Helinox Chair One (re): a 2 lb camp chair, and what to know about sand

Helinox lists 28 in for both "Height" and "Seat Height" [1]. That figure is most likely the height of the whole chair, so measure before you count on a high seat.

Helinox says the (re) has a taller frame, a second tension line that spreads your weight around the frame, a side pocket, and redesigned hubs [1]. The original is slightly lighter, but it doesn't have the extra height or the pocket [1]. Helinox also says the (re) needs its own Ground Sheet, because the original's sheet doesn't fit [1].

• Backpackers, bikepackers and paddlers who want a real backrest for about 2 lb. [1][4][5][6][7]
• People who fly to trailheads or national parks. The case fits in a carry-on or a duffel.
• People who camp on firm ground, like packed desert pans, gravel pads and decks, or who are willing to add feet for sand.

• Anyone who mostly car camps. Weight barely matters there, and a wider, higher chair with an armrest is easier to get in and out of.
• People with knee or hip trouble. Owners and Wirecutter both say it's low and hard to climb out of [6][7].
• Beach and dune campers who won't buy or carry a ground sheet [6].
• Same-category alternative: if you want something sturdier to anchor a desert camp, look at Helinox's own Chair One XL, which Wirecutter suggests for people who need more room [6]. mojave.supply doesn't have another chair page yet, so for now the closest related page is our buy-it-for-life roundup of gear with lifetime warranties.

Sand and soft ground. This is the number-one complaint. On r/CampingGear, one owner says the chair "would sink quick without a footprint," and others use the Helinox Ground Sheet, ball feet, or tennis balls with a cross cut into them [4]. Another owner said the chair "stopped feeling like a seesaw in the dunes" once they added the ground sheet [5]. Desert washes and dune edges are exactly that kind of ground, so pack the fix before you go.

Wind. Desert afternoons get gusty, and an empty 2 lb chair will blow away. Helinox sells a Chair Anchor that pushes into dirt or sand [1]. A rock on the seat or a strap to your pack does the same job.

Heat and sun. The seat is polyester with mesh panels for airflow [1]. That breathes better than solid fabric on a hot afternoon. Helinox doesn't publish a UV rating, so we can't tell you how the fabric holds up in years of Mojave sun. Store it in its case between trips.

Rocks. One owner who broke feet on two chairs blamed the spot where the aluminum meets the plastic. Another found the feet slip outward on rock [8]. Put the feet on flat spots, and don't lean back on the rear legs.

If you hike to your camp, the Chair Zero is about 509 g versus 1020 g, for the same $139.95, but holds 265 lb versus 320 [1][11]. Owners say it sinks in sand too [12].

Praise:

• A shop display Chair One lasted about six years of near-daily sitting before a leg bent, and that owner still backpacks with one [9].
• Another owner says theirs has held up through six years of regular use while cheaper chairs broke [10].
• On r/REI, owners call it "lightweight and reasonably stable for a backpacking chair" and better built than the clones [7].
• One owner says Helinox customer service sent free replacement feet [8].

Complaints:

• The legs sink in sand and soft dirt [4][5][7].
• It's low and hard to get out of, especially for older or larger sitters [4][6].
• Two owners broke feet at the aluminum-to-plastic joint [8].
• Several say it's not worth full price and that they wait for the sales REI and Helinox run a few times a year [7].
• A few find it uncomfortable. One r/CampingGear commenter called it the least comfortable thing they'd ever sat on [4]. Comfort clearly varies by body.