The 14 Best Beach Chairs of 2023, Tested and Reviewed

Best Overall

Homevative Folding Backpack Beach Chair

4.9

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Easily earning our top spot, this was a breeze to bring to the beach! The dual straps allowed our home tester to carry the aluminum-frame chair, which has four color options, like a backpack, enabling her to use her hands to tote other items. We also appreciated the abundant storage: a removable pillow you can adjust with Velcro straps, a rear-mesh insulated cooler pouch, a covered cup/phone holder right by your side, and a little plastic gadget holder. “I looped my hat's drawstring onto it when I wasn't using it so it wouldn't blow away,” reported our tester, who used a ton of them growing up by a beach in Florida. “Clutch!”

After setting up the chair, you’re treated to a relaxing afternoon. Its 19-inch seating width supports up to 250 pounds. (We found the fabric easy to clean with mild soap and water.) The chair’s legs glide in and out, and you can recline all the way back; a safety hinge snap-locks the chair when it’s fully open. If you want another position, you can opt to lie flat using the rear towel bar. And when it’s time to head home, just fold it up to its small footprint to take up little space in your vehicle’s trunk. 

“It's a little pricey,” our tester observed, “but well worth the investment for an easily transportable and maneuverable chair with some nice extras.” 

Price at time of publish: $70

_{Dimensions: 17 x 25 x 33 inches | Weight: 8 pounds | Weight Capacity: 240 pounds | Material: Aluminum and fabric | Colors: Blue, yellow and blue, green and blue, red, blue and white | Carrying Strap: Yes | Cup Holder: Yes}

Best for Sporting Events

Oniva Picnic Time Portable Folding Sports Chair

4.6

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While the manufacturer positions this lightweight outdoor folding chair as something to sit in while cheering for your kids at their soccer games, our at-home tester agreed it would sit well on a beach outing as well. “It’s modestly comfortable for a beach chair,” she reported, but noted that it doesn’t recline, so the seating option is limited to a single upright position, “which doesn’t really scream beach-time relaxation or mid-afternoon cat-napping.” However, if your beach outing consists of playing mah-jongg or cards, this chair should suit you well.

With an aluminum frame, the chair, available in eight colors, is lightweight and portable, with an adjustable shoulder strap. But our tester found carrying the chair with two mesh handles more agreeable, as the chair hung very low on her shoulder, lightly bumping part of her hip and legs with each step. “Honestly, it’s just as easy to clutch the two short mesh handles with one hand and ditch the shoulder strap option,” she said.

She appreciated the 19-inch seat, made of durable polyester canvas, which supports up to 300 pounds, according to the manufacturer. But what really captured her enthusiasm was the chair’s extra features, namely a handy fold-out table. “The table is sturdy and awesome for books, food, or really anything you’d use a small table for,” she said. She also called attention to the hanging armrest caddy for holding an array of things such as a phone, book, and sunscreen; two insulated beverage pockets; and other pockets.

If your beach outing involves lounging or sunbathing, this chair may not be for you, given its lack of recline or coziness. On the other hand, our tester noted: “My husband, who plays cards, uh, anywhere, might like this for some beach poker, where you need to sit upright.”

Price at time of publish: $152

_{Dimensions: 19 x 24 x 33 inches | Weight: 9.5 pounds | Weight Capacity: 300 pounds | Material: Aluminum and polyester | Colors: Black, green, moka, navy, pink, purple, red, St. Topaz | Carrying Strap: Yes | Cup Holder: Yes}

Best Comfortable

RIO Beach 4-Position Lace-Up Backpack Folding Beach Chair

4.8

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The best beach chair is one that marries form, function, and comfort. The flexible suspension of the RIO Beach 4-Position Backpack Lace Up Folding Beach Chair is designed to conform to your body, offering the most comfortable support while lounging. "It was super comfortable to take a nap in!" our tester reported after an outing in Malibu, California. This chair also has a four-position recline and an adjustable pillow. "I love the pillow on the back of the chair!" enthused our tester, who found the seat itself quite comfortable even after sitting for a long time. 

