Like everything that involves design, outdoor furniture has been subject to extensive innovation. We’ve had clever (but arguably aesthetically questionable) “zero gravity” recliners and streamlined Scandi seating made from indestructible steel. But they’re a cumbersome problem come winter, when you’re trying to store them in your garage-turned-home office/gym/annexe.
Re-enter the humble deckchair. This bastion of the British seaside has style, slimline practicality and buckets of nostalgia. “It’s enduring because it’s held with affection in the hearts of British people,” Stephen Davies, director of Southsea Deckchairs, says. He founded the business in Portsmouth more than 30 years ago and estimates that he has supplied every coastal resort in the UK in that time, as well as the Royal Parks and events such as the Hay Festival and Henley Royal Regatta.
Folding wooden chairs first found popularity on ocean liners during the mid-19th century, hence the name. They have since fallen in and out of vogue: Blackpool sold its stock of 6,000 ten years ago, but reinstated its hire service in April. Meanwhile Davies’s designs deck out the seafronts of Brighton and Eastbourne.
A deckchair — particularly the classic stripy, wooden style — works anywhere. It lends a touch of jauntiness to a suburban patio; bygone glamour to a country garden. As Davies says: “It’s a product that has endured for 170 years — it’s a simple design, relatively easy to make and very comfortable.” Here are our picks of the best this summer.
For a softer alternative to stripes, the cotton canvas sling, above, has a beautiful chinoiserie motif created in collaboration with the V&A. V&A chinoiserie print deckchair, £150, rajtentclubshop.com
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Handcrafted in Italy, this contemporary take is made from sandblasted aluminium and comes with a side pocket to hold books, sunscreen and snacks. Its maker, Marricreo, claims that its products are tested in the most “absurd” situations to perfect its designs. A style to splurge on. Marricreo gray deckchair, £655, artemest.com
The red and white striped fringed canopy and leg rest will transport you back to the seafronts of more than 100 years ago. Southsea Deckchairs’s Davies recommends maintaining the frame with regular applications of teak oil. Edwardian deckchair, £330, deckchairs.co.uk
Gracefully ejecting oneself from a deckchair is a rare skill, but this soft grey style comes with the added boost — and comfort — of a neck cushion for optimum lounging. Ravenna deckchair, £150, coxandcox.co.uk
Crafted in Portugal from eucalyptus wood and cotton canvas, this timeless folding style comes in a choice of 11 colours. Armless deckchair, £120, dykeanddean.com
You can’t go wrong with this minimalist design, solidly made from pale beech wood and with a seat of ivory canvas. Wimborne deckchair, £110, willowandstone.co.uk
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Bedecked with parma violet gingham, here is a purse-friendly take that’s more retro than kiss-me-quick. Bonus: the fabric is machine-washable. Veldi acacia and gingham canvas deckchair, reduced to £45.50, laredoute.co.uk
If you’d prefer to swerve wooden frames, this modern interpretation is made from steel tubes with a UV-resistant, breathable and removable canvas sling. Maxi deckchair rose, £69, grahamandgreen.co.uk
This no-frills style in cream and white reclines to three positions and has a handle to make it easy to transport. It’s a brilliantly affordable option if you are hoping to buy several. Folding wooden garden deckchair, £29, habitat.co.uk
