I Found a Budget-Friendly Version of This Expensive Canopy Chair I Love for Summer — It Has 2,600 5-Star Amazon Ratings

Written by

Nic Dobija-Nootens
Nic Dobija-Nootens
Nic helps you find household goods and kitchen tools that make your life at home more enjoyable. His writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The London Review of Books, Slate, and elsewhere. He lives in New York City with two geriatric cats (who still get the zoomies).
published May 8, 2023
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A few years ago, when I knew I would be spending more time working from home, I decided to take advantage of my then apartment building’s rooftop space and get a top-of-the-line folding chair so I could take it up there along with my laptop and a refreshing beverage. I knew I needed a chair that was lightweight, easy to fold up, and, most importantly, offered me sufficient shade. After some Googling, I discovered a company that only makes canopy chairs. I bought their best model, and I liked it so much that I soon bought another one for my wife.

Unlike regular folding chairs, canopy chairs have an extra attachment on the back that you can raise or lower over your head to create a personal shade patch that keeps you cool and protected from the sun. While I do love my canopy chairs, they are on the pricey side (currently $85), and I wish I had a more affordable option to share. Luckily, I found basically an identical model on Amazon for $54, and it has over 2,600 5-star ratings. So if you want to upgrade your outdoor seating, pick this one up while it’s still available.

This folding canopy chair gives you everything you need to enjoy sunny days: a comfortable seat, two spacious cup holders, and the right amount of shade to keep your entire body out of direct UV sunlight. The shade canopy snaps into place when you need it, and when you don’t you can simply tuck it neatly behind your chair. It also has a mesh pouch on the side of the seat that’s the perfect spot to hold your phone and sunglasses. When you’re ready to pack the chair up, it collapses and fits into an included bag that has a convenient strap to either carry by hand or sling over your shoulder.

Since my current apartment building doesn’t allow tenants on the roof, I now mostly use my chair on summer road trips and long weekend trips — and I highly recommend getting a canopy chair for these situations. They make time on the beach, in parks, and on patios so relaxing. And because you never have to think about sunburns or whether your clothes will get dirty from sitting on the ground, these chairs let you really live in the moment and take in everything the outdoors has to offer.

Credit: Amazon

Amazon shoppers praised this chair for being lightweight and super easy to fold up — “Can be done with one hand,” a reviewer wrote. “As a mom very important.” Other customers appreciated how well it holds up over time. “I’ve had this chair for about a year-and-a-half now, out on my patio in Florida. In the sun and the rain and the heat,” wrote one reviewer who uses it daily. “Even in the intense heat here it’s held up pretty well.” Another reviewer bought three of them after seeing other parents use them, and they’ve worked well. “They are super convenient since the chair has a built-in shade. It really helps for those all day soccer tournaments in the sun,” they wrote. “Overall, I would recommend this chair for its convenience and practicality.”

Whether you’re getting ready to spend time in your own outdoor space or looking forward to camping trips or beach days, this Amazon-favorite chair will make all your outdoor moments more comfortable. And you get the satisfaction of knowing you got basically the same amazing chair that I did for $30 less. Congrats!

Buy: Quik Shade MAX Shade Chair, $53.24