RE: Big Agnes/ Helinox Chairs:
I'm looking at the Helinox "Chair One" chair and the "Chair Elite" and I cannot for the life of me see what the difference is.
Anyone know?


Another question: REI's FlexLite chair: What's better, the one with the "front-to-back" horizontal metal strut or the "left-to-right" horizontal metal strut?

Well a little bit
I test say in the REI chair and found its seat a little cramped
And I needed help to get out. !!!embarrassing
The Helinox has a little bigger bum pocket and I could get up all by myself!

Of course then I lost 50 lbs so the Flex would be fine now.
Most likely the typical guy bun would fit the Flex

quote OldFingers57: "
RE: Big Agnes/ Helinox Chairs:
I'm looking at the Helinox "Chair One" chair and the "Chair Elite" and I cannot for the life of me see what the difference is.
Anyone know?



Another question: REI's FlexLite chair: What's better, the one with the "front-to-back" horizontal metal strut or the "left-to-right" horizontal metal strut?
"

Helinox, fabric vs netting in different seat areas.
REI, only have heard mention of front to back being little wobbly.

butthead

I have the REI Flex Lite with the older style legs (left to right lower support) and an Alite Mantis. I prefer the REI because it sits higher and is easier to get out of. But if you use the higher chairs inside a tent or CCS Lean you have fewer options for headroom.

FYI, the plastic feet on the REI tend to pull off and I am missing one ($14 with shipping to replace one plastic foot) so I will be gluing them on this spring.

The Big Agnes is very nice I am sure, but costs double the REI. Not sure it is worth that. On the other hand, I just bought a BA Cot One which is very expensive, fairly heavy and bulky, and absolutely worth every penny (my prediction having tested but not used it in the field yet). I bought that to replace a broken Thermarest cot.

quote OldFingers57: "...Another question: REI's FlexLite chair: What's better, the one with the "front-to-back" horizontal metal strut or the "left-to-right" horizontal metal strut?
"

My cousin works for REI and she found it interesting that the company got a patent on the newer Flex Lite design (front-to-back). It is 2 ounces lighter and sits 2 inches lower to the ground. She and other staff did some side-by-side tests which revealed no real stability differences. No other news, but she will dig deeper on any other possible reasons for the change.

Thanks for the replies. I see the Chair One and the Chair elite are different in where their netting and fabric are located on the chair. As for the REI Flexlites I'll have to try out the front to back one to see if its easier to get out of since it sits up higher.

Helonix makes a higher chair with longer backrest. helonix sunset chair
I have trouble getting up from low and the lower helonix chairs are nearly impossible. Pricey. I have sat in them twice, liked it but not ready to part with the money.

I purchased the REI Flexlite (left-to-right supports) and didn't find it that comfortable or stable. The slightest rocking and one or two of the feet would come off the ground. I was surprised since most of the reviews I have seen/head were positive.

I've been looking at the Helinox Chiar One as well as their ground chair, bit I'm not sure I'll drop that kind of money on another camp chair right now. I currently have the Alite Monarch and works decent enough, although 4 legs would be nice at times.

I just got the Helinox Sunset Chair for $115 at a paddle show. Otherwise they're hard to find and rarely on sale. I would not have paid the full $150 for it. I like it. Not as comfortable as a car camping chair but undoubtedly luxurious for a backcountry campsite.

Definitely recommend the Helinox One Chair. The REI chair is less expensive, but not nearly as comfortable or as durable.

Pat - you end up getting that ebay version of the Helinox?

--
Ryan

I see no difference between the two except for where the mesh is.They weigh the same,have the same weight rating,and sit the same.

No, the Helinox is wider, has beefier connections and is rated for 300lbs vs 250 for the REI.

I have posted this comparison video before showing the numerous differences between the Helinox and the Flex lite. The Helinox does have a higher weight capacity as pointed out by others.

