NEMO Moonlite Elite Reclining Backpacking Chair Review

Bottom Line

The NEMO Moonlite Elite backpacking chair is pricey but has a calling card that other lightweight camp chairs can’t claim – it’s a recliner. 

For two months, we tested the Moonlite Elite Reclining Backpacking Chair at several New Mexico campsites to compare it against other top performers. Although it only weighs just over a pound, it is impressively stable. NEMO’s lightweight design features include comfy recycled mesh seating, high-grade aluminum tubes and hubs, and slim but strong cordage. 

NEMO also threw in a carrying case that doubles as a platform to prevent the chair from sinking into sand. There’s no shortage of premium design features and extras with the Moonlite Elite – the ultralight, backpacking variant of the regular Moonlite Camp Chair.

That being said, we appreciated the reclining system, but it was not as special as we had hoped. Plus, larger backpackers may feel poked and prodded by the corners of the chair, which hit our 200-pound tester in all the wrong places. However, that wasn’t true with our smaller gear analyst, who considered the Moonlite Elite one of the comfiest chairs we tested. 

If you’re looking for an innovative, well-built camp chair that’s truly backpacking weight, the Moonlite Elite still ranks among the best backpacking chairs we’ve tested. 

How We Tested

For two months, CleverHiker editor and gear analyst Jory Brass weighed and measured 11 backpacking chairs and carried them into the New Mexico wilderness to test each chair’s comfort, packability, stability, and ease of use. Our review is based on these first-hand field tests, side-by-side comparisons, and past testing notes from other CleverHiker gear analysts.

Comfort

The reclining suspension on the Moonlite Elite works as promised, but it isn’t the revelation we hoped it would be. 

Placing the Moonlite Elite next to other backpacking chairs, we found that its reclined seat position was similar to the normal seating angle of several chairs we tested. In other words, it isn’t that much more reclined. This was also clear the first time Gear Analyst Jory Brass sat in the NEMO recliner. He spent a minute trying to figure out how to lower the chair into its reclined position before realizing it already was in its reclined position. Yes, you can lean back a couple of inches – and that’s comfortable. But it’s no backcountry La-Z-Boy.  

Our testing also revealed potential comfort issues for bigger backpackers. In our previous review, Gear Analyst Ian Krammer – a lighter dude – didn’t have any comfort concerns. However, Gear analyst Jory Brass struggled to sit in the Moonlite Elite for long periods of time because the molded corner mounts dug into his broad shoulders and the outsides of his thighs. Especially after a long day of hiking, we didn’t like aluminum poles tipped with hard plastic triangles gouging into our traps and quads like small spears. We recommend sitting in this chair before cutting the tags to make sure its smaller frame won’t poke, prod, or rub you the wrong way. 

Perhaps our expectations were too high here, but we didn’t find the Moonlite Elite Reclining Backpacking Chairs as comfy as we expected. We were more impressed with its weight and stability.

Weight & Packability

Listed at one pound two ounces, the Moonlite Elite Recliner is tied for the second lightest backpacking chair in our lineup of backpacking chair champions. 

The “Elite” version we tested is a full pound lighter than NEMO’s regular Moonlite Reclining Camp Chair. However, the listed weight is deceptive because it doesn’t include the multipurpose ground sheet-carrying case (which weighs 3-4 ounces). Even so, this is a true backpacking chair – one that provides plenty of back support and stability without weighing us down on the trail.

The packed size isn’t quite as impressive. On the plus side, the Moonlite’s poles and hubs are more streamlined than most since they’re made from high-quality aluminum. Those quality materials slim things down. On the minus side, NEMO ditched a traditional stuff sack for a dual-purpose Platform Pack – a ground sheet that doubles as a tortilla-style carrying case that lets you wrap the Moonlite Elite like a burrito.

As we describe in the next section, we like how that Platform Pack adds stability on soft ground when used as a ground sheet. However, when used as a carrying case, that sheet makes the Moonlite Elite’s stuffed size bulkier than backpacking chairs with similar weight. Plus, we don’t like carrying the chair (or any ultralight gear for that matter) outside of our pack in that burrito-style wrapping. As we tackled tough trails, we worried that chair components could fall out since they weren’t completely enclosed like they would be in a traditional stuff sack. If you’ve ever had carnitas, beans, or guac spill out of your burrito, you’ll understand our doubts about NEMO’s roll-style Platform Pack.

Despite our questions about its carrying case, the Moonlite Elite Reclining Backpacking Chair earned solid weight and packability scores. Its premium materials minimize weight and bulk, making this chair appropriate for backpackers.

