Backpacking chairs · Vs review

REI Flexlite Air VS. Helinox Chair Zero: I Bought & Tested Both

I bought both chairs with my own money and ran them through 7 side-by-side tests.

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The lightest chair I’ve tested
The author's REI Flexlite Air Chair.

REI Flexlite Air ChairBackpacking Chair

6.9/ 10
  • Setup~36 sec
  • Seat size19.8 x 10.5 in
  • Seat height7.3 in
  • Weight1.07 lbs
REI Co-op
Best overall ultralight chair
The author's Helinox Chair Zero.

Helinox Chair ZeroBackpacking Chair

8.2/ 10
  • Setup~40 sec
  • Seat size19.6 x 11.0 in
  • Seat height7.5 in
  • Weight1.15 lbs
AmazonREI Co-op – NewBackcountry – NewDick’sHelinox

The short answer

The Helinox Chair Zero is worth paying more for. The Flexlite Air is lighter and cheaper, and that’s all it wins.

The Helinox Chair Zero did better in 12 of the 20 measurements below, including every one related to comfort. It opens to a 107° seat angle against 95°, its base area is about 30% bigger, and its seat is 100D aramid ripstop on DAC poles. The REI Flexlite Air did better in three: it’s 1.30oz lighter, it’s lighter again with the bags left behind, and it’s the cheaper of the two.

Side by side

Where they actually differ

MeasuredREI Flexlite AirHelinox Zero
My score6.9 / 10Of 11 backpacking chairs8.2 / 10Of the same 11
Set up36 seconds40 seconds
Seat size19.8 x 10.5in208 in²19.6 x 11.0in216 in²
Seat height, seated7.25in7.5in
Backrest18.5 x 19.75in19.1 x 19.9in
Leg angle28°The steepest of the 1116°
Total seat angle95°The tightest of the 11107°
Back supportNoMy back ached after 30 minutesYes
Mesh coverage0%No slits, no mesh panel2.9%Two breathing slits
Feet spread9.7 x 11.8in14.1 x 10.6in
Base area114 in²The narrowest of the 11149 in²About 30% bigger
Seat fabric70D ripstop nylonDWR finish100D aramid-polyester ripstop
PolesAluminumDAC aluminum0.53in legs, 0.51in seat
Weight capacity250lbs265lbs
Warranty1 year5 years
Total weight1lbs 1.11oz1lbs 2.41oz
Trail weight15.98ozLeaving the bag behind1lbs 1.81oz
Packed size14.0 x 5.0 x 4.25in13.75 x 4.3 x 4.0in
Packed volume298 in³237 in³About 25% smaller
PriceThe cheaper of the twoAbout 40% more expensive

✓ = the better result, from my own testing of both chairs. Both took me 53 seconds to pack away, both load from the side through a small opening, both sit at a 33° backrest angle, and neither one reclines or has a pocket. 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 REI Flexlite Air if…

  • You want the lightest chair there is. At 1lbs 1.11oz nothing I’ve tested comes in under it.
  • Your budget is tight, because the Chair Zero costs about 40% more.
  • You’ve caught it on a steep discount, which is the only time I’d think about it.
  • Just know what you give up: a 95° seat angle that had my back aching after 30 minutes, and the narrowest base of the 11 chairs I’ve tested.

Get the Helinox Chair Zero if…

  • You want to sit down for more than half an hour. Its 107° seat angle kept my back straight where the Flexlite Air’s 95° did not.
  • You don’t want to think about tipping over, because its base covers 149 in² against 114 in².
  • You want it to last. It’s 100D aramid ripstop on DAC poles, covered for 5 years instead of one.
  • You still care about weight, since it’s only 1.30oz heavier and packs down to 237 in³.
The author's REI Flexlite Air Chair and Helinox Chair Zero.
The Flexlite Air on the left, the Chair Zero on the right.
See the 7 tests
  1. Set Up & Pack Away
  2. Seat & Backrest Size
  3. Sitting Angles & Back Support
  4. Breathability
  5. Stability
  6. Materials & Quality
  7. Portability

Set Up & Pack Away

MeasuredREI Flexlite AirHelinox Zero
Set up36 seconds40 seconds
Pack away53 seconds35 to break it down, 18 to bag it53 secondsThe same split
Carry bagSide-loadingSmall openingSide-loadingSmall opening
In the boxChair fabric, poles, carry bagChair fabric, poles, carry bag

Both chairs set up the same way.

The carry bag, chair fabric and poles of the REI Flexlite Air Chair.
Three parts in the Flexlite Air’s bag: fabric, poles, carry bag.
The carry bag, chair fabric and pole structure of the Helinox Chair Zero.
Same three items inside the Chair Zero’s bag.

Snap the frame together, hook the two top corners onto the taller rear poles, and finish with the bottom pair. That final corner needs real force on both chairs, and laying the chair flat on its back makes it much easier.

