Helinox Table One Hard Top review: A rigid table in a compact pop-up package

The Helinox Table One Hard Top is a member of the Helinox brand’s ‘Table One’ low table range, which starts with a soft, mesh version, then moves up to the Hard Top. The Hard Top is available in two sizes, regular and large. The regular version is priced at an RRP of £139.95 / $149.95, and is available in four colour ways. To find out how it compares to the best camping tables currently available, I took it out for a trail test.

Helinox Table One Hard Top Review: Design and build

The Helinox Table One Hard Top is a variation on the theme Helinox established with the Chair One and Chair Two line. The general thrust being serviceable camping furniture that packs down surprisingly well, and weighs in on the lighter side of things. The result being furniture that’s genuinely trail-friendly, although inevitably with the hard top there is a weight penalty - in the case of the Helinox Table One Hard Top, 870g assembled, 960g packed. 

For that weight, though, you get a 39cm tall table, with a rigid top that’s 39cm wide, and 60cm long - generous as a side table, and enough for two to eat off with ease - at least in table-top terms. 

The design is slightly complex in order to deliver this impressive blend of features, consisting of a DAC Green poled frame that erects into a cradle - simple enough. Then two other poles clip into the slatted (like a window blind) top, making it into a rigid flat surface. This then clips into the base to make a solid coffee-table height surface. That surface has a maximum load capacity of 50kg, which should be more than enough for most table-duties, just not enough to be used as a stool by an adult, which is fair enough really. 

Helinox Table One Hard Top Review: Comfort and performance

The performance of the Helinox Table One Hard Top is pretty solid. Although it is a bit of a fiddle to setup - the two sets of poles adding complexity - it’s not an arduous process, and one that can be done pretty quickly with practice. The slatted top strikes a good balance between packability and rigidity when setup, creating a solid surface that’s ideal for fiddly tasks like changing stove jets, and also great for simply putting a cup of tea on without checking it’s stability several times before letting go. 

Indeed, the comfort rating of the Helinox Table One Hard Top is surprisingly high. The sheer convenience of having a reliable surface at your elbow when lounging in a field is hard to quantify, but rest assured, it is cheeringly helpful. From breakfast coffee to drinks in the evening, map-bothering sessions to games of cards, the Helinox Table One Hard Top delivers brilliantly. 

The height is the main concession here, being slightly too low to comfortably eat off as an adult without sitting on the floor, but anyone needing a taller table for more formal meals is already well served by much heavier and larger models both from Helinox and other competitors. With a packsize around that of a large water bottle, and weighing well under a kilo, there aren’t many other useful camping tables on the market that can compete.

Helinox Table One Hard Top Review: Verdict

The Helinox Table One Hard Top does a lot of things very well indeed, especially if you rate packability, weight and quality. The DAC poles are - as always - a pleasure to handle, and the Green anodising is a feel-good nod to environmental concerns. Those concerns are also muted a little by the overall build quality too, this is a table that will last you well. Although it’s deliberately not a full-height table, it is surprisingly useful around camp, and definitely became a valued asset during testing.  

The big question is whether the height of the Helinox Table One Hard Top is enough for your camping needs, or whether you plan to use it in combination with larger tables. As a lightweight trekking table it’s arguably a ‘nice to have’ rather than an essential, but as a super-portable addition to a car camping setup it’s very useful indeed. 

If you were planning an extended trek it would be a real luxury to have along for the ride, albeit another 870 grams of luxury, so your planned use is a key factor here. However, if you’re in the market for a highly portable coffee table, the Helinox Table One Hard Top is an excellent choice, and the quality components are built to last…