Tommy Bahama Beach Chair Review
Rating
Durability: 7
Comfort: 8
Portability: 8
Features: 8
Setup/Packdown: 5
OVERALL: 7.2
Live the beach life everyone dreams about.
When your chair comes from a brand known for breezy beachside comfort, chances are it’s going to deliver. The Tommy Bahama backpack beach chair is a charming, lightweight pick that’s easy to sling over your shoulder. It has all the storage you could ask for and makes for a very comfy spot to lounge. The catch? Its lower backrest means it’s not ideal if you prefer to sit upright — but then again, who’s going to the beach to sit bolt straight?
Comparison
Rank: #2
Open Size: Comfortably wide
Packed Size: Compact and light
Weight: Lightweight
Capacity: High
Pros: Reclines to five positions, including fully flat, well-placed storage pockets, light and easy to carry.
Cons: Backpack straps could be more robust and the low back won’t suit everyone.
Verdict: Just like the name implies, it’s a chair made for dreamlike, laid-back beach days.
Skip ahead to First Impressions, Transportability, Sitting, or the Final Verdict, or check out how the Tommy Bahama Beach Chair compares to others in our list of the Top Ten Beach Chairs.
Specs:
Open Size: 24x32x28in
Packed Size: 27x4x27cm
Weight: 7lbs
Capacity: 250lbs
Approx Price: $54.99
First Impressions
From the start, it’s obvious that the Tommy Bahama Beach Chair has been thoughtfully made. The build feels solid, it folds flat with ease, the buckles snap into place securely and all the moving parts function smoothly.
It’s also a great-looking chair, available in an array of bright, tropical colours and fun patterns (we tested the blue one), and the wood-trimmed armrests add a touch of class. We appreciated that the generous side pocket and cooler compartment tuck in neatly when folded, so the added features don’t bulk up the overall pack size.
Transportability
This chair’s portability has clearly been well considered. It folds down into a neat, flat square and comes with built-in backpack straps for easy carrying. We liked where the straps were positioned, though they felt a bit less sturdy compared to the rest of the chair — that said, they didn’t affect how comfortably we could carry it. There’s also a small handle at the top of the chair, which adds another handy option for toting it around.
At just 7lbs, it’s impressively lightweight for a chair of this size and style, which makes it even more travel-friendly.
Sitting
Now for the comfort factor: we genuinely enjoyed using this chair. The fabric offers a good balance of support and give, and the five recline settings are thoughtfully spaced to suit everything from upright lounging to full-on sunbathing. The head pillow is nicely cushioned when you're reclined, though if you sit up fully straight, it ends up resting uncomfortably at your neck due to the lower back design. Still, in most positions, it felt just right.
One small drawback: there’s a metal bar running along the front edge of the seat, embedded within the fabric. It adds welcome structure and support, but if you stretch your legs straight out in front with your heels in the sand, it can press into the backs of your thighs a little.
We really liked the extras this chair offers — a built-in cup holder and side pouch, a cooler bag on the back for drinks or snacks, and a bar that doubles as both reclining support and a towel rack.
Final Verdict
There’s not much to complain about with the Tommy Bahama Beach Chair, which is why it earned one of the top spots in our 2025 list of Top Ten Beach Chairs. If we could make a few minor design changes, we would — but in terms of looks, comfort, portability and value, it’s about as close to ideal as you can get.
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.