Helinox vs Flex Lite

that video above of the comparison is mine :) kinda fun to see others got some use out of it

I am a hands on think you have to sit in chairs a bit to know if they work for you
I have had chairs I love and the wife does not like ?

since Helinox came out with some new chairs my wife and I have moved up to the sunset model
I am in my 50s wife is not quite there yet :)
the small bit of extra room is even more comfy and the extra height a touch easier to get out of but the head rest is awesome :) a HUGE thing for me when camping is being able to just totally relax including my head !

if getting new and a bit more pack size than the original is OK the sunset might be worth looking into
note REI sells the camp model which is not quite as tall as the sunset and your head kinda rests on the bar but if taller will be just over the bar and not as comfy IMHO as the sunset

the extra leg thickness makes them a bit more stable not that the original was not stable but they are more solid feeling :)

hope this helps some :)

quick shots comparing the original to the new sunset





pack size

ckmaui,

Thanks for producing the comparison video-it truly helped me decide when I was shopping for a chair a year ago.

I like the looks of the new chair and I might consider it, but I already own the helinox and I'm not sure I want that much more space and weight going into the pack.

The helinox is an original. The rei is a knock off of the helinox with a few minor changes that only benefited rei in production cost savings and their margin. did nothing for the comfort or durability of the chair. smaller lighter and smaller packaging. if this suits your style great. I have been using the hilinox chair. great for turkey hunting in the multicam pattern.

the hlinox cots are very comfortable with a sleep pad on top, but silly expensive.

I agree. I chose the chair one because of the good balance between pack size-weight-comfort-price. Paying even more for the bigger chair might put me over the edge for pack space, and then I'll find myself hauling a bigger pack and even more weight.

for fun two mods I have done with my regular chairs
one put golf balls on the feet :) not sure I would do this if I was backpacking ? cause still a bit more weight but it works great for not sinking in




a mod I would try though if I had hiking poles along is one to make a head rest that works amazing well
sorry not the best pic of the mod meant to do a vid some day :)
I have fallen asleep with this head rest mod :) it works that well !

but the basics are velcro tape for the top and for the bottom I found braided bilge hose worked awesome
I tried wood and pvc and many things but the flexibility helps
also it wont crawl up the legs
basically a short chunk of hose with 1/2 inch hole drilled into it when being pinched with a vice grip then slid onto the bottom of the chair and another hole for the bottom of the pole to go into then just use the bag as the head rest part and kinda open it up as a head pocket :)
worth trying out if you like a head rest and have the regular size helinox and since its just a small piece of velcro tape and hose weighs almost nothing
put the ends of the pole in to the inside then wrap the tape around the pole toward the outside near the top is what I found worked best :)

ckmaui: That is one of the more ingenious mods I have seen here in some time.

I was just doing research on the Helinox Camp and Sunset models, loving the high back rest, and then saw your solution. The new, larger versions (i.e. Sunset: 3.2 lbs, 18.5" x 4.7" x 5.5") are tempting and certainly would be a weight/size savings for those still lugging in the typical umbrella-type chairs (7-8 lbs, 36" x 7") but I still feel the need to resist compromising on the savings I have achieved by going with the REI Flex Lite original design (1.75 lbs, 14" x 4").

I noticed a very informative Helinox thread on expeditionportal.com. Are you any relation to this 'Honu' fellow?

thanks and yes I am Honu the name was to short or taken here forgot what on this forum ?

from Maui taught diving most my life and was a big time breath hold diver so nick name of the honu :) ahaahahaha


since ya got the rei for sure try that mod out and let me know :)

little things I found were how the poles want to move or slide up the legs etc...
if someone carries poles IMHO that is a must have mod on the chairs :)

I love to tinker with things and try to kinda reinvent stuff a lot :)

quote schweady: "ckmaui: That is one of the more ingenious mods I have seen here in some time.

I was just doing research on the Helinox Camp and Sunset models, loving the high back rest, and then saw your solution. The new, larger versions (i.e. Sunset: 3.2 lbs, 18.5" x 4.7" x 5.5") are tempting and certainly would be a weight/size savings for those still lugging in the typical umbrella-type chairs (7-8 lbs, 36" x 7") but I still feel the need to resist compromising on the savings I have achieved by going with the REI Flex Lite original design (1.75 lbs, 14" x 4").

I noticed a very informative Helinox thread on expeditionportal.com. Are you any relation to this 'Honu' fellow?
"