Helinox Sunset Camping Chair Review
The Helinox Sunset ($170) takes the minimalist design of a backpacking chair and blows it up to a larger size. The results are mixed: Its high back, breathable seat, and smartly integrated headrest are all strong suits, and its sub-4-pound weight means you can carry it to most anywhere that’s not a backcountry camp. However, its lack of features such as armrests and cupholders are a bummer—especially given the price—and some folks may not dig the slouch-inducing lean. If kicking back to the max is your main priority, though, this chair checks a number of boxes without the size and heft of traditional car camping chairs.
Comfort
Stability
Durability
Ease of Use
Portability
Sustainability
Weight
3 lb. 7 oz.
Dimensions (W/D/H)
23 x 28 x 38 in.
Seat Height
14 in.
Weight Capacity
320 lb.
Pros
Cons
Helinox Sunset
For this season's top models, see our guide to the Best Camping Chairs.
The Helinox Sunset's comfort is reclining-oriented, for better and worse. From the first time I settled into its deeply scooped seat I felt like I was sinking into a suspended fabric sling. It reminded me a little of a mini-hammock. The high back (38 in.) and wide seat (28 in.) made it easy to relax, and I appreciated that the frame seemed to disappear underneath me—no rods pressed into my legs or back, even during long sits.
That said, I was constantly reminded that this is not a camping chair built for sitting upright. The Helinox Sunset nudged me into a reclined position whether I wanted it or not, and while that’s great for reading or watching the clouds, it’s a little awkward when eating dinner or chatting at eye-level with someone sitting more upright. There’s no way to adjust the recline angle—unlike the pricer Nemo Stargaze ($250)—and the absence of armrests meant my arms were often awkwardly floating without a natural place to rest.
The Sunset’s seat material—a combo of 600-denier polyester and recycled monomesh—helped keep me from overheating and shed water after a damp morning. I didn’t notice any hot spots, but there was a horizontal seam across the back that I could feel when wearing thin clothes. (It wasn’t painful, just noticeable.) On the plus side, though, the adjustable headrest worked well. I stuffed the chair’s carry case into the flap behind my head, which added welcome support. I’m 5-foot-3 and had an inch or so of clearance above my head, and my 6-foot-2 partner tried it too and said the headrest hit him mid-skull—which worked well for him, especially with a jacket tucked under. If you’re tall and often feel unsupported in low chairs, the Sunset is a good call.
I’ve sat in a lot of camping chairs that wobble if I so much as sneeze, but this wasn’t one of them. Even when I shifted around, the Sunset stayed firmly planted thanks to its pyramid-style frame and rubber feet. The DAC aluminum alloy construction felt solid, and I trusted it on uneven grass, hard-packed dirt, and even sloping gravel.
That said, the feet are pretty narrow, so it did sink slightly when I set it up on soft sand. It wasn’t a big problem, but something to be aware of if you’re headed to the beach. Compared to models like the Big Agnes Big Six or the Yeti Trailhead, the Sunset felt just a bit less planted overall, but the difference was fairly marginal.
For $170, I expected a chair that would hold up to years of use, and the Helinox Sunset mostly delivers. The materials feel premium, and the frame didn’t flex or creak no matter how much I shifted. Its 600-denier recycled polyester seat fabric felt even tougher than it looked, and even the mesh side panels showed no signs of wear after multiple weekends of use.
The weakest points, in my opinion, were the mesh pockets and the seat panel stitching—especially that annoying seam across the back. Still, nothing frayed or stretched under normal use, and the chair felt more refined and durable than the average Coleman-style folding chair. The 320-pound weight capacity inspires confidence, especially compared to cheaper options that often top out at 250 (such as the Coleman Broadband), but the ultralight Helinox Chair One has the same rating while weighing more than a pound less.
The Sunset’s setup is typical of a Helinox chair, and you can assemble the separate frame and seat in about a minute. The only quirk is the deep corner pockets at the top of the seat, which require a little leverage to pull over the frame. Once I learned to do those first, assembling the chair got easier.
It still takes longer than a fold-out chair like the REI Co-op Campwell, though, and I wouldn’t call it intuitive if you’re new to Helinox’s system. But the payoff—lightweight comfort in a compact package—is worth the extra 30 seconds. I also appreciated the small elastic pockets under the seat and the clever headrest flap, which let me customize neck support by stuffing it with a puffy or towel.
