RIO Brands Folding Beach Chair Review
Rating
Durability: 5
Comfort: 5
Portability: 9
Features: 9
Setup/Packdown: 7
OVERALL: 7
The most stylish seat on the sand.
The Rio Brands Folding Beach Chair made our top picks for a number of reasons. We love how effortlessly it reclines by simply lifting the armrests, how easily it folds up for transport, and, let’s be honest, it’s a total looker. While a few chairs on our list were more comfortable overall, for a classic beach vibe with serious style points, this one stands out.
Comparison
Rank: #3
Open Size: Low, standard size
Packed Size: Small and portable
Weight: Light
Capacity: High
Pros: Sleek design, lightweight and thoughtfully built.
Cons: No head support, a shallow seat and we wish the seat fabric was a bit more heavy-duty.
Verdict: A chic and easy-to-use option that earns its place for looks and functionality at a fair price.
Skip ahead to First Impressions, Transportability, Sitting, or the Final Verdict, or check out how the RIO BEACH Folding Beach Chair compares to others in our list of the Top Ten Beach Chairs.
Specs:
Open Size: 23x25x32in
Packed Size: 5.5x25x29in
Weight: 7.7lbs
Capacity: 250lbs
Approx Price: $69.99
First Impressions
Where the RIO Brands Beach Chair falls a little short is in those first few moments of inspection. Off the beach and out of the sun, you start to notice the seat fabric feels a little too thin, and while the frame is nicely built, the folding mechanism could be smoother. Does it matter? A bit, yes.
We would’ve liked to see RIO go with a more durable fabric — 600 denier would’ve given it that extra toughness over the current 300 denier, which is noticeably lighter than standard beach chair materials. It leaves the chair a little more prone to early wear and tear.
That said, it’s undeniably good-looking. The polished frame, wood-style armrests and sky-blue colour had us feeling beach-ready even before we left the house.
Transportability
The RIO Brands Beach Chair comes in at a decent weight for this type of design and we didn’t mind the bit of added heft, especially since it supports the sturdy frame and smooth armrest-adjust recline system we really liked.
It folds down into a slim profile and can be carried using the included shoulder strap. That said, we did find it swung around quite a bit during the walk to the beach and we couldn’t help but wish it came with built-in backpack straps like some other models, which would’ve made it more stable and comfortable to carry.
Sitting
This is where the RIO really won us over. If you’re on the smaller side, this chair feels just right. The fabric offers reliable support across the frame and we especially loved how the recline adjusts just by lifting the armrests — no pinched fingers, no awkward handles and you can shift positions without even sitting up properly.
There are a couple of caveats, though. The seat is quite narrow, and if you’re trying to sit more upright, it can feel like your lower back is about to slide through the gap.
The chair’s metal frame bars may also be a problem for larger people as your head might end up resting against the top bar and the lightweight seat fabric could sag enough to press into the bottom frame bar, making things uncomfortable over time.
That said, we found it really comfy overall. The recline settings lock in securely, and, surprisingly, the thinner fabric helped keep us cooler by letting the breeze flow through, which made a big difference on a hot day.
Final Verdict
We had a great time using the RIO Brands Folding Beach Chair. While there’s definitely room for design tweaks, particularly in terms of carrying comfort and fabric durability, we found it stylish, comfy and refreshingly easy to adjust without needing to stand up. A solid pick for laid-back beach days.
Want to see what else we recommend? Head over to our list of the Ten Best Beach Chairs of 2025.
Water & Outdoors reviews are written by our staff writers, who combined have over fifty years of experience on the water and outdoors. We may earn commissions if you choose to buy through a link you’ve clicked on our website, however this does not influence our reviews. For more information, please see our Editorial Policies.