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
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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