At just 8 pounds, the lightweight and rustproof aluminum frame is far easier to carry than other beach chair designs. The padded, adjustable straps also help. “It was super easy to carry and lightweight," our tester reported. "The straps are comfortable and evenly distribute the weight of the chair." A large storage pouch on the back allows you to carry all your essentials; plus, a cup holder keeps your beverage of choice close by and free from sand. 

While this pick is a little difficult to open for the first time, its multi-faceted design makes it worth the splurge, especially since it can last for several beach party seasons.

Price at time of publish: $64

_{Dimensions: 28.33 x 3.33 x 24.39 inches | Weight: 8 pounds | Weight Capacity: 240 pounds | Material: Aluminum and Fabric | Color: Multi-stripe | Carrying Strap: Yes | Cup Holder: Yes}

Best Budget

Kijaro Coast Folding Beach Sling Chair with Cooler

4.7

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These types of beach chairs aren’t for everyone because their seats can sag too low for some folks. But we found the Kijaro Coast Folding Beach Sling Chair, with a seat made from what the manufacturer calls “diamond ripstop polyester fabric,” remarkably comfortable. “No complaints,” our tester reported. “It’s high enough off the ground that I'm sitting comfortably and low enough that I can recline nicely.” 

The Kijaro is equipped with just about everything you’d expect from a beach chair: two mesh cup holders, a water-resistant detachable accessory organizer, and a built-in cooler. Its detachable pillow didn’t appeal to our tester, however. “It makes a big difference in how easily I could nap,” he reported. When you’re ready to head home, the chair collapses neatly into its lightweight compact bag. The chair itself is equally lightweight at under 7 pounds.

This product isn’t an elaborate recliner, but it’s not minimalist either. If that works for your recreation needs, this chair is a great choice.

Price at time of publish: $75

_{Dimensions: 29 x 33 x 33.8 inches | Weight: 6.6 pounds | Weight Capacity: 300 pounds | Material: Metal and textile | Colors: Fiji Sunset Orange, Haleakala Sunrise Yellow, Hanami Pink, Ionian Turquoise, Maldives Blue | Carrying Strap: Yes | Cup Holder: Yes}

Best for Drinks

Tommy Bahama Backpack Beach Chair

4.8

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Tommy Bahama has a reputation for being somewhat of a standard for beach chairs, and this one does not disappoint. What distinguishes this aluminum-and-fabric chair is its insulated zippered cooler pocket, one of two very roomy storage containers on the back. The other is large enough to carry sunscreen, hats, books, and most anything else you want to bring to the beach. “It almost makes it like an actual backpack if you use the pockets to store the things you would normally bring to the beach,” our tester enthused. “My Kindle even fit in one of the pockets!”

The backpack straps are lightly padded and fairly comfortable. “You definitely feel the bars of the chair in your back,” our tester noted, “but it's not that bothersome, and the chair is light enough that it doesn't feel cumbersome wearing it while walking across sand.” The handle on top of the chair helps with transporting it. 

The chair is equipped with a locking tab to keep it open—which we discovered by accident. “You have to open it until the plastic locks into place,” our tester acknowledged, “or else you might sit in the chair and just fall over—as I did!” To close the chair, you pop the locks apart first. We found it easier to adjust the seat back to its five reclining positions, including lying flat. We also appreciated the plastic arms. They may strike some as lower quality compared with wood, as on other Tommy Bahama models, but plastic shouldn’t discolor and show wear, as wood can. 

Price at time of publish: $89

_{Dimensions: 4 x 24 x 27 inches | Weight: 8 pounds | Weight Capacity: 300 pounds | Materials: Aluminum and fabric | Colors: Blue, Sailfish and Palms, Tropical Sunset, multi-color | Carrying Strap: Yes | Cup Holder: Yes}

Best Portable

Pacific Breeze Lounger

4.7

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OK, so this isn’t a chair; it’s a long mat that has a propped-up back, so you can relax on the sand without needing to lie prone, like a blanket. And you might believe that, like a blanket, there’s little between you and the sand. But we found the Pacific Breeze Lounger surprisingly comfortable. “The padding is great,” our tester enthused. And being so minimalist, it was the easiest of our tested products to tote around.

