Bottom Line
This ultralight backpacking chair costs a pretty penny, but the Helinox Chair Zero pulls off the perfect blend of comfort, packability, stability, and ease of use. That’s why it’s at the top of our list of the best backpacking chairs after testing it for two months in New Mexico’s high desert mountains.
The Chair Zero isn’t the lightest backpacking chair we tested, but Helinox made those two extra ounces count. This chair has better comfort, back support, and stability than the other lightweight backpacking chairs we reviewed. It still manages to be one of the lighter and more packable chairs around.
We can’t fault this chair for anything other than price. Even then, its price tag is probably justified by its premium performance. Additionally, it costs ten dollars less than last year, which is unusual given the current market trends. When we’re buying a backpacking chair, we want one that’s lightweight and clearly a comfort upgrade over natural camp furniture. That’s the Helinox Chair Zero, which we recommend to all backpackers who want a high-performing chair that won’t weigh them down.
How We Tested
This spring and summer, CleverHiker editor and gear analyst Jory Brass backpacked with the Helinox to see if it still lives up to its legendary reputation. He also car camped in the New Mexico wilderness, comparing it to the other 10 best backpacking chairs on the market to assess their comfort, packability, stability, and ease of use.
Quick Specs
Helinox Chair Zero
Best Ultralight Backpacking Chair
CleverHiker Rating: 4.8/5.0
Price: $140
Weight: 1 lb. 2 oz.
Weight Limit: 265 lb.
Seat Height: 10 in.
Pros
- Comfortable back support
- Lightweight
- Compact
- Durable construction
- Off the ground
- Intuitive to set up
Cons
- Price
- Set up / tear down is a bit slow
Comfort
Lightweight backpacking chairs aren’t as comfortable as heavier camping chairs, but we found the Helinox Chair Zero plenty cozy at our New Mexican campsites. The scoop seat has enough space for our broad-shouldered gear analyst to sit comfortably without corners or edges digging into his traps, armpits, or quads.
While we used this chair mostly in cooler temperatures and in the shade, its vertical ventilation slits should keep our backs cooler if we wanted a full sun session in the chair. The backrest extends high enough to provide meaningful back support. In other words, this chair ticks all our comfort boxes in the field, which is impressive for its comparatively low weight.
Sure, some of the heavier chairs we tested are slightly more comfortable. However, the Helinox Chair Zero is quite comfortable for such an ultralight backpacking chair.
Weight & Packability
Compared to other classic, scoop-seat backpacking chairs, the Helinox Chair Zero deserves the ultralight label. At one pound two ounces, it’s tied for the second lightest chair we tested, and only two ounces behind the lightest on the list. That’s well below our two-pound cutoff for a backpacking chair.
The DAC aluminum alloy frame keeps this chair’s weight and bulk to a minimum (while supporting hikers up to 265 pounds). Likewise, the ripstop polyester seat is thin yet sturdy, which also helps with weight and packability. Made with such premium materials, the Chair Zero packs into a relatively narrow stuff sack that fits into the side bottle pockets of our mid-sized backpack.
If you’re willing to carry any backpacking chair into the backcountry, you should have no qualms about lugging the Chair Zero in or on your pack. It’s worth the extra pound.
Stability
Stability is where the Helinox Chair Zero holds a clear advantage. While its competitors’ chairs have a similarly low center of gravity and provide a dependable base at level campsites, the Chair Zero performs better when Gear Analyst Jory Brass uses it on uneven ground. The Helinox chair can hold its own (and us) on sloping, soft beds of pine needles and slanting granite.
In particular, the Chair Zero has solid lateral stability for such a lightweight backpacking chair. As our 200-pound tester danced and shimmied side to side to put stress on the chair’s ultralight frame, the Chair Zero handled the abuse. The chair’s center pole runs side to side and features a wide, 14-inch base. That pays off when things literally go sideways at camp.
Conversely, the Chair Zero doesn’t handle forward or backward leans as well. The chair has a wide base, but its short legs sit much closer together from front to back. We didn’t need to lean back too far to feel the front legs lift off the ground – putting us at risk of falling backwards.
Overall, we found the Helinox Chair Zero to be a trustworthy backpacking chair. As an ultralight, it’s not as stable as the significantly heavier options or its low-riding sibling, the Helinox Ground Chair. However, we found that this chair’s ultralight construction didn’t compromise stability as much as several other chairs we tested and reviewed.
Ease of Use
Like most backpacking chairs, setting up the Helinox Ground Chair is straightforward. It’s a standard, tent-style backpacking chair with aluminum poles connected by shock cord. You simply stretch the seat cover over the frame and slip the ends of the poles into the corner pockets.
Our initial assembly and disassembly times averaged just over a minute – slightly longer than our average. The only thing that slowed us down was a little detail. Rather than putting the Helinox branding at the top of the seat – like most backpacking chairs – the branding runs up one side. This makes it tougher to figure out the top, bottom, and sides of the seat – much like fumbling with the fitted sheet on our bed. Obviously, this isn’t a big problem and will be a non-issue once you remember the Helinox logo runs up the top left of the chair.
Should You Buy the Helinox Chair Zero?
We like just about everything about this premium backpacking chair – with the possible exception of its premium price. More than any chair we tested and reviewed, this one strikes the perfect balance between weight savings and comfort, packability, and stability. Compared to the competition, the Chair Zero is easy to carry on the trail, and it provides plenty of advantages at camp with better comfort, back support, and stability than you’d expect from an ultralight backpacking chair.
If you’re a budget-oriented backpacker, you’ll be better off with one of our best budget picks. However, if you’re willing to pay a premium for ultralight performance, we’re confident that the Helinox Chair Zero will be a good choice for you.
What Other Backpacking Chairs Should You Consider?
If you’re not sold on our top pick, please browse the other chairs that made our full guide to the best backpacking chairs.
REI Flexlite Air Chair Review: If the Helinox chair is too rich for your blood, the Flexlite is two ounces lighter and costs $40 less while providing similar performance.
Helinox Ground Chair Review: The Chair Zero’s cousin boasts outstanding stability and sits low to the ground, so we can stretch out our legs comfortably at camp.
Trekology Yizi-Lite Review: If price is your biggest concern, we found the Yizi-Lite to be very comfortable and surprisingly packable for such a cheap backpacking chair.
