Hanging Hammocks

Picture this... It's a beautiful day, the sun is shining (can you hear the tune?) and you've managed to free some time in your hectic schedule. All you need to do now is hang your hammock. And then it hits you: no trees. No trees to hang your hammock from! That’s no reason to get upset. It isn't even going to ruin your day! Just get in your car and buy a hammock stand. Oh wait! Before you go, take 10 minutes to find out how to select the best hammock stand.

First things first. Lets find out what kind of hammock you have. A traditional hammock or does it have spreader bars at the ends? That's an important question to answer. A hammock stand designed for a traditional hammock can not be used for a hammock with spreader bars - and vice versa. Most stands sold are labeled for what kind of hammock they are designed for. If it isn't indicated, do yourself a favor and ask. You don't want to waist time by buying the wrong stand. The sun isn't going to shine forever...

Okay, you've done your homework. Now, get in the car and get ready to make a decision: wood or metal.

As always, they both have cons and pros. Let's start with the wood hammock stands. First of all, many people consider wood stands to be more organic - for obvious reasons. When it's just about looks, I guess we would all pick a Roman Arc from cypress wood over some industrial looking set of metal tubes. Especially when the stands are supposed to do their job in a pretty and well designed yard.

But... wood needs love and attention (read: time and work) while metal (especially when it's stainless steel) needs uh... well, nothing. Metal stands are light-weight (try to move a Roman Arc!) and easy to put together or pull apart.

If you decide to buy a metal hammock stand, you have two options: steel or stainless steel. If you want to take full advantage of every hammock minute you can find, go for stainless. A stainless steel hammock stand is obvious more expensive but it's as close to 'set and forget' as you will ever get. In plain everyday English: buying a set of stainless steel hammock stand will save you time. And the best news: the most expensive stainless steel set of hammock stands, still isn't as expensive as the Roman Arc from cypress wood.

Stability?
Probably the most stable hammock stands is indeed the Roman Arc, no matter what kind of wood it's made of (except of course for some solid trees). Not just because of it's design though. Weight is also an important factor - and weight obviously isn't metal stands strongest point. That doesn’t mean however, that there aren't any stable metal of stainless steel hamock stands available. It just means that stability is something to double check if you decide to buy metal hammock stands.

Okay, now you know all there is to know about buying hammock stands. Make up your mind, buy a set and relax.


Looking for a hammock online? We've done some homework and found Yardiac to be a reliable supplier. These guys offer a wide variety of cool, classic and modern hammocks, including