Helinox Chair One
The Helinox Chair One has been a favourite among sea
kayakers for it's light weight, compact size and the comfort it
brings at the end of long day paddling.
There are two main components, the frame and the fabric seat. The seat material is made from heavy duty nylon with mesh cut outs for cooling. The fabric is sewn together to a very high standard and the corner tabs which slide over the frame are heavily reinforced.
The frame consists of anodized aluminium poles which slot into two
high-strength nylon hubs. These aluminum poles are connected internally
by shock chord, so when assembling or breaking down, all the parts stay together and fit correctly.
The ergonomic shape of the chair allows you to sit comfortably, with the seat cradling your bottom and back. The back support allows you to slightly recline, and the hole thing packs down to fit into a small travel case.
On very soft sand the legs tend to sink into the sand quite significantly. In order to overcome this problem I made 4 slip on base extenders which are designed to slot over the base of each leg and increase the surface area in contact with the sand. The extra surface area prevents the legs from sinking to far into the sand and the 4 base extenders easily fit inside the travel case.
Click the link for details of the Foot Base Extenders.
Conclusion
The Chair One sets up and packs away quickly without fuss due to self-locating shock cords between the poles and the hub and is far more robust than you’d first expect. The sitting height is ideal, it's tall enough that you can still stand up from it without having to push off with your arms while still being low enough to be able to lean forward and cook over a canister stove. The cloth and stitching are top quality and I anticipate many years of service from this chair.
The Chair One is more expensive than your typical camping/travel chair, but it’s rugged durability, comfort, size and ease of setup are well worth the price. If using on soft sand some kind of base support will be required to prevent the legs sinking.
There are two main components, the frame and the fabric seat. The seat material is made from heavy duty nylon with mesh cut outs for cooling. The fabric is sewn together to a very high standard and the corner tabs which slide over the frame are heavily reinforced.
The frame consists of anodized aluminium poles which slot into two
high-strength nylon hubs. These aluminum poles are connected internally
by shock chord, so when assembling or breaking down, all the parts stay together and fit correctly. 
The ergonomic shape of the chair allows you to sit comfortably, with the seat cradling your bottom and back. The back support allows you to slightly recline, and the hole thing packs down to fit into a small travel case.
On very soft sand the legs tend to sink into the sand quite significantly. In order to overcome this problem I made 4 slip on base extenders which are designed to slot over the base of each leg and increase the surface area in contact with the sand. The extra surface area prevents the legs from sinking to far into the sand and the 4 base extenders easily fit inside the travel case.
Click the link for details of the Foot Base Extenders.
Conclusion
The Chair One sets up and packs away quickly without fuss due to self-locating shock cords between the poles and the hub and is far more robust than you’d first expect. The sitting height is ideal, it's tall enough that you can still stand up from it without having to push off with your arms while still being low enough to be able to lean forward and cook over a canister stove. The cloth and stitching are top quality and I anticipate many years of service from this chair.
The Chair One is more expensive than your typical camping/travel chair, but it’s rugged durability, comfort, size and ease of setup are well worth the price. If using on soft sand some kind of base support will be required to prevent the legs sinking.
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