Usually camping chairs fall into two categories: big, comfortable car camping chairs that are too large and heavy to carry very far into the wilderness and compact, lightweight backpacking chairs that lack comfort features like armrests or reclining capability. With the all-new Moonlite Elite, Nemo is looking to erase the divide. The ultra-packable backpacking chair is one of the lightest full-framed chairs out there and still offers the reclining function that has made the original Nemo Moonlite an award-winning favorite.
Nemo has been on a mission to make sitting anywhere on the topographic map more comfortable. It started back in 2017 with the introduction of the swaying, hammock-like Stargaze Recliner. It followed up with a much lighter breed of recliner in 2021 when it launched the original Moonlite recliner, which weighs just under 2 lb (907 g) and carries in a 14 x 4-in (35 x 10-cm) cylindrical package.
Now, two years later, Nemo has slimmed down its lean-back comfort once again, nearly halving the weight of the original Moonlite with the Moonlite Elite. Any backpacker, rafter or bikepacker who found the original Moonlite too heavy to justify carrying, or thought ultralight sub-2-lb backpacking chairs weren't comfortable enough to warrant the added pack weight, might have to reconsider.
With a minimum weight of 18 oz (526-g), the Moonlite Elite is one of the lightest backpacking chairs out there, joining ranks with the likes of the 16-oz (454-g) REI Flexlite Air and 17-oz (482-g) Helinox Chair Zero. In fact, it's lighter than some lightweight stools and folded-cushion chairs.
Unlike those other ultralight seat options, though, the Moonlite Elite features a reclining system similar to the one on the original Moonlite. Using a pulley, those seated in the Elite chair can recline back to the position most comfortable to them, adding a level of adjustability not usually seen in a backpacking chair that barely breaks a pound.
Nemo has done an impressive job of going skeletal on the Moonlite Elite to get the weight as low as it is. The frame is still made from 7001 aluminum tubes but connects together via shaved-down skeletal 6061 aluminum hubs. The reclining hardware is also slimmer – in place of the Moonlite's thicker adjustable straps, the Elite has lightweight 2-mm cords made from high-tenacity polyester (HTP) and Dyneema strung through a pulley inspired by climbing belay devices.
The entire chair is also slightly more compact with a lower 10-in (25.5-cm) seat height than the Moonlite, saving more weight via less material. That also means a slightly more compact collapsed size – the Elite breaks down into a tool roll-style package that measures 12.5 x 4 x 3 in (32 x 10 x 8 cm). The case, should you choose to carry it, doubles as a weight-spreading platform for sand and soft ground.
Owing to its lighter build, the Moonlite Elite is rated to 250 lb (113 kg), down from the 300-lb (136-kg) capacity of the Moonlite.
Nemo announced the Moonlite Elite as part of a 2024 gear collection preview this week. The chair will retail for US$179.95 when it hits the market.
Source: Nemo
