The Flexlite Camp Chair is the ultralight pick: at just 1.7 pounds it is the lightest chair in OutdoorGearLab's entire lineup and packs to the size of a loaf of bread. It is a hammock-style scoop seat that's great for smaller campers and short carries. The trade-offs are real, it gets wobbly when you shift, and larger or taller campers find it less comfortable.
Full review
Real-World Comfort
The REI Co-op Flexlite Camp Chair is the ultralight, take-it-anywhere option in this group, and its comfort is best understood through that lens. It's a hammock-style scoop seat that cradles you low to the ground, and for smaller campers it's genuinely relaxing. Trailspace reviewers, who rate it 4.0 out of 5, captured the appeal: 'The ability to lean back after a long day of hiking is luscious. It's light and compact.' For the right body type and use case, it delivers real comfort at a tiny weight.
That said, comfort is size-dependent. OutdoorGearLab, which scored it 61 out of 100, found that 'those with shorter legs and smaller bodies found the chair the most stable and comfortable, while those closer to the 250-pound weight capacity found the chair more wobbly,' adding bluntly that 'the larger or taller you are, the less comfortable you'll find this chair.' It's a chair that rewards a specific user rather than everyone.
Weight and Packability
Where the Flexlite is unbeatable is portability. At just 1.7 pounds, OutdoorGearLab confirmed 'it's the lightest design in our entire lineup,' and it packs down to roughly the size of a loaf of bread, around 15 by 4.5 by 4.5 inches. CNN Underscored praised how 'its ripstop seat and tentlike frame surpass durability tests, and its bring-it-anywhere packability is its biggest draw.' For backpackers who want a real chair instead of sitting on a rock, but who count every ounce, the Flexlite is the chair that earns a spot in the pack.
Setup is straightforward too. REI designed it with larger reinforced pockets where the breathable ripstop seat attaches to the aluminum poles, which eliminates the wrestling match that plagues some scoop chairs. Two slits in the seat add airflow on warm days.
Build and Design
The Flexlite uses a lightweight aluminum frame and a thin, breathable ripstop polyester seat, with the whole chair prioritizing minimum weight over plush features. It's an honest ultralight design: there are no armrests, no padding, and no headrest, just a low, supportive sling. For its intended backcountry and grab-and-go use, that minimalism is the point, and the seat's airflow slits keep it from getting sweaty on hot days.
Where It Falls Short
The Flexlite's compromises are stability, capacity, and value. OutdoorGearLab found 'the frame is quite unstable and wobbly when you shift side to side,' a real drawback for restless sitters and anyone near the 250-pound capacity, the lowest in this group. The same review wished 'it featured a more lasting and durable construction that better aligned with the higher price tag,' noting that at $90 it costs as much as the far more comfortable King Kong. It is not sold on Amazon, only through REI, so availability is narrower than the other chairs here.
How It Compares to Alternatives
The Flexlite is the ultralight extreme of this group. It's lighter and more packable than even the Helinox Sunset Chair, but the Sunset offers a much higher back, a headrest, more stability, and a higher capacity for not much more weight, which is why most comfort-focused buyers prefer it. Against the ALPS Mountaineering King Kong, GCI Outdoor Comfort Pro, and NEMO Stargaze EVO-X, the Flexlite trades nearly all comfort and stability for portability. It ranks last here not because it's bad, but because in a comfort-focused roundup its strengths are weight and pack size rather than sitting comfort.
Value and Availability
The Flexlite's value is its weakest area relative to its rivals. OutdoorGearLab, scoring it 61 out of 100, wished 'it featured a more lasting and durable construction that better aligned with the higher price tag,' noting that at $90 it costs the same as the far more comfortable and durable King Kong. You're paying for the engineering that makes a 1.7-pound chair possible, not for plushness or longevity. It's also sold only through REI Co-op rather than on Amazon, so availability is narrower than the other chairs here and there's no Amazon affiliate option, just the co-op's own listing.
That said, for the backpacker who actually needs a sub-2-pound chair, the value calculus flips: there's no point comparing it to a 14-pound car-camping chair you'd never carry up a mountain. Among true ultralight chairs it holds its own, and REI's quality control and generous return policy add some peace of mind. Judged as a packable trail chair rather than a comfort lounger, it earns its keep.
Who It's Best For
The Flexlite Camp Chair is for backpackers, thru-hikers, and smaller-framed campers who want the lightest, most packable seat available and accept a wobblier, lower-capacity chair as the price of those ounces. It's also a fine pick for festivals, concerts, and anywhere you have to carry a chair a long way. Larger and taller campers, and anyone who wants stable, plush, all-evening comfort, should choose the King Kong, GCI Comfort Pro, Helinox Sunset, or NEMO Stargaze instead. As a backpacking chair, though, the Flexlite is a proven, featherweight favorite.
Strengths
- +Just 1.7 pounds, the lightest chair in this comparison
- +Packs down to about the size of a loaf of bread
- +Intuitive setup with reinforced pole pockets
- +Breathable ripstop seat with airflow slits
- +Genuinely backpack-friendly comfort for smaller campers
Watch-outs
- −Frame is unstable and wobbly when you shift side to side
- −Less comfortable the larger or taller you are
- −250-pound capacity, the lowest in this group
- −Construction feels light for its $90 price
How it compares
The lightest and most packable chair here, beating even the Helinox Sunset Chair on weight, but far less comfortable and stable than the ALPS Mountaineering King Kong, GCI Outdoor Comfort Pro, or NEMO Stargaze EVO-X, and lower-backed than the Sunset.
Who this is for
At a glance: Backpackers and smaller campers who want the lightest, most packable seat and accept less stability for the weight savings.
Why you’d buy the REI Co-op Flexlite Camp Chair
- Just 1.7 pounds, the lightest chair in this comparison.
- Packs down to about the size of a loaf of bread.
- Intuitive setup with reinforced pole pockets.
Why you’d skip it
- Frame is unstable and wobbly when you shift side to side.
- Less comfortable the larger or taller you are.
- 250-pound capacity, the lowest in this group.
Rating sources
“Weighing it at a modest 1.7 pounds, it's the lightest design in our entire lineup.”
“The ability to lean back after a long day of hiking is luscious. It's light and compact.”
“Its ripstop seat and tentlike frame surpass durability tests, and its bring-it-anywhere packability is its biggest draw.”
Our 4.2 score is the average of these published ratings. Ratings marked * were derived from the reviewer’s written analysis or video transcript — the publisher didn’t print an explicit numeric score, so we inferred one from their own words. Click through to verify. More about methodology.
