The 10 Best Beach Chairs of 2025, Tested and Reviewed

I’ve spent almost every summer of my life on the beach; whether on the beaches just outside of Rome where I grew up in Italy, on the island of Sardinia, or on the shores of my current home of Boston. As someone who likes to be comfortable when wet and sandy, a beach chair is my most important beach essential, and I’ve tested my fair share of them over the years. I’ve come to learn that the best chairs are comfortable, easy to carry, adjust into multiple positions, and ideally feature a storage pocket or two for drinks and smaller items like sunscreens.

Over the years, our Travel + Leisure team has tested nearly 50 beach chairs by lakes and on sandy stretches of beach near and far. We’ve evaluated them based on ease of use, portability, value, durability, and, of course, comfort. These 10 picks are our favorites for long, lazy days at the beach and soaking up the summer sun.

Credit: Amazon

Why We Love It

It’s comfortable, supportive, and features a face hole so you can fully stretch out on your stomach.

The Ostrich On-your-back Beach Chair is designed for beachgoers who love to lay on both their stomachs and backs, providing versatility in catching an even tan or taking a nap. We found the chair to be very roomy, supportive, and comfortable with just the right amount of give to make you feel cushioned. The headrest in particular provides a great amount of neck support, and the chair also reclines flat and features a face hole for when you want to lay on your stomach. There are two large arm holes for your arms to slide through, so you can comfortably read or scroll on your phone.

As great as this feature is, we did notice that laying on your stomach can sometimes feel unsupportive if you’re on the taller side. However, we found that propping our legs up with a rolled beach towel remedies the issue. The chair also comes with a cupholder and a side pocket great for preventing your drinks and other essentials like sunscreen from getting sandy. One thing to note is that given the chair’s sturdy steel frame, it’s a bit on the heavy side and can be uncomfortable to carry for prolonged periods of time.

The Details: Steel frame and polyester | 46 x 27 x 33 inches | 10.56 pounds | 275-pound weight capacity

Credit: CLIQ

As at home on the beach as it is on the trails, this chair impressed us with its portability, versatility, and high-quality materials. It folds down to the size of a water bottle and comes with its own sleek carrying case that’s easy to tote around, perfect for if you have a long walk to the beach or your campsite. While it doesn’t recline, we found its butterfly-style shape to be comfortable and supportive, and liked that it was a good height from the ground. It only comes with minimalist side pockets that aren’t very comfortable to access, so we wish there were additional storage features or even a cupholder (which is sold separately).

The chair opens up easily and quickly from its carrying case, although we recommend watching the 15-second tutorial video linked on the sales tag if you’re setting it up for the first time as it can be a little tricky. The fabric feels durable and high quality, and sand can easily be wiped off its surface.

The Details: 26.5 x 28 x 34.5 inches | 6 pounds | 450-pound capacity

Credit: Amazon

Why We Love It

It features five sitting positions, an adjustable footrest, and a padded face hole for laying on your stomach.

When it comes to comfort, the Ostrich Deluxe 3-in-1 Beach Chair is stocked with plenty of adjustable features, so you can always lounge comfortably on the beach. Featuring a padded footrest, adjustable lumbar pillow, and five sitting positions, this roomy chair has a wider frame that’s perfect for staying cool and comfortable. We love that it can recline flat and features a padded open face cavity that’s perfect for laying on your stomach. Large side holes allow for your arms to slip through to rest comfortably on the sand or to read or scroll on your phone.

We love how it folds up nice and compact, and its lightweight frame is made all the easier to carry thanks to a padded carrying strap. Overall, the chair feels sturdy and high-quality, and we also appreciate the wide arm rests and storage features—including a zippered side pocket, cupholder, two slip pockets, and one larger zippered back pocket—which are great for storing all your beach essentials.

The Details: Aluminum frame, wood, and polyester | 60.76 x 28.1 x 39.75 inches | 9.5 pounds | 275-pound weight capacity

Credit: Shibumi Shade

Shibumi is known for their unique beach shade, and this chair is just as well-designed. Despite being crafted out of mesh, we loved how comfortable this chair was and how it kept us cool at the beach. Featuring a lightweight, yet sturdy aluminum frame, the chair comes with adjustable backpack straps that make carrying it across long distances a breeze. Hovering at 12 inches above the ground, it has a taller height, which may not fit beneath lower canopies. However, it’s great for those who may have some mobility issues as it’s easier to get in and out of.

The chair’s mesh fabric, which dispels sand quickly, is incredibly lightweight and feels bouncy and supportive, easily cushioning your weight whenever you recline into one of the chair’s four total positions. It doesn’t sag or stretch when sitting in it for prolonged periods of time, and we loved that the mesh didn’t imprint or irritate our bare skin. The chair also comes with a neoprene cupholder and a neoprene pouch.

