Portable Hammock
Detailed Reviews of Portable Hammocks with Stands
Strathwood Portable Folding Hammock with Carry Bag, Chocolate with Champagne Frame (see item on amazon here)
I bought this portable hammock with stand for my front porch where we have just installed decking with a beautiful wooden canopy. I wasn’t really comfortable hanging a hammock between the supports but I really wanted a hammock there, so I looked for a solution which could stand on its own without having to get support from other structures whether it be man made wooden supports or just trees. I came across this Strathwood Portable Hammock (see item on amazon here) on the internet and it seemed to fit the bill. I ordered it and it arrived at my door within 4 days – pretty good response time.
There was virtually no ‘set-up’ really, as this seems to be similar to other EZ-Up contraptions which just fold together when not in use, and ‘spring’ out when you want to use them. It’s basically a portable hammock with stand, where the stand is attached to the hammock and thus portable as well. This is great for us because we don’t want to use the hammock all the time, particularly in the colder times of the year, and I don’t think it’s meant for that either. It is easy to store when we’re not using it and also easy to take out – it weighs about 30 lbs so you can drag it along with very little effort.
The frame of this portable hammock with stand is made of steel, and it’s comforting to know that you’re supported by a sturdy metal when you lie in it, as opposed to being worried all the time it might collapse which is the case with other cheap plastic EZ-Up portable hammocks. The fabric is stretchy and accommodates my weight (I’m 6’1, 240 lbs) by stretching and when I get off it returns to its original shape – it really is very flexible and strong. Although I’m 6’1 I find I’ve got plenty of room when I lie down fully stretched so I don’t see anyone having problems with this unless you’re an NBA basketball player! I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone taller than 6’2, however. A comfortable place to sleep always has a good few inches to spare, and if you’re taller than me that wouldn’t happen with this hammock. With that being said, width wise this is very spacious, and can accommodate myself and my two kids with no problems whatsoever.
The main thing I like about this Strathwood Portable Hammock (see item on amazon here) is its chain supports, which means that you don’t have to attach the hammock to any supports either end to get it to work. You just fold it out and hop on. As I said I am 240 lbs and it has absolutely no problems with me whatsoever, it’s almost like magic how it keeps me up out of nothing. I’ve lost count the amount of summer evenings I’ve dozed off on this thing. It does have its own removable pillow but to be honest I like to bring my own and I’m sure most other people can sympathise with me here – nothing quite beats the softness of your own pillow.
Lately I’ve grown accustomed to taking this with me on fishing and camping trips – it works like a charm in these environments too, which shows how versatile this thing is. I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone who is looking for the comfort and experience of a hammock, but doesn’t want to or can’t attach a traditional hammock to supports every time you want to use it. If you don’t mind the ‘natural’ experience of a difficult traditional tree to tree hammock then a hammock with stand a.k.a. portable hammock is the option for you. It’s indispensible when you need to stay off the ground but there aren’t really any trees around to make a traditional hammock. For the use I’ve got out of this particular Strathwood Portable Hammock (see item on amazon here), I definitely give it 5 stars.
