Helinox Chair Zero LT Review

Bottom Line

The Helinox Chair Zero LT is a backpacker’s delight: ultralight, comfortable, packable, stable, and easy to use. It’s our top pick in our backpacking chair gear guide because of its durability and stability. 

The Chair Zero LT isn’t the absolute lightest backpacking chair we tested, but it’s close. And its stability beats the other chairs in its weight bracket. We found its light-but-sturdy frame withstood back-to-front rocking and side-to-side leaning when we plopped down on a sandbar along the Gila River for some backcountry stargazing. Plus, the new “LT” version of the Chair Zero includes a stability strap that keeps the chair legs from sinking too much into sand or soft ground. 

You really have to squint to tell the new Chair Zero LT and old Chair Zero apart. But we gave the LT the edge because of its upgraded ripstop seat fabric and included X-strap. Sure, this chair has a premium price. But in our experience, it also demonstrated premium performance. If you want to buy an ultralight backpacking chair with no real weaknesses, the Helinox Chair Zero LT is one of those products that’s worth the extra cash.

How We Tested

We backpacked with the Chair Zero LT in New Mexico’s Gila Wilderness and Bandelier National Monument. To detect slight differences from other backpacking chairs, we also tested the LT side by side with the rest of the lineup. This included stability tests on sand and non-level campsites, weigh-ins on a kitchen scale, timed tests for packing and unpacking, and rounds of “musical chairs” to rank-order them for comfort.

Comfort

Ultralight backpacking chairs often sacrifice some comfort, but we found the Helinox Chair Zero LT plenty cozy. 

When we first tested this chair outside White Sands National Park, we sat comfortably for hours, catching the sunset and sunrise at Organ Pipes National Monument. That comfort carried over to our backpacking trip in the Gila Wilderness. Leaning back with our feet elevated on a log, we watched the setting sun turn the white canyon walls peach. Then we watched planets and stars pop out for another hour without our butt begging us to leave our seat.

Our broad-shouldered tester sometimes has issues with backpacking chairs digging into his upper body or hamstrings, but not with the Chair Zero LT. Its scoop seat carried his weight well. The backrest hit high enough to offer meaningful support after an 18-mile day in the Gila Wilderness with plenty of pack weight, vertical gain, and water crossings. We found the LT slightly deeper than the original Chair Zero, too – which made the seat feel roomier and cozier. 

We also tested the Helinox Chair Zero LT in both hot and cold temperatures. The seat’s ventilated ripstop fabric kept our back cooler and drier than expected when a New Mexico heat wave turned the broiler up to 90 degrees in March. We also sat comfortably on a couple 20-degree mornings, sitting in the Chair Zero LT as we fired up our stove for coffee and oatmeal. 

This isn’t the most comfortable backpacking chair we tested, but its comfort was very good – especially considering how light it is. 

Weight & Packability

Fully packed, the Helinox Chair Zero LT weighed 1 pound 2 ounces on our tester’s kitchen scale (it’s listed at 1 pound 3.2 ounces all in). It’s one of only four aluminum backpacking chairs we tested that basically weighs a pound. That’s ultralight by our standards. 

The LT packs into its 14 x 4.5 x 4.5-inch carrying sack – about the length of a foot-long sub and the diameter of a Nalgene bottle. Packed up, the Helinox Chair Zero LT fit easily into the stretch bottle pockets of our backpacking pack. We could also fit it vertically and horizontally inside our 50-liter backpacking pack, so you shouldn’t expect any packing conundrums. 

The average backpacking chair may not be worth the added pack weight. The Helinox Chair Zero LT provides plenty of comfort and support at camp with a palatable weight penalty. If you’re only willing to carry an ultralight, ultra-packable backpacking chair, the Helinox Chair Zero LT should be on your short list. 

Stability

Stability is one area where the Helinox Chair Zero has always punched above its weight. The Helinox Chair Zero LT follows suit. 

Even though it’s an ultralight design, the Chair Zero LT boasts DAC aluminum poles, which are lighter and stronger than standard aluminum. Helinox placed those poles in optimal positions to squeeze as much stability as possible out of such a light frame. 

Compared with the REI Flexlite Chair – another top pick with a similar weight – the Helinox Chair Zero LT was much more stable in our side-by-side testing. For one thing, Helinox’s center pole runs side to side, increasing the chair’s lateral stability. The Chair Zero LT’s legs also spread wider, which gave us a more stable base when we camped at several spots in New Mexico.

The new Helinox Chair Zero LT takes stability up a tick by including an X-shaped stability strap with pockets for each chair leg. This simple contraption solves the stability problem caused by a chair leg sinking into sand or soggy ground – especially if you lean or reach too far. With the chair legs secured in the X-strap, our Chair Zero LT didn’t dig into our sandbar campsite along the Gila River. This kept us from toppling over at camp, even as we leaned back to stargaze or reached to the side to grab a drink, map, or headlamp. 

If you’re especially concerned about stability, you might opt for a heavier backpacking chair – or a ground chair with a lower center of gravity. But if you’re looking for an ultralight backpacking chair that’s actually stable, the Helinox Chair Zero LT and NEMO Moonlite Elite are our top recommendations.

Ease of Use

Like most backpacking chairs, setting up the Helinox Chair Zero LT is straightforward. It’s much like setting up a backpacking tent – only quicker. 

Like many tents, the chair frame consists of aluminum pole segments connected by shock cord. You simply snap the segments into place, stretch the seat cover over the frame, and slip the ends of the poles into the corner pockets. It’s extremely easy.

The LT also fixed a tiny nitpick we had with the original Chair Zero: The Helinox branding is now centered at the top of the seat – which makes it much easier to identify the top and bottom of the seat fabric. That small detail sped up our assembly of the Chair Zero LT, which took us less than a minute without hurrying. 

Though some backpacking chairs have awkward hubs that make them cumbersome to pack, the Chair Zero LT slipped in and out of its stuff sack easily in the field. The stuff sack is compact but not too tight, which made repacking the Chair Zero LT speedy, too.

Should You Buy the Helinox Chair Zero LT?

If you want a comfortable and stable backpacking chair that only weighs a smidge more than a pound, the Helinox Chair Zero LT is the best backpacking chair on our list. Plus, its stability is noticeably better than the myriad chairs in the same weight class. This particularly pays off if you camp on sand or near water. 

If you value price over performance, there are cheaper alternatives available – some of which cost less than half the price of the Helinox. But we found the Chair Zero LT’s price tag plenty fair. We couldn’t come up with any real complaints after months of testing and side-by-side comparisons with other top contenders. The Helinox gives us exactly what we want out of a backpacking chair: a significant boost in campsite comfort without a significant boost in pack weight. 

What Other Backpacking Chairs Should You Consider?

If you’re not sold on our top pick, please browse the other chairs that made our list of the best backpacking chairs. 

REI Flexlite Air Chair Review: If the Helinox Chair Zero LT is too rich for your blood, the Flexlite is a few ounces lighter and costs less while providing similar comfort – but less stability. 

Helinox Ground Chair Review: The Chair Zero’s low-riding cousin boasts better stability and sits low to the ground, so you can stretch your legs comfortably at camp. It’s the best ground chair we tested. 

Big Agnes Skyline UL Chair Review: If you place a premium on stability and comfort – and don’t mind an extra half-pound of pack weight – the Skyline is the premium comfort pick among the backpacking chairs we tested and reviewed.