First Thoughts on the Helinox Bench One
For the past 10 years, Helinox has been coming up with some really ingenious outdoor product designs. Lightweight, strong, packable, and plenty of outdoor uses have placed them in a position that’s quite a unique niche. Technology drives a lot of their innovations as they’ve pushed the boundaries on their tent poles, cots, chairs, as well as this new bench. I’ve been toting this bag along for a lot of my outdoor excursions, and have made good use of the Helinox Bench One.
Details And Technical Specifications
Assembled Packed
Height: 16 in / 40 cm 6 in / 16 cm
Width: 43.5 in / 111 cm 17.5 in / 45 cm
Depth: 16 in / 40 cm 6 in / 16 cm
Weight: 4 lbs 10 oz. / 2.1 kg
Warranty: 5 years
Five parts that nicely fit in the bag. Assembly is pretty self-explanatory, but the directions are engrained on the canvas seat. The legs are held together by a rope/bungee/string, and easily snap together.
Multi-Use Adventures With The Helinox Bench One
I am usually a pretty light packer when it comes to my activities and outings. Organization plays a big role there, and I usually forget something that could have been useful. There were a few times, where I forgot the bench as well. We certainly managed, but I’m not making a habit of it when it comes to the Bench One.
The bag takes up hardly any space and sets up in 3 minutes flat. It’s been very useful for our camping ventures, mountain bike excursions, and simple fireside sunset family moments.
When playing outside in the mountains, gear and equipment gets thrown around, beat up, and pushed to its limits. Poles snap, fabrics stretch and tear, and my least favorite, the stitching pulls apart when a heavy load and/or beating is pushing the products to its max. Time will tell, of course, but the initial outings have given us much joy and the Helinox Bench has lived up to its promise.
I know I am supposed to review this from a more technical and use standpoint, but in the end, it’s the memories that persist. Being able to take a load off after summiting two 14ers, or waking up early to go riding. Teaching my young ladies to play volleyball and badminton on some deserted beach while coaching from the sidelines, or hanging by the fire as the sun sets. Now, those are memories that stick. Having along a comfy place to sit no matter where you end up, is kind of nice.
Now, I don’t fish, but I did lend it to a buddy of mine who went to our local mountain high alpine lake. He caught us dinner, and made good use of the bench. Comfortable enough, and he was easily able to take it to a more remote spot along with his fishing gear. That’s a win.
Final Thoughts on the Helinox Bench One
I have all good things to say about the Helinox Bench One. Half my battle is remembering to bring it along as we head out the door. The best use we had for our bench was during camping trips and a houseboat adventure on Lake Powell in the Utah Dessert. Once it was put together, we left it as such, and it saw plenty of action as we moved it around. I will keep the bag stored with our camping equipment as I see us using it frequently in this manner. That said, the lightweight and ease of assembly make it a good companion for any day trip you may have in mind. I like it for camping, but my buddy said it was “deluxe accommodations for my behind as I willed the fish to bite”. For more information and purchase, please visit helinox.com or amazon.com/helinox.
