Best Zero Gravity Chair for Sleeping

One tester has some mild chronic back pain. He experimented with using some of these chairs in a home office: if you can support your laptop or monitor in a good position, it works. It’s more awkward than sitting on a balance ball at a desk, since the chair takes up so much space, but it’s a surprisingly comfortable setup so long as you’re not craning your neck to see a screen.

Build quality

With a piece of furniture that costs less than a C-note, expectations are low. That said, we did dock points for any problems with materials or quality control.

The biggest complaints are for models that cut corners: Belleze seems to have used inferior elastic and skimped on quality control. The Caravan Sports chair has joints that wiggle and fasteners that stick out. It’s not easy to see the problems when you’re just looking at the chairs, but after sitting on them all we started to notice the losers.

Recline performance

Reclining these chairs is basically the central purpose of their design. All the chairs require you to push out with your feet on the bar at the end of the footrest if you want to easily recline them; it’s not quite as easy as the lever on your grandpa’s recliner. On the better chairs, we found they offered a consistent and reliable way to ease the back of the chair down smoothly.

The Timber Ridge is the only chair that really tries to get your knees elevated. Strictly speaking, the angle of recline isn’t a factor in the NASA neutral-body-position spec (since it’s built around floating astronauts rather than people sitting in a gravity-laden environment), but elevating the legs is one commonly cited benefit among those who really like these chairs.

Locking mechanism

Each chair has a locking mechanism that should prevent it from reclining or shifting back up unexpectedly. Of the chairs we tested, our three 17-inch-wide chairs use a simple friction lock to stop a tube from sliding, while the wider chairs (like our top pick) use a rack of teeth to allow a more secure grip.

The friction locks worked better or worse depending on how tight we could get them. Amazon’s chair and the Belleze use a knob that can be tightened more than the two-position lever on the Best Choice model, though if you want the chair to stay reclined half-way down you’ll have to make them pretty tight.

NASA tried to answer that question when measuring body positions of crew members aboard the Skylab space station and early shuttle missions in the ’70s and ’80s. The man-system integration standards were intended to help solve problems for crew members in space, but they’ve since been applied to designs on the ground, like ergonomic car seats and these “zero gravity” chairs.

Designing around the “average” turns out to be a bad fit for some people, and NASA’s follow-up studies aboard shuttle missions have pretty thoroughly debunked the idea that you could find one posture that would be perfect for everyone. That said, lying back with your hips bent and knees elevated has proven more comfortable than the slab-like position many recliners and lounge chairs offer.

The “Perfect Chair” from Human Touch is one of the early examples of a furniture company applying the NASA standards to a chair design that promises relief for back pain and pressure points. It’s a pretty pricey chair, though.

Some brilliant and unknown engineer somewhere figured out how to make neutral-posture reclining work on a mass-production scale with bent steel tubing and plastic joints, and thanks to that clever manufacturing you can have a part of NASA’s legacy on your patio or in your living room for less than $50.

This combo pack comes with two zero-gravity chairs and a simple side table to provide comfortable and easy-to-move outdoor seating. The Amazon Basics Zero-Gravity Chairs only require occasional spot cleaning with a damp cloth, making them easy to care for.

< id="0bclAl">Key Features

• Two chairs and a side table
• Steel frame
• Mesh seat
• Built-in table

< id="lUx9EP">What Customers Are Saying

These Amazon Basics zero-gravity chairs have an overall rating of 4.7 stars from over 3,800 reviewers. Ninety-four percent of reviewers gave them a 4- or 5-star review, while 2% gave them 2 stars or less.

Many positive reviews noted that these chairs were an excellent value for the money, especially considering their comfort and their included side table. Negative reviews said that these chairs didn’t lock in place well and that they weren’t durable.

< id="VOI5IP">What Customers Are Saying

The Sunjoy Zero-Gravity Chair has an average of 4.5 stars out of 5 stars from over 5,000 Amazon reviewers. Eighty-six percent of these reviewers gave it 4 or 5 stars. Comparatively, 7% of customers gave it 2 stars or less.

Satisfied customers praised the Sunjoy Zero-Gravity Chair for being easy to fold, sturdy, and comfortable. Other happy reviews noted that this chair was a great value and stayed locked. Unsatisfied customers said that the chair was unsteady and rusted quickly.

Before buying a zero-gravity chair, it’s important to understand how its design impacts its user experience and comfort. Consider the following factors as you comb through your options.l

Zero-gravity chairs are typically constructed using textilene mesh or polyester fabric. Textilene mesh chairs are more affordable than their polyester counterparts. While textilene is breathable and weather-resistant, its lack of padding makes it less comfortable than polyester.

Polyester fabric is usually cushioned to provide additional comfort. However, it’s more expensive and less weather-resistant than textilene mesh.