Stability

The chair’s premium materials and clever engineering also contribute to the Moonlite Elite Recliner’s surprisingly good stability. As a rule of thumb, lightweight gear usually scores low for stability and support. However, NEMO’s backpacking chair ranks high for stability despite its low weight. 

Gear analyst Jory Brass was impressed at how well the Moonlite Elite carried his weight as he rocked front and back and shook it side to side during his stability testing. Its stability is flawless on level ground, and the chair holds its own on soft, sloping ground or uneven granite slabs. 

Among the ultralight backpacking chairs with back support, the NEMO Moonlite Reclining Backpacking Chair has the best stability compared to our other favorites in our gear guide.   

Everything about this chair’s build inspires confidence. The frame poles are made with high-quality aluminum, and so are the hubs – an upgrade over the plastic connection points of most chairs. The center pole runs side to side – not front to back – for lateral stability. Plus, the seat snaps onto that sturdy aluminum frame with ball-and-socket connectors that are sturdier than the fabric pockets on the average chair. The legs form a base of 16 inches, and the back legs are slightly longer to accommodate leaning back in the chair’s reclined position. Finally, the Moonlite Elite Reclining chair sits low to the ground, keeping campers’ center of gravity relatively low.   

Last but not least, NEMO’s roll-style Platform Pack also increases the chair’s stability on soft or sandy ground. The feet of most backpacking chairs sink into sand, mud, and soft soil, which causes wobbling and sometimes sends campers sprawling. The Platform Pack addresses this stability problem. You simply spread it out on the ground and secure the chair’s feet into the corner pockets to distribute weight across a wider surface. This feature worked for us in the Sandias. The platform prevented the Moonlite’s legs from digging into a soft bed of pine needles at our campsite, maintaining a level base. 

If you do a lot of backpacking (or kayak camping) that requires you to camp on sand or soft riverbanks, the Moonlite Elite Reclining Chair would be a stable choice – thanks to that platform. 

Ease of Use

Compared with other backpacking chairs, the NEMO Moonlite Elite has a bit of a learning curve. Setting up most backpacking chairs is intuitive. However, it took us several minutes to set up the Moonlite Elite the first time, after our initial reaction of “WTF” when we first unrolled the Platform Pack to find several pieces piled inside. Thankfully, NEMO has attached an instruction card to the multipurpose Platform Pack/carrying case, color-coded the connector points, and labeled the bottom of the seat to make things a little easier. After a few assemblies, it only took us slightly longer than others to set up this chair in the field.

Likewise, it took us a little longer to break down the chair and repack it. The ball-and-socket connectors make for a secure seat, but they slow down the process. Stowing it also slowed us down. The roll-style case doesn’t inspire as much confidence as a stuff sack since it leaves openings where chair components potentially could slip out of the roll, which isn’t especially tight. 

These quirks are far from deal breakers. However, unpacking, assembling, disassembling, and repacking the Moonlite Elite isn’t as automatic as it is with the other backpacking chairs we tested and reviewed. 

Should You Buy the NEMO Moonlite Elite Reclining Backpacking Chair?

The NEMO Moonlite Elite Reclining Backpacking Chair is a premium pick for backpackers who want an ultralight yet stable chair for the backcountry. The optional Platform Pack also makes this chair a standout for people who regularly camp on sand or soft tent pads that present stability challenges. 

We found the reclining suspension to be good but not great. Broad-shouldered backpackers will need to watch where the chair’s corners, cords, and edges hit their bodies. This isn’t a perfect backpacking chair, but it’s a really good one if you’re willing to pay a premium for several innovative design features (and a few we’re not so sure about).

What Other Backpacking Chairs Should You Consider?

For more choices, please browse our full guide to the best backpacking chairs, which includes these alternatives:

Helinox Ground Chair Review: This ground chair isn’t as light as the Moonlite Elite, but it’s also very stable, reclines as much as the Moonlite, and costs $50 less. Its scoop seat is also a better comfort match for bigger backpackers. 

Helinox Chair Zero Review: Our top-ranked backpacking chair ticks all the boxes for comfort, weight and packability, stability, and ease of use with fewer caveats than the NEMO Moonlite Elite Reclining Chair. 

Trekology Yizi-Lite Review: If you experienced sticker shock with the NEMO recliner, the Yizi-Lite also lets you sit at a reclined angle, is a better fit for larger backpackers, and costs almost four times less than the Moonlite Elite.