The best beach chairs are more than just a convenient place to park it above the hot sand: they’re a necessity when it comes to planning an actually comfortable beach trip at the height of summer. When life gives you a record-breaking heat wave, may as well plant your flag—or, uh, umbrella—in the sand and make the best of it.
Sure, a beach towel is a great supporting character for an excursion to the coast, but a great beach chair should be your leading man. Consider it the ultimate flex for laying back in style, propped up, chilled beverage in hand, zero sand in your hair, sorta like setting your body to OOO. In a best-case scenario, there would be a built-in cup holder in the mix, some incline features that’ll help you switch up your angles, a lightweight body and maybe a carrying strap for muscling it out there—plus some weatherproofing to ensure that your seat doesn’t rust after so much exposure salty sea air. You can’t always have everything, but we’ve assembled some of the finest beach chairs on the market right now to help you shake off some sand, work on your A-list tan, and chill all the way out.
The Best Beach Chairs, at a Glance
Trip to the beach creeping up faster than you thought? Don’t let the grass grow around your feet—get our top-pick beach chairs right here.
The Best Beach Chair, Overall: Business & Pleasure Co. The Tommy Chair
There are your garden variety beach chairs and then there are the beach chairs that’ll make you feel like you’re posted up at a resort (instead of just staking out Rockaway Beach). Business & Pleasure Co’s reclining beach chairs are the latter. Designed to look like vintage loungers, the brand’s water-resistant teak frames hold up season after season, and the canvas fabric comes with built-in sun protection that keeps it from actually looking like a faded vintage piece over time. The headrest with the adjustable pillow is the peak of comfort for splaying out, and you can angle the seat back if you’re catching some rays, or prop it up to thumb through a dog-eared copy of your favorite summer read. (There’s even a footrest to plant your toes without ever dipping them into the sand.) When you’re ready to pack it up, carry it backpack-style to the car, courtesy of a beach bag with two straps.
The Best Budget Beach Chair: Neso Beach Chair XL
Unlike other portable chairs, which tend to feel more like a flimsy hammock than a place to park it longer-term, Neso’s beach-ready option is padded so your butt won’t fall asleep after hours in the sun. It’s reinforced with a rustproof aluminum frame for a longer shelf life, but at $70 you also won’t need to sweat it too much. The standard size is plenty durable, but this sturdy extra-large version supports up to 240 pounds.
The Best Sand Lounger: L.L. Bean Beach Lounger
If elevation isn’t your top priority, L.L. Bean’s option is essentially a legless lounger that sits directly on top of the sand. But don’t let that fool you: it’s got all the necessary accoutrements for a good time, from a cup holder for storing a cold one, plus a padded seat and armrests so it doesn’t feel like a glorified towel that you’ve propped up on the sand. You can even pop your keys or cellphone into the zippered storage pocket at the back if you’re packing light.
The Best Tricked-Out Beach Chair: Sunflow
This chair is famous. Sunflow, which got a huge break when it was featured on ABC’s Shark Tank, makes a souped-up beach chair. The four-point reclining chair is best when paired with any of the optional (read: added-cost) attachments like a sunshade or variety of storage compartments. It’s available in over two dozen Hamptons-ready colorways, and it folds down into a convenient backpack for easy transport.
The Best Vibe-y Beach Chair: Sunday Supply Golden Oasis
Sunday Supply’s low beach chair is all sunshine and vibes, which might be just what your beach setup needs. The trippy design is an easy landmark if you’re finding your way back from the water, and when you’re done bronzing on the beach, it’s easy to sling it up into a storage pocket and tote it home.
The Best Gorp-y Beach Chair: Snow Peak
Naturally, the gorpcore gods at Snow Peak sell a sturdy beach lounger that as doubles as a camping chair. You won’t have to worry about the heavy-duty steel frame buckling under you when you sink back into it, and the tall backrest ensures that even long-limbed folks will get the support they need. Heading back to the comfort of your AC? This guy also mercifully packs up in a carrying bag with a shoulder strap.
The Best Reclining Beach Chair: Ostrich Deluxe
Sure, it’s called a “beach chair,” but dammit sometimes you need a beach bed. Well Ostrich’s offering isn’t actually an outdoor mattress, but it does recline to a full 180 degrees to help you get your back tan on, which is made even easier with a hilariously helpful face cavity (think the hole in a massage bed). Both the footrest and back are adjustable, and the addition of a lumbar pillow keeps you comfy for hours of ocean-side lounging.
6 Other Beach Chairs We Like
Lori Keong, Tyler Chin
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