Helinox Chair One vs Chair Zero: which to carry

Buy the Chair Zero if you backpack: it weighs about 509 g versus 1020 g and packs smaller, for the same $139.95 [1][2]. Buy the Chair One (re) if you car camp or want more seat: it's bigger, taller and rated for 320 lb versus 265 lb [1][2]. Owners say both sink in sand without wider feet [4][5][6].

Weight is the headline. The Zero is about half the weight [1][2]. On a multi-day trip, that's half a kilo back.

Comfort and size. The One's seat is 2.5 in wider and deeper, and it holds 55 lb more [1][2]. Reviewers say the Zero sits low and can be hard to get out of [7].

Stability. Reviewers say the Zero can tip backward when you lean [7][8]. Owners say both sink in soft ground [4][5][6].

Pack size. The Zero's 14 x 4 x 4 in bag [2] fits in a side pocket. The One's is larger [1].

Both chairs set up the same way. Shock-corded poles snap into a central hub, and the seat's corner pockets slip over the frame ends [1][2]. Neither needs tools. The difference shows once it's packed. The Chair Zero's 14 x 4 x 4 in bag [2] fits in a water-bottle pocket or the bottom of a 30-liter pack. The Chair One (re)'s 15.5 x 4.5 x 5.5 in case [1] is more of a strap-it-on-the-outside item for most daypacks. If you fly to a trailhead, either will fit in a duffel. On a bike, the Zero's size and 531 g packed weight [2] make it the easier fit for a frame or handlebar bag.

• Car camping at a desert campground, a week at a dry lake bed: the Chair One (re). Weight doesn't matter, and you get the bigger seat and 320 lb rating [1].
• A three-day backpacking loop: the Chair Zero. Saving about 510 g [1][2] matters more than seat width.
• Bikepacking or packrafting: the Chair Zero, for the packed size [2].
• Sand and dunes, either way: add a footprint, or look at the Chair Zero LT, which Helinox says has an X-strap stabilizer for sand, dirt or grass, at $159.95 [9].
• Taller or heavier campers: the Chair One (re), or Helinox's larger models. The Zero tops out at 265 lb [2].

• Car and truck campers, festival-goers and anyone near the car [1].
• Bigger or taller people, up to 320 lb [1].
• Full page: Chair One (re).

• Backpackers and bikepackers who count grams [2].
• People under 265 lb who sit on firm ground [2].
• Full page: Chair Zero.
• If sand is your main ground, Helinox's Chair Zero LT ($159.95) adds an X-strap Helinox says helps on sand [9].

Sand. Owners say the Chair One "would sink quick without a footprint" [4] and use ball feet or tennis balls [4]. Chair Zero owners make DIY webbing footprints [5][6]. Bring a fix for washes and dunes.

Wind. Both are light enough to blow away empty. Helinox sells a Chair Anchor [1].

Heat and sun. The One's mesh panels breathe better on hot afternoons [1].

Rocks. Set feet on flat spots. A Chair One owner broke feet where the aluminum meets the plastic [10].

• Chair One owners report six years of regular use [11].
• OutdoorGearLab says the Zero is impressively light but low [7].
• A SOTA Reflector reviewer who owned both kept the Zero for its pack size [12].