The Details: Marine-grade aluminum frame and DreamWave mesh fabric | 8 pounds | 300-pound weight capacity

Credit: The Praia Chair

Clocking in at just under five pounds, this beach chair is so featherlight we can easily carry it with just one hand. In fact, we carried this for over a mile and its slim size makes it easy to tote around in tighter, crowded areas like on the subway and on buses, making it a great pick for city-dwellers. It also comes with a shoulder strap that’s adjustable and thick, which is ideal if you’re carrying multiple items. Overall, the chair is incredibly easy to set up and fairly comfortable. It doesn’t recline at all, so if you want to nap or extend your body a bit more you’ll have to lay down in the sand, but for having conversations, this is a great upright choice.

The Praia is crafted from thick nylon straps that feel durable and contour your body in just the right way. These also easily repel water and sand. It’s small enough to store away easily and we like that it can be used at the park, beach, or even on a porch with ease, making it a versatile outdoor chair. While it felt very durable thanks to its aluminum frame, we noticed that the frame’s paint finish chips very easily, which will affect the overall look over time.

The Details: Aluminum frame and nylon | 5 pounds

Credit: Yeti

Crafted from breathable, quick-drying, and UV-resistant material, this sturdy chair offers plenty of support for long days at the beach. It has plenty of give to it while still maintaining some structure, and its lightweight and minimalist design is intuitive—it unfolds easily and locks into place with a single lock that can be activated with just one hand. We love how easy it is to recline, requiring you to simply lift up the armrests while seated and lean into your desired position, no finagling required. The chair also comes with instructional stickers in case of any issues.

It has four reclining positions and a curved headrest that offers great support for napping. Clocking in at just over 11 pounds, the chair is on the heavier side, and can be bulky to carry for prolonged periods of time. While it does come with a removable and thick carrying strap, we wish it also came with a case or some backpack straps to make carrying it over longer distances more comfortable.

The Details: FlexGrid fabric and EasyBreathe mesh | 26.5 x 29.4 x 30.5 inches | 11.10 pounds | 350-pound capacity

Credit: Amazon

Featuring lightly padded straps and a lightweight design, this backpack beach chair from Tommy Bahama is the most portable chair we’ve tested. The backpack straps are comfortable and make carrying the chair over long distances a breeze. While opening the chair isn’t as intuitive as we would have liked, it does feel very sturdy once opened thanks to its durable rust-proof aluminum frame.

The chair also features two spacious zippered pockets, located on the back. One is dedicated to drinks and snacks, while the other is large enough to store items like books, bottles of sunscreen, and even a sun hat, so you can keep all of your accessories on you. The chair’s additional features, including a detachable pillow and the option to fully recline for the perfect nap, are just the cherries on top.

The Details: Aluminum and polyester | 24 x 25 x 30 inches | 8 pounds | 300-pound weight capacity

Mac Sports Beach Day Foldable Chaise Lounge Chair with Integrated Wagon Pull Cart

Credit: Amazon

This incredibly portable beach chair features two wide-tread wheels great for lugging over sand. At 19 pounds, it’s heavier than most of the chairs we tested, but the Mac Sports Beach Day Foldable Chaise Lounge Chair has the added benefit of doubling as a wagon thanks to a detachable mesh basket, foldable design, and comfortable handle that can hold all of your other beach gear. We were able to put a cooler full of snacks, a beach umbrella, and several other chairs in it on our trip to the beach and were impressed at how lightweight and maneuverable it remained when used as a wagon.

Reclining into four sitting positions, the chair also features a plush pillow and overall feels very comfortable and durable. While it does open and close easily, there’s a bit of a learning curve at first with the multi-step set-up process.

The Details: Aluminum, polyester, and plastic | 60.6 x 30.3 x 23.6 inches | 19 pounds | 225-pound weight capacity

Credit: Amazon

The Kingchamp Low-sling Beach Chair features an ergonomic sling design that naturally contours to your body, providing next-level comfort for beach-side lounging. We love how it easily compresses into a bag with a shoulder strap, and the chair requires no assembly, opening easily when you remove it from its carrying case.

Its low profile seat allows for a more relaxed position, allowing you to fully stretch your legs out onto the sand, and padded armrests only enhance the comfort level. You can also use a rolled towel to prop your legs up higher if need be. Its lightweight mesh material is especially breathable, and we love that the chair also comes with a cup holder with a mesh bottom, so that sand can easily filter through.

The Details: Aluminum frame and polyester | ‎24.8 x 23.2 x 25.2 inches | 6.5 pounds | 300-pound weight capacity

Credit: Parkit Movement

Featuring a durable and high-quality design, this beach chair is as sturdy as it is stylish. It’s crafted from woven polyester (available in various prints and colors), that’s rip-resistant, easy to wipe clean, and very supportive. The Parkit Voyager Chair is also incredibly versatile thanks to its interchangeable cup holders, backpack straps for hands-free carrying, and an included cooler that can be attached to the bottom of the chair by simply clipping it on. The chair is comfortable to sit in and can easily be folded with one hand. While it’s not reclineable, it does feature a slightly built-in recline that’s still very comfortable.

