Five Backpacking Chairs Worth Their Weight
A pound of chair sounds like a luxury until you've spent an evening on a rock.
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Ultralight backpackers have a long tradition of teasing the camp chair. It’s a pound of luxury, after all, and a log works fine. Then the sun goes down, the log turns out to be damp, and that pound starts looking like a bargain.
Whether a chair earns its spot depends on your back, your knees and how much time you spend in camp. CleverHiker puts it simply: “For many backpackers, their added benefits outweigh the extra pack weight,” and it sets two pounds as its upper limit for a backpacking chair. Here are five picks from independent testers, from a full chair to a 2-ounce pad, with the catch for each.
- Best for most backpackersHelinox Chair Zero LT: about a pound, and the best overall pick at both CleverHiker and GearJunkie. Check the price on Amazon
- Best for comfort and bad kneesBig Agnes Skyline UL: a tall, stable seat, and OutdoorGearLab's best overall. Check the price on Amazon
- Best ground chairCrazy Creek Hex 2.0: no legs, nothing to set up, and awards from OutdoorGearLab and GearJunkie. Check the price on Amazon
- Best budget pickTrekology Yizi-Lite: CleverHiker's budget chair, with good back support for the money. Check the price on Amazon
- LightestTherm-a-Rest Z Seat: a 2-ounce foam sit pad that testers call a minimalist's pick. Check the price on Amazon
Who should carry a chair, and who can skip it
Carry one if you spend long evenings in camp, take layover days, or have knees or a back that complain about sitting on the ground. In SectionHiker’s comments, a reader with two knee replacements says a heavier chair is worth it for a dry, comfortable seat, and another argues that for older hikers, a sub-pound seat earns its weight.
Skip it, or carry a sit pad, if you hike big miles and mostly sleep in camp, or if you’re counting every ounce. A foam pad keeps you off cold, wet ground for a fraction of the weight.
Think about the ground. Narrow chair legs sink into sand and soft dirt. Several of these chairs come with a strap or wide feet to help, and testers mention it often.
1. Helinox Chair Zero LT
What testers found: This is the chair most testers reach for first. CleverHiker names it the best backpacking chair overall, “combining a feathery build with impressive all-around performance.” GearJunkie gives it the same award and calls it “a great choice for your average weight-conscious backpacker.” It weighs about a pound (testers’ scales range from 16.6 ounces to 1 pound 3.2 ounces), and it comes with a strap that keeps the legs from sinking into sand or snow.
The catch: It’s expensive, and CleverHiker says its comfort isn’t exceptional. The seat sits low, about 7 inches off the ground by CleverHiker’s measure. GearJunkie says the stability strap is easy to lose, and OutdoorGearLab found it more fragile than some rivals and noticed it “pushes against the hamstrings.” If you’d rather sit a little higher, CleverHiker’s runner-up is the original Helinox Chair Zero, with an 8.5-inch seat at about the same weight. REI’s Flexlite Air, CleverHiker’s best value pick, is another option, though it’s sold by REI.
Best for: Most backpackers who want a real chair without a real weight penalty.
2. Big Agnes Skyline UL
What testers found: OutdoorGearLab’s top chair, which it calls “comfortable, strong, and full-bodied.” CleverHiker names it the best chair for stability and back support and says it “feels stable yet cushy.” Its 15-inch seat, by CleverHiker’s measure, is the tallest of the full chairs here, which makes getting up easier. SectionHiker calls it “probably the best chair for big and tall backpackers.”
The catch: It weighs about a pound and three-quarters (1 pound 12 ounces at CleverHiker, 29 ounces at OutdoorGearLab), and testers at both sites found it slower to set up than the lighter chairs.
Best for: Taller backpackers, anyone with sore knees, and trips where camp comfort is the point.
3. Crazy Creek Hex 2.0
What testers found: There are no poles and no legs. It’s a padded seat and backrest that folds into a chair on the ground. OutdoorGearLab gives it an Editors’ Choice award as its best reclining seat “for ground dwellers” and says it “takes the concept of ‘kicking back at camp’ to a whole new level.” GearJunkie names it the best ground chair and calls it “an indestructible choice for those who hate setting up a chair.” It weighs a little over a pound and a quarter (19.3 ounces at OutdoorGearLab, 1 pound 5.9 ounces at GearJunkie).
The catch: You’re sitting on the ground, so getting in and out is harder than with a raised chair, as OutdoorGearLab and GearJunkie both note.
Best for: Backpackers who want to lean back and stretch out, and anyone who hates fiddling with poles.
4. Trekology Yizi-Lite
What testers found: CleverHiker’s best budget backpacking chair. It found the seat roomy, the back supportive and the fabric well ventilated, and says “we see it as a viable budget option for backpackers.” SectionHiker likes how small it packs and how much you get for the money.
The catch: At 1 pound 10.4 ounces by CleverHiker’s measure, it’s heavier than the Helinox chairs. Its weight limit is 220 pounds. SectionHiker says it “can be a little challenging to stand up from for bigger people,” and Bike Hike Safari found its scoop back “offers little support.”
Best for: First-time chair buyers who want to see if they’ll actually use one before spending more.
5. Therm-a-Rest Z Seat
What testers found: It isn’t a chair at all, and that’s the point. This folding closed-cell foam pad weighs about 2 ounces. CleverHiker names it the best sit pad for ultralighters, OutdoorGearLab calls it the best choice for minimalists, and GearJunkie calls it “an easy addition to any backpack.” It’s durable and simple, and it keeps you off cold, damp ground at lunch stops too.
The catch: There’s no back support, and you’re still on the ground. It’s thin, and testers rate it less comfortable than any of the chairs.
Best for: Ultralight hikers, big-mileage days, and anyone who wants a seat without carrying a chair.
Before you buy
- Check the seat height. Low chairs save weight but are harder to get out of. If your knees complain, look for a higher seat like the Skyline UL’s.
- Think about where you camp. On sand or soft ground, a chair with a stability strap or wide feet sinks less.
- Check the weight limit. Budget chairs often carry less. CleverHiker lists the Trekology’s limit at 220 pounds and counts a high weight limit among the Skyline UL’s strengths.
- Consider a stool. Several SectionHiker readers like a stool for quick breaks because it’s fast to set up and easy to get out of. CleverHiker’s top stool is REI’s Flexlite Air Stool, at 11.5 ounces, though you give up a backrest.
- Weigh it against your other gear. If a chair puts your pack over your comfortable limit, a sit pad gets you most of the way there.
The bottom line
For most backpackers, the Helinox Chair Zero LT is the chair that’s worth its weight. If comfort or your knees come first, go with the Skyline UL. If the budget is tight, the Trekology Yizi-Lite gets you a real backrest for much less. And if you’re still on the fence, a 2-ounce Z Seat is an easy way to find out how much you like sitting down.