Best sun loungers [UK] 2021: pick top luxury rattan and wooden sun loungers

These ‘gravity’ style sun loungers have been around for a number of years now, and if you’ve never used one, you’re in for a treat. They are, for the most part, incredibly comfortable, easy to use, and are usually in the lower price range too.

Sunmer’s set of two gravity sun loungers look fantastic in light grey, and the neutral colour ensures that they will not look out of place in anyone’s garden, no matter if it is a modern or traditional themed one.

For their low price, and lightweight (8kg per chair), they are reassuringly strong and stable thanks to their powder coated alloy steel frame, and plastic feet that help prevent the chair slipping or sliding on harder surfaces like your patio.

Wrapped around this frame is the textilene fabric, well known as a material that is durable, waterproof, flame retardant, mold resistant, and easy to clean; as well as providing a lot of comfort. Sometimes, people complain about textilene not ‘breathing’ very well and causing you to sweat, but I didn’t really find any problems with these Sunmer sun loungers, and neither did the wife.

These gravity sun loungers get their name from the natural titling motion of the body that is used to change their angle. With the Sunmer loungers, this mechanism works smoothly and easily through 30 to 90 degrees, with the option to lock the lounger out at any angle between the two, so you can always get yourself in that perfect position. It does take a few tries to get the knack of it, but you’ll soon be swinging things.

Coming preassembled, there is no messing around with the Sunmer sun loungers. You simply unpack, unfold, and you’re ready for a day in the sun. Once unfolded, they sit at 165cm x 65cm x 110cm and can handle up to 100kg of load.

None of us can be without our devices these days, so it’s good to know that these chairs come with a detachable table that has slots for your mobile phone and also for your favourite hot or cold brew.

The only thing I would advise if buying any of these low cost, gravity chairs/loungers, is to give the frame a spray of WD40 regularly, especially in the joints, as the paint coating tends to wear down first and you can get rust quite quickly. If you keep on top of this tiny bit of maintenance, these sun loungers should last you a fair old while.

I’m probably not the only one who has put on a bit of ‘timber’ during lockdown easting fests, and if you’re the same, you’ll be needing a sun lounger that can take the extra weight until you can burn it off.

TecTake’s product has been made with a sturdy frame, complete with reinforced connectors and joints, and this allows it to handle up to 110kg, so most of us shouldn’t cause it too many problems. The synthetic fabric is not only comfortable to lie on, but also extremely strong, and plays its own part in handling the maximum load.

For something so stable and strong, it may surprise you to know that this sun lounger only weighs around 5.6kg, and is incredibly easy to fold away for storage. What’s more, once folded, there are two handles to make things even easier.

At 190cm long and 58cm wide, it should be big enough for most people to lie on comfortably. I’m 5ft 10” and I found it to be just about right for me.

The end section of the sun lounger can be adjusted through various positions, from lying completely flat to sitting almost completely upright, and there is a detachable sun shade for your face that only takes a few minutes to screw on, and can save you from getting a little too much sun in your eyes, or dangerous amounts of UV on sensitive areas like your nose and lips.
This sun shade, when combined, also makes this sun lounger a good pick for people who like to spend their summer days reading the latest novel from their favourite author. You won’t have to squint through the sunlight or crane your neck to enjoy your book.

If you want true reliability and longevity, you can’t do much better than a Resol Master Blanco sun lounger.

The Master Blanco’ strength lies in its simplicity. There are no metal joints or hinges to rust, and no fabric to rot or wear down. The whole sun lounger is made from injected polypropylene, and this makes it as durable as you can get. If you thought the TekTake could handle a few extra kilos, it is nothing compared to the max load of this model.

At 10 kilograms, it is hardly what you’d call heavy, but it has enough weight not to get blown about in the wind while still being portable and easy to store away when the weather changes.

One of the drawbacks of this being a solid plastic sun lounger is that it is just that-solid. Although I would never say it is uncomfortable to lay on, I would also suggest buying a nice cushion to put on top to get the most out of it.

These sun loungers have a space on the right side to keep your phone and glass/cup, and another storage space on the opposite side for your wallet or whatever else you feel you need close at hand. It should be noted though, that if you put a large cushion on top of the sun lounger, it will probably cover those spots.