The Details: Aircraft-grade aluminum, woven polyester, and faux teak | 32 x 16 x 22.5 inches | 12 pounds | 350-pound weight capacity

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Other Beach Chairs We Liked

These beach chairs didn’t quite make it onto our list of favorites because of a few minor issues we found upon testing. However, they’re still worth considering and may be the right fit for some beachgoers.

Best Choice Products Marine Metal Zero Gravity Folding Beach Chair: This beach chair is extremely comfortable, offering a floating “zero gravity” feel thanks to its effective weight distribution and adjustable headrest. However, it weighs over 17 pounds, is bulky, and lacks carrying straps or a case, which makes it difficult to transport over long distances.

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GCI Outdoor Beach Rocker: While this chair features an intuitive design, comfortable seat, and durable frame, its purported rocking function feels ineffective and unstable in loose sand.

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Our Testing Process

Over the past several years, the T+L team has tested and compared nearly 50 beach chairs based on ease of use, comfort, portability, value, and durability. First, we closely examined the quality of each chair and then packed up our beach essentials and set out for the beach. We paid close attention to how easy they were to walk across the sand with, noting if they came with any special carrying features including shoulder straps, backpack straps, or carrying cases.

Next, we sat in them for several hours to get a feel for comfort, durability, and stability. We also splashed water and sand onto them to see how quick-drying, and water- and sand-resistant the materials were. We then noted if the chair came equipped with any special features that would make the user experience more enjoyable, including cupholders, reclining positions, face holes, zippered pockets, and more. We will update this article over the next six months as we continue to test these chairs.

Tips for Buying Beach Chairs

Prioritize portability

A beach chair should be light enough that it won’t weigh you down, because no one enjoys lugging heavy items to the beach over hot sand. Prioritize options that offer portability, like backpack or padded shoulder straps. Ideally, your beach chair should also fold up nice and compact and stay that way until you open it. This will make transporting and storing it much easier.

Think about shade

Having some form of shade when at the beach is important for staying cool and safe when in the sun. You’ll want to make sure that whichever chair you choose is short enough to seek refuge from the heat and sun beneath a canopy, tent, or beach umbrella. Some of the options we tested are also crafted out of UV-resistant fabric, which is an extra step you can take to protect yourself from the sun.

Look for durable materials

When shopping for a beach chair, it’s key to prioritize durable materials that can withstand elements like sand, salt water, and sun. You’ll want to consider rust-proof frames and durable, easy-to-clean fabrics that are ideally water- and sand-resistant. Fabrics like waterproof canvas, mesh, or 600D polyester are great options. Steel frames are the most durable, but they can be a little on the heavy side, while aluminum frames are still sturdy, but much more lightweight.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of chairs are best to use on the beach?

This is really a matter of personal preference, but beach chairs should, at the very least, be portable, comfortable, and able to recline in more than one position. Once you’ve determined this, you can then look at additional features—like pillows, footrests, cupholders, and storage pouches—based on the kind of beachgoer you are. For example, if you like to snooze while listening to the waves, you should prioritize a chair that reclines flat and maybe even features a face hole for laying on your stomach. If you like to have your essentials on you at all times without having to rummage through a beach bag for them, then consider a chair with various storage features including pouches, cupholders, and more.

What is the best material for a beach chair?

When shopping for a beach chair, you’ll want to consider options made from waterproof canvas, breathable mesh, or 600D polyester. These are easy durable materials that are easy to wipe clean and shake off sand. Chairs with steel frames can be a little on the heavy side, but they’re very durable and built to last, plus they can handle more weight. Aluminum frames, on the other hand, are more lightweight and easier to carry.

How do I keep my beach chairs from getting moldy?

Beach chairs are prone to mold and mildew spots thanks to spending lots of time in sand and near water. That being said, there are a few easy ways to avoid a moldy beach chair. Make sure to thoroughly clean and dry your chair after use and before storing, ensuring that all excess sand has been wiped off, and store it in a moisture-free place. You can also go the extra mile and use protective covers or storage bags to shield the chair from any moisture and dust. If mold still somehow manages to grow, you can clean your chair using white distilled vinegar.

Why Trust Travel + Leisure

Asia London Palomba is an updates writer at T+L. She is from Rome, Italy, and travels internationally several times a year to return home or to visit new places around the world. She has been visiting beaches since before she could walk and has tested dozens of beach chairs over the years in Italy and beyond. To select the best beach chairs for this article, she called upon her own experience as a beachgoer and utilized testing insights from the rest of the T+L team.

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The 10 Best Beach Chairs of 2025, Tested and Reviewed

Other Beach Chairs We Liked

Our Testing Process