Best beach chairs, tests and reviews of 2026

There was a time in my youth when I took a minimalist approach to beach days. I spent a year in San Diego and I would take a towel and a surfboard to the beach and that was it. If I wasn’t in the water surfing, I would sit on a towel and think about surfing. As I grew older, I evolved. Maybe it’s because I have a family now, or maybe it’s because the days at the beach are getting shorter and I want to make the most of them. For whatever reason, now when I go to the beach, I essentially bring a full kitchen and living room set with me. In my defense, I spend all day there. I need shade, food, beverages, entertainment and most importantly, a comfortable place to sit for hours.

The beach chair is the foundation of a comfortable beach basecamp. It sets the tone. After testing a range of beach chairs on the coast during a recent family vacation – from plush recliners and retro-styled classics to ultralight packable models – these are worth bringing.

Best Beach Chairs: At a Glance

Most comfortable: Shibumi Chair

Pros and cons
+ Light and easy to carry around
+ Multiple lying positions
– Wide frame makes it hard to carry a surfboard with a chair on your back

In my opinion Shibumi makes the best beach shade – an easy-to-install single piece of fabric that uses air as its structure – and now they make my favorite backpack chair. The Shibumi Chair is extremely lightweight (just 8 pounds), easy to set up and comfortable enough to sit on for hours. The backpack straps have enough padding to make it easy to carry, and it comes with some smart attachments for the modern beach-goer: a neoprene cup holder on one side, and a neoprene phone sleeve on the other. The marine-grade aluminum frame is powder coated to withstand the elements, and the Dreamweave fabric can withstand up to 300 pounds. Four reclining positions let you dial in exactly how horizontal you want to be. If you’re hiking to a remote beach, this chair is perfect for you – it sits comfortably on your back and leaves your hands free for a cooler and a surfboard. I kept it in my living room for two weeks and would sit in it at night to watch baseball games. It was the most comfortable piece of furniture in our house.

Best Recliner: Zampire Zuno Beach Camp Chair

Pros and cons
+ The padded seat is comfortable
+ Multiple lying positions
-Heavy and cumbersome to carry

Zempire is a New Zealand company that makes really innovative camping gear (inflatable tents), and this chair is their ultra-engineered approach to the beach lounger – in the best possible way. It sits low to the ground so you can rest your feet comfortably in the sand, and it has a padded seat with an integrated head rest that you can adjust to the perfect position. The levers on the arm rest allow you to adjust exactly how horizontal you want it to be. You might think the black fabric would be warm, but it’s a mesh polyester that transports air well and doesn’t overheat even in bright sunlight. It’s easy to set up and break down, but cumbersome to carry – it weighs 15 pounds and is packaged in a case more than 31 inches long. If you don’t have to make long trips from the car to the sand, none of this matters: The cushion, adjustable recline, and soft fabric make this the best nap chair on this list.

Most Portable: Helinox Beach Chair

Pros and cons
+ Ultra light and easy to carry
+ Made from recycled aluminum
– does not bend

Helinox makes some of my favorite packable camping chairs, with ultra-light aluminum frames that collapse and lock into place with shock cords. Helinox chairs are so small and light that I often strap them to my handlebars on bikepacking trips. The company has taken the same proven approach to its first beach chair, giving it a slightly larger format and a few extra details that make it ideal for relaxing. It sits low to the ground with stable legs that keep it steady in the sand, and the whole thing is made from recycled aluminum. The back is higher than most Helinox camp chairs, with an integrated headrest sleeve that can hold a beach towel as a makeshift pillow. Built-in side pocket is big enough for a phone, book or a cold can of beer. The entire package weighs just 4 pounds – including the mesh case – and is small enough to stuff into a backpack in a pinch. If you want the lightest, most packable setup, this is your chair.

Most Stylish: parkit voyager outrider

Pros and cons
+ Solid frame and webbing to last for years
+ super stylish
– Cooler increases weight

I’ve had this chair for a few years, and it’s been a staple of my relaxing quiver — I use it frequently near the fire in my backyard whenever I take it to the beach. It was built for travel, with backpack straps and a slim cooler that attached under the seat. The first thing you notice is the retro styling (it looks exactly like the lawn chairs I had in my grandparents’ front yard), but look closer and you’ll find a sturdy construction: stainless steel frame, aerospace-grade aluminum parts, and durable woven nylon fabric. It is as comfortable as it is stylish. I appreciated the attachable cup holder and thought I would like the cooler attachment, but I found the chair too heavy when filled with beer and ice. Instead, I use the cooler as a sand-free place to stash my phone, wallet, books, and snacks. If your beach basecamp needs a centerpiece that looks great on social media, just check out this thing.