.0in | 19.1 x 19.9in |
| Reclines | Yes6° of extra backrest angle | No |
| Total seat angle | 99° upright, 105° reclined | 107°Fixed |
| Mesh coverage | 93.5% | 2.9%Two breathing slits, no mesh |
| Groundsheet | IncludedThe carry bag unclips into it | None, just a carry bag |
| Feet spread | 16.1 x 9.75in157.8 in² of base | 14.1 x 10.6in149 in² |
| Seat material | Polyester-TPU mesh | 100D aramid-polyester ripstop |
| Poles | 7001 aluminum | DAC aluminum |
| Hubs | 6061 aluminum | DAC resin |
| Weight capacity | 250lbs | 265lbs |
| Warranty | Lifetime | 5 years |
| Weight | 1lbs 6.72oz1lbs 2.69oz without the bag | 1lbs 2.41oz1lbs 1.81oz without the bag |
| Packed size | 13.0 x 5.0 x 4.0in260 in³ | 13.75 x 4.3 x 4.0in237 in³ |
| Price | No backpacking chair I’ve tested costs more | The cheaper of the two |
✓ = the better result, from my own testing of both chairs. Neither one has a pocket, a cup holder or a headrest. The Elite is made in the Philippines and the Chair Zero in Vietnam, and every seated figure here was measured with me in the chair, at 5’3 and 117lbs.
Which applies to you?
Get this one if…
Get the NEMO Moonlite Elite if…
- You want a chair that reclines. It’s the only one under 2lbs I’ve tested that does.
- You camp somewhere hot. It’s 93.5% mesh, against two breathing slits on the Chair Zero.
- You want the groundsheet in the box, so the small feet don’t press into soft ground.
- Just know what you give up: the smallest seat and backrest I’ve measured, a slower set up, and the higher price.
Get the Helinox Chair Zero if…
- You want the lighter chair. Mine weighs 1lbs 2.41oz against the Elite’s 1lbs 6.72oz.
- You want the smaller pack, at 237 in³ against 260 in³.
- You want more room. Its seat is 216 in² against 166.5 in², and its backrest is 3.6in taller.
- You want it up faster, at 40 seconds against 60 seconds.
Set Up & Pack Away
| Measured | NEMO Elite | Helinox Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Set up | 60 seconds10 of those are the groundsheet | 40 seconds |
| Pack away | 70 seconds5 of those are the groundsheet | 53 seconds35 to break it down, 18 to bag it |
| In the box | Chair fabric, poles, groundsheet bag | Chair fabric, poles, carry bag |
| How the fabric attaches | Ball-and-socket, color-coded | Four pole pockets |
The Chair Zero is 20 seconds quicker each way. The NEMO Moonlite Elite is the slowest backpacking chair I’ve tested, both going up and coming down.
The Chair Zero goes up the standard way. You build the frame, then work the four corners of the fabric onto the pole tips, and only the last corner takes real effort.
The Elite has sockets rather than pole pockets, and they take real strength to pop onto the ball tips. Its frame carries more tension too, so I had to lay the chair on its side and push the tensioned poles in with my body weight. It wasn’t possible for me, otherwise.
The groundsheet is the rest of the gap. Clipping it onto the four feet is the last step of the setup, and it added 10 seconds there and another 5 seconds to the pack away.
Packing the Elite away is fiddlier as well. You unclip the groundsheet, recline the chair before you start, then grip and twist each corner off its pole.
The poles are tensioned enough to spring back and hit you, so be careful of this. And the two back legs are the fixed ones, so the frame only folds down one way.
Seat Size
| Measured | NEMO Elite | Helinox Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Seat width | 18.5inCorner to corner | 19.6in |
| Seat depth | 9.0inBack to front | 11.0in |
| Seat area | 166.5 in² | 216 in² |
| Seat height, seated | 7.25inSinks 3.0in | 7.5inSinks 1.1in |
| Seat support | Firmer, more like a normal chair | Slack, more like a hammock |
The Helinox Chair Zero gains 1.1in across the seat and a full 2.0in front to back. Put those together and you get 216 in² of seat against 166.5 in².
The Elite has the smallest seat of any chair I’ve tested. I’m 5’3 and 117lbs and there’s barely any spare room on either side of me, so do check it against your own size before you buy one.
The Elite does hold you better, though. Sitting on it feels like sitting in a normal chair, where the Chair Zero’s seat hangs slack enough that it’s closer to a hammock.
Seat height is almost the same on both. Once I’m sitting in them the Chair Zero measures 7.5in and the Elite 7.25in, and both are among the lowest chairs I’ve measured.
Backrest
| Measured | NEMO Elite | Helinox Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Backrest height | 15.5inThe shortest of any chair I’ve tested | 19.1in |
| Backrest width | 17.0in | 19.9in |
The Chair Zero’s backrest is 3.6in taller and 2.9in wider. On me it reaches almost all the way up my back, where the Elite’s stops about halfway.
That matters most if you’re tall. The top edge of the Elite’s backrest lands right under your shoulder blades and digs in, though at 5’3 I never had that problem.