REI stitches thumb grips into the Flexlite Air’s corners for that last pull, and they’re the only setup aid on either chair.

The author using a thumb grip to pull a corner of the REI Flexlite Air Chair on.
A thumb grip on the Flexlite Air, for that stiff last corner.
The author laying the Helinox Chair Zero on its back to fit the last corner.
No grips on the Chair Zero, so I lay it flat instead.

Packing away took me 53 seconds on both, split the same way: 35 seconds to break the chair down and 18 seconds to feed it into the bag.

The bags are the same design as well. Both load from the side through a small opening, which is where most of those 18 seconds go.

The author laying the folded poles onto the fabric of the REI Flexlite Air Chair.
Folded poles laid on the short end of the Flexlite Air’s fabric.
The folded fabric, broken-down poles and carry bag of the Helinox Chair Zero.
The Chair Zero at the same stage, beside its bag.

Seat & Backrest Size

MeasuredREI Flexlite AirHelinox Zero
Seat width19.8inCorner to corner19.6inCorner to corner
Seat depth10.5inBack to front11.0in
Seat area208 in²216 in²
Seat height, seated7.25in7.5in
Backrest height18.5inEnd of the seat to the top19.1in
Backrest width19.75in19.9in

This is where the two are hard to tell apart. The seats land 8 in² apart, which is less than 4% difference.

The Flexlite Air is 0.2in wider at the front and the Chair Zero 0.5in deeper. I took the width at the widest point and the depth by where I actually sit.

The author measuring the seat of the REI Flexlite Air Chair.
Measuring the Flexlite Air across the widest part of its seat.
The author measuring the seat of the Helinox Chair Zero.
The Chair Zero, taken at the same point.

I’m 5’3 and 117lbs, and both seats leave me about the same room either side.

The seat of the REI Flexlite Air Chair with the author sitting on it.
Sitting in the Flexlite Air, with a little to spare either side.
The seat of the Helinox Chair Zero with the author sitting on it.
And the Chair Zero, from the same spot.

Seated height is 0.25in apart, at 7.25in against 7.5in. Both are low enough that my knees end up higher than my hips.

The measured seat height of the REI Flexlite Air Chair with the author sitting in it.
7.25in under the Flexlite Air with me sitting in it.
The measured seat height of the Helinox Chair Zero with the author sitting in it.
A quarter of an inch more under the Chair Zero, at 7.5in.

The backrests tell the same story. The Chair Zero has 0.6in more height and 0.15in more width, and I noticed neither of them sitting in it.

The author leaning back in the REI Flexlite Air Chair.
The Flexlite Air’s backrest stops short of my neck.
The author leaning back in the Helinox Chair Zero.
The Chair Zero’s finishes half an inch higher.

Sitting Angles & Back Support

MeasuredREI Flexlite AirHelinox Zero
Leg angle28°The steepest of the 1116°
Backrest angle33°33°
Total seat angle95°The tightest of the 11107°
Back supportNoYes

I sat in each chair and took three readings with a digital protractor: my legs against the ground, the backrest, and the seat angle left between them.

  • Backrest angle: 33° on both, so the difference is all in the legs.
  • The Flexlite Air’s 28° legs are the steepest of the 11 chairs I’ve tested, which closes its seat angle to 95°.
  • A dining chair sits you at 90 degrees, but those degrees run perpendicular to the ground.
  • The Flexlite Air folds you into the same angle at ankle height, so the pressure lands in your bum and lower back.

My back started aching after about 30 minutes in it, which is why I don’t count it as having back support. The Chair Zero’s 107° kept my back straight and I could sit in it for hours.

The author sitting in the Helinox Chair Zero with her legs stretched out.
The Chair Zero’s 107 degrees lets me stretch out instead of folding up.

There’s one more thing about the Flexlite Air. Lean back into it and the rear seat poles press against your back.

The rear poles of the REI Flexlite Air Chair pressing into the author's back.
The rear seat poles, right where my back leans onto them.

Breathability

MeasuredREI Flexlite AirHelinox Zero
Mesh coverage0%Of the seat and backrest2.9%
Breathing slitsNone26.25 x 1.75in each

Neither of these is a chair for a hot afternoon, but only one of them vents at all.

The Helinox Chair Zero has a breathing slit either side of the seat, 6.25 x 1.75in each. Measured against the whole seat and backrest, that comes to 2.9%.

The two breathing slits in the seat of the Helinox Chair Zero.
The breathing slits of the Chair Zero.

The Flexlite Air has none, so you sit on solid 70D nylon all afternoon.

Stability

MeasuredREI Flexlite AirHelinox Zero
Front spread9.7in14.1in
Side spread11.8in10.6in
Feet spread area114 in²The narrowest of the 11149 in²About 30% bigger
Foot diameter0.85in0.87in

I measured the spread across the two front feet, then across the two side feet, and multiplied them for the base area.

