This product is not available. Good news: we have a newer version.
Enjoy a comfortable backcountry seat that packs down small and weighs only 1 pound! The REI Co-op Flexlite Air chair offers off-the-ground comfort at minimal weight.
Flexlite Air Chair is the lightest option in the Flexlite family, intended for backpackers and other who prioritize lowest weight
Optimized design of hubs and seat reduces weight and bulk when packed
Sturdy ripstop nylon seat has a durable water repellent (DWR) finish to resist moisture and stains
Aluminum frame with 4-leg design provides base stability
Shockcorded hub-and-pole architecture makes chair easy to set up
Folds down compactly to store in the included carry bag
250 lb. weight capacity
REI Co-op brand is certified to The Climate Label; we actively fund efforts to reduce carbon emissions across our business and support climate projects around the world
Contains materials that meet the bluesign® criteria
From feedback to field testing, all of our gear is dialed-in by REI Co-op members. Their adventures informed every stitch and detail—making for better, longer-lasting gear.
Reviews
(651)651 reviews with an average rating of 4.1 out of 5 stars
359 out of 477 (75%) reviewers recommend this product
Review this Product
Adding a review will require a valid email for verification
Average Customer Ratings
Ease of Use
Difficult to useVery easy to use
Most Helpful Favorable Review
5 Reviews 5 reviews with an average rating of 5.0 out of 5 stars
Great price, comparable to Helinox zero
Gt5228
6 years ago
For context, it should be known that I also own the Helinox chair zero.
Compared to it, here are my pros for flexlite:
1) more stable from front to back, the legs are oriented perpendicular to the way Helinox chair zero's are.
2)price($20 less than Helinox zero)
3) allows for more relaxed and less upright seated position(although accommodates both well)
4) allows wider bodied people
5) uses one piece, hole-less nylon canvas sitting material
Compared to Chair Zero, here are my cons
1)less material where the legs fit into the chair, long term durability may be questionable.
2)you sit-on more than sit-in, or in other words your butt doesent sit as deep as with the Helinox chair. This might not nessesarily be a con though, depending on your preference.
3)it uses a loose fitting, mesh stuff sack, the Helinox uses a much more tightly fitted sack.
5 Reviews 5 reviews with an average rating of 2.0 out of 5 stars
Questionable Max Load
Petey
5 years ago
This chair buckled under 215 lbs of dad bod. I was just sitting around the fire, and I felt the chair shift and then plop to the ground. Nice lightweight chair that is maybe only good for lightweight individuals.
I debated whether to take this luxury item on an intensive backpacking trip in N Pakistan this summer. Everyone sits on the ground there anyway but I’d recently tweaked my knee. I took another one for my guide/friend Aslam (not wanting him to sit at my feet). He and his friends fell about laughing when I popped those babies up! However they proved to become an essential part of our kit. They provided instant comfort in rocky, wet terrain and served (unexpectedly) to be an ice breaker with the shepherds we met, who also had to try them out. The trick is so ensure all four feet are on flat ground before sitting and to slide into them gently, not throw yourself onto them like a sack of spuds. Aslam is now the proud owner and only Pakistani guide to have one of these chairs! he was completely won over by how easy it was to do the cooking seated on his throne and to sit anywhere in comfort during our long trekking days.
Age:55–64
Weight:125–150 lbs.
Height:5'4"
Yes , I recommend this product
Helpful?
Spclk79
Covington, LA
Rated 1.0 out of 5 stars
Poor design - breaks quickly and flimsy
6 months ago
Don't bother - it's a POOR design! There is nothing to keep the cords from rubbing on the sharp aluminum edges of the frame, so they start to fray with very little use. We bought this chair for our Boy Scout to use on future backpacking trips, but after maybe 3-4 campouts, the cords are about to break. And because we've had it a year, it's no longer under warranty. REI denies that it is a manufacturer's defect, which we understand.... but the simple fact remains that it's a poor design and there's no longevity to how it is made. Don't buy unless you enjoy throwing money out the window.
Age:Under 18
Weight:Less than 100 lbs.
Height:Shorter than 5'
No, I do not recommend this product
Ease of Use
Difficult to useVery easy to use
Helpful?
crim chizz frosting
Seattle, WA
Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars
Best Backpacking Chair You Never Knew You Needed
3 years ago
This chair is the freaking best. For just an extra 1lb on your back (let's be real - you won't even notice it), you'll be so glad you got this chair. It's extremely lightweight and easy to assemble. Once you go backpacking with this, you'll ask yourself why you didn't get this chair sooner. There's nothing better than having hiked a long way and then be able to lounge with your meal/coffee. No more sitting on a hard and bumpy log or rock with no backrest.