Nonetheless, this is still, in my opinion, one of the best sun loungers you can buy at the present time, and with a current price tag of less than 150 pounds for a pair of these, complete with a 2-year warranty, what is not to like?

Two comfy gravity sun loungers, plus a free table for under 115 quid? Yes, please.
Just like the Sunmer sun loungers, these make use of textilene’s hard wearing properties to ensure that the product won’t rot or get ruined by any bad weather, all the while still providing you with a very comfortable place to soak up the sun’s rays.

Although you can’t lie all the way down horizontal in this kind of lounger, you can swing yourself backwards and get to a very relaxing angle and lock it in wherever you choose along the way, and the powder coated 22mm steel frame will keep you stable there for as long you like.

The combination of black and gold really makes these sun loungers look great, and even the free table has some attractive styling, on top of being quite a handy little freebie with its built-in cup holders.

The textilene cover is really comfortable as is, but when combined with the padded headrest, and a nice soft beach towel thrown over, it turns into a spot to spend the entirety of your summer days in.

Are there flaws? Yes, of course there are. There always are at this price, but most can be avoided or solved with a can of oil, and other basic maintenance on the metal frame such as changing out the bolts provided with longer and better ones from the local B&Q or simply order some from Amazon. The textile should take care of itself for the most part, and only needs a scrub with soap and water.

Stylish, practical, and built to last, Resol have knocked it out of the park again with their Marina Sun lounger.

They are certainly not the cheapest set of two loungers in our list (and therefore why they are not featured higher up), but if top quality is important, and you don’t mind splashing out a little, I’d definitely recommend these.

Just like its sibling; the Master Blanco, the marina sun lounger has been made to go the distance. With its synthetic polypropylene resin frame being one of the strongest out there, and an equally robust cover, you’ll be enjoying far more than a single summer on this outstanding sun lounger.
Not only is the cover durable and easy to clean, it is so comfortable that I didn’t even bother putting a mattress on top, and I was quite happy to spend the day there. What’s more, it is highly UV resistant, and a customer of mine who bought them a couple in the blue colour scheme about 3 years ago, swears that they look as good as new.

The Marina sun lounger has some weight to it, and that’s a good thing, but it isn’t really heavy, and thanks to wheels built in one end, all you have to do to move it around is to tilt it back and push or drag. The wheels are smooth, and work well on hard surfaces and soft ones such as grass. Still, my wife made sure that I was the one who moved ‘her majesty’s’ lounger into the sunny spot!

The only gripe I have is that the back rest felt a bit stiff at first when trying to move it through the various positions, but I think this is because it isn’t flimsy, and that it was a new product we were trying out, so I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt.

If comfort is at the top of your checklist when looking for a sun lounger, then you’re in the right place. The Alfresia sun loungers steel sprung supports, combined with the excellent, crumb foam filled cushion, provide you with such comfort that it can be hard to stay awake, and I’m speaking from experience.

The cushion is available in three different colours/patterns; plain green, alexander green leaf, and a classic blue and white checked pattern. All of them look great, but my personal favourite is the checked one as it just looks so fresh.

There is no real assembly required with the Alfresia, you just unpack, unfold, sling the cushion on and you’re good to go. I had been warned by someone who bought this that there might be a bit of a plastic smell to the cushion from the packaging, and so I was already well armed with some baking soda, ready to go to war. After a quick sprinkle on the cushion, I left it for an hour and then used the vacuum cleaner to suck it up, and the smell had all but disappeared. I finished off with a bit of perfumed fabric softener, and the job was done.

Both the metal and plastic parts of Alfresia’s frame are well built from decent materials and feel sturdy. Even when the lounger’s backrest is in its furthest declined position, the frame does its job as it should and makes you feel safe and supported.

I’ll end with the downsides as usual, and with Alfresia, it is the size. Although not tiny, it could do with being a bit longer, and a bit wider. As I’ve already stated, I’m around 5ft 10” and I think I’m about as large as a person should be to fit comfortably on it. Smaller than that? You’ll love it.