I tried out sun loungers for my garden – the winner is so comfy it could be used for camping trips or kids’ sleepovers
MOST of us have the standard table and chairs outside, but sun loungers can really help you to relax and enjoy your garden.
While we don’t all have a big budget for such a luxury item, many retailers are now selling comfy sunbeds at very affordable prices.
And many fold up pretty small, which is great if you are short on space.
We have tested some of the best budget sun loungers on offer.
So whether you are after cheap, cheerful, bright, or bold, Lynsey Hope has the right one for you.
Vonhaus Set of 2 Textoline Zero Gravity Garden Chairs
- £74.99, vonhaus.com
These are designed to make you feel as if “you are floating in the air”.
The fabric is hardwearing woven and the classic grey colour doesn’t show up any mess or dirt.
They are well made and there is also a head pillow for extra comfort.
There is no tricky device to move them from upright to a reclining position – you just have to use a shift in body weight, which can be funny to get used to but is easy once you know how.
Just lie back and the leg rest should lift as your head lowers.
They aren’t the prettiest chairs, but they are a good price for a pair and they are surprisingly comfy.
- Comfort: 9/10
- Durability: 10/10
- Ease of use: 8/10
- Price: 8/10
- Overall score: 8/10
Monaco Zero Gravity Reclining Garden Chair
- £39.99, robertdyas.co.uk
Once you’re comfy, you have to lock this chair in position with the twin locks on both arms.
I did find this a little stiff, but once you got it in place it was very comfortable to lie on – probably down to the good quality rattan it is made from.
It comes with a padded pillow and a clip-onside table for food and drink, which I thought was a nice touch.
If you burn easily, this chair also comes with a very handy sun canopy for extra shade.
- Comfort: 7/10
- Durability: 7/10
- Ease of use: 8/10
- Price: 9/10
- Overall score: 7/10
George Folding Sunbeds in Blue Wave Print
- £64 for 2, direct.asda.com
I loved the stunning design of these wave print chairs from Asda, and they definitely look as though they cost more than they do.
You can adjust the headrest to three different positions and they were incredibly easy to put up and fold down.
They fold up so don’t take up much room when you need to store them, too.
I’m not sure durable they would be, but for this price, I have no complaints.
- Comfort: 5/10
- Durability: 5/10
- Ease of use: 8/10
- Price: 8/10
- Overall score: 6/10
Habitat Folding Metal Sun Lounger in Pink & Red
- £32, argos.co.uk
This Habitat sun lounger is cheap, cheerful and convenient, plus it’s quick and easy to assemble and folds away easily.
It arrives fully assembled and without the massive box that some arrived in and it takes just 30 seconds to unfold and lock into place.
The backrest can be moved into three different positions but you do have to click it in quite hard to make sure it doesn’t move. It was a little stiff, though.
I loved the bold pink and red colour and considering it’s just polyester on a metal frame, it’s surprisingly comfy.
It’s quite compact when folded too so it doesn’t take up much space. Overall I was impressed for the price.
- Comfort: 7/10
- Durability: 7/10
- Ease of use: 6/10
- Price: 10/10
- Overall score: 8/10
Outdoor Revolution Sarzana Camp Bed
- £69.99, outdoorworlddirect.co.uk
This is a little more on the expensive side, but is super comfy and is designed to double up as a comfortable camping bed, so it has dual use.
It could even be pulled out for kids’ sleepovers to be honest as it is quite sturdy.
The backrest is adjustable and you can also lay totally flat if you prefer.
It’s light, easy to carry manoeuvre and folds up small for storage.
It’s made with polyester but the foam padded cushion makes this extra comfy – probably the comfiest in my test. This was my winner.
- Comfort: 10/10
- Durability: 9/10
- Ease of use: 10/10
- Price: 7/10
- Overall score: 10/10
Dunelm Sage Green Lounger
- £39.50, dunelm.com
This is a beautiful lounger that wouldn’t look out of place by a fancy hotel pool, despite the price.
It’s a great budget buy and currently on sale at Dunelm for under £40.
It’s quite weighty to lift but very comfortable and it’s easy to change the headrest position so you are comfortable.
It does take a few screws to put it together but it only took a few minutes.
The biggest downside is that it doesn’t fold.
This makes it more comfy, but you’ll need a decent storage space to protect it over the winter.
- Comfort: 10/10
- Durability: 10/10
- Ease of use: 7/10
- Price: 9/10
- Overall score: 9/10
How to find gardening bargains
Doing up your garden to enjoy on warm and sunny days needn't cost the earth.
Sun Savers Editor Lana Clements explains how to get a top deal on items for the garden…
You can bag big savings on plants, shrubs and flowers, as well as gardening tools and furniture.
Many retailers have flash sales across entire seasonal ranges – often these promotions tie into payday at the end of the month or Bank Holiday weekends, so keep a lookout.
Sign up to mailing lists of your favourite brands and you’ll be first to know of special offers. It can be worth following retailers on social media too.
Use a price comparison site to search out the best value items.
And keep a close eye on the specialbuys at Aldi and middle of Lidl drops which drop a couple of times a week and usually mean great value seasonal items for your outdoor areas.
If you are not in a hurry to buy an item, try adding it to the shopping cart online and leaving it for a couple of days.
Sometimes big brands will try to tempt you into the sale by offering you a discount.
And always check if you can get cashback before paying.
It’s especially worth using sites such as Topcashback, Quidco and app Jamdoughnut when buying bigger ticket items such as garden furniture as you’ll get a nice kickback.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
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