In particular, we found the backpack-style straps to be an extremely useful feature. “They weren't the most comfortable straps in the world,” our tester acknowledged, “but still a cool feature to carry it and free up both hands and not worry about a shoulder strap sliding off while huffing all your other beach stuff.” You can stow that other stuff in the product’s large zipper pocket.

Despite the frame made of steel, which is usually heavier than aluminum, as are most of our tested chairs, the Pacific Breeze Lounger seemed lighter to us because most of it is fabric. Indeed, its 6-pound weight easily made it our lightest model. Plus, it folds up to slightly over 2 feet tall and under 22 inches wide. We did note a bit of a learning curve in getting the straps off the chair to unfold it and then fold it back up. It was worth the cognitive investment, especially since the price gets you a two-pack of this innovative beach product.

Price at time of publish: $124 (two-pack)

_{Dimensions: 74.8 x 21 x 27.5 inches | Weight: 6 pounds | Weight Capacity: Not listed | Material: Alloy steel and fabric | Colors: Blue/green | Carrying Strap: Yes | Cup Holder: No}

Best Low-Profile

Life is Good Beach Chair

4.4

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As with other beach chairs we recommend, the Life Is Good Beach Chair has adjustable back straps to make for easy carrying. “You do free up your hands for carrying food and other beach goods,” our tester confirmed about this sturdy chair, with its oversize seat and 300-pound weight capacity. “My fiance had her purse hanging from her shoulder and a bag of food in her right hand while carrying this.” On the other hand, we noted that this makes for a wide load; it was tricky to maneuver its 12 pounds between cars in the parking lot. We also found that walking with this chair on our back took up most of the boardwalk bike lane.

However, all that negativity vanished once our low-chair fan opened the chair and had a seat. “I feel like a lot of low-quality chairs are too low or will use fabric that stretches, and your butt just ends up touching the sand for a lumpy seating experience,” he said. “But the height on this chair was perfect—you still had a little gap between the bottom of the seat and the sand.” We also appreciate the head cushion, the wide back and arms with an oversize cup holder on each, and the five-position backrest. “I like the convenience of being able to easily adjust the backrest level from a seat to a bed and every angle in between,” our tester said. “You can easily extend the fold to nearly horizontal for a nice tanning experience.” A tiny red latch keeps the chair in the folded position.

The price is a little on the high side, it does take some practice to walk evenly with the chair on your back, and we had a little trouble finding the locking latch so we could fold out the chair. All that aside, the Life Is Good Beach Chair maintains a high profile among low-profile beach chairs. 

Price at time of publish: $120

_{Dimensions: 26.18 x 28.94 x 33.07 inches | Weight: 12 pounds | Weight Capacity: 300 pounds | Material: Aluminum and polyester | Colors: Blue Turtle, Daisy Yellow, Green Sun, Jake Blue, Orange Daisy, Rocket Green | Carrying Strap: Yes | Cup Holder: Yes} 

Best for Kids

Baby Delight Go with Me Chair

4.7

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When it comes to children’s beach chairs, you can’t beat this option. Though it may not have the visual appeal of the classic beach chair, it’s so much more functional—plus, it’s suitable for a wide range of other outdoor adventures, from camping trips to sporting events.

The chair grows with your child until they’re ready for an adult beach chair since it’s suitable for babies as young as 3 months and kids weighing up to 75 pounds. While your little one is still young, the five-point removable harness keeps them nice and secure. Then, as your child grows, the seat morphs to reveal two leg holes perfect for letting baby stand with support. Once your child is a bit bigger, convert the chair back into a regular seat—sans harness. 

Additional features include a removable snack tray for bites and meals on the go, a sun canopy for extra protection, and a carry bag to make transport a breeze. On the downside, we noted that the shade is very difficult to fold up, and the snack tray is difficult to get on and off. Nevertheless, our tester gave this chair a solid endorsement. "My son seemed to like it!" she said. "The tray helped to keep him seated for nearly a half hour while he ate his lunch at the beach." 

