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EmmaL
55
Feb 5, 2018
I am tempted...so tempted.... Were it not for the new Helinox Zero chair, I wouldn't hesitate. But now I'm in a conundrum over whether to get this Alite Monarch, or wait for the Helinox Zero chair - albeit it's bound to be quite a bit more expensive but I suspect I will prefer the 4 legs and higher seat height. Anyone have both chairs with some thoughts?
Flashman
90
Feb 9, 2018
EmmaLI have the chair one and chair zero. My friend has this alite chair and I have sat in it before. It's comfortable to sit in, it's not hard to balance. It's more for relaxing. Where it falls short over a chair with 4 legs is when you are sitting around trying to do other things like cook,.. For this price if you want a chair you can setup and take a break, just lean back, not do other tasks sitting down, it's a good buy. My personal take is (not knocking the chair) when it came out and the alternatives were a chair like the chair one at 2lbs, this was an ultralight chair option at 1/2 the weight that did the job. I think now (today) with lightweight options like the chair zero this chair is starting to show it's age. It's no longer a weight saving chair. What would make sense is if they update this chair as well and can make it at less then 10oz. Then it would be a lighter chair compared to one with 4 legs and it would once again be a lighter chair option compared to one with 4 legs. I don't know where you live, if near a store like REI you might want to take a ride and try them out. The REI near me has the chairs setup in the store to try, might help you decide. Personally, I love the chair zero. I take it on backpacking trips when I'm not trying to keep my weight as light as I can. Have used the chair one for years kayak camping where a 2lb chair was not too heavy to take.
Storyville
33
May 5, 2018
EmmaLI'm with you-- and would jump in immediately on a Massdrop for the Heli Zero! If MD could drop the price by $25, I would buy four...
Flashman
90
May 14, 2018
StoryvilleYep, I agree. I don't know if you have an REI near you. I picked my chair zero up on an heli sale, they were all on sale. I have to look up what it cost me, but it was not a bad deal. Would be great if massdrop does sell it at a good deal.
ponyespresso
8
Aug 5, 2018
EmmaLI accidentally bought a Monarch chair this summer while on a road trip. We thought we were buying the Alite Mayfly but someone had put a Monarch in the Mayfly bag. I ended up really enjoying the Monarch chair and after we all fell backwards out of the chair once have gotten the hang of it LOL. I especially like that i can put my feet up on a log to really relax, or can kind of gently rock in the chair while watching the campfire. (Ultimately we exchanged it because we had paid for the more expensive chair and the elastic on the Monarch was giving out prematurely). But I've been using my new Mayfly in Monarch mode.
After we got back from vacation I purchased a Helinox Zero for my husband (who wanted a four legged chair) but it's so narrow in the butt/hip area. Neither of us liked the chair (I'm a 5'6" woman who weighs about 135 lbs, husband is 5'10 190 lbs) and we're going to return it even though I got it on super sale.
Cardamomtea
588
Aug 18, 2018
EmmaLI don't have this Alite chair, but I tested it at REI and I preferred four-legged chairs.
I have since purchased a Moon Lence chair at ~2lb ($32 on Amazon, almost the same as the Helinox Chair One that retails for $100 but is about $70 right now at discount sites). I also purchased a Helinox Chair Zero (1.1lb) when it was on sale (it retails for $120, I paid $90).
I love both of these chairs. I actually use the Moon Lence a lot at home (as a patio chair, or a chair by the door to sit in whilst putting on shoes). It is larger and thus a bit more comfortable than the Chair Zero (a 6' tall 185lb man finds the Moon Lence comfortable). Since it cost less and is more durable, I'm not worried about overuse at home.
I save the Chair Zero for backpacking. I find it to be comfortable and have adequate room in the seat, but I am a 5'3" 110lb woman, so YMMV. It was so nice on my last trip to bring the chair to the lakeside and have a seat while I was treating water. It made that task enjoyable! I will likely try and cut weight elsewhere in my pack (maybe carry 500ml less water, and stop to treat water more often?) in order to take this "luxury item" with me on all my backpack trips.
I'm actually thinking about buying another Moon Lence chair so both my partner and I can sit on the patio at the same time (we have IKEA patio chairs but these are much more comfortable). Also I bought a collapsible table from them, and had an issue, so I contacted their customer service. I wasn't expecting a good experience (there are a gazillion Chinese companies on Amazon hawking similar chairs), but they really took care of me. In fact it would be awesome if Massdrop could partner with them.
E_cho
6
Apr 10, 2019
CardamomteaThanks for the detailed and thoughtful review! It is so helpful!