Not every camping chair has to be the one you sit in all evening. The Naturehike YL01 Lightweight Camping Chair is our spare: it lives in the car as a backup, and it comes out at home when we have a few more guests in the garden.
It packs super small and still feels really sturdy. The catch is the low seat, which is why it’s our backup rather than our main chair on long trips.
What’s in the box
A lightweight folding chair with a 14 mm frame of 7001 aviation-grade aluminium, rated to 200 kg. The frame has an auto-snap mechanism: internal elastic cords pull the poles together and it locks into place as you open it. The seat is tear-resistant 600D Oxford with a dual-layer, breathable nylon mesh backrest. It all packs into a divided carry bag, which doubles as a storage bag that attaches to the frame under the seat. It comes in black, green and grey; ours is black.
What we like
- Auto-snap frame, instant setup
- 7001 aluminium, takes up to 200 kg
- Upright seat for eating at the fire
- Breathable dual-layer mesh back
- Super compact, still really sturdy
- Carry bag doubles as seat storage
What we don’t
- Low seat, not for long sits
- Corner sleeves not reinforced
- Fiddly to fold flat into the bag
Quick Specs
| Spec | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | Naturehike |
| Model | YL01 |
| Material | 14 mm 7001 aluminiumAuto-snap600D OxfordDual-layer mesh backrest |
| Colour options | BlackGreenGrey |
| Weight | 1,422 gour scale |
| Max load | 200 kg |
| Size | 55 × 54 × 73.5 cm |
| Packed size | 38 × 14 cm |
| Seat height | 38 cm |
| Feet | Standard plasticNo anti-sink feet |
What’s in the bag
The frame folds into a bundle and goes into the divided carry bag together with the seat. The same bag doubles as a storage bag that attaches to the frame under the seat.
Packing and setup
Setup is instant. Thanks to the auto-snap mechanism, the internal elastic cords connect the poles and the frame locks securely into place as you open it, so there’s no fiddly pole assembly.
Packing up takes a bit more care. It’s slightly tricky to fold the legs back so they lie flat enough to fit the divided storage bag. Once it’s in, it’s super compact, small enough to stay in the car without taking up room, and it weighs 1,422 g on our scale.
Sitting in it
It still feels really sturdy, even though it packs so small, and the frame is rated to 200 kg. The moon-shaped cut keeps you slightly more upright, which is comfortable for eating around the campfire. The seat is quite low, though, and that’s the reason we keep it as a backup chair: it’s not really suited to everyday sitting on long trips.
As an extra seat it works well. It stays in the car for when we need one more chair, and at home it comes out when we have a few more guests in the garden. Once the chair is set up, the carry bag attaches to the frame under the seat as a storage bag, which keeps small things off the ground.
Mesh, sleeves and feet
The seat is tear-resistant 600D Oxford, with a dual-layer, breathable nylon mesh backrest that stops you overheating on a warm day. Two things to watch, though: the corner pole sleeves on the fabric aren’t reinforced, and the feet are standard plastic ones, with no anti-sink feet for soft ground like sand.
Naturehike chairs compared
We’ve now reviewed three Naturehike chairs. The YL01 and the YL08 are both low chairs with a pouch under the seat; the YL01 is the wider chair (54 cm against 41 cm) and takes the most weight, 200 kg. The YL06 is the high-back one, with a full back and a headrest.
This review YL01 |  YL06 |  YL08 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | General camping | Lounging | Ultralight backpacking |
| Back support | Mid-back | Full back, headrest | Mid-back |
| Seat height | 38 cm | 41 cm | 34.5 cm |
| Overall height | 73.5 cm | 98 cm | 71 cm |
| Weight | 1.42 kg | 1.30 kg | 1.05 kg |
| Max load | 200 kg | 150 kg | 120 kg |
| Price paid | $70 | $75 | $60 |
| Our score | 9.0 | 9.2 | 8.9 |
Conclusion: Naturehike YL01 Lightweight Camping ChairConclusion
The Naturehike YL01 is a super compact chair that still feels really sturdy, with a breathable mesh backrest and a carry bag that doubles as storage under the seat. The low seat means it’s not one for sitting in all evening on a long trip, so ours lives in the car as a backup and comes out at home when we have guests. It snaps open in seconds and takes up to 200 kg, but the corner sleeves aren’t reinforced and it’s fiddly to fold flat. For $70 it’s a good compact chair for hikers, ultralight packers and car campers, and a handy spare to keep in the car.
A super compact, sturdy chair that lives in our car as a backup and comes out when we have guests.
The low seat makes it less comfortable for long sits.
- Hikers
- Ultralight
- Car campers
Yes, as a spare. I paid $70 for a sturdy chair that packs small enough to live in the car. For everyday sitting on long trips, pick a chair with a higher seat.