Price at time of publish: $80

_{Dimensions: 23 x 23 x 25 inches | Weight: 6 pounds | Weight Capacity: 75-pound child | Material: Polyester fabric | Color: Gray, pink, teal, Moss Bud | Carrying Strap: No | Cup Holder: Yes}

Best Face-Down

Ostrich On Your Back Beach Chair

4.6

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There is no easy way to lie prone on a beach chair so you can get the sun on your back while reading a book. You’re bound to have to make a Hobson’s choice between peering through slats or leaning over far enough so the frame doesn’t impact your head. That’s why face-down chairs, like this curiously named Ostrich On Your Back Chair, are becoming more popular. Like a massage chair, you position your head within a hole in the fabric. Presto! 

“The hole for your face is an awesome idea and was mostly comfortable,” our tester reported. We also appreciated the distinctive arm slots: When you poke your arms through, you get easy access to whatever you’re reading. But our tester had reservations about the design, such as the face hole being too wide for someone with a narrower head, a taller person who might need their legs to be better propped above the sand, and the cup holder possibly being more stable. (Our tester’s drink spilled out when she lay face-down.) 

Lying belly toward the sun, however, we found the Ostrich extremely roomy and supportive, with just the right amount of give to make you feel cushioned. “The headrest was the perfect width for my neck,” our tester also reported, “and also felt plush while still holding my head up properly.” The backpack straps are also made for easy transport, even though the chair weighs just under 11 pounds.

In total, we found the Ostrich On Your Back Chair significantly more comfortable than other beach chairs we’ve tested. It's wide and tall, the headrest is perfect when you're on your back, and the arm slots are a great touch. It could be even better with some tweaks to the design. But if you don't want to carry a full-size recliner with a footrest to the beach, this is about as comfortable as you can get. 

Price at time of publish: $85

_{Dimensions: 34.06 x 3.94 x 27.56 inches | Weight: 10.5 pounds | Weight Capacity: 275 pounds | Material: Alloy steel, fabric | Colors: Blue, green, pink, red, striped, teal | Carrying Strap: Yes | Cup Holder: Yes}

Best Splurge

Ostrich 3 N 1 Beach Chair/Lounger

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To maximize your beach day as a day of relaxation and TLC by the beach or a pool, consider this chair, which easily converts into a seat that more closely resembles a pool lounger. Our tester sat in the chair for over two hours at the beach and tried all its various reclining positions, including the massage-like head/face hole. The chair's side slits function as arm slots, so you can comfortably lie flat, even on your stomach. "There was no usual neck discomfort from craning it side to side while lying down," our tester reported.

We especially appreciated that although its many features make this chair tip the scales at over 10 pounds, it was surprisingly easy to carry around. “I walked a decent distance to, from, and across the beach and was able to easily carry a water bottle or phone in the other hand,” our tester reported. The Ostrich also has a footrest; a cup holder, which rotates under the wide armrest when not in use; simple and sturdy side pockets for a phone or sunscreen; and an adjustable back pillow, all on a fairly wide frame. Adjustable foot- or calf rests make for more comfy lounging, and an adjustable back pillow provides extra stability. "All enhance the experience and differentiate this chair," she said. 

The chair, which sits a comfortable 12 inches off the ground (not too high and not too low), features five adjustable sitting positions and three adjustable footrest positions—including one that combines to let you lie flat. 

Price at time of publish: $110

_{Dimensions: 60.76 x 28.93 x 12 inches | Weight: 9.5 pounds | Weight Capacity: 275 pounds | Material: Aluminum and Fabric | Color: Blue, pink, or blue stripe | Carrying Strap: Yes | Cup Holder: Yes}

Best Design

KingCamp Low-Sling Beach Chair

4.6

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This is a chair, not a recliner, and as a chair, it accomplishes its purpose in comfort. It comes in three different modes: an adjustable back or non-adjustable low and high backs. All are mesh style, which kept our tester from sweating and let her feel the breeze. The sidebars are curved to act as padded armrests. Also, the chair is low to the ground, “so I felt comfortable stretching out my legs,” she reported. However, she found herself wishing the chair would recline when the relaxation prodded nodding off. 

