This Brilliant Beach Chair Allows You to Read on the Beach Without Neck Pain
This Brilliant Beach Chair Allows You to Read on the Beach Without Neck Pain
We updated this article in August 2022 to ensure all picks selected by the Good Housekeeping Institute were in stock, available and correctly priced.
No beach experience is complete without a great beach chair. But when you're also toting around a beach bag stocked with sunscreen and beach towels, plus other gear like beach umbrellas, you want your haul to be light and breezy. Fortunately, we've found the best beach chairs that are worth the trip.
Our Good Housekeeping Institute textiles experts rounded up beach chairs with a range of features like multiple position recline for tanning and back pain relief, backpack straps for portability and adjustable canopies for extra sun protection. We sent several beach chairs to our panel of GH consumer testers to try out in real life: They tested for comfortability, how easy it was to carry, how it held up and how it suited their needs. When it comes to shopping for beach chairs, our pros recommend considering the chair's height: Some people prefer being low to the sand, but if you're older or have bad knees, tall beach chairs are easier to get out of. You'll also want to consider weight capacity. Most beach chairs will support up to 250 pounds on average, but there are camping and beach chairs that claim to support up to 500 pounds.
Our top picks:
See below for the 9 best beach chairs of 2022 for every beach-goer and camper, including Lab-tested picks and highly reviewed brands vetted by our product experts.
Batik Dotted Leaves Deluxe Backpack Beach Chair
Tommy Bahama
tommybahama.com
$300.00
Tommy Bahama is a best-selling brand for all summer gear, especially beach chairs. They're a bit higher priced than other chairs, but loungers from this brand will last you a long time. In fact, one of our GH testers is just as impressed today as he was 11 years ago when he first tried a Tommy Bahama beach chair, describing the chair as "top-notch" and "unmatched." His favorite feature is its safe adjust arms and back, which make it super easy to recline in. This particular chair is made with lightweight aluminum construction and solid wooden armrests, plus a saddlebag with a phone pocket and cup holder.
Utopia Breeze Beach Chair
Coleman
amazon.com
$36.99
Boasting a 4.6 star Amazon rating with over 3,700 reviews, this Coleman pick is easy to carry at just 5.3 pounds, yet the steel frame can support a capacity of 250 pounds. Included are a backseat pocket for keeping your book or phone sand-free and a cupholder to keep your drink within reach. One Amazon reviewer calls this the "perfect beach chair" and describes it as "the kind that sits low in the sand and allows the water to lap at your toes."
Beach Read Through Lounger
RIO
wayfair.com
$167.99
This read-through lounger comes equipped with a five-position recline, footrest, molded arms and a lumbar pillow for your lower back. It also includes a cell phone storage slot, beverage holder, built-in bottle opener and a read-thru slot that you flip open from the top so you can enjoy a book while tanning. Although a bit more complex than other chairs on this list, our tester found it surprisingly "lightweight, easy to carry and user friendly."
Low Sling Beach Chair
KingCamp
amazon.com
$49.99
The brand claims that the chair opens up and closes in seconds, and Amazon reviewers say it fits comfortably in the trunk. At under seven pounds, it's easy to carry anywhere and comes with backpack straps and a bag for storage. The chair features a headrest at the top, cool mesh at your back, a heavy-duty frame and pockets to keep your phone, water and keys safe and sand-free. Several reviewers commented on how easy it was to lug from the car to the beach. Plus, its taller backrest makes it a good choice for tall people or those who need head and neck support.
Low Gravity Beach Chair
STRONGBACK
amazon.com
$69.95
If bad posture sneaks up on you, this chair offers great support so your back doesn't tire out as easily. It comes with built-in lumbar support — something you don't always see in beach chairs. "As a student, I sit in a classroom all day, and I have developed some back pain," says one of our testers. "But this chair really does a good job in helping my lower back pain and providing good support." Bonus: it has a cup holder! Although it sits lower to the ground, it's just the right height to sit by the water without getting wet. "I loved the bright color! It helped me spot my place at the beach while I was in the water."
Wilderness Backpacker Reclining Camping Chair
GCI Outdoor
amazon.com
$47.00
For beachgoers that simply like to sit back and enjoy the view, this outdoor recliner is great for sitting for long periods of time. It features an adjustable headrest and a four-position recline, plus a mesh backrest to help keep you cool — not to mention a pocket and cupholder for your beverages, too. "This was the only chair I could find with both backpacking straps and no crossbar," says one satisfied GCI reviewer — he claims other chairs with a crossbar would cut off his leg circulation. His only complaint is that he wishes the chair came in brighter colors since the dark green feels out of place at the beach.
Four-Position Hi-Boy Beach Backpack Chair
RIO
amazon.com
$55.04
With an adjustable cup holder, a comfy nap pillow and long backpack straps, this tall chair is a dream at the beach. A GH tester who suffers from arthritis in their knees enjoys its 17-inch height from the ground, making it easy to get up and down. It even includes a cooler-lined pouch to store water bottles or sunscreen. The chair folds up easily thanks to its velcro strap and is the lightest beach chair our tester owns, "which is nice if carrying long distances."
Lace-Up Backpack Beach Chair
RIO
amazon.com
$65.27
A lightweight, rust-proof aluminum frame, flexible materials, four-position recline and large adjustable pillow make this a favorite among our testers. Similar to other Rio beach chairs, the chair features padded, adjustable straps, which offer hands-free portability and makes carrying a breeze. Our testers also gave it high marks for its comfortability and height, saying they felt super relaxed when in the reclining position. It's a bit tricky to unlock into the open position, but our testers think it may get easier over time and the mechanism wears in.
Hondo Base Camp Chair
YETI
yeti.com
$300.00
You can tell much thought went into the making of this chair: It's made of quality aluminum that feels like it's guaranteed to last a long time. Plus, it supports up to 500 lbs. "It was extremely comfortable and used breathable vented fabric in the seat, which helped keep us cool in hot Florida weather," says one tester. "The chair was sturdy, so I did not experience any wobbling like others we own." The only caveat is there is no easy way to carry it unless you buy a separate Hondo carrying case. But, the weight may not be an issue if you are not taking it far.
The best beach chairs, according to reviewers. Learn about Rio beach chairs, best beach chairs for the elderly, chairs for guys, chairs for bad backs and more.