Below you will find an in-depth review of the Helinox Sunset Chair. I bought this chair roughly eight months ago and have been using it ever since. Whether taking a mid-day break, sitting out a storm or relaxing after a long day of climbing, I loved having this chair with me. It is super light, compact and comfortable and with its excellent build quality, will probably last me for years. Now that I have tested it for several months, I can hopefully give you some insight into the construction quality, the pros and cons, and test results from using it in the field. First some specs:
Helinox Sunset Chair Specifications
Assembled:
Height: 98 cm
Width: 58 cm
Depth: 70 cm
Weight: 1340 grams
Packed:
Height: 14 cm
Width: 47 cm
Depth: 12 cm
Weight: 1475 grams
Capacity: 145 kg
Ground to seat base: approx 36 cm
Additional features: carry bag doubles as a neck pillow
Frame: TH72M alloy by DAC with high-strength Nylon hubs
Warranty: 5 years
Editor’s rating:
*Last updated on 2018-12-18 at 15:54 –
At the time of publishing, the price was $150
Background and Helinox Chair Two vs Sunset Chair
When it comes to outdoor equipment, there are two big questions that come to mind. Is it strong enough for its intended job and is it compact and light enough to carry? It can be hard to find gear that is both especially when it comes to camp chairs.
I have had some 20 – 30 dollar compact camp chairs in the past, but my experience with those hasn’t been all that great. They usually fell apart after having used them for only a couple of outdoor trips. The legs would bent, or the joints would simply break right in two. And no, I’m not that fat…
About eight months ago, I decided to purchase the Helinox Sunset Chair as a replacement. My friend had been using the Helinox Chair Two for a couple of years and was really happy with it. I quite liked it too but found the seat a bit too narrow for my liking. The Sunset Chair is a bit bigger in every way, and I find it really comfortable to sit in (I’m 1.80 m / 5 ft 11 in). Let’s take a closer look at what makes this chair so unique and whether it’s worth the price.
Construction
Tubes
Helinox uses quality materials throughout their products, but the poles stand out to me the most. The Sunset Chair uses DAC poles made from a new TH72M alloy. DAC poles are also used in high-end tents and trekking poles. They are the best of the best when it comes to lightweight high-strength tubing. The TH72M alloy was originally developed for lightweight expedition tents but DAC has been able to produce bigger tubing for use in the Helinox chairs.
The tubes are anodized with a ‘green anodizing‘ process, which should be better for the environment and the people who manufacture Helinox gear. This process gives the tubes a protective and durable finish. I have been using my chair for numerous week-long trips over the past 8 months and couldn’t find a single scratch on the poles, they pretty much look brand new.
Shock cord
An elastic shock cord runs through the tubes and links all the frame sections together. The shock cord helps the frame sections self-locate into the nylon hubs. This makes the chair super easy to assemble. If you grab the center tube that runs under the seat and shake it a bit, the chair pretty much self-assembles. The tubes fit together really precisely, but the slippery finish makes assembly quite easy.
If you somehow manage to damage one of the tubes, you can get replacement sections from Helinox. They cover all their chairs with a 5-year warranty, so I don’t expect any problems when you use your chair normally.
Hubs
The hubs that join all the tube sections together are also made by DAC and are made with a high-strength nylon material. They feel really solid and the tubes fit in there without any slob.
Feet
The feet on the bottom of the chair are made from rubber and are large enough to prevent the chair from sinking into the ground. I weigh about 75 kg and haven’t had any problems sitting on grass or on sand. If you want to use the chair on really loose soil, you can get the optional ground sheet* that prevents the feet from sinking into the ground.
*Helinox now also sells rocking feet for the Sunset Chair, see accessories section below. I haven’t purchased these yet, but a portable rocking chair sounds amazing.
Comfort
Height
The bottom of the seat sits approximately 36 centimeters from the ground. This is a bit lower than a full-sized camp chair but makes for a more relaxed seating position. I am 1.80 / 5.11 and for me, this height feels really comfortable. When I sit in the chair, my knees are almost at a 90-degree angle. The chair is high enough for tall people and allows your legs to stay in a relaxed position. At the same time, it’s low enough that you can still comfortably sit in the chair while cooking or preparing foot on the ground. You can’t really use the chair next to a typical picnic table, but camping tables or the Table One that Helinox sells work well.
Seat design
I personally really like the bucket seat design. You sort of feel like you get ‘hugged’ by the seat. The chair has a nice width compared to some of the other camp chairs I have used. It is a bit wider than the Helinox Chair Two, which I like. The Sunset Chair does not have armrests, which might be a problem for some people. I find that my arms naturally sit on my legs, but I do sometimes wish I could put them on some armrests. The chair is quite tall, so it provides some good neck support while relaxing (or looking at the sunset…).
Fabric
The seat of the chair is made from a durable fabric with strong stitching and reinforced panels. I quite like the fact that a large portion of the seat is made from a mesh material. This creates some welcoming airflow on hot summer days. During winter time I often wear a down jacket or just place a blanket over the seat to keep my back warm.
Headrest
You can adjust the position of the pillow up and down, which is nice if you are camping/traveling with shorter or taller friends.
Setup
Setup of the Sunset Chair is super quick and easy. It takes about 30 seconds to unpack and assemble. As mentioned above, the tube sections pretty much self-assemble thanks to the elastic shock cord.
There are assembly instructions on the bottom of the seat, but I would be surprised if you would need them.
Accessories
Conclusion
Editor’s rating:
I wasn’t sure if spending 5 times as much for a camping chair would be a good idea, but I am glad I did. The Helinox Sunset Chair has quickly become one of my favorite pieces of outdoor gear and I take it with me whenever I can.
The fact that it’s so compact and light allows me to bring it on international flights when I go on camping and climbing trips around Europe. In the past, I would often leave my chair at home because it was too bulky or heavy.
For me, the only downsides of this chair are its high price tag and the fact that it has no armrests. However, I still think the chair is a fantastic investment. Looking at the build quality, I think this chair will easily last me 10 years (it also comes with a 5-year warranty). So compared to the 20-30 compact camp chairs that lasted me 1-2 years max, it might not be that much more expensive after all.
*Last updated on 2018-12-18 at 15:54 –
At the time of publishing, the price was $150
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