At 3 lb. 7 oz., the Helinox Sunset is on the heavy end for scoop-style camping chairs, such as the Chair One and the Nemo Moonlite (2 lb. 2 oz.), but it’s still half the weight of most traditional car camping models. The packed size (5 by 4.5 by 19 in.) is surprisingly manageable—it fits inside a duffel with the rest of my car camping gear, and I could easily carry it in a tote or large backpack. The chair's zippered case makes packing it up straightforward, and I liked the dual carry handles for quick grab-and-go convenience. No, I wouldn’t haul this thing into the backcountry, but it felt perfectly reasonable to carry a few hundred yards to a riverside spot or into a music festival.
However, while the Sunset’s portability is praiseworthy in a vacuum, I still think that its weight-to-comfort ratio isn’t that high, especially for a camping chair that’s not backcountry worthy. I’d probably prefer a few more bells and whistles at the cost of adding ounces.
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Longevity
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Recycled Materials
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Recycled and/or Reduced Packaging
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Repair Services
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Resale and/or Recycling Services
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Carbon Footprint Tracking
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Annual Impact Report
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Armrests and Cupholders
The Sunset has neither. I missed the armrests more than I expected, especially when trying to eat or drink while lounging.
Storage
Two mesh pockets on the right side worked well for stashing a phone or a paperback. You can wedge a can in one if you’re careful, but it’s not really a substitute for a cupholder.
Adjustable Headrest
The headrest flap adds subtle but meaningful support. I usually stuffed a jacket in it, and it made longer sits much more comfortable.
Big Agnes Big Six ($200): Toughness over Tech
Like the Sunset, the Big Six is a comfort-focused, scoop-style camp chair. Both models feature a two-piece design with high backs and pack down to a similarly compact size for easy transport. On closer inspection, though, the Big Six is slightly wider and taller, with a seat height that’s 6 inches higher, making it easier to sit down and stand up. Despite its larger dimensions, it weighs about 4 ounces less, due in part to the omission of features like mesh pockets and the adjustable headrest found on the Sunset. Its weight capacity is also 20 pounds lower, though our tester found the Big Six’s lightweight aircraft-grade aluminum frame and Robic nylon seat to be slightly more durable than the Sunset’s. And then there’s the matter of price—the Big Six comes in at $30 more than the already pricey Sunset. If you’ve got the money to spend and tend to knock your gear around a lot, it might be worth the upgrade. For more, read our Big Agnes Big Six review.
Nemo Moonlite ($160): A Minimalist Magician
At first glance, it's clear that the Nemo Moonlite is a much smaller chair than the Sunset. It lacks a headrest, and its seat height is 3.5 inches lower. The Moonlite’s design is also much more minimalist, losing the side mesh pockets and replacing the Sunset’s solid polyester fabric with an all-mesh seat. But the Moonlite has some tricks up its sleeve: By paring down its design and forgoing comfort-focused features, it achieves a more compact form and sheds over a pound in weight, making it a heavy but serviceable option for short backpacking trips. (The Sunset is too bulky for backcountry use.) And the Moonlite isn’t without its thoughtful touches—its adjustable armrest straps let you fine-tune its back angle for either an upright seat or a more relaxed recliner feel. If you want a streamlined chair that can play in multiple arenas, the Moonlite will not only deliver, it’ll save $10, too. To learn more, check out our Nemo Moonlite review.
With the Sunset, Helinox expands on the standard camp chair design by adding comfort-focused features such as a high back. We appreciate this chair’s durable and stable build, but some campers may balk at its deep recline and potentially annoying seat seams.
Comfort
Stability
Durability
Ease of Use
Portability
Sustainability
The Big Six is too heavy and bulky for backpacking and too pricey and complex to be a practical choice for most campers, landing it in an awkward middle ground. Still, its superb construction and comfortable seat help redeem some of its flaws.
Comfort
Stability
Durability
Ease of Use
Portability
Sustainability
One of the best compact chairs on the market, the Moonlite is a comfortable, stable, and portable model, complete with an adjustable reclining system that lets you relax at just the right angle. Campers who prefer a large chair will want to look for another option, but for everyone else, it's a clear winner.
Comfort
Stability
Durability
Ease of Use
Portability
Sustainability
Is the Sunset for You?
We’d recommend the Helinox Sunset to campers who want a high-backed, lean-heavy seat in a surprisingly compact and carryable package. It’s better suited to lounging back than sitting upright, and it’s not the simplest or lightest model in its class, but it offers a comfy middle ground between traditional folding chairs and ultralight scoop-style models. If you’re a tall camper or just like having neck support at the fire pit, the Sunset delivers—just don’t expect to eat dinner in it without a little slouch. We don’t love the price point compared to models such as the Campwell or the GCI Outdoor Kickback Rocker, which each get the job done at less than half the price and with far more features. But the Sunset isn’t close to the most expensive camp chair we’ve tested, and would be a good buy for folks who fit its somewhat niche comfort profile.
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