The 5 Best Beach Chairs Of 2025, According To Our Testing

For most beachgoers, I’d recommend the Tommy Bahama Classic Folding Backpack Chair. Let’s start with the design: It easily folds in half, and the padded backpack straps kept my hands free to carry other beach gear. At just 7 pounds, it’s light enough that I never felt like I was going to topple backwards into the sand, either. 

When it’s time to lounge, the chair can be adjusted to five different positions—including a lay-flat option for sunbathing on your stomach. The towel bar extends to support the head of the chair, and I like that the headrest can flip over the top of the chair so it wasn’t in my face while lying face-down. Just a heads up: my knees did end up resting in the sand in this position (if you’d prefer to keep your legs elevated, see my best face-down pick, the Ostrich Chaise Lounge). The wooden armrests don’t get too hot in the sun, and the durable polyester has held up to two years of use, with only a small hole in the zippered side pocket to show for it.

One of my favorite things about the Tommy Bahama is all the built-in extras that don’t add bulk. There’s the towel bar (which was perfect for drying my wet towel while I was in the water), the zippered side pocket, an insulated cup holder, a bottle opener, a mesh pouch on the back for stashing a towel or book, and even an insulated cooler bag that can hold a handful of drinks. Everything is built into the chair, so you don’t have to worry about keeping up with separate accessories. 

The chair sits 8.6 inches off the ground, which I’ve found to be a nice height for lounging both along the shore and farther inland. However, particularly tall users or anyone who has difficulty getting in and out of low seats may want to look for a taller option. At 25.3 inches wide, it provides enough room for a range of body sizes while maintaining a compact footprint. It doesn’t come with a canopy shade (for that, see the GCI Pod Rocker With SunShade Canopy, my best-with-shade pick). 

Overall, the Tommy Bahama chair comes with just enough smart extras to enhance your beach day, but its real standout feature is its lightweight, easy-to-carry design that makes the trek to and from the beach feel a little less daunting. 

Size: 25.3 x 31.5 x 23 inches | Weight: 7 pounds | Capacity: 250 pounds | Extras: Towel bar, insulated cup holder, bottle opener, side zipper pouch, back mesh pouch, insulated cooler bag, headrest, backpack straps

If your goal is to add little to no weight to your beach day haul, nothing beats the Helinox Beach Chair. This ultra-lightweight chair weighs just 3 pounds and packs into a carrying case the size of a small purse. To set it up, you unfold the frame and then insert it into the pockets on the mesh, which proved a bit of a challenge the first time I did it. I had to muscle the pockets over parts of the frame, so this step could be difficult for anyone with limited grip strength. 

But once I got the chair set up, it was smooth sailing. The breathable mesh allowed for plenty of airflow, and the chair kept me low to the ground yet lifted off of the sand—I loved using this one right along the shoreline for that reason. It supported my lower back at a comfortable angle for hours. And according to the manufacturer, this 3-pound chair can support up to 320 pounds—although the narrow seat might not accommodate all body types. 

This chair is a bit limited in its use—it doesn’t lay flat or even recline. Thus, it’s not as versatile as the Tommy Bahama or several of the other chairs I tested. But if you have no interest in lying face-down, it keeps you in a comfortable seated position.

In terms of extras, there are two very snug side pockets and a headrest flap designed to hold a pillow. There are also no armrests or cupholders. For the price, the features are minimal, but then again, any additional components would only add to its weight. If a lightweight design and a comfortable seat are top priorities, this chair is at the top of the list.

Size: 23 x 31 x 27 inches | Weight: 3.2 pounds | Capacity: 320 pounds | Extras: Side pockets, headrest flap, carrying bag

Without an umbrella, shade is hard to come by on the beach, and I found myself reaching for this chair several times throughout our trip to shield me from the intense Florida sun. The GCI Pod Rocker is more of an all-purpose chair than a dedicated beach chair—I plan to bring it to the park as soon as I get the chance. It folds and unfolds like a standard camping chair and slips easily in and out of its included carrying case.

