Best Camping Chair: Comfort vs Pack Size

I'm Wren, and I've spent the better part of a decade testing camping chairs that promise the world and deliver a sore back by morning. My dog Juno has her own opinions on the subject, mostly involving whether she can fit on the seat next to me. She's a harsh critic.

The best camping chair I've tested is the Helinox Chair One, because it hits the only metric that actually matters for anyone who carries their gear more than twenty feet: pack size. But it comes with a caveat that will make you hate it if you're over 200 pounds or value your knees.

Pros

• 2.2 pounds packed weight, fits inside a backpack side pocket
• Sets up in under a minute
• Genuinely stable on uneven ground

Cons

• Sits low, very low. Getting up is a project.
• The price is steep for what feels like a bundle of tent poles
• Not for anyone who wants to lounge

Compared to the REI Flexlite Air (also 2.1 pounds, $100), the Helinox wins on actual sitting comfort. The Flexlite's seat fabric is thinner and sags faster. But the Flexlite packs down to a round cylinder that's easier to strap to a pack. The Chair One's tripod legs make it a weird shape to lash anywhere. I've bungeed it to my pack more times than I've put it inside, which defeats the purpose.

The Big Agnes Big Six (3.5 pounds, $180) is the Chair One's direct rival for "camp chair that doesn't feel like a torture device." It sits six inches higher off the ground. That's the difference between standing up like a normal person and doing a controlled fall forward onto your hands. I've done both. The Big Six is the chair I actually take car camping, but it's over a pound heavier and eats more pack space.

Design

The Chair One's whole identity is the weight. At 2.2 pounds, it's a third of the weight of the Coleman chairs I used to haul. The frame is DAC aluminum poles, the same stuff used in expensive trekking poles, and it locks together with a shock cord system. There's no assembly. You unfold it, pull the hubs apart, and it's done.

The seat height is 10.5 inches off the ground. I'm 5'7", and my knees come up to my chin when I'm sitting in it. For a reference point, the standard camp chair height is around 17 inches. The Chair One is not a chair you sit in. It's a chair you squat in.

The fabric is a ripstop polyester that's survived two seasons of my dog's claws and one incident where I dragged it across a gravel pad. No tears, no fraying.

Performance

I've used the Chair One on the PCT, on overnighters in the Cascades, and on a week-long trip where it rained for four days straight. It's never failed structurally. The poles flex but don't bend, even when I've leaned back too far and gone over.

The issue is the sitting position. At 10.5 inches high, you're not relaxing. You're hovering. Your center of gravity is low, which sounds stable, but it means your back is at a 90-degree angle with no lumbar support. After fifteen minutes, I'm shifting. After thirty, I'm thinking about the ground.

For the price, that's a hard pill to swallow. I've seen the Chair One on sale for as low as $100, but it regularly sits at $130. The REI Flexlite Air, the closest competitor, is $100 and the same weight. The Chair One's only real advantage is the build quality. The Helinox poles feel like they'll outlast me. The REI's frame has more flex and creaks under load.

Durability

This is where the Chair One earns its keep. I've had mine for three years. The fabric is still taut. The shock cords haven't stretched. The aluminum hubs show wear but no cracks. I've seen reviews from buyers who've had theirs for over a decade and only replaced the feet caps.

The feet caps are the weak point. They're thin rubber, and they wear through after a season of rocky ground. Helinox sells replacements for $10, but you have to find them. That's the kind of maintenance I'd rather not do on gear I paid $130 for.

Value

Here's the math. The Chair One costs $130. The REI Flexlite Air costs $100. The difference is $30, which is the price of one decent campsite reservation. If you're carrying your chair more than a mile, the Helinox is worth it. The build quality is better, and the weight is the same.

If you're carrying your chair from the car to the fire pit, don't buy this. Buy the $40 Coleman that weighs 8 pounds and sits at a normal height. You'll be more comfortable and you'll save $90.

The Chair One is for backpackers, thru-hikers, and anyone who's ever looked at the weight of their gear and wanted to cry. It's not for car campers. It's not for people who want to nap in their chair. It's for people who want to sit down after a twenty-mile day and not add three pounds to their pack to do it.

Should you buy it?

If you're a backpacker who's already counting grams on your spoon, yes. This is the best camping chair that actually fits in a pack. If you're a weekend car camper, no. You'll be miserable in it and you'll hate me for recommending it. Buy a chair with legs that let you stand up like a human.

Update, June 2025: I'm currently testing the Helinox Chair Zero (1.1 pounds, $120) against the Chair One for a summer of light backpacking. First impressions: it's noticeably more tippy. I'll report back after a few more nights out. The search for a chair that's both light and comfortable continues, and my back is very invested in the outcome.