The Flexlite Air’s base measures 114 in² and the Chair Zero’s 149 in², so the Chair Zero’s base area is about 30% bigger. The Flexlite Air’s is the narrowest of the 11 chairs I’ve tested.

The author measuring the front feet spread of the REI Flexlite Air Chair.
Only 9.7in between the Flexlite Air’s front feet.
The author measuring the front feet spread of the Helinox Chair Zero.
The Chair Zero opens 4.4in wider at the front.

The shape is the bigger problem. Most chairs are wider across the front than the side, and the Flexlite Air is built the other way round, at 9.7in front against 11.8in side.

The measured front and side feet spread of the REI Flexlite Air Chair.
Seen from above, the Flexlite Air is narrower front to back than side to side.

Lean over a little and the whole chair tips over the side. The Chair Zero kept all four feet down however far I leaned out over the side.

The author leaning over the side of the Helinox Chair Zero.
Leaning as far out over the Chair Zero’s side as I could, and nothing lifted.

Materials & Quality

MeasuredREI Flexlite AirHelinox Zero
Seat fabric70D ripstop nylonDWR finish100D aramid-polyester ripstop
PolesAluminum0.53in polesDAC aluminum0.53in legs, 0.51in seat
Center bar0.67in0.67in
HubsResinDAC resin
Weight capacity250lbs265lbs
Warranty1 year5 years

Both seats are ripstop, but they’re not the same fabric. The Chair Zero’s is 100D aramid-polyester against the Flexlite Air’s 70D nylon.

Aramid sits in the same fiber family as Kevlar, so the Chair Zero is the thicker fabric and the stronger fiber at once. REI does finish the Flexlite Air’s with DWR, which Helinox doesn’t.

The ripstop nylon fabric of the REI Flexlite Air Chair.
The Flexlite Air’s 70D nylon, up close.
The aramid-polyester ripstop fabric of the Helinox Chair Zero.
The Chair Zero’s aramid grid, at the same distance.

Helinox fits DAC poles, which are as good as chair frames get. REI uses plain aluminum, and both chairs came in at 0.53in legs and a 0.67in center bar.

A DAC resin hub joining the poles of the Helinox Chair Zero.
DAC makes the Chair Zero’s hubs as well as its poles.

Capacity and warranty follow the same line. The Chair Zero is rated to 265lbs against 250lbs, and Helinox covers it for 5 years where REI gives you one.

Portability

MeasuredREI Flexlite AirHelinox Zero
Chair fabric2.96oz4.87oz
Poles13.02oz12.94oz
Carry bag1.13oz0.60oz
Total weight1lbs 1.11oz1lbs 2.41oz
Trail weight15.98ozLeaving the bag behind1lbs 1.81oz
Packed size14.0 x 5.0 x 4.25in13.75 x 4.3 x 4.0in
Packed volume298 in³237 in³About 25% smaller

This is the one test the Flexlite Air did better in, though not by much. I put every component of both chairs on the scale, and the totals came to 1lbs 1.11oz against 1lbs 2.41oz.

That’s 1.30oz in it, and the fabric is where all of it comes from, at 2.96oz against 4.87oz. The poles are within a tenth of an ounce, and the Chair Zero’s bag is the lighter of the two.

Leave both bags at home and the Flexlite Air is 1.82oz lighter, at 15.98oz against 1lbs 1.81oz.

Packed size is the exception. The Chair Zero is 237 in³ against 298 in³, the smallest of any chair I’ve tested. I’d take that 25% lightly though, because a small error on any of those three measurements moves the volume a long way.

The packed REI Flexlite Air Chair beside a 1-liter Nalgene bottle.
The Flexlite Air packed down, with a 1-liter Nalgene for scale.
The packed Helinox Chair Zero beside a 1-liter Nalgene bottle.
The Chair Zero rolls up shorter and slimmer than that.

My recommendation

The Helinox Chair Zero is the one I’d spend my money on, and the extra cost is fair. It did better in 12 of the comparisons above to the Flexlite Air’s 3, and the ones it wins are the ones you actually feel: the seat angle, the base area, the fabric and the warranty.

The REI Flexlite Air is lighter by 1.30oz and it costs less. I still wouldn’t recommend it, because the 28° leg angle left my back aching after half an hour, and that’s what I remember about sitting in it. On an REI sale it does drop into cheap backpacking chair money, and that’s the only price I’d pay for it.

Comfort is subjective though, so give it a shot if you want to, especially on a steep discount. If you’d rather not gamble on that, spend the extra and get the Chair Zero.

Bonus: I ran the same tests over 11 chairs in total. My backpacking chairs roundup puts every number for all of them in one place.

See how all the chairs compare

Every figure on this page comes from my own measurements of the two chairs I bought.

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