Breathability
| Measured | NEMO Elite | Helinox Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Mesh coverage | 93.5%Of the seat and backrest | 2.9%Two breathing slits, no mesh |
| Seat material | Polyester-TPU mesh | 100D aramid-polyester ripstop |
| Where the fabric sits | Four corners, 3.5 x 2.0in each | Everywhere but the two slits |
This one isn’t close. The Elite is 93.5% mesh, and the only fabric on it is the four pole-socket corners.
The Chair Zero has two breathing slits in the seat area and no mesh anywhere else, which came to 2.9% of the chair. That’s normal for a chair with slits, but it does mean less breathability.
The Elite’s holes are very fine, so it isn’t as breezy as mesh with bigger holes.
Reclining
| Measured | NEMO Elite | Helinox Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Reclines | YesTensioned belay straps | No |
| Backrest angle | 33° upright, 39° reclined | 33°Fixed |
| Extra recline | 6° | None |
| Total seat angle | 99° upright, 105° reclined | 107° |
Only the Elite reclines, and it’s the only chair under 2lbs I’ve tested that does. You lean back and pull the tensioner towards you, then sit up and push it away to come back.
Reclining is easy. Sitting back up took quite a bit of my strength.
However, the gain is smaller than I was hoping for. The straps buy you 6° of extra backrest angle, and the Chair Zero’s fixed 107° seat angle is already more open than the Elite reclined at 105°.
Stability & The Groundsheet
| Measured | NEMO Elite | Helinox Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Front feet spread | 16.1in | 14.1in |
| Side feet spread | 9.75inUnder 10.0in | 10.6in |
| Feet spread area | 157.8 in² | 149 in² |
| Foot diameter | 0.85in | 0.87in |
| Groundsheet | IncludedThe carry bag unclips into it | None |
The Elite wins the front spread by 2.0in and loses the side spread by 0.85in. Multiply each pair out and its base covers 157.8 in² of ground against 149 in².
Neither one moved when I leaned right out over the side. Backwards is the weak direction on both, and both tip without much rocking, so do watch how far you lean back in either.
The groundsheet is what separates them. The Elite’s carry bag doubles as one, so you lay it out flat and snap a chair foot into each of its four corners.
Both chairs have small feet, at 0.85in and 0.87in across, so both will press into soft ground. The difference is that NEMO includes the groundsheet, where on almost every other chair it’s a paid extra.
Materials & Quality
| Measured | NEMO Elite | Helinox Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Seat material | Polyester-TPU mesh | 100D aramid-polyester ripstop |
| Poles | 7001 aluminum0.55in, 0.79in center bar | DAC aluminum0.53in legs, 0.67in center bar |
| Hubs | 6061 aluminum | DAC resin |
| Weight capacity | 250lbs | 265lbs |
| Warranty | Lifetime | 5 years |
Both are well made, and each one wins part of this. The Chair Zero’s fabric is aramid-polyester ripstop, and aramid is the same family of fiber as Kevlar, so it’s stronger than the Elite’s mesh at the same weight.
Its poles are DAC, which are the best poles you can put on a chair. The hubs are DAC too, but they’re resin.
The Elite goes the other way. Its poles are 7001 aircraft-grade aluminum and its hubs are 6061, which makes it one of very few chairs with a full aluminum frame. Most chairs use resin hubs, Helinox included.
NEMO also covers the Elite for life, where Helinox gives you 5 years. I checked the stitching on both, and there wasn’t a loose thread on either one.
Portability
| Measured | NEMO Elite | Helinox Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Chair fabric | 4.55oz | 4.87oz |
| Poles | 14.14oz | 12.94oz |
| Carry bag | 4.03ozIt is also the groundsheet | 0.60oz |
| Total weight | 1lbs 6.72oz | 1lbs 2.41oz4.31oz lighter |
| Trail weight | 1lbs 2.69ozLeaving the bag behind | 1lbs 1.81oz0.88oz lighter |
| Packed size | 13.0 x 5.0 x 4.0in | 13.75 x 4.3 x 4.0in |
| Packed volume | 260 in³ | 237 in³About 10% smaller |
I weighed every part of both chairs. The Chair Zero comes to 1lbs 2.41oz against the Elite’s 1lbs 6.72oz, so it’s 4.31oz lighter.
Most of that gap is the bag, because the Elite’s is also the groundsheet: 4.03oz against 0.60oz. Leave both bags behind and the trail weights are only 0.88oz apart.
The Chair Zero packs smaller as well, at 237 in³ against 260 in³. That’s about 10% less volume, and the smallest bundle of any chair I’ve tested.
My recommendation
The Helinox Chair Zero is the one I’d put in my pack. It’s 4.31oz lighter, it packs down smaller, it goes up and comes down faster, and it has the bigger seat and the taller backrest. It’s the cheaper of the two as well.
Get the NEMO Moonlite Elite if you want the recline, or if you camp somewhere hot. It has more mesh than any lightweight chair I’ve tested at 93.5%, and the belay straps drop the backrest another 6°. The groundsheet comes in the box too, which is a paid extra on almost every other chair.
However, I’m not sure that 6° is worth the extra weight and the extra money. And do check the seat and backrest against your own size before you buy one, because they’re the smallest I’ve measured on any chair. I’m 5’3, so the Elite fits me, but it won’t if you’re much bigger than I am.
Bonus: Both of these chairs went up against nine others in my full backpacking chairs roundup, where every test score sits side by side.
Every figure on this page comes from my own measurements of the two chairs I bought.
