The Best Beach Chairs for Sun Soaking

Enjoying the cool breeze at the beach with a cold one in hand is what many people crave after a long, arduous work week. But, you can’t just go to the beach without any gear and expect to relax on the scorching sand. It would be a shame to ruin a sunny day next to the water because you lack the most important piece of summer gear: the beach chair. Sitting on your cooler or using a beach towel can’t replace the comfort of a snug and supportive seat. That’s why investing in an exceptional beach chair is the best way to go.

Beach chairs are taken for granted. Their importance is most evident when you’re out on the shore and realize you need one. However, picking up any old chair for your behind isn’t recommended, especially if you’re looking for optimal comfort with your beach or camping chairs. The ideal beach chair should be portable, durable, lightweight, easy to transport, and equipped with features appropriate for your lifestyle. We’ve compiled a list of beach chairs that will help you sink in and relax before you dive back into the ocean.

What to Look For

Height: Height may not play as big of a factor at the beach as it does at a concert or festival, but if you’re at a crowded beach, a taller chair may mean that the people behind you will be blocked from their own view of the waves and the horizon. Likewise, a shorter chair means you won’t be as subject to windier days.

Weight: The weight of the chair is most crucial when lugging your unit to and from the beach itself. If it weighs any more than 10lbs, consider parking closer.

Weight Limit: Not all of us weigh less than 200lbs, if that. And while most beach chairs can stretch past their quoted limits, you should definitely get one that can safely and comfortably accommodate your own size.

Materials: While most beach chairs will feature some sort of waterproof or water-resistant covering as their main fabric, the frame material is what you really need to look out for. Not only affecting how easily you can carry it, as well as how much it weighs, the frame will also greatly affect the chair’s max weight limit. Look for aluminum alloys or steel, although the latter will be more expensive.

Rio Gear Beach Classic 5 Folding Beach Chair

Best Patterned: Rio’s beach chair pops with visual flair and versatility with its five reclining positions, including a lay-flat option. With its ‘Safe-Adjust’ technology that’s built right into the armrests, you’ll never have to worry about pinching your fingers or hands when you make adjustments. It also comes with a built-in towel bar and wooden contoured armrests sealed with marine-grade coating to prevent scratching and provide protection from the elements. When you’re all done baking under the sun, the chair’s portable design and padded adjustable straps make it easy to carry back to your car.

GCI Outdoor Waterside SunShade Chair

Best with Built-In Shade: When the sun is shining bright and trying to melt your face off, you can get full coverage from UV rays with the GCI SunShade Chair. It features an adjustable sunshade canopy that provides you with full face coverage; however, if you want to feel the heat you can always collapse it. For customized comfort, the chair has three reclining options, so you can collapse onto the ventilated mesh backrest at your preferred angle. Although it weighs in at just over 10lbs, the SunShade chair can hold up to 250lbs.

L.L.Bean Beach Lounger

Best Legless: For a chair that’s easily packable and still just as stylish, check out L.L.Bean’s Beach Lounger, a 6-pound legless sitter with a padded bottom, adjustable back, and armrests. Great if you want the option to lie flat or sit up, the Beach Lounger is made of 100% polyester and has a built-in shoulder strap for carrying to and from your car. So none of your gear gets lost in the sand, the chair is equipped with a zippered pocket and also has a built-in cupholder.

Tommy Bahama 5-Position Classic Beach Chair

Best Adjustable: Known for its beach-ready shirts, the multifaceted Tommy Bahama also happens to make one of the most lounge-worthy chairs for hot summer days at the beach. Built with a rust-proof aluminum frame, this 5-Position Beach Chair is ready for any weather and can adjust without the need for any tools. Weighing just 7lbs and sitting 32” high, it also comes with a padded shoulder strap for carrying. The chair itself sports an insulated cupholder and there’s even a towel rack in the back.

MacSports 2-in-1 Beach Day Folding Lounge Chair + Cargo Cart

Best for Families: It’s difficult enough to lug all of your gear from your car to the sand just for a couple of hours at the beach, but to do so while also bringing your chair along can be almost impossible. MacSports 2-in-1 Beach Day Lounge Chair is the unequivocal solution due to its ability to convert into a wheeled wagon of sorts. You simply latch the mesh basket to the semi-folded chair and use the telescopic handle to roll it through sand or grass, thanks to the all-terrain wheels. The only downside is the 200-pound weight limit. 

The Inside Cabana Chair

Best Wooden: Imagine you’re at a beachfront villa on the French Riviera with the Cabana Chair from Havenly’s The Inside label. Weighing 9.92lbs, this beach chair reclines back in one of three positions and is built with solid wood. The real star of the show, however, is the single piece of fabric made of 100% spun polyester, which isn’t just water- and mildew-resistant but features one of over 90 different prints, some of which are inspired by legendary photographers and artists from Europe.

Sunday Supply Co. Dunes Beach Chair

Best Short Chair: Not only does it have a really nice minimalist aesthetic but Sunday Supply Co.’s Dunes Beach Chair is the perfect choice for those who prefer to remain low to the ground without being on the ground. Also optimal for concerts and festivals, this 5.7-pound unit only reaches 24” in height, is built from a powder-coated aluminum alloy, and is pretty easy to pack. However, the best part may be its super-comfortable foam cushion, which is machine washable and covered in a quick-drying, fade-resistant fabric.

Snow Peak Low Beach Chair

Best Overall: Sometimes a beach chair just needs to be a beach chair. Straightforward, comfortable, and stylish, this Low Beach Chair from Japanese outdoor brand Snow Peak is about as good as you can get for the price. Not too tall, not too short, this chair is built with an aluminum alloy frame and polyester canvas and features a pair of laminated bamboo armrests. Weighing just 8lbs, it’s not luxurious (Snow Peak has a luxurious option that’s significantly more expensive) but it performs its basic function exceptionally well. 

Helinox Beach Chair

Best Packable: Not every beach in the world has a parking lot a hundred yards away. In fact, some of the most picturesque destinations require a bit of hiking to get to. That’s why Helinox’s Beach Chair comes in handy for those who are trying to travel light. Able to fit inside most backpacks, it weighs just 3.44lbs and packs into a bag that stretches just 18.5” long. Framed with the brand’s proprietary high-tech aluminum alloy, the chair is given a mesh covering to help reduce weight even further and boasts an impressive 320-pound weight limit, which is much more than most of its contemporaries.

Yeti Hondo Base Camp Chair

Best High-End: For those of you who want a beach chair that’s practically indestructible, look no further than Yeti’s rugged camp chair. Not only is it able to support over an enormous 3,000lbs, it’s also bombproof. The frame is built from two layers of age-hardened aluminum and Diehard cast joints, which are traditionally used on cars, making it extremely durable. The mesh used on the chair is made from ‘Easybreath mesh’ with ‘Flexgrid’ technology, allowing it to keep its shape under enormous pressure. Finally, it has a ‘Gridguard’ over-mold, making sure the seams will never break or tear.

The Best Men’s Boardshorts

Now that you’ve picked up a reliable beach chair, it’s time to grab a stylish pair of boardshorts. Take a look at our picks for the best men’s boardshorts on sale now.