What sets this chair apart for beach use is the universal canopy that attaches to the back, providing UPF 50 sun protection without the need for an umbrella. This shade can be attached to any outdoor chair, and GCI sells it as a standalone accessory, which is worth purchasing for an existing beach setup as well. The clamps were easy to secure to the chair, and I especially liked that the canopy could be rotated to block the sun as it moved.

As for the chair itself, the deep, wide seat is comfortable enough to sit in for hours. That said, I did miss having armrests, and while this chair has a spring that allows for rocking, it wasn’t very effective on the sand. I tested it in a deep navy color, which tended to heat up quickly in the sun when I didn’t use the canopy.

The included side pockets and drink holder are useful no matter where you are, whether it’s the ballpark or the beach. However, this was the heaviest chair I hauled to and from the beach, and it added noticeable heft to our wagon. 

While this isn’t a beach-specific chair, it’s a solid option for anyone who makes more infrequent beach trips and wants a chair they can use beyond just one or two outings a year. The universal canopy is its standout feature for beachgoers, and I’d recommend purchasing it as an add-on to your existing beach chair if you already have a beach chair you love.

Size: 29.9 x 34.6 x 28.1 inches | Weight: 13.9 pounds | Capacity: 250 pounds | Extras: Side phone pocket, beverage holder, carrying case, sun canopy

Sitting at the shoreline and feeling the tide rush over my feet is one of my favorite beach pastimes. For this, it’s important to have a low-to-the-ground chair that lets you stretch your legs into the sand while still keeping you lifted off of it. You also want something that’s lightweight and easy to carry to and from your beach spot. The Praia Beach Chair feels tailor-made for this purpose.

At just 5 pounds, the chair was easy to tote around using the included carrying strap. One of the things I love most about this chair is its simplicity—it folds and unfolds like a standard folding chair, with no need to attach parts or remove it from a sleeve.

It sits just a few inches off the ground, so I preferred using it right at the shoreline rather than farther back on the sand. At 20 inches wide, this chair may not accommodate all body types, and getting in and out of it wasn’t always easy for me at 5-foot-3, so taller folks might find it even more of a challenge.

It was also lacking in terms of comfort. The chair doesn’t recline, and after a while, I felt uncomfortably pushed forward. There are no pockets or cupholders, and the sloped “armrests” offer minimal support. Overall, it’s pretty bare-boned for the price. That said, it’s undeniably cute, with its retro-inspired design and bright colors that scream summertime nostalgia. Whether that’s enough to justify the premium price tag will depend on how it holds up over time. 

Size: 20 x 17 x 22 inches | Weight: 5 pounds | Capacity: 220 pounds | Extras: Carrying strap

While I could sing the praises of my Tommy Bahama chair all day, it is not my top choice for sunbathing on my stomach. Though it technically does lay flat, it leaves my knees resting in the sand and the support bar presses into my thighs somewhat uncomfortably. When I want to lie face-down, I reach for my Ostrich Chaise Lounge instead.

I’ve had this chair for just over a year, and it’s held up well through several beach trips, showing only minimal staining. This is the only chaise lounge I tested, so it keeps your legs and feet lifted off of the sand—an underrated feature for comfort.

The backrest adjusts to four different positions, though I admittedly had some difficulty getting it to lock into place. At one point, the support bars bowed inward and the whole chair collapsed toward the ground—much to my friend’s amusement. But with some trial and error, I figured out how to secure each position properly.

To lie face-down, there is a lay-flat option, as well as head and arm holes, which made it easier for me to read. The included face pillow also prevented the face opening from rubbing my skin. There’s an additional headrest for lying on your back as well.

The chair folds three ways and includes a carrying strap, although I still found it a bit cumbersome to carry to and from the beach. It doesn’t come with cup holders or side pockets either. But all that aside, the Ostrich is still by far the most comfortable option I tested for lying face-down. 

Size: 22 x 12 x 72 inches | Weight: 9.5 pounds | Capacity: 250 pounds | Extras: Face/arm holes, face cushion/pillow, carrying strap