I love watching my nephew play Little League, but I don’t like the bruises on my hip bones from lugging heavy metal lawn chairs to his games. My family’s old lawn chair set is a mix of old-fashioned folding lawn chairs and more “modern” folding chairs from the early 2000s (the kind that squeeze awkwardly into a canvas cover and weigh as much as a small child). If you one from these chairs, it is uncomfortable enough. If you wear four If you’re walking from the parking lot to the sports field or across the sand to the beach, you might as well lie down on the shore and give up.
I recently decided my family needed an upgrade, so I asked the HuffPost Shopping team if they knew of any lightweight folding chairs. Our editor-in-chief immediately named one brand and one brand only, “Helinox,” and said they “weigh one pound.” I assumed that was a gross exaggeration, but when I looked up the brand, I was shocked to find that she had only slightly exaggerated—the chairs weigh two Pounds each.
All I want to say is that I was absolutely thrilled before I even unpacked the first chair I ordered.
When the package arrived on my porch, I couldn’t believe it could be a chair – it comes in a canvas zip-top bag not much bigger than one of today’s giant Stanley drinking cups, and it’s as light as a feather. I’d grabbed the cheapest model from Helinox, the “Original Lightweight Camping Chair.”
The Black/Blue color is currently on sale for $84.81 (23% off), while all other colors remain full price at $109.95. (Backcountry has a tie-dye colorway for even less at $76.97.)
Spending around $100 on an outdoor folding chair would have been unthinkable before we experienced how comfortable and practical these Helinox chairs are, and now I fear my family and I will never be able to go back to using these chairs.
After confirming that the chair was indeed as light as I had hoped, the next test was assembly. Somehow I inherited my dad’s “I don’t believe in instruction manuals, I can do it myself” mentality that never works – but this time it worked. The chair is essentially a series of metal rods connected by bungee cords. If you twist and turn them however you like, the chair basically assembles itself in about 15 seconds. Then all you have to do is slide the canvas seat (which is machine washable!) onto the rods, and voilà.
The final test: comfort. The chair looks a little low, but once you’re in it, you might find yourself napping. It reclines at just the right angle, and there are no bars cutting into your body—it’s a little canvas cocoon that feels sturdy. My brother ended up watching an entire NBA game in it when we set it up in our living room to test it out, if that’s any indication.
If you want a taller version with more neck support, try the “high back” model. It has a mesh pocket on the side where you can store your stuff. It comes in nine colors and costs $139.95. I ordered one of these too, for the very tall people in my family who need neck support.
I still can’t believe I now own such an expensive outdoor folding chair. But for me (and my elderly mother and brother with the kids) it’s worth it to save space in the car, save our backs when carrying it, and have a comfortable place to rest.
Check out what some Amazon reviewers had to say:
“If you want this type of chair and weigh more than 45 kg, feel free to spend money on the Helinox brand. The material and weave of the fabric are more robust.” – UniquePerspective
“This chair is fantastic!! Super compact packaging. Very sturdy and lightweight. I’m a 6’2” 188kg man and it fits me. I have been using it for over three years and have not had a single problem. If you are still not sure and are looking for a lightweight chair, get it!” – Tom
“I take this chair to every music festival I go to. It’s easy to set up and take down (even if you enjoy the adult options at the festival a little too much). The chair is super portable, I attach it to my hydro backpack with carabiners.” – Katrina Smith
“Bought 2 of these chairs because our family often travels to the beach and books flights – These chairs are very compact and fit easily into a regular sized backpack without taking up too much space. It’s super quick and easy to set up and the chairs are really comfortable on the beach! Highly recommended for travel.” – Kristen R.
