HELINOX SAVANNA CHAIR

SCORE: 43/60

THE Helinox Savanna Chair proves the company’s reputation as a premier manufacturer of lightweight, portable furniture is well-deserved. The new Savanna Chair combines super highspec aerospace aluminium-equivalent DAC TH72M poles with a waterproof 600 weave polyester seat, high-strength nylon hubs and three-mesh panel design, to deliver a wider profile seat than many of its competitors in the lightweight chair arena.

Measuring 54cm H x 16cm W x 12cm D when disassembled, the 1.9kg assembled chair can expand to 112cm H x 68cm W x 60cm D and is capable of 145kg of occupant capacity. While the Savanna slots in at more expensive, larger and heavier than its counterparts in our test fleet, it is a larger chair overall and thus suits anybody carrying a few extra COVIDera kilograms.

The Savanna Chair incorporates a supportive top strut to aid form when open as well as armrests, adjustable hook-and-loop headrest/pillow panel and dual drinks holders. Unfortunately, the Savanna Chair doesn’t offer any sleeve tabs for assisting set up, nor a Velcro strap for holding poles together; and if you want larger feet for soft ground, they are an add-on accessory.

The Savannah comes in at the very pointy end of the field for quality, workmanship and materials, and when used with a headrest or pillow it is fantastic, but without the pillow the Savanna loses some points on comfort – and as the most expensive of our standard-design high-back chairs in the group, it is hard to justify the extra dollars when compared to similar designs at nearly half the price. (Of note: Where the Savanna falls, the Sunset makes it up ... see Helinox Sunset Chair.) RRP $279