Helinox Chair Zero Review

The Helinox Chair Zero stood out among our testing crew as one of the most comfortable and lightest of the tent-style models. Its stand-out feature is its lightweight design and 265-pound capacity.

Performance Comparison

Comfort

The Chair Zero is not your tailgating, beer holding, pull-your-legs-up-inside with-you chair but is a small, ultralight, backpacking model, so its comfort is in line with its intended use. That being said, it ranks more highly in comfort than many of the heavier and more capacious models we tested. Our testers picked this model over many of the larger ones in our lineup based purely to the comfort it offers.

The shape of the bum-pocket — that nook where you place your derriere — is such that your lower back will be held nice and straight rather than curled in. We found in testing that this positioning feature is the main differentiator in comfort from chair to chair. In addition, the back is fairly high for such a small chair, coming up above the bottom of the shoulder blades for average-sized users.

However, taller and wider folks may find the narrow back allowing the top corners to fold in too far and jab into the armpits or shoulders. Because of that, the Chair Zero is best suited for folks under 6 feet. Campers with wider bums may also notice pressure on their hips during extended sitting sessions.

While the bum-pocket is shaped well for back support, it doesn't offer much depth to hold you in place, and our testers felt like they might slide forward. The length of the set bottom is fairy short and brings with it both some pros and cons; there is no pressure put on the bottom of your thighs and you can sit comfortably with your legs bent or stretched out in front of you, but the small size can add to that feeling of sliding forward. The Chair Zero has slits for breathability. It's hard to tell how much ventilation these actually offer, but they certainly are better than nothing and also keep the chair from collecting piles of dirt and sand.

Size and Weight

At a mere 18 ounces, this is one of the very lightest elevated chairs in our review and also one of the tiniest when packed. It fits easily in the side pocket of most backpacking packs and weighs right around the same as half a liter of water.

Even though it is one of the lightest models tested, the fabric on the Chair Zero is a sturdy rip-stop nylon that feels substantial and durable. Reinforced corners offer added peace of mind where the poles are held, and the molded plastic hubs impart confidence.

Stability

We find the Chair Zero to be on the lower end of stability among tent-style chairs in our test; however, it still ranks significantly above taco-style chairs that require body tension to maintain stability. The lower stability in this model isn't unstable to the extent that we wouldn't still highly recommend it to our friends.

During our plop tests — where we dropped into each chair full force — we hesitated a bit. This chair is strong but it tends to sway, so we never felt completely comfortable to really lean into its frame strength. This lowered our stability score; however, we never ran into any major stability problems. It isn't too hard to tip over backward if you choose to lean on the two rear legs, but the side to side stability is excellent, and it even maintains its upright position when you lean forward to tend your camp stove on the ground in front of you.

Unfortunately, the small feet of the Chair Zero will sink into soft ground more easily than larger, less packable, feet would. A hard, mostly flat surface is necessary for maximum relaxation to be achieved.

Ease of Use

It doesn't get much easier than a bold arrow that says “THIS SIDE UP” unless you also print picture and text directions on the chair. Helinox has dummy-proofed the setup of this model… almost. Because the logo is along one side of the chair material, rather than at the top, we attached the fabric upside down — more than once.

We liked that Helinox chose to rivet the pole hubs to the crossbar, helping keep the poles in place as you set the chair up rather than swiveling around each other. In comparison with other tent-style chairs, a similar amount of force is then required to get the fabric onto the pole frame.

When packing away the Chair Zero, the stuff sack opening is a bit narrow, but as long as you've rolled the fabric neatly around the poles, it shouldn't present too much of a challenge to get everything inside. We liked folding the fabric into thirds then rolling it around the poles for the least bulky package. This method puts the rigid pole receivers away from the bulky hubs when rolling it all together.

In order for the Chair Zero to pack up small, the chair itself needs to be small. The shorter pole lengths set you a mere 7 inches above the ground, meaning a deep squat is required to get in and out of this model. This may be fine for many young athletic types, but if you have knee or hip issues, the low position may make it difficult for you to fully enjoy.

Should You Buy the Big Agnes Skyline UL?

The Chair Zero will appeal to backpackers who want a reasonably sturdy chair that sits higher off of the ground and is lightweight. If you're planning a multi-day jaunt in the backcountry, and you want the luxury of sitting in a decent camp chair, the Helinox is definitely worth considering. It offers a lot of value, but also has a slightly above-average price. That said, when you consider the low weight and comparatively high level of comfort and stability, we think the price is justified, especially for backpackers needing to count every ounce.

What Other Backpacking Chair Should You Consider?

We stand impressed by the weight and comfort of the Helinox Chair Zero. However, the REI Co-op Flexlite Air is actually lighter and cheaper, but it isn't nearly as sturdy as the Helonix. Other lightweight options include the REI Co-op Trail Stool, Therm-a-Rest Trekker Chair Kit, and the Therm-a-Rest Z Seat.