If you’re like me, the beach is one of your favorite places to go. There’s nothing quite like feeling the sand between your toes and the sun on your skin. But if you’re planning on spending a day at the beach, should you bring a chair? Here are the pros and cons of bringing a beach chair with you to the beach, and some alternative options to consider.
For the longest time, I thought I would hate sitting on a chair at the beach. The beach is a place to lie on a towel on the sand right? But on my last big beach trip, I kept stealing other people’s seats while they were in the water. I still normally go just with a towel, but a chair can be a nice added feature. Let’s look closer into the pros and cons of bringing a beach chair with you.
Pros: Why You Should Bring a Beach Chair To The Beach
- For one, chairs offer back support, which is their biggest selling point. Having back support makes a world of difference in terms of comfort.
- It’s a lot easier to read while sitting in a chair than laying on the beach, in terms of keeping the sun out of your eyes and comfort.
- Beach chairs can be easier to get in and out of rather than sitting on the sand, and you can always get a high off the ground beach chair for even more standing and sitting ease.
- They also tend to have adjustable positions, thus allowing you to sit in multiple positions, from laying back, to sitting up straight.
- They also allow you to remain relatively sand free, as there is less sand on you than when sitting directly on the ground or on a towel
- Plus, there are plenty of lightweight and portable chairs available that make it fairly easy to carry with you to the beach. (Read more about beach chairs with backpack straps here)
What Chair We Suggest:
Tommy Bahama makes a bunch of comfortable beach chairs that are easy to carry to the beach and rest in!
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Get a set of 2 Tommy Bahama chairs so you can bring a friend with you to the beach.
Cons: Problems With Bringing Beach Chairs To The Beach
As great as chairs are, there are some drawbacks that you should consider before bringing one to the beach.
- For one thing, they add an extra item that you’ll have to carry and look out for while at the beach.
- This is especially problematic if you plan on flying to the beach destination. Some airlines limit how much baggage each person can bring and bringing a chair might take up too much space.
- While many are backpack chairs so you can easily slip one on your back, that means you cannot carry anything else on your back, so everything else has to be carried in your arms.
- Beach chairs are extremely easy to set up, but can be really confusing for how to take them down. (Even after using the same beach chair a few days in a row, I was still taking at least 5 minutes to remember how to fold it flat).
- Many have a metal bar right under your knee for support. While this has to be there, it’s not very comfortable depending on your height and which chair you have.
- The straps to carry the beach chair with are flimsy and are prone to breaking, meaning it’s even more awkward to carry to and from the beach.
Alternatives to Beach Chairs At The Beach
While beach chairs are the main item that will give you that back support, there are a lot of alternatives that you can lay on or use while at the beach. These can include:
- Beach towels are the easy solution for going to the beach. Then you can lay on the sand and enjoy the sun. Or sit up and eat a snack.
- Bringing a fold up stool. This will keep you off the ground, but doesn’t offer back support. They tend to fold up smaller though.
- Beach blankets are similar to the towels, but you can get ones that can fit multiple people and are water/sand resistant.
- Sitting in a tent. This depends on the type of tent you bring, but tents offer shade as well as a layer of cover from the sand.
In Summary
Ultimately, it’s up to you as to if you want to bring a beach chair with you on your next beach adventure! Just make sure you consider the pros and cons, as well as your budget. As for me, I’m going to stick with a beach towel and stealing other people’s beach chairs when they aren’t in use, since I don’t want to carry one of my own. But don’t forget about the other options if you’re looking for something else. Happy beach trips!