The only 2 things you need to watch out for are 1. the chance of it flying away when it's unattended in windy conditions due to how lightweight it is and 2. the chance of you falling over since you do have to be attentive to how you distribute your own weight in the chair.
Age:25–34
Weight:100–125 lbs.
Height:5'2"
Yes , I recommend this product
Ease of Use
Difficult to useVery easy to use
Helpful?
Sole Sister
SW Washington State
Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars
Simply put, it’s life-changing.
3 years ago
I never knew how much I could enjoy my PB&J on a grueling day hike until I ate it ensconced on my new throne—the Flexlite Air Chair. Easily assembled and cradled by comfort, I was the envy of every other hiker (except the one who also had this chair). We nodded to each other knowingly. Go ahead—sit on the cold ground if you want. We have seen luxury. And it is the Flexlite Air Chair. The opportunities to use this chair are endless—don’t be constrained by convention. It’s earned a permanent place in the trunk of my car, ready to deploy at a moment’s notice for long checkout lines, swapping out those awful plastic chairs at outdoor concerts at wineries and staging impromptu sit-ins. Thank you, REI.
Height:5'5"
Age:65–74
Weight:125–150 lbs.
Yes , I recommend this product
Helpful?
K Williams
Rated 2.0 out of 5 stars
Lasted two years.
2 years ago
I enjoyed this chair for almost two years on backpacking and car camping trips. It is lightweight and packable. However, one of the long arms split open on my last camping trip when I sat down in the chair. No funny business, it just cracked. I barely weigh 100 lbs, so I was shocked. For the price of the chair, I expected it to last more than two years.
Weight:100–125 lbs.
Height:5'3"
No, I do not recommend this product
Helpful?
jtkirk31
Rochester NY
Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Chair for my Old Bones
5 years ago
I was preparing for a High Sierra adventure and thought it would be worth the extra pound or so of weight to have some camp comfort. Well, once in a while I make GREAT decisions. What a difference that chair made in my campsite sitting after a climb or hiking day. Will never be without it in my future expeditions. And I get a kick sorta, out of some of these reviews. For instance, trouble if it is sandy. For heavens sake, find a more stable spot or place something under the legs. Improvise!!! What do you want with a one pound chair? A Lazyboy recliner!? And in closing, I weigh 194, and the seating was just fine! Good stuff REI!
Yes , I recommend this product
Helpful?
Jwopd
Charleston, SC
Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars
Worth the weight
3 years ago
It’s comfy. 15.9 oz, it’s hard to beat. Way more comfortable than the helinox zero chair (which is over 1 lb 2 oz) and about the same level of comfort as the heavy Amazon “Yizi lite 750” (1 lb 9 oz) chair (same general shape as the yizi). After some big miles, you’ll be thankful for this piece of equipment.
Age:25–34
Weight:200–225 lbs.
Height:6'0"
Yes , I recommend this product
Ease of Use
Difficult to useVery easy to use
Helpful?
HalfFast
TX
Rated 4.0 out of 5 stars
Seat height too low for me
2 years ago
Even though I am returning this product due to the seat height (11" is too low for me to get in and out of comfortably, I'm 6-1) the overall comfort is impressive. It does wobble a bit from side to side so I don't know how it would hold up using it day in day out on a backpacking trip. I sort of have to flop down in it and with my weight of 225, this will probably break it or bend the poles over extended use. It is easy to assemble and take down. For a smaller and younger person, this would be a great add for those backcountry trips. Only weighs a 1 lb. If it was about 2-3" taller it would work for me. I need a Flexlite Air XL!
Age:55–64
Weight:225–250 lbs.
Height:6'1"
Yes , I recommend this product
Ease of Use
Difficult to useVery easy to use
Helpful?
Josh Kautz
Minneapolis, MN
Rated 2.0 out of 5 stars
Leg folded and broke
1 year ago
I used it for a year and a half before it broke. One of the legs bent and then folded. I looked to see if they sell replacement parts, but they don't; they only sell replacement seat fabric. There also doesn't appear to be a repair option for the chair. I don't think I got $100 worth of use out of the chair.
Age:25–34
Weight:175–200 lbs.
