Tommy Bahama Backpack Chair - Review 2023

Let’s get into to the details:

In summary, this is what we think: 4.75 / 5

• Comfort: 4.5/5
• Appearance: 5/5
• Features: 5/5
• Durability/Quality: 4.5/5

The legend behind Tommy Bahama lives on. The vibe of their products allows us to bask in the everyday-is-a-beach-day lifestyle. Living a day or two in luxurious leisure was the goal design behind the Tommy Bahama Beach Chair.

Rocking both the quality features and style, there is much to rave about. However, there are some drawbacks to take note of too.

We all love that beach customizable beach chair that adjusts to our body’s needs throughout our beach day. This chair offers 5 positions from sitting up straight to laying flat. You could call it unique and functional, as it has a built in towel bar on the back, along with an insulated cup holder, and an attached bottle opener.

Yes, you read that correctly… a built-in bottle opener. Tommy Bahama gets it.

As a backpack beach chair, it is easy to fold up, swing over your shoulders and find the beach.

The feature that really excites us-the built-in cooler on the back, making the trip down to the coastline even more stress free. Don’t worry, the cooler feature is just enough to keep the chair lightweight and easy to carry.

Tommy Bahama is an American manufacturer that was founded in 1993. Tony Margolis, Bob Emfield, and their wives dreamed up the idea of “Tommy Bahama,” a lifestyle of never leaving the beach.

Fun Fact: The company motto was simply, “Relax,” and it was an appealing mantra. The three men created a line of casual, fun-in-the-sun sportswear in 1992, naming it after an imaginary character, Tommy Bahama, who lives the perfect life of leisure.

Backpack

No hand cramps here!

The backpack feature will free up your hands on your trip down to the beach if you are looking to get a head start on those beach beverages. The adjusted, patented shoulder straps allow you to make the chair fit to your liking, so you can cruise in comfort. You can literally cruise to the beach with your Tommy Bahama Backpack Beach Chair comfortably saddled on your back.

Built-In Cooler

The cooler bag feature comes in clutch for your longer beach days especially. With just enough room to pack a couple drinks and snacks to last the entire day, you can stay put and focus on soaking up all the sun without worrying about hydrating or getting hangry.

5 Reclining Positions

The Tommy Bahama Backpack Beach Chair has five reclining positions customizable to suit what your body needs throughout your beach day.

The easy-to-adjust hinges are designed for safe, simple, and smooth transitions. However, if not taken care of and stored properly, these adjustment features can become more difficult to use over time due to corrosion. Be sure to rinse the chair and dry off after each beach adventure.

Polyester/Quick Dry Fabric-

With summer right around the corner, investing in a beach chair is serious business. We don’t want to purchase a chair, use a couple times, and then have to replace it. Fortunately, the polyester fabric used for the chair is designed to withstand frequent usage.

Be certain to keep any sharp objects or shells away from the fabric during use and storage, if it does rip, it can easily fall apart.

The strength and durability of the materials can support up to 250 lbs. This fabric is used in the production of many robust items, like heavy-duty, water-resistant duffel bags and the most high-quality collapsible and folding wagons.

Built-in towel bar

The built-in towel bar is designed for those who love to take frequent dips in the ocean, but don’t want to come back to a sandy, wet beach towel. Although it is very simple, this is a feature we don’t want to go without. The bar sits on the back of the chair and high enough to hang a folded towel after each use.

It’s a great place to hang hats and other articles of clothing, too!

Insulated Drink Pocket

A built-in cooler bag and an insulated drink pocket: a match made in heaven. Add in an attached bottle opener and we are thriving! The true life of beach leisure is made through these key features. The insulated beach pocket is the perfect place to store your beach beverages throughout the day without worrying about the change in temperature. Tommy Bahama makes staying hydrated at the beach a cornerstone of their “relax” philosophy.

The pocket sits on the right arm of the chair, though. Sorry left handers.

What we aren’t crazy about

The headrest is non-adjustable

In this specific model, the headrest is non-adjustable. The choices in designing the chair this way is very questionable. As different people, with different body shapes, there is no one size fits all for a headrest. This is one way to put a damper in someone’s day. Worst case scenario, if the headrest doesn’t sit where you like it, you can push it off to hang on the back of the chair and rely on the support of the fabric for your head and neck.

It’s not ideal, but considering all the other features, it is a way to make it work.

Beach chair maintenance is a real thing.

As with any outdoor equipment, the combination of beach and saltwater is bound to have an impact on every beach chair, no matter how durable and preventative the companies design it.

There is no doubt that the Tommy Bahama Beach Chair isn’t made with the most heavy-duty materials. Compromises were made for weight and ease of use.

Its solid wood is sealed with a marine-grade polyurethane making the part both scratch- and weather-resistant. Saltwater is the main element in causing corrosion and these features still need tender loving care consisting of a freshwater rinse, despite the existing preventatives.

Cleaning and maintaining the chair is simple and easy, just don’t forget to do it!

Another maintenance point: After several uses, the five-position adjustment system will wear and become more difficult to move with ease if the chair isn’t properly rinsed, dried, and stored. Rinsing with fresh water and drying thoroughly is going to be the best way to preserve the most optimal condition.

The Tommy Bahama Backpack Beach Chair. Staying true to the company motto, “Relax,” remains an appealing mantra with their beach chair designs. The imaginary character, Tommy Bahama, after which the company is named, lives the perfect life of leisure. Even just for the day, you too can experience that relaxing leisure in this beach chair.

It is a great chair with some minor flaws. We are crazy about the built in cooler paired with the insulated cup, and attached bottle opener. The non-adjustable headrest has us scratching our chins, but there are ways to make it work. Pay close attention to the seams if they begin to fray because the durability of the chair could go downhill quickly.

Overall, the chair is built to withstand frequent use and is crafted with prime materials to take on the elements. As with any outdoor gear-related investment, maintenance is always going to be a priority. Take care of your Tommy Bahama Backpack Beach Chair like it takes care of you on your best beach days and it will continue to provide you with the best beach lounging experience.