Helinox Ground Ultralight Backpacking Chair Review
The Helinox Ground Chair is a lightweight, collapsible chair for backpacking and camping. While it sits lower to the ground than other lightweight camping chairs, its square base and hubs spread out the load more evenly, so it’s less likely to sink into sand, soft ground, or wet ground, which is a huge problem with other camping chairs designed for backpacking use.
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- Weight: 1 lb 7 oz (640g)
- Maximum load: 265 lbs
- Chair dimensions: 20.5 x 20 x 19 in
- Packed dimensions: 11.8 x 4 x 4 in
- Seat fabric: 500D polyester with mesh side panels
I’d always written off the Helinox Ground Chair because I figured it would be too low to the ground to be comfortable. But now that I’ve tried it, my opinion has changed. It’s really comfortable and no more difficult to get up from than other chairs like the Helinox Chair Zero or the Nemo Moonlite. The Ground Chair is also surprisingly compact when packed in my backpack and a worthy addition to more casual backpacking trips when I want to hang out with friends over dinner or around the campfire. Plus, its unique design prevents i from sinking in soft soil, something that compromises most of the other portable camping chairs available.
The Ground Chair’s square base and plastic corner hubs spread the chair’s load more evenly than the pointy feet of other camp chairs, preventing the chair from sinking into soft ground. Of course, even if you do sink, you won’t get far because your bum will stop it, while still supporting your back.
The Helinox Ground Chair is amazingly packable and comparable in size to a folding foam seat pad like NEMO’s Chipper sit pad, though a pound or so heavier, making it a viable seating option to carry on day hikes to a pretty view, the beach, outdoor concerts, and so on. I know I prefer a chair with a back if I plan to sit for a longer period of time.
Assembling the chair is also easy. The frame has shock-corded poles that only fit together one way, while the pole ends fit into obvious slots at the corners of the chair seat and lock in place. Breaking the chair down and packing it away is equally easy.
Comparable Backpacking and Camping Chairs
| Make / Model | Weight | Seat Height | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Helinox Chair Zero LT | 16.3 | 7" | $160 |
| REI Flexlite Air Chair | 16 oz | 11" | $100 |
| NEMO Moonlite Chair | 30 oz | 10.5" | $170 |
| Helinox Ground Chair | 23 oz | 4" | $140 |
| Big Agnes Skyline UL Chair | 28 oz | 15" | $200 |
| Grand Trunk Mayfly Chair | 25.6 oz | 3-8" | $90 |
| Trekology Yizi Lite | 26.5 oz | 9.8" | $54 |
| Crazy Creek Hex 2.0 | 20.8 oz | 0.5" | $70 |
| REI Flexlite Air Stool | 11.5 oz | 17" | $70 |
| Hillsound BTR Stool | 14.1 oz | 17" | $90 |
Recommendation
The Helinox Ground Chair is a lightweight, collapsible chair for backpacking and camping. While it sits lower to the ground than other lightweight backpacking chairs, its square frame and connector hubs prevent it from sinking into soft or damp ground, a common problem with similar chairs. Setup is fast and easy with shock-corded poles and intuitive seat attachments. Its supportive 500-denier polyester seat features breathable monofilament mesh side panels to keep you comfortable in hot environments. The only thing missing is an ottoman to prop your feet on.
Disclosure: Helinox donated a chair for review.
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Good review but you did not mention one important point and the main reason I have owned this chair for two years. You can use it INSIDE your tent. I Bike camp and carry a 2 person tent. This chair lets me get out of the bugs and have a comfortable place to read before bed. It is great.
I’m 6′ and average to under average weight and the Chair Zero locks me into one uncomfortable position with all the weight on my lower back and no wiggle room to shift around for relief. It’s way too tight on my hips. That’s why I bought the Ground Chair. It’s far more generous for space to shift around and it better distributes weight. It’s comfortable for hours. With it’s weight, I also only bring it for short social trips but its th elightest chair i could find that wasn’t a vice grip
I just love my Crazy Creek. It lives in the mesh pocket on the back of my pack and I can slide it out and sit down in 5 seconds which is a big plus if I’m hiking with a group. And it doubles as ground insulation for sleeping!
I picked up the crazy creek last week and used it this past weekend in the Whites…I liked the ease of using it and the side straps make it easy to adjust for comfort, now getting up out of it sometimes can be a challenge but I can deal with that… also when doubled up with my Nemo chipper closed cell pad it was extra comfy
This is the chair I bring out on long walks when I know I’m eventually going to stop and sit for a while to read or do some sketching. I don’t notice it in my backpack and it’s very comfortable to sit in. I’m 5’9 and about 200lbs.