Height:6'3"
No, I do not recommend this product
Ease of Use
Difficult to useVery easy to use
Helpful?
ak4
Rated 4.0 out of 5 stars
Nice Chair but try multiple one
10 months ago
Which is the best lightweight backpacking chair on the market as of Aug 2024? REI Co-op Flexlite Air Chair, Helinox Chair Zero, NEMO Moonlite Elite Reclining?
Long story short, my recommendation is you buy/ship all three to your home - don't accept anybody advice that one chair is definitively the best. Each person's body shape will have a different experience so try them out for a good 10-20 min each in a variety of positions. That being said, here are my 6ft 170lb male (long legs and medium torso) observations from a living room tryout (no trail experience yet).
REI Co-op Flexlite Air Chair
WEIGHT (chair only) - 16.0 oz
STABILITY - Least stable of the three with side to side stability being the weak point; not a major issue to me as easy enough to self stabilize. Though if cooking to the side of the chair you'll have to be super careful as the lack of stability may cause you to slip a bit and potentially knock over the typical precarious backpacking pot/stove combo.
COMFORT - Overall I found it comfortable to sit on except for one very important position - slouched back with legs straight out (ie back of heels touching the ground). I found the fabric at the very front of the chair to immediately and uncomfortably dig into my upper thigh near the butt basically negating the use of this position.
GETTING IN AND OUT - the hardest of the three as I can't use the hubs (given their front/back alignment) to aid with pushing up on in addition to my squat strength. Not a big deal as you'll just push off the ground more instead which should be mostly fine.
SETUP - Slightly easier as the fabric corners are not as taught as Helinox
FABRIC/WEIGHT Limit - 250 lbs. Fabric is lighter than Helinox and has a bit less coverage which probably why the chair is 15lbs less on weight limit.
VERDICT - Lightest and by far best price price especially on sale. Comfortable in most positions and definitely a huge upgrade from no chair. I did not keep as the legs straight out position was uncomfortable which wasn't a compromise on the Helinox. Plus the Helinox had much better side to side stability which I valued more than only slightly better front to back stability on the REI.
Helinox Chair Zero
WEIGHT (chair only) - 17.5 oz
STABILITY - Side to side stability was very good; however, when sitting a bit of more upright while still leaning on the back fabric with both feet on ground it does tend to rock backwards a bit; on one hand nice to have easy potential rocking chair effect though don't be surprised if you accidentally fall backward. Easy to redistribute weight comfortably to avoid this.
COMFORT - I did not have any comfort issue with a variety of positions
GETTING IN AND OUT - between squat strength and pushing off with both hands from the hub sections I can get up easy enough without touching ground. Same with lowering into the seat.
SETUP - a tab bit harder than REI version as the last fabric corner you have to muscle it in a bit. Maybe with use this goes away shortly.
FABRIC/WEIGHT Limit - 265 lbs. Heavy duty fabric with a deeper seating position which hugs you a bit more than others.
VERDICT - I went with this chair as I got 40% off (ie $90), had no comfort constraints with any positions and only marginally heavier than REI chair.
NEMO Moonlite Elite Reclining
WEIGHT (chair only) - 18.5 oz
STABILITY - This chair was definitively the most stable of the three. No rocking effect unless you purposefully tilt back far enough to create it.
COMFORT - I found it comfortable in all positions though there were very slight pinch points in some positions from the corners that I suspected would become more pronounced if I sat in the chair long enough in the same position. Also, with legs straight out and heels on ground I felt some pressure on under thigh though not nearly to same extant as REI chair. I like it the most in the upright setting with feet on the ground.
GETTING IN AND OUT - between squat strength and pushing off with both hands from the hub sections I can get up easy enough without touching ground. Same with lowering into the seat.
SETUP - a more fiddly with the ball in socket approach. Have to work harder to yank off on disassembly. I consider this is a minor point.
FABRIC/WEIGHT Limit - 250 lbs. Least fabric coverage of three plus its a mesh which is probably a very good thing in hotter locations.
OTHER - Easy enough to change recline when not on chair though with other chairs you can change your body position to effectively get most of the same benefit.
VERDICT - Nice chair with flexibility though pricey. If going to use the included ground base (ie soft soil or sand) its nice its included (other chairs you need to purchase separately or do a DIY solution). I went with the Helinox as I felt it would be more comfortable in longer use situations while being 1 oz lighter and cheaper.
