Garden Chairs With Foot Rest and Hammock Chairs: How to Build the Most Comfortable Corner of Your Garden
Here's a confession most garden furniture shops won't make: a chair that looks fantastic in a product photo can still be one you abandon after twenty minutes. The backrest is too upright, your feet dangle, the front edge of the seat presses into the back of your knees — and suddenly the patio you paid for becomes somewhere you walk through rather than somewhere you stay.
The fix is rarely a bigger budget. It's choosing seating that supports your whole body. That's why garden chairs with a foot rest and a well-placed hammock chair garden setup have become the two quiet favourites of British gardens: one lets you stretch out and properly rest, the other lets you drift. In this guide we'll walk through how to choose between them, what to check before you buy, where to put each one, and how to keep them looking good for years — so you can shop with confidence and stop wasting good weather on uncomfortable seats.
Why the Chair You Sit In Matters More Than the Table You Eat At
Most of us plan a garden around the dining table. Yet think about how you actually use your outdoor space: far more hours go on reading, scrolling, chatting, dozing and watching the light change than on formal meals. Those are all "reclining" activities, and they're exactly where a standard upright chair falls short.
The 20-Minute Test
Before you buy any outdoor seat, imagine sitting in it for twenty minutes with a cup of tea. Would your lower back stay supported? Could you cross your ankles without them hanging in mid-air? Would you need to keep shuffling to get comfortable? If the honest answer is "probably not", the chair is built for looks, not for living.
What Comfort Actually Means Outdoors
Outdoor comfort isn't the same as indoor comfort, because the chair also has to cope with sun, rain, wind and the occasional muddy boot. Three things decide whether a seat is genuinely comfortable once it's in your garden.
Support
A good chair holds the curve of your lower back and spreads your weight across the seat instead of concentrating it on a few points. Look for contoured backs, padded or breathable seat surfaces, and armrests at a sensible height.
Posture
Sitting with your knees lower than your hips for long periods is tiring. Raising your legs, even slightly, changes the angle of your hips and takes pressure off the base of your spine. This is the whole idea behind a foot rest.
Climate
A cushion that soaks up rain and stays damp for two days is not comfortable, however soft it feels in the shop. Quick-drying fabrics, mesh seats and weather-resistant frames matter as much as padding.
Garden Chairs With Foot Rest: What You're Really Buying
A foot rest turns an ordinary chair into a place to properly switch off. But "garden chairs with foot rest" covers several quite different designs, and picking the wrong one is the most common mistake we see.
Fixed Footstool vs Built-In Leg Rest
The Separate Footstool
A matching footstool or pouffe gives you flexibility: use it with the chair, move it to a sofa, or tuck it away when you need space. It's a great choice if you already own armchairs you love and simply want to add a rest for your feet.
The Built-In Adjustable Leg Rest
A chair with an integrated, folding foot rest keeps everything in one piece, so there's nothing to lose or trip over. Many of these also recline, letting you move from upright reading to fully relaxed in seconds. If you want a proper "lie back and look at the sky" seat, a zero gravity lounger is a good example — the reclined angle lifts your legs close to heart height, which many people find far more restful than a flat sun lounger.
Who Benefits Most From a Foot Rest Chair
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Keen readers and nappers who spend long afternoons outside and want a seat that doesn't punish them for staying put
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Gardeners who need a proper recovery spot after an afternoon of digging, weeding and lifting
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Older family members who find very low loungers hard to get in and out of, but still want to put their feet up
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Anyone who sits for long stretches and likes to change position regularly
If you experience swelling, pain or circulation concerns, speak to a GP or pharmacist first, and see the NHS for general guidance on staying comfortable and active. A foot rest is a comfort feature rather than a treatment — though many people with stiff joints tell us that being able to raise their legs makes long outdoor afternoons far more enjoyable, and charities such as Versus Arthritis offer practical, everyday tips for living with joint pain.
Features to Look For Before You Buy
Frame Material
Powder-coated aluminium is light and rust-resistant, steel is sturdy and usually more affordable, and hardwood or fir looks natural but needs occasional treatment. If you plan to move the chair around, weight matters more than you'd think.
Seat and Back Fabric
Breathable mesh or textilene dries quickly and stays cooler in summer. Padded seats feel softer but need cushion storage. Check whether a description says "water-resistant" or simply "wipeable" — they're not the same thing.
Adjustability
Multi-position backrests and independent foot rests let you adapt the chair to the activity. A seat that only offers one reclined angle will suit some people brilliantly and annoy others.
Weight Capacity and Stability
Always check the stated maximum load, and look at the base: a wide, stable footprint is safer on uneven paving or decking than a narrow one.
Folding and Storage
If your garden is small, a chair that folds flat for winter storage is a real advantage. Fixed, heavy designs suit larger spaces with covered storage.
If you'd like to compare styles side by side, our full range of garden chairs makes it easy to see frame types, finishes and seat styles together, rather than hunting across several tabs.
Hammock Chair Garden Ideas: Hanging, Swinging and Properly Switching Off
Where a foot rest chair gives you stable, supported rest, a hammock chair gives you something different: gentle movement. There's a reason people instinctively relax when something rocks them softly, and it's why a hammock chair garden corner can feel like a private retreat even on a tiny patio.
Hammock Chair, Swing Seat or Egg Chair?
These three get lumped together, but they behave differently.
Hammock Chairs
A hammock chair suspends you in a fabric sling, usually with a cushion, and it moulds around you. It's the most relaxed, informal option and usually the lightest. Browse our hammock chairs to compare stand-mounted and hanging styles.
Swing Seats and Canopy Swings
A swing seat has a rigid frame, often with a canopy for shade, and seats two or three people. It's a better choice for families or couples, and the canopy makes it useful on bright, sunny days. See our swing chairs for wooden and canopy designs.
