Travel + Leisure
Some of my earliest beach chair experiences include sitting next to my grandfather in one of those classic aluminum-framed, folding lawn chairs with fraying webbing—no reclining positions, cup holders, headrests, or carrying straps. While I appreciate the nostalgia, I’m grateful beach chair technology has surged since the 1990s. Nowadays, beach chairs are highly comfortable, extremely portable, and have lots of useful features.
A solid beach chair is a necessity for a comfortable beach outing. But with so many on the market, it can be tough to choose one. We tested 46 beach chairs based on ease of use, comfort, portability, durability, and value to find the very best. Below are the best beach chairs for any type of traveler, whether you’re taking the subway to one of New York’s beaches, planning a Florida beach vacation, or biking down Santa Monica's beachside bike path.
BEST BACKPACK CHAIR: SUNFLOW's SHORE THING CHAIR
- Why We Love It - It’s a convenient, comfortable, and high-quality backpack chair that’s easy to transport.
- What to Consider - It’s on the pricier end, and you have to pay more for a cup holder and sunshade
While both the Ostrich On Your Back Chair and the Tommy Bahama Backpack Chairs are also backpack chairs, we found the Sunflow Shore Thing Chair to be particularly comfortable and portable while transporting on the back. We lugged the chair to and from—and all around—California’s Manhattan Beach with ease and comfort. That’s thanks to its light weight (about 8 pounds) and its comfortable backpack straps.
While its portability stole the show, The Shore Thing Chair ticked off many other boxes we look for in a superior beach chair. It has multiple reclining positions with padded armrests. And while its weight capacity of 250 pounds isn’t the highest on this list, it has some important durability features, like a rust-resistant, powder-coated aluminum frame and Greenguard gold-certified water-resistant marine fabrics.
Our one nitpick is the price. This beach chair is on the pricier side, especially since you have to pay extra for a cup holder and sunshade. Still, we think it’s worth the price, especially if you know your beach visits include longer commutes and walks.
The Details: 8 pounds | 32 x 21.5 x 36 inches (extended), 31 x 23 x 6 inches (folded) | 13-inch seat height | 250-pound capacity | 3 reclining position | Backpack straps | Padded armrests