Helinox: The World's Best Lightweight Outdoor Furniture

When it comes to camp furniture there is one brand that stands above the rest. Since 2009 Helinox has focused exclusively on bringing comfort outdoors. So outdoor enthusiasts can be “At Home, Anywhere.”

Helinox Camp Furniture: The Brand

Glencree Valley Hike — A view of Maulin and the Glencree Valley

Helinox was founded in South Korea by Jake Lah. The name “Helinox” comes from combining two ancient Greek words, Helios, God of the sun, and Nox Goddess of night. Their guiding principle is that “every design aspect should serve a clear functional purpose and should be conveyed intuitively without any unnecessary features.” It is clear that since the release of their first item of outdoor furniture, they have stayed true to this guiding principle. Over 10 years ago they released the “Chair One”. At the time this was not only an advancement in the outdoor furniture industry, it also spawned a new category; ultralight camp furniture. Ever since this release, Helinox has iterated on this idea, creating a range of outdoor furniture that is made for the “restless to rest”.

Helinox Camp Furniture: The Chairs

We have been using Helinox furniture for over a year now. We recently got the chance to test even more products from their range. So on a warm spring evening, we decided to take our kitchen and dining room to one of our favourite outdoor spaces to enjoy dinner outdoors. Here are the items we used and our thoughts on them.

Chair One

Weight: 890g

The original Helinox Chair. Compact and durable, the Chair One offers a very comfortable place to sit in spite of its small form factor. You sit quite low in the chair which is worth bearing in mind for those that struggle with my mobility. However, the lower centre of gravity means that you feel a lot more stable on uneven ground when compared with more upright camp chairs. The chair one is available in a variety of different colours. We love this patterned design that we were able to test out, you definitely won’t lose this in your gear shed!

Chair Two

Weight: 1185g

Outdoor Sunset Picnic — The Helinox Chair Two

A high-backed alternative. If you want to have more back support we would highly recommend looking at the Chair Two. In spite of being larger than the Chair One the chair to manages to save an impressive 500g off its weight. Exceptionally easy to assemble the Chair Two is an excellent option for those that want to spend a bit more time at camp.

Ground Chair

Weight: 640g

The minimal chair for those on the move. If you are always on the move outside and are sick of having a wet bum from sitting on the ground or a numb bum from sitting on a sit mat the Ground Chair is for you. It has an incredibly lightweight form factor that is super easy to assemble and offers a stable place to rest your legs. The Helinox Ground Chair has become our go-to for spontaneous summer picnics and sunset watching.

Table One

Weight: 870g

The perfect lightweight campsite partner. We didn’t know how useful a packable camp table would be until we started to use it. Having a stable flat surface really adds structure to your picnic or campsite. Weighing in at under a kilogram and comfortably fitting in a day bag, along with the Helinox Chair, the Table One is an excellent add-on to your gear shed!

Helinox Camp Furniture: Our Thoughts

Unpacking our Helinox Furniture — Everything we need (Food, Stove, Pots, Cutlery & Furniture) fits in a hiking bag

Upon first inspection, you might be quite surprised by the price of the Helinox Chairs. As we certainly were. However, let us break it done for you. Standard camp chairs may cost €55 for an ok model that won’t break the first time you use it. These chairs are so prohibitively heavy that their use will be limited to car camping and chilling in the garden. Helinox Chairs are so much lighter, less than a third of the weight in most cases, that means you can use them more. This means that the price-per-use is comparatively low on Helinox product.

Sure, you can just sit on a rock and yes that is free and weighs nothing if you are trying to go as light as possible on a thru-hike or short backpacking trip maybe that is the right choice for you. However, if you want to elevate your outdoor experience by comfortably bringing the equivalent of an outdoor sitting room with you in a 30L backpack for a chilled overnight hike or day at the beach then the Helinox range is for you.