The Egg Chair
An egg chair wraps around you with a high, rounded back, creating a cocoon feel that's brilliant for reading and for blocking out a breeze. Our garden egg chair range is a popular pick for anyone who wants a design statement as well as comfort.
Where to Put Your Hammock Chair
Free-Standing Frames
A stand makes a hammock chair portable. You can position it in the sunniest corner in spring, then move it into the shade in July. It needs a level, firm surface, so check your patio or decking is even before you settle in.
Trees, Beams and Pergolas
Hanging from a strong horizontal beam or an established tree branch gives the most natural swing, but only if the support is genuinely rated for the load. Never hang a chair from anything you aren't certain can take a person's weight plus movement.
Covered Porches and Garden Rooms
A sheltered spot keeps fabric dry and extends the season. If you have a covered area, it's the ideal home for a hammock chair, because you can leave it out in light drizzle without worrying about cushions.
Safety Checks Before You Swing
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Check the stated weight limit and stay comfortably below it
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Inspect ropes, hooks, carabiners and stitching at the start of each season
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Leave plenty of clear space around the chair so a swing doesn't bring you into contact with walls, plants or furniture
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Keep children's use supervised, and never let anyone stand on a hammock seat
Combining Foot Rest Chairs and Hammock Seating in One Garden
The most inviting gardens rarely rely on a single type of seat. Instead, they offer a few distinct "moods" — somewhere to eat, somewhere to chat, somewhere to disappear. Here's how to map that out.
The Quiet Reading Corner
Choose one reclining chair with a foot rest or an egg chair, place it with its back to a fence or hedge for shelter, and add a small side table within reach. Position it where morning or late-afternoon light falls, rather than all-day glare. A garden umbrella adds adjustable shade when the sun moves.
The Social Zone
Keep the main seating — a dining table, a corner set or garden sofas — close together so conversation flows. Our patio furniture collection is a good place to start if you're furnishing a terrace from scratch, and rattan sets are especially popular because they combine easy care with a relaxed look.
Small Gardens and Balconies
You don't need a huge space. One compact foot rest chair, or a single hammock chair on a free-standing frame, can transform a balcony. Choose pieces that fold or that can be moved easily, and avoid blocking doorways or walkways.
Looking After Your Comfortable Seating Through the Seasons
Good seating is an investment, and a little routine care keeps it in shape for years.
Cleaning Frames and Fabrics
Wipe frames with warm water and mild soap, and rinse well. Remove dirt from mesh and fabric with a soft brush before it sets. Independent testers such as Which? regularly stress that cleaning products should be tested on a hidden patch first, which is sensible advice for coloured cushions and textiles.
Protecting Cushions and Hammock Fabric
Cushions last longest when they're stored dry. Take hammock chair cushions indoors when heavy rain is forecast, and use breathable covers rather than sealed plastic, which can trap condensation. If you garden regularly, the Royal Horticultural Society is a great place to find seasonal advice, and your seating will benefit from the same routine you give your plants: attention at the change of each season.
Preparing for Winter
Fold and store lightweight chairs, disconnect hammock chairs from beams or hooks, and cover anything that has to stay out. Tighten any loose screws before you put pieces away so they're ready for the first sunny weekend.
Don't Forget the Evening: Light and Warmth
A comfortable chair only earns its keep if you can still use it once the sun dips. Adding solar garden lights around your seating and paths means you can walk safely and keep relaxing as dusk arrives, and a set of outdoor heaters takes the edge off cooler evenings. Together they stretch your garden season by weeks. We cover both topics, from solar step lights to garden heating solutions, in our companion guide.
A Simple Evening Setup
Put a foot rest chair or hammock chair within reach of a heater, run a string of lights along the nearest fence, and keep a blanket nearby. That's often all it takes to turn an afternoon seat into an evening one.
Your Turn: Which Seat Is Calling Your Name?
Gardens are personal. Some people want to stretch out with their feet up and a book, and others want to sway gently under a tree with nothing to do. Most of us secretly want both. If you take away one idea from this guide, let it be this: build your garden around how you actually want to feel in it, not around how it looks in a photo.
So tell us — are you a foot-up-and-recline person, or a hammock-and-drift person? Share your favourite garden corner in the comments, and take a look at our Best Sellers and Sale & Top Deals pages when you're ready to find your perfect seat.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are the best garden chairs with foot rest for relaxing outdoors?
The best option depends on how you like to sit. Zero gravity loungers and reclining chairs with built-in leg rests suit people who want to lie back, while armchairs with a matching footstool work well for readers and conversation. Look for a strong frame, weather-resistant fabric and adjustable positions.
2. Are garden chairs with a foot rest good for people with back or joint discomfort?
Many people find that raising their legs and reclining slightly feels more comfortable during long periods of sitting. A foot rest is a comfort feature, not a medical treatment, so anyone with ongoing pain or circulation concerns should speak to a GP or pharmacist.
3. Where is the best place to put a hammock chair in the garden?
Choose a level, firm spot on a free-standing frame, or a strong beam or tree branch that is rated for the weight. A sheltered position, such as a covered porch or the side of a pergola, helps the fabric last longer and lets you use the chair in light rain.
4. How do I keep a hammock chair and its cushions in good condition?
Brush off dirt regularly, wipe fabric with mild soap and water, and bring cushions indoors when rain is expected. Check ropes, hooks and stitching at the start of each season, and store the chair in a dry place over winter.
5. Can I use garden chairs, lighting and heaters together for evening use?
Yes. Place solar lights along paths and around your seating, and position outdoor heaters according to the manufacturer's safety guidance so you can enjoy the garden after sunset. Always keep heaters clear of fabrics, hammock chairs and anything flammable.