Padding can be found throughout a zero-gravity chair. For example, the Sunjoy Zero-Gravity Chair has a removable pillow to support your head. Other models, including the PHI VILLA Oversized Zero-Gravity Lounge Chair, feature seat and back padding for whole-body comfort.

Most zero-gravity chairs come with trays or side tables that hold your drinks or other personal items. For example, the Best Choice Products Adjustable Zero-Gravity Lounge Chairs come with a detachable tray that has two cup holders, a phone holder, and a tablet slot.

< id="3ALBFB">Is it safe to sleep in my zero-gravity chair?

Yes. Sleeping in a zero-gravity chair is safe. It can also help relieve back pain by alleviating the pressure placed on your spine.

< id="reNysS">What is the purpose of a zero-gravity chair?

A zero-gravity chair is designed to make you feel weightless by reducing pressure throughout your body.

< id="K0LRv2">Do zero-gravity chairs recline?

Yes. Most zero-gravity chairs have a lockable system that lets you recline in a variety of positions.

Why Trust The This Old House Reviews Team

This Old House has empowered homeowners for more than four decades with top-notch home improvement content in the form of television programs, print media, and digital content on its website and social media platforms. The This Old House Reviews Team focuses on creating in-depth product and service review content to help inform your purchasing decision for just about any item or resource that you might need for your home. The This Old House Reviews Team has written over 1,000 reviews on products in the home space, from cordless drills to kitchen trash cans, lawn mowers, and dining room decorations.

We recommend products in each review using an intensive research process, spending hours combing through the best available models on Amazon. For a product to make our list of top picks, it must hold a solid sales record on Amazon, have consistently positive customer reviews, and offer unique features, among other factors. After narrowing down our list of recommendations, we conduct additional research and sometimes in-person testing to ensure that the products meet our standards. Once we conclude the research phase, we craft a well-rounded, user-friendly article that includes our recommended products and additional information to help homeowners like you make the right purchase.

These days, the best all-in-one printers no longer rely on costly traditional ink cartridges. So, if you’re shopping for an inkjet printer in 2022, seek out one that uses ink tanks (as opposed to ink cartridges). Each tank can typically hold the same amount of ink as between 20 and 30 individual ink cartridges. This will not only save you a fortune over time, but it’ll also eliminate the frustration of constantly having to swap out cartridges to replace ink.

In addition, the latest printers all offer wireless connectivity. This makes printing content directly from your smartphone, tablet or a computer a breeze. That said, AIO printers come in a vast range of sizes. What these devices can do, the print quality and print speed each offers, and how much they cost to buy and maintain vary greatly.

Hanging out poolside enjoying some sun is so much more relaxing in a zero-gravity chair. These models make sitting easier on the back and hips, whether it’s on the deck or in the lounge in front of the TV. Zero-gravity chairs are popular throughout America, Europe, and Asia.

In this section, we’ll look at everything you need to know before buying your zero-gravity chair.

Why Do They Call it a Zero Gravity Chair?

If you’ve never experienced sitting on a zero-gravity chair, then you might get the wrong impression from the title. A zero-gravity chair won’t let you start floating around the room. However, it does offer you a sitting experience where you feel like you’re weightless.

You can maneuver the chair from a seated to lying position by pushing back with your upper back and lifting your legs. The chair will move with your body’s request, spreading out into a flat position. This movement is an effortless motion, and you won’t have to do anything to old the chair. Some models come with locking pins to allow you to fix the chair in that specific position.

The idea is that a zero-gravity chair makes it easy to transition from one position to another, reducing pressure on the hip joints and your back. When we sit, our lower back and hips start to experience constriction of ligaments and muscles. Over time, these muscle imbalances can lead to the development of back and hip pain.

It’s common for people to develop issues in the lower thoracic spine, the lumbar spine, and the hips. To resolve these issues, the affected individual will need hours of intensive physiotherapy to rectify their posture.

A zero-gravity chair helps you to find the most comfortable seating position, avoiding pressure points in these vital areas. When purchasing your zero-gravity chair, it’s critical that you select a model that suits your body, your application, and your budget.

There are all types of gravity chairs on the market, from cheap ones that you can take to the beach, to premium models that you use in your living room. It’s challenging to determine which are the best models if you don’t know what you’re looking for in a chair. In our review, we went through hundreds of models to bring you our top choices.

How Do Zero-Gravity Chairs Work?

You might find yourself how it is that zero-gravity chairs go their name, and how they work. Do you know what astronaut chairs look like in the space shuttle?

They position themselves to pivot on an axis. This strategy allows the chair to move to accommodate different positions, and that’s useful for the astronauts. They can change the chair’s setup during takeoff when the craft is vertical and horizontal when the aircraft breaks into orbit.

