Helinox Chair One vs Zero

Whether you go for a car camping or a backpacking trip, a portable chair is a must for any outdoor adventure. But especially if you’re aiming for a lightweight outdoor activity choosing an ultralight chair can be overwhelming. So, to ease this process for you, in this guide I will be comparing the two most compact ultralight chairs on the market, Helinox Chair One vs Zero.

In summary, if the weight is the most crucial factor; for an 18 oz chair, Helinox Chair Zero offers everything you should be looking for on a backpacking chair, it’s the optimum chair for ultralight backpacking. Helinox Chair One, on the other hand, is more comfortable, higher off the ground, offers better durability and breathability but, it’s 1 lb heavier than Chair Zero.

Specs: Helinox Chair One vs Chair Zero

Detailed Overview: Helinox Chair One vs Zero

Weight

The biggest difference between Helinox Chair One vs Zero is the weight. With a weight of 1 lb. 2 oz. (0.51 kg), Chair Zero offers the highest seat space to weight ratio. It is the only chair that offers 25″ (Height) x 18.5″ (Width) x 20″ (Depth) with only 18 oz of weight.

Helinox Chair One, on the other hand, with a weight of 2 lbs 2 oz, is 1 lb heavier than Helinox Chair Zero. Although it’s not as light as Chair Zero, it’s considerably lighter than most of the backpacking chairs on the market.

To sum it up, Helinox Chair One (2 lbs 2 oz) weighs almost twice as Helinox Chair Zero (1 lb 2 oz).

Packability

Packability difference between Helinox Chair One vs Zero is not as dramatic as it is in the weight department. But again Helinox Chair Zero is the winner here, it packs down to 13.5″ x 3.5″ x 3.5″, whereas the packed dimension of Helinox Chair One is 13.5″ x 4.5″ x 3.5″.

To be honest, they’re both very compact, therefore packed dimensions shouldn’t be the first priority here.

Size

Both Helinox Chair Zero and One are low profile chairs (low profile chair is a design that sits you closer to the ground to save on weight). Helinox Chair One is 11″, Chair Zero is 9″ high off the ground. If you’re a tall person you might be more comfortable with Helinox Chair One.

Also, Chair Zero is a bit tighter around the hips, so if you’re an oversize person you would feel more comfortable with Helinox Chair One.

Both Helinox One and Helinox Zero are low back chairs. If you want more comfort and if you’re willing to sacrifice some weight, Helinox Sunset Chair and Helinox Chair Two are high back chairs that offer more space and better comfort, you can check out the article where I talk about Helinox Sunset Chair and Chair Two.

Breathability

When it comes to breathability, Helinox Chair One is the clear winner, it features a very high ratio of mesh at the back and sides to let a fine breeze coming through. Helinox Chair Zero, on the other hand, features only two small holes at each corner for breathability and weight reduction.

Durability & Capacity

Both chairs feature high-strength, fiber-reinforced Nylon 66 joining hubs and anodized DAC aluminum poles, therefore, structure-wise both are very sturdy, but fabric-wise Helinox Chair One utilizes a more durable fabric compared to Helinox Chair Zero, the trade-off here is the weight & capacity.

Helinox Chair One offers a weight capacity of 320 lbs (145 kg), whereas Chair Zero supports only 265 lbs (120 kg).

Accessories & Compatibility

Helinox Cup Holder for Chair One and Zero

Helinox Cup Holder is compatible with both Helinox Chair One and Zero, it’s a very sturdy cup holder that only weighs 4 oz and collapses to 6″x6″x2″. It offers enough space to hold cups, cans, and bottles such as Yeti Bottles.

For ultralight backpacking trips, it might be an unnecessary accessory, but for car camping trips or day hikes where you have enough space in your backpack, it’s a very handy tool.

Check the latest price of Helinox Cup Holder

Helinox Ground Sheet for Chair One and Zero

If you’re planning a snowy outdoor trip or another outdoor activity where you might need to sit on a soft surface, Helinox Ground Sheet is a very helpful accessory that acts as a footprint and prevents chair sinking in the ground.

It’s very compact and only weighs 5 oz. Also, the ground sheets are very easy to attach it doesn’t take more than 20 seconds.

Since the floor areas of Helinox Chair One and Zero are not the same, ground sheets come in different sizes.

Check the latest price of Helinox Ground Sheet

Helinox Personal Shade for Chair One

It is a great tool that allows you to create your personal porch anywhere you go.

But it’s not a convenient tool for backpackers though, it weighs 17 oz (you still need to find your natural shade outdoors), but it’s a useful tool for car campers, it takes almost no space at your trunk since it packs down really thin to the dimensions of 24.5″ x 1.5″ (63cm x 4cm).

Unfortunately, this chair accessory is only compatible with Helinox Chair One, you cannot use it with Chair Zero.

Check the latest price of Helinox Personal Shade

Verdict

What is the difference between Helinox Chair One vs Chair Zero

With the weight of 18 oz, Chair Zero is the lightest chair in Helinox’s line. And what makes it really popular among the outdoor community is, it’s the only camping chair that offers you high durability, comfort with an 18 oz weight while packing down to the size of a water bottle.

Helinox Chair One, on the other hand, utilizes a more durable fabric, it is higher off the ground and offers a bigger sitting area, therefore, it’s more comfortable and also it features mesh at the back and each corner, therefore, it provides great breathability, but the trade-off here is the weight, although it packs down very small, it weighs 34 oz.

See Helinox Chair One Customer Reviews

See Helinox Chair Zero Customer Reviews

Watch Helinox Chair One review here:

Watch Helinox Chair Zero review here: