The 10 Best Zero Gravity Chairs
Updated by · How we research
Ten folding zero gravity chairs compared by weight rating, seat width, mesh or padding, and lock. For most patios, we recommend the Amazon Basics Lounge Chair. When users buy our independently chosen editorial recommendations, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
The "zero gravity" name comes from NASA's measurements of the relaxed posture astronauts drift into in orbit: knees raised above the heart, hips opened to roughly 120 degrees. A folding lawn chair can copy that tilt for a few hours of rest, though it won't cure a bad back. These picks suit patios, pools, campsites and anyone who naps outside.
At a Glance
Editor's Notes
November 1, 2026, by Ezvid Wiki Editors:
The new top pick is also the plainest chair here: a mesh lounger with a pillow that three of the four buying guides we read rated best overall or best value, at a price most people can live with. Comfort seekers get the Timber Ridge Oversized and the Phi Villa ZGPV-30, both padded and wide.
This page now sticks to folding loungers for the patio, pool and campsite. The Human Touch PC-420 leather recliner and the Real Relax Shiatsu Electric massage chair belong to a different kind of furniture, and the Best Choice Products Double Lounger is a two-seater, so they're gone. The Belleze Recliner and the Caravan Canopy Sports Loveseat are no longer sold. If you came looking for the Belleze pair, the Sweetcrispy Set of Two is the closest match. The Portal Oversized stays, and the Timber Ridge, Phi Villa and Best Choice Products picks were updated to their current models.
Our evidence was the reports from Bob Vila and Your Best Digs, whose staff sat in these chairs for weeks, the guides at Popular Science and This Old House, makers' size drawings and capacity ratings, and a recall search that turned up finger-pinch recalls on other lounge chairs but none on these.
Earlier notes
July 16, 2021, by Christopher Thomas:
Generally speaking, there are two types of zero-gravity chairs. The most common is the relatively portable folding type, like the Belleze Recliner for one person or the Caravan Canopy Sports Loveseat for two. Then there are some ultra-premium options meant for indoor or stationary use. If you can afford it, the Human Touch PC-420 might be one of the most comfortable recliners on the planet, and the Real Relax Shiatsu Electric the most plush. The Real Relax Shiatsu is noteworthy also because of its electric massager. All of our selections are notable for the fact that they're still available, still awesome choices, and unchanged since our last round of updates.
July 31, 2020, by Brett Dvoretz:
In selecting our zero gravity chairs, we looked for durability, as well as features that enhance overall comfort and convenience when in a recliner, especially when relaxing outdoors, away from indoor luxuries.
We appreciate that the Caravan Canopy Sports Loveseat, in addition to offering plenty of space and a strong frame, has smartly-placed adjustment levers at the armrests. With that in mind, we decided the Le Papillon All Season was no longer worthy of inclusion as it proves difficult to adjust to the desired position. In its place came the Portal Oversized Recliner, which is easy to adjust from zero to 170 degrees.
Some models stood out because of their bonus features, like the AmazonBasics JC088, which includes a foldable tray table, and the Belleze Recliner, with its large accessories holder that has space for two drinks and a phone. We also like that the Best Choice Products SKY4506 has a canopy, so you can have shade, even when you aren't sitting directly under an umbrella.
As far as durability goes, we liked the sturdy steel frame and stain-resistant Oxford fabric of the Timber Ridge Camping Recliner. We also think users will appreciate the 500-pound weight capacity of the Caravan Canopy Sports Loveseat, and the stability of the Phi Villa XL Lounge.
Though many of these chairs are for outdoor use, we wanted to some plush and attractive indoor options. In this category we have the extremely stylish Human Touch PC-420, which boasts leather upholstery, a wood frame, and a modern design, as well as the Real Relax Shiatsu Electric, which is technically a massage chair but offers a zero-gravity position.
April 12, 2019:
Most shoppers interested in this product are already sold on the benefits of a zero gravity chair, so our aim was to include models that had features that went above and beyond just reducing pressure on one's body. We thought of several scenarios for which consumers might want such a piece of furniture, and found models for each one. Those who want a zero-gravity chair that is also a stylish statement piece for an entertainment room will love the elegant Human Touch Perfect Premium. The Real Relax Shiatsu Electric is also impressive enough in aesthetic to remain in a living room, and then it packs the amazing perks of shiatsu massage. Of course, it's still incredibly comfortable to sit in when the massaging elements are turned off. Having a comfortable chair for the great outdoors is also important, especially if you'll be camping, since sleeping on the ground isn't doing your skeleton any favors. The Best Choice Products Oversized is a nice outdoor option, since it has a sun canopy and side tray with enough slots for two drinks, a phone, and a magazine. The Belleze Lounger is another excellent outdoor pick, with its breathable mesh that's also UV-resistant and dries quickly. Love birds who hate to sit separately will enjoy the double-wide Best Choice Products SKY1879, which can accommodate two people. But for those pairs who simply want matching furniture, but their own individual seats, the Outsunny 01-99120 and Belleze Lounger two packs are a good choice.
What Zero Gravity Means, And What It Doesn't
A basic one costs about $50 to $70, good ones about $70 to $150, and powered indoor recliners run into the hundreds or thousands.
The name borrows from NASA. Measurements of astronauts at rest in orbit showed the body settles into a "neutral" posture: knees bent and raised, thighs opened from the torso, arms floating forward. A zero gravity chair copies that tilt with one long sling that runs from your head to your calves. When you lean back, the frame swings your feet up above the level of your heart. Your Best Digs explains the background and notes that NASA's later work moved away from one ideal posture.
The promised benefits are less pressure on the lower back and legs, a spine that stays in a natural curve, and legs that rest above the heart. Those are plausible and widely repeated, but the buying guides cite no clinical studies, and Popular Science calls the chairs comfortable rather than cure-alls. If you have a back or circulation problem, ask your doctor rather than counting on a lawn chair.
What these chairs can't do is lie flat. Most stop short of horizontal, so they suit reading, napping and stargazing, not sleeping on your side or stomach. A basic one costs about $50 to $70, good ones about $70 to $150, and powered indoor recliners run into the hundreds or thousands.
Mesh Or Padding, Steel Or Aluminum
The sling is the biggest choice. Textilene, a coated polyester mesh, is cheap, firm, breathable and dries fast after rain, which makes it the better fabric for a chair that lives outside. Padded polyester feels softer and costs more, but it holds heat and water. This Old House lays out that trade-off, and Bob Vila found padded seats got sweaty above about 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Wood-look armrests and padding also wear faster in sun and rain than bare mesh does.
Most frames are powder-coated steel. Steel is strong and cheap, but a chip in the coating can rust, so bring the chair in for winter. Aluminum frames don't rust and weigh a little less, though they can feel less steady. Either way, most of these chairs weigh 17 to 25 pounds, so they travel in a car trunk but aren't light enough for a long walk to the beach.
Size matters for comfort. Standard chairs have a seat roughly 17 to 25 inches wide; oversized models stretch to about 26 to 30 inches. If your shoulders touch both armrests in a kitchen chair, buy oversized.
Weight Ratings, Locks And Safe Folding
Read the weight rating, and treat it as a limit. Standard chairs are rated for about 250 to 300 pounds and oversized ones for 330 to 500. The parts that give out first are the elastic cords that hold the sling, the lock and the tubing at the hinges, so check the cords each spring and replace any that fray. No federal standard covers lawn chairs, so every capacity figure is the maker's own claim.
The lock is the part you'll judge the chair by. Most use a knob or lever under the armrest that clamps the frame by friction. Turn it firmly every time; a half-tight lock lets the back creep down. Lever locks are quicker to set, and knob locks hold well once tight.
Fingers are the real hazard. The frame pinches where it folds and where the recline adjusts. In 2026 the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a recall of Giantex lounge chairs after reports of finger amputations at the adjuster, and Frontgate chaise lounges were recalled in 2024 for finger crushing. Neither is a zero gravity chair on this list, and we found no recalls for any of these picks. Keep children's hands away from the hinges, lock the chair before you sit, and fold it with your hands on the outside of the frame.
How we researched this
We compared 19 zero gravity chairs and two-packs, read the makers' size drawings, capacity ratings and warranty terms for the 10 finalists, drew on the in-use reports from Bob Vila and Your Best Digs and the buying guides at Popular Science and This Old House, and checked every brand against the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's recall database. We found no lab test of these chairs from Consumer Reports or a similar tester.
Frequently asked questions
Is a zero gravity chair good for your back?
It can take pressure off the lower back by raising the legs and spreading your weight across the sling. Buying guides repeat that benefit, but none cites a clinical study, so treat it as comfort, not treatment.
Can you sleep in a zero gravity chair?
Napping is fine if the lock is fully tightened. Most chairs stop short of flat, so they don't suit side or stomach sleepers, and they aren't a substitute for a bed.
How much weight can a zero gravity chair hold?
Standard chairs are rated for about 250 to 300 pounds, oversized ones for 330 to 500. The ratings are the makers' own, so stay under them.
Is mesh or padded better?
Mesh is cooler, cheaper and dries fast, so it's better outdoors. Padded slings feel softer but hold heat and rain, so store them inside.
Can you use a zero gravity chair indoors?
Yes. Padded models look more at home in a living room, and a folding chair stores in a closet. Indoor leather recliners are a different, far pricier kind of chair.
Are Belleze zero gravity chairs still sold?
The Belleze two-chair set we used to list is discontinued. The Sweetcrispy Set of Two and the Amazon Basics JC085 Set are current pairs.
