Over the years I’ve been camping in the car, on a motorbike and nowadays on my bicycle, I’ve tried and used several different seats. When space was no issue in the car I usually would take a regular camping chair. I have a few of these, bought over the years. A couple of times when I have forgotten to pack one I’ve had to go buy a new one. These are fairly comfortable and if you buy a decent one will last for years. They are though, heavy and bulky.
When I used to go away on the motorbike I was more restricted in what I could carry. The regular chairs were just too long to fit on the bike so I tried one which was basically a normal one with shorter legs. It was OK but was still rather heavy. I also tried three-legged folding stools. They were small and compact but not too comfortable for sitting on for extended periods. They were fine for say sitting over a stove while cooking but that was their limit for me.
So when I started cycle camping I decided I needed to look for something different. I had previously considered not carrying any chair and once or twice went away with a small foam mat to sit on but at my age I decided I really did need a chair. I considered many options and read many reviews. The Helinox Zero chair came out top in most of them for weight and comfort.
The down-side was the price. It is really expensive at £135. But for that you get a chair made from strong material well designed and with a really small pack size. It also comes with a five year guarantee which hopefully means it will last a long time. There are cheaper copies but I’m never convinced that saving a few pounds on an initial purchase is worth it in the longer term.
The chair weighs just 495 grammes and packs down to 35 X 10 X 10 cm. I find this will pack away into any of my panniers and is about the same size as my sleeping mat.
Sitting on the chair is really comfortable. The seating area is deep enough to make it stable and the edges don’t bite into my legs or back. Care needs to be taken getting in and out of the chair as it is quite low to the ground but once you’ve learned the technique it becomes second nature.
If you can get over the price, I would recommend this chair for anyone looking for light-weight, small sized and comfortable seat for camping.
Just Me - On my bike 