The chair allows the astronauts to move freely, giving a feeling of weightlessness and relaxation. Zero-gravity chairs have this concept included in its design. The chair pivots on a central point just below your hips, and allow you to sit down in a neutral position, and then adjust your seating to a more comfortable spot. All you have to do to move the chair is gently lean back and lift your legs. You’ll feel that the chair moves with your body and offers little resistance to where you want to go.

At the same time, you’ll notice that there’s next to no pressure on your hips, lower, and upper back. As a result, you get a more comfortable seating position that’s supportive of your natural posture.

What to Look for In a Zero Gravity Chair?

So, what do you have to look out for when buying a zero-gravity chair? What are the top functionalities and characteristics of a zero-gravity chair that matters? In this section, we’ll go through the details of the best zero gravity chair.

Service Life and Durability

Your Zero-gravity chair will get plenty of use around the pool in the summer. Therefore, you need to make sure you buy a model from a reputable brand. All the models in this review are from top brands with solid reputations for producing some of the best outdoor and indoor zero-gravity chairs.

Your zero-gravity chair should feature designs and construction with premium-quality components. Check that your chair comes with aluminum or steel frames from strength, breathable materials, and useful accessories.

If you live near the coastline, then the humidity and salt in the air can rust outdoor furniture quickly. Therefore, you need a chair that offers you good corrosion resistance. Powder-coated frames are a good choice for use in these kinds of climate conditions.

The powder-coating prevents the steel or aluminum from deteriorating, ensuring you get a long service life. As a tip, make sure you wipe down the frames and pack your chairs away after exposing them to salt air on the beach.

We recommend that you avoid black powder-coated frames. This color absorbs the heat from the sun. The structure might get so hot during the peak sun hours of the day, that you burn your hands or arms when accidentally touching the frame.

Using a zero-gravity chair is all about comfort and effortless freedom of movement. Taking the pressure off your hips and back and feeling like you’re suspending yourself in the air is relaxing. However, sometimes, you might find yourself in such a comfortable position that you want to hold the chair there and take a nap.

If that’s the case, then you need a model with a locking pin. The locking pin holds the chair in place, and you don’t have to worry about keeping it in place. The locking pin is usually to the side of the chair, and it’s easy to put in place by pulling a locking bar.

You need to ensure that you get a quality locking pin with your chair. If you buy a chair with a defective or low-quality locking pin, you end up have the mechanism break down early. However, most of the time, it breaks right after the warranty period expires, leaving you with limited functionality on your busted zero-gravity chair.

Zero gravity chairs come with either single or double locking systems. Single systems only lock one side of the chair. While they do work, they don’t provide a stable lock, and you might be able to shift them loose or experience play in the lock if you try to get out of the chair when it’s locked.

We suggest that you always go with a double lock on your zero-gravity chair. It’s a stable system that ensures you don’t break this function.

If you want more convenience in your life, choose a model that comes with built-in accessory side tables and cup holders for your drinks. With a built-in side table, you can enjoy a cocktail poolside while you bathe in the sun’s afternoon rays.

A sunshade is vital if you don’t like having the sun in your face. Unless you want lines and wrinkles 10-years early, it’s best to keep your sun and neck out of harm’s way when tanning.

A sunshade keeps the powerful UV rays off your face, allowing you to enjoy the sun without the aging effect.

The fabric quality of your chair is another critical consideration. Choose a fabric that matches your activity. Do you want a plush seat to watch TV or a waterproof version for sitting poolside or the beach? Choose a material that matches your lifestyle needs, and the color to match your décor.

Most good models of zero-gravity chairs feature built-in pillows. A pillow takes the strain out of your neck when moving the chair into the lying position.

Ergonomic armrests contour to the shape of your arm and forearm, giving you greater levels of comfort. Take the pressure off your elbow joints, and your wrists with an ergonomic armrest designed to relieve any tension.

If you’re over 6-foot tall or weigh more than 200-lbs, then it’s advisable to go for an oversized gravity chair. Oversized chairs have wide frames and more secure stitching on the fabrics. These chairs can carry heavier loads, and they’re better for larger people that need more support.

When sitting on your new zero-gravity chair, it should always feel stable and secure. If you sit on the chair and the joints start moving in strange ways, then it might be an accident waiting to happen.

Look for models that have thicker frames with lightweight materials and decent materials for the seat. If your chair feels like it’s going to topple over all the time, you’ll feel anxious and end up falling over and hurting yourself.

Choose a chair that’s user-friendly and easy to use. If you need to complete a balancing act to get in or out of the chair, then it’s probably a good idea to look for another model. Your zero-gravity chair should offer you a good balance of comfort and user-friendly operation.