The manufacturer claims that the seat is wider than most, but we tested a number of chairs with seats wider than the Kingcamp’s 23 inches. We agree that its under-6-pound weight is pretty light to carry when you fold it up and collapse it, legs first, into its included carry-on bag. “It has a shoulder strap that made it easy to throw over my shoulder and carry along with other bags at the beach,” our tester reported. 

As a two-pack, this is also an economical purchase at just under $60 per chair.

Price at time of publish: $65

_{Dimensions: 24.8 inches x 23.2 inches x 25.2 inches | Weight: 6.6 pounds | Weight Capacity: 300 pounds | Material: Alloy steel and polyester | Colors: Blue, cyan, green, rose | Carrying Strap: Yes | Cup Holder: Yes}

Best With Storage

Lightspeed Outdoors Reclining Beach Chair

4.6

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If you love the beach but hate getting things sandy, this chair is for you. With two armrest pockets—one for a drink and one for sunscreen, a phone, or any other secondary item—it easily and safely stores your belongings when you arrive. In addition, a large pocket beneath your seat makes it easy to transport a towel or magazine, minimizing the need for a big beach bag. 

If you walk to the beach from a fair distance, this chair is also a good choice. It’s light (7 pounds) and sturdy, and its padded straps make it comfortable to tote. There’s also a large underneath pocket for easy on-the-go storage, although it’s less useful for on-beach storage than it would be if located on the chair back. 

We had no problem with comfort, aided by the solid pillow. It reclines a fair amount in four pre-defined positions, which you change while seated by lifting the armrests. The angle was slightly better than many chairs we tested. But this product doesn’t lie flat, which could be an issue for some.

Attractive in three color options, the chair’s fabric material is made with post-consumer recycled water bottles, according to the manufacturer. Note that its recommended 225-pound weight capacity is lower than many other chairs on this list.

Price at time of publish: $120

_{Dimensions: 26.5 x 24.5 x 31.25 inches | Weight: 7 pounds | Weight Capacity: 225 pounds | Material: Aluminum and fabric | Colors: Deep Tropics, Eco-bright Stripes, Summer Sunset  | Carrying Strap: Yes | Cup Holder: Yes}

Best Air Lounger

Wekapo Inflatable Lounger Air Sofa

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Ever wanted to take your bean bag chair to the beach? The Wekapo Inflatable Lounger Air Sofa allows you to fulfill that fantasy. It inflates to 7 feet long, with plenty of space to relax, along with a beverage and a book or e-reader. “Inflatable” also implies “deflatable,” and the Wekapo packs down to a small-ish package you can toss into its included carrying case. At only 2 pounds, it can weigh less than a hardback tome you bring to read. 

The manufacturer says this product doesn’t require a pump to fill it—you shake it in the air, as you would shake out sand from a blanket, close the sleeve to trap the air and do it all over again. We found doing this easier than the complex instruction suggests. “It’s very easy to fill up at the beach, as there's typically quite a bit of wind,” our tester noted. “But I could see this being a pain if, for whatever reason, there isn't a lot of wind if you're using it at a lake or in a park.” 

Like bean bag chairs, we found the Wekapo comfortable to lounge in and easy to change positions. But it does require you to clamber awkwardly to get in and out of—especially out. “Typically,” our tester reported, “I was just rolling over into the sand in order to get out of it. I could see this being very inconvenient/not possible for anyone with reduced mobility or someone heavier.” We also noted that despite the manufacturer’s claim to remain inflated for 5 to 6 hours, it leaked air. “Over the course of an hour of lying in it, I could feel my butt touching the sand, even though I had filled it full initially,” our tester reported. She also noted that the cup holder tended to fill with sand, so avoid placing your phone in it.

While the Wekapo takes some getting used to, it’s still a nice lounger, which you can buy in any of 16 colors, including solids and patterns. And we enjoyed being able to lie on the beach without constantly getting covered in sand. 

Price at time of publish: $41

_{Dimensions: 15.04 x 11.69 x 5.51 inches | Weight: 2 pounds | Weight Capacity: Not listed | Material: Polyester | Colors: 16 | Carrying Strap: Yes | Cup Holder: Yes}