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Nigor & Helinox travel chairs Review & comparison

in TRAVEL JOURNALS, Travel tips and advice, Gear & Equipment Reviews what is hot & what not

on 9th June 2020

Play Pause Unmute Mute

Good stuff comes in small packages, this is true for these ultra-lightweight camping travel chairs. We have been using both these chairs for the last 4 years. Helinox Chair One is a famous brand and renowned for its excellent quality. Nigor is a Dutch brand and not as know but after all time we can vouch for their quality.

We use both chairs extensively over the last 4 years on all sorts of terrain and even in the sea in Central America and they still look as good as new. The one pole on the Helinox got bend as you will see in the video not an issue and it took incredible force to bend it back. These chairs are perfect for camping, Vanlife, or 4×4 safaris and we will never use those old bulky heavy camping chairs again. Assembling the chairs takes only a few minutes.
Take note!
When you settle for a cheapy of this design you will probably buy another one. The key is in the poles and these poles by their material characteristics and design are what give these chairs their strength. With this type of chairs, there are no short cuts and cheap stuff. There are loads of cheapies on offer on Amazon and through big retailers. I am not going to waste time to even mention them. Walkstool and TravelChair as below are as solid alternatives and well worth the money than Helinox and Nigor which will allow years of use.

Both Nigor, TravelChair and Nigor cost about the same at the time of writing.


Nigor Sparrow travel camping chair compared to the Helinox Chair One. The Nigor is more suited for bigger taller people.
Helinox Chair One – Nigor Sparrow

Helinox Chair One

The Helinox Chair one makes use of hubs and components are molded using a high-strength nylon resin. The entire chair is very well manufactured with quality materials that will allow use for many years. This chair is more suited to people with a smaller figure. Chair One frame is built with exceptionally strong 7001 series DAC aluminum alloy poles. Poles are connected with shock cord for easy assembly and to keep the poles for going awol.

Both the chairs use 600Denier polyester fabric with reinforced corners to stop the poles from pushing through and wearing out the fabric. The Daisy chain on the carry pocket of the Helinox is a very nice touch and something useful when needing to carry the chair on a backpack or such.

People weighing from about 120kg upwards are just getting too big to sit comfortably in the Chair One.


The Nigor Sparrow uses all aluminium joints for their camping chair.
Nigor all aluminium joint construction
Helinox Chair one makes use of nylon resin mouldings for their joints on the camp chair.
Helinox Chair One Nylon resin joints

Nigor Sparrow

Nigor Sparrow makes use of alloy poles throughout the design. The design of the chair is a bit wider and allows for people with bigger heavier figures to sit more comfortably for longer than in the ChairOne. Nigor chairs are exceptionally well-made and even with my +110kg frame on soft sand and uneven terrain the chair has to date showed no damage.
They use their own 7000 series TRX Eco-Duraluminium poles. The poles are connected with shock cord for easy assembly and to keep the poles for going awol.

People with big frames even over 120kg bodies can still use this chair. The Sparrow is wider and sits a bit higher than the Chair one. The Nigor is in the Medium seat height. class. Most lightweight compact travel chairs have you sitting pretty close to the ground.
When your knees and back are young and supple, this isn’t much of an issue. However, if you’re looking for an easy up and down, this chair is as close to an average chair height as you will find out of all of the competitors. For taller people, the Sparrow is a more comfortable chair.



Vital stats:

Helinox Chair One

  • Pack length: 35cm
  • Pack weight: 900gram
  • Carry: 145kg
  • Seatback width: 45cm
  • Seat front hight: 35cm
  • Ass hight: 28cm
  • Material Frame: DAC aluminum alloy
    poles
  • The Chair One’s uses600-denier polyester
    weave
  • 5-year warranty

Nigor Sparrow

  • Pack size: 45cm x10cm x 12cm
  • Pack weight: 1070gram
  • Carry: 145kg
  • Seat back Width: 55cm
  • Seat font hight: 32cm
  • Ass hight: 32cm
  • Seat Back Height: 52cm
  • Material Frame; TRX Eco-Duraluminium
  • Heavy-duty 600D two-tone fabric
  • 3 years warranty

Nigor Sparrow packing size compared to Helinox Chair One camping travel chair
Dimensions between Nigor Sparrow and Helinox Chair One.
Both Nigor Sparrow and Helinox Chair One have reinforced corners where the poles fit into.
This limits damage and wear to the fabric seating area.
Both chairs have reinforced corners where the poles fit in.
Nigor pipes pack slightly tighter than the Helinox. The joints on the Helinox makes packing tight a bit cumbersome. Nigor also uses pipes that have a slightly bigger diameter.
Nigor pipes pack slightly tighter than the Helinox. The joints on the Helinox makes packing tight a bit cumbersome. Nigor also uses pipes that have a slightly bigger diameter.
Both Helinox Chair One and Nigor Sparrow have shock cord to keep the poles attached and for easy assembly
Both Helinox Chair One and Nigor Sparrow have shock cord to keep the poles attached and for easy assembly

Alternative travel camp chairs:

The Walkstool can carry upto 225kg and pack smaller than the Helinox or Nigor but weigh about the same.
Walkstool is as solid and reliable as they come.

Walkstool has been around for many years and they are bloody strong and reliable chairs. We used them for two years travelling.

The chairs can carry up to 225kg and pack smaller than the others. But for long durations sitting around a fire, they are not that comfortable.

Parts are available and the only other rear drawback is that weighs about the same as the others mentioned in this article.
They offer a 24month guarantee but I guess you will really go out of your way to destroy the chair.

Travelchair Joey is an full on American brand and a great alternative to the Helinox and Nigor camp travel chairs
TravelChair – Joey compact camp chair

TravelChair is an all American brand that started the whole folding furniture genre in 1984. They took a bit longer to introduce their compact travel camp chair to the market but in the end, it is a good solid chair.

As they say their Joey chair packs about the same size as a California burrito and a weight of 1kg (2.30lbs)  The seat height is also roughly 40cm which is closer to the Nigor and will be better for taller people.

ANTI SINK FEET: Rubber disk feet enhance chair performance and stability on sand, mud, and other soft surfaces.

TravelChair stands by its products and says they have a return rate of .02% . 
For another very lightweight compact alternative check out their  3-in-1 Adjustable Slacker – Stools


Camping in Mexico on a volcano using the Helinox Chair One compact lightweight travel camping chairs.
Camping on a volcano in Mexico
We are not sponsored or have any affiliation with any of the companies or receive any funding or support from them

2 Comments

  1. Kelvin Prevett
    3rd September 2020 @ 2:41 pm

    Great review, thanks for taking the time 🙂

  2. Edgar Toro Lanza
    18th November 2020 @ 5:36 am

    Son viajes maravillosos. Gracias por visitar Apolo – Bolivia. Vuelvan pronto!

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