The Best Chair for Reading in the Park

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It’s about a 25-minute walk from my apartment to my preferred park, which I favor for its panoramic action: softball games, first dates, Australian Shepherds chasing red balls, partiers sizzling burgers on public grills.

I don’t mind reading at home — I end most days reading in bed — but in the summertime, when the sun’s setting this late, I like to be out as much as possible. And it’s nice, as I periodically look up from my book, to stare at something that isn’t a window or a wall. The park is a sensory feast, especially on a Sunday. When I read in it, I feel closer to my neighborhood, like I’m out “participating” in something.

In the past, I’d walk over and cross my fingers that I’d find a bench. I often struck out. But even when I nabbed a spot, I’d be reminded that benches don’t feel great on my low back. The angle’s a little rigid. Plus, park benches are disproportionately where young couples decide to break up with each other. Either way, your reading session ends up sort of short-lived.

I decided I needed a seating arrangement of my own to really lock in my healthy habit. So I started using the Helinox One High-Back.

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If you’re not familiar with Helinox, the South Korean company makes a series of cult-favorite camp chairs, among other outdoor staples like packable tables and tactical tents. The brand is synonymous with lightweight gear, specifically the Helinox Chair One.

The Helinox One High-Back is a riff on the original, featuring more shoulder and back support, along with a second tension line that distributes weight more evenly around the bucket seat. To achieve better ergonomics, Helinox had to add some weight — but not too much, considering the chair weighs just 2 lbs, 13 oz when packed up.

How does it perform? It’s comfortable. Great back support, way better than a park bench. Perhaps not as comfortable as a heavy-duty tailgate chair that has its own arms, but that’s not really the point here. (This thing is less noticeable than a quart of milk when carried.) Meanwhile, as someone who hates reading instructions, I was excited to discover assembly takes all of 30 seconds.

I try not to give too much credit to any single wellness product because I’m sick of content creators claiming a specific purchase will overhaul your health. But I’m very happy with this chair. It hits three key wellness areas:

Physical: I add about 5,000 steps to my day, walking back and forth to the park.
Mental: Reading quietly in a park is meditative bingo, one of the most calming moments of my week.
Social: It’s really nice to feel “in the mix,” with the outside world, especially when you don’t have plans.

It’s my belief that good wellness product complements the habits you already have — it helps you act on them more often or bundle them more effectively. That’s why I like this chair. If you want to walk, read and breathe more this summer, I honestly think the Helinox One High-Back will help.