Backside Line
Rating on the high of our listing of the finest backpacking chairs, the Helinox Floor Chair wowed us with its stability and campsite consolation. Gear analyst Jory Brass didn’t suppose he’d like a low-riding chair. Nonetheless, the Helinox Floor Chair modified his thoughts after testing it subsequent to 10 of his different favorites whereas overnighting at a number of New Mexico campsites.
Sitting low to the bottom makes it simpler to increase your legs whereas lounging in camp, or to achieve for a camp range whereas enjoyable in a semi-reclined place.
This chair didn’t ace all of our checks. In any case, it does take extra effort to get out and in of a floor chair. Moreover, its weight is 4-6 ounces heavier than our favourite ultralight fashions. Nonetheless, we like how the Helinox Floor Chair lets us stretch out our legs after an exhausting day of backpacking. Plus, the chair’s stability is fairly darn good, because of its distinctive sq. base and low heart of gravity.
For us, this chair’s apparent positives outweigh its attainable negatives. In case you really feel extra comfy extending your legs in camp, you may even select the Helinox Floor Chair over its sibling – and top-ranked chair on our listing – the Helinox Chair Zero.
How We Examined
For 2 months, CleverHiker Editor and Gear analyst Jory Brass examined the Helinox Floor Chair within the Land of Enchantment. Area checks might sound low-tech, however sitting round on this chair, packing and unpacking it, and sticking it on a scale are the strategies we selected for reviewing its consolation, weight, packability, stability, and ease of use.
Fast Specs
Helinox Floor Chair
Finest Backpacking Floor Chair
CleverHiker Score:
4.6/5.0
Value:
$130
Weight:
1 lb. 6.4 oz.
Weight Restrict:
265 lb.
Seat Peak:
4.5 in.
Execs
- Snug
- Good again assist
- Good for extending toes in entrance of you
- Sq. base is secure on mushy floor
- Premium development
Cons
- Value
- Common weight/packability
- Low-to-ground design isn’t for everybody
Consolation
On the finish of two months of testing, the Helinox Floor Chair had risen towards the highest of our listing for consolation.
The inside track seat itself is sort of comfy. Our 200-pound tester has loads of room – with out corners and edges digging into his shoulders and quads (which occurs with another fashions). The seating angle is barely reclined, making it straightforward to chill, lengthen our legs, and chill out in camp. Vertical slits and aspect mesh present air flow, maintaining us cool in sizzling or humid climate.
We have now minimal consolation complaints after utilizing this chair within the frontcountry and backcountry. As you may think, it takes slightly extra work to get out and in of a floor chair, particularly in the event you’re stiff after cooling down from a tough day on the path. This one sits about 6 inches decrease than the everyday, tent-style backpacking chair.
As soon as seated, although, we discover it comfy to relaxation in a number of positions. Specifically, it’s simpler to stretch out our legs in entrance of us – to get our blood circulating to empty the lactic acid from our achy legs. Nonetheless, some campers will choose the extra upright seating positions of different consolation standouts.
Most backpacking chairs are comfy for brief stints. The Helionox Floor Chair is without doubt one of the chairs we are able to sink into comfortably for an hour or extra.
Weight & Packability
In contrast with different backpacking chairs we weighed and examined, the Helinox Floor Chair ranked in the course of the pack for weight and packability. Weighing 1 pound 6 ounces, it was effectively beneath our 2-pound cutoff for a backpacking chair, but 4-6 ounces heavier than ultralight chairs. Weight-wise, the Helinox Floor Chair is nice, however not nice, by backpacking chair requirements.
Its packed measurement is according to different chairs we examined. When stuffed, the Helinox Floor is shorter than different backpacking chairs and has a bigger circumference than a 1-liter Nalgene bottle. We will cram the stuff sack into the stretchy aspect bottle pocket of our backpack, however it takes some work when our pack is full.
In brief, weight and packability aren’t this chair’s strengths. However it’s clearly a backpacking chair – not a tenting chair. We have now no qualms about carrying the Helinox Floor Chair into the woods, given its consolation and stability.
Stability
Stability is a transparent power of the Helinox Floor Chair. As a part of our area testing, Gear Analyst Jory Brass examined its stability on stable floor, mushy floor, and sloping floor. The chair stood agency on all surfaces as he rocked forwards and backwards, leaned aspect to aspect, and shimmied to place some stress on the chair’s body.
The Helinox Floor Chair boasts a number of stability options that different backpacking chairs can’t declare. The chair’s sq. base not solely presents assist in all 4 instructions but in addition resists sinking. It did nice resisting sinking into sand or the mushy mattress of pine needles at our campsite alongside the Sandia Crest Path. Plus, the body is made with a premium DAC Aluminum alloy and pre-bent poles that may take some abuse. As a floor chair, its heart of gravity can be fairly low, making it extra secure and fewer more likely to tip over.
Ease of Use
Like most backpacking chairs, the Helinox Floor Chair is fairly straightforward to make use of. Preliminary setup took us round 45 seconds with out directions. All of the connection factors are intuitive, and the Helinox branding on the high of the seat makes it straightforward to align it with the aluminum body. The stuff sack is appropriately sized for the chair. The premium aluminum poles pack down effectively, however the chunky plastic hubs for the sq. base stow considerably awkwardly.
As talked about earlier than, the hardest half about utilizing a floor chair is entering into it and getting out of it (particularly in the event you’re tremendous sore from logging some miles). With the seat suspended solely 4-5 inches off the bottom, it takes extra work to decrease your self right into a sitting place. In case you’re older or wrestle with mobility or steadiness, you’ll in all probability choose a extra typical backpacking chair that usually positions you 10-12 inches off the bottom.
Nonetheless, sitting on the Helinox Floor Chair is way simpler in your physique than sitting on the bottom.
Ought to You Purchase the Helinox Floor Chair?
In case you like the concept of a secure backpacking chair that permits you to stretch out your legs at camp, the Helinox Floor Chair must be at or close to the highest of your listing. We additionally like this chair for tenting on mushy floor, because of its sq. base, which doesn’t sink into sand or riverbanks as a lot because the toes of most backpacking chairs.
Our tester has at all times used a taller backpacking chair, however he could swap to this floor chair to provide his mountain climbing legs slightly extra love in camp. Nonetheless, sitting low to the bottom gained’t enchantment to everybody, particularly when you have bother getting up or down after a protracted day on the path. Plus, this chair isn’t the lightest of the bunch, so ultralighters could choose shedding a number of ounces with an ultralight backpacking chair or sit pad. Total, although, we’re huge followers of the Helinox Floor Chair.
What Different Backpacking Chairs Ought to You Contemplate?
For extra backpacking chair concepts, please see our finest backpacking chairs information for extra alternate options, together with these:
Helinox Chair Zero Evaluate: In case you’re not dedicated to a floor chair, the Helinox Chair Zero topped our 2025 listing of one of the best backpacking chairs.
Trekology Yizi-Lite Evaluate: Do you want floor chairs however can’t afford the Helinox? The Yizi-Lite additionally sits low to the bottom and prices nearly 3 times lower than Helinox backpacking chairs.
Huge Agnes Skyline UL Evaluate: In case you put consolation and stability first however need to sit greater off the bottom, we suggest the Huge Agnes Skyline.
