Nemo Moonlite Elite Reclining Chair

I am always looking for comfort on the trail, but it has to be lightweight and compact too. The Nemo Moonlight Elite Reclining Backpack Chair is all of these things. First, it is lightweight at 1 lb. 6 oz with the case which doubles as a stabilizing base if you are sitting in sand or snow. Without the case, it is a mere 1 lb. 2 oz which is how I will carry it because I probably wouldn't need the stabilizing base. It is compact too, not taking up much space in my backpack. Setting up this chair is a breeze, the legs quickly come together and the chair itself is clearly labeled as to the top and bottom. I like that the leg connections satisfyingly 'snap' to the chair fabric, creating a strong and sturdy connection. Sitting in this chair is very comfortable. You can ... MoreI am always looking for comfort on the trail, but it has to be lightweight and compact too. The Nemo Moonlight Elite Reclining Backpack Chair is all of these things. First, it is lightweight at 1 lb. 6 oz with the case which doubles as a stabilizing base if you are sitting in sand or snow. Without the case, it is a mere 1 lb. 2 oz which is how I will carry it because I probably wouldn't need the stabilizing base. It is compact too, not taking up much space in my backpack. Setting up this chair is a breeze, the legs quickly come together and the chair itself is clearly labeled as to the top and bottom. I like that the leg connections satisfyingly 'snap' to the chair fabric, creating a strong and sturdy connection. Sitting in this chair is very comfortable. You can sit straight up, or use the belay-inspired suspension system and adjust how far back you wish to recline. I would actually call it more of a lean-back, rather than a true recline. The chair is stable on the ground and feels sturdy when you are sitting in it. I am a petite woman and it fits me well and my hiking partner also felt comfortable and he's around 165 lbs.Overall, this is a comfortable backpacking chair. It is lightweight but I was hoping for it to be closer to the 1 lb or less range, being new to the market and with an innovative design.

I’ll open with saying I did not get the opportunity to extensively put the product through its paces: I received the product on a Thursday afternoon, and received an email that it was time to review it on Sunday. I was intending to have used it on a camp that weekend, but then SoCal got battered by a series of storms all weekend. Alas, I am also a full time biologist and have other uses for this chair and, in fact, did use it. On Friday. While working as the biological monitor for a construction project. That is the basis for this review.First, on viewing the product in its packaging (photo provided), I appreciated that it was a simple cardboard wrap. That is the environmentally sensible thing to do. It contains instructions on the back side. Those instructions ... MoreI’ll open with saying I did not get the opportunity to extensively put the product through its paces: I received the product on a Thursday afternoon, and received an email that it was time to review it on Sunday. I was intending to have used it on a camp that weekend, but then SoCal got battered by a series of storms all weekend. Alas, I am also a full time biologist and have other uses for this chair and, in fact, did use it. On Friday. While working as the biological monitor for a construction project. That is the basis for this review.First, on viewing the product in its packaging (photo provided), I appreciated that it was a simple cardboard wrap. That is the environmentally sensible thing to do. It contains instructions on the back side. Those instructions are useful, as if you are like me you might be initially confused when you unpack the product. After looking over the instructions once, I stuck the simple packaging in the recycle bin.After the instructions helped me get over the initial confusion about the folded support, it was easy enough to put together. It works in a similar fashion to most tent poles. You quickly slide the segments together, then snap the ends into the receptacles in the corners of the chair fabric. Easy peasy.This chair prioritizes simplicity and is light weight, which makes sense since it is made for backpacking. While it does those things well, it was more comfortable than I expected. By a lot. No, you would not choose this over your overbuilt recliner in your home, but it does provide a comfortable place to rest your hind-end and take the weight off your legs when in a place where the alternative might be a log, a rock, or the ground. It felt surprisingly sturdy, too, and I am a fairly average-sized 50-year-old male at 5’ 11” and 185 pounds.To the actual use: the day after receipt, I had a full day of monitoring on a construction site. Monitoring often has a lot of downtime where you are either standing or, if there is a place to, sitting a bit of distance from construction work and just documenting what is going on. I had always wished I had a chair when doing such work and now I do. Since it is super compact, the thing fits easily in with my mass of other equipment in my car. It is easy to set up and move around the construction area as needed. It is also comfortable to sit in for extended periods. Using it that day, others that were not actively involved in the construction work were jealous. Unfortunately, it was not feasible on that work site to take pics of me using it, or of the chair in context while there.Where to go from here? I will use it backpacking, for sure, but given my day job I am excited to add this to my work equipment. I am also excited about a quality piece of equipment that makes my work and recreational lives easier.

I was waiting for the release of this chair with high hopes. I have previously been using the original Helinox Chair Zero since its release and it has served me with comfort and without fail on many backpacking trips. I simply wanted a new gadget and Nemo is a good innovator. I purchased the Nemo and brought it home and set it up side by side with the Helinox to compare. After comparing both I’m sticking with the Helinox and returning the Nemo. I like the footprint of the Nemo which keeps the chair from digging into the sand or dirt and was willing to carry the additional 3-1/2 oz for this benefit. However, that is the only improvement it has over the Helinox. The ability to change the reclining position of the Nemo from upright to lounge position sounds awesome, ... MoreI was waiting for the release of this chair with high hopes. I have previously been using the original Helinox Chair Zero since its release and it has served me with comfort and without fail on many backpacking trips. I simply wanted a new gadget and Nemo is a good innovator. I purchased the Nemo and brought it home and set it up side by side with the Helinox to compare. After comparing both I’m sticking with the Helinox and returning the Nemo. I like the footprint of the Nemo which keeps the chair from digging into the sand or dirt and was willing to carry the additional 3-1/2 oz for this benefit. However, that is the only improvement it has over the Helinox. The ability to change the reclining position of the Nemo from upright to lounge position sounds awesome, but I really didn’t see a huge change. In my Helinox I simply sit more forward or slouch back; same effect in my opinion. The Helinox is noticeably wider. I’m 5’11” 175 lbs. I’m not that big but the system that Nemo uses to attach the mesh to the poles, although very well made, tends to pinch my lats and underarms when trying to get comfortable. Also, my hips were pinched too, especially when I stretched my legs out straight which made relaxing uncomfortable. I also noticed that the Nemo poles don’t insert into the joints as far a the Helinox does. I’ve never had any issues with my Helinox joints ever seating properly. While setting up the Nemo for the second time I noticed that I was tilting sideways. After looking things over I realized a joint didn’t seat all the way which resulted in a slight kink in the pole. I was able to push it in all the way and it worked fine after that. Make sure the joints are all in before sitting down. I think this is a good, well made chair, but not a break through from what Helinox started. I was swayed by all the hyped up reviews of this chair, but my own assessment sees it falling short. I’m returning the Nemo.