The Shocking Relaxing Power of a Hammock + The Best Ones On The Internet

Hammocks feel like a tropical vacation in your backyard, full stop. Feeling suspended in mid-air, while being gently and slowly swayed back and forth is highly underrated. Anyone who has ever been born (yes, you) has an innate need and love for this gentle movement and if you are like me, you still “rock” back and forth with or without a baby in your arms. While we put off doing real work to this backyard, we put up a couple of hammocks and sometimes (read: often) I think between those and the fake stream that came with the house is all we need to feel like it’s “summer” up here. Don’t think you need a fancy hammock to reap the benefits. They can be humble, inexpensive and with a stand, so you tree-less folks can hang a hammock on a patio or even inside. Can you tell I’m pro hammock? So if you are in the market for this “summer vacation in a bag” we’ve rounded up a ton of our favorite hammocks, swings, and swinging porch benches from around the web. Complicated times call for some areas of our lives to be simplified. No summer vacation this year? Snag yourself a hammock (and please tell me in the comments that you want me to do some water feature content because I LOVE A WATER FEATURE). Take it away, Mal.

Thanks for the intro, Em! Hey guys, Mallory here. I’m pretty much in agreeance with everything Em stated about hammocks in the above paragraph because I, too, am extremely passionate about gentle movements and being suspended in mid-air. I actually own a portable hammock that I keep in the back of my car so I can be prepared to seize any hammocking opportunity that might come my way (haha funny joke Mal….no but guys I’m not kidding). It’s the best investment I’ve ever made and it makes for A REALLY AWESOME DATE NIGHT (especially right now!!) Oh and really quick, if you’re interested in going the portable hammock route like I did, you need these straps (DO NOT GET NYLON STRAPS. I REPEAT. DO NOT GET NYLON STRAPS. They will stretch out and you will be on the ground). Go for ENO’s straps that are either made from polyester or polyfilament webbing. Either way it’s gotta be stronger than nylon. I learned the hard way.

Now, I found a bunch of goodies on the interwebs for you today, but before we get into that I’d like to briefly chat about the hammock and acknowledge the origins of these babies. Now I’m no history teacher, but I did do a bit of research on the topic and here’s what I found. Hammocks were originally designed and created in Central America nearly 1,000 years ago by the Taíno, Maya, and other indigenous peoples as a way to protect themselves from anything that might be crawling around on the ground while they were sleeping. The word originates from a Taíno Arawakan word, “hamaka” which means “fish net,” because these hammocks were usually netted as a method of ventilation in these warmer climates.

So now that I just taught a history lesson without my teaching credential, let’s chat about one more quick thing and then I PROMISE we’ll get to the hammocks. Now you may or may not have heard, but here at EHD, we’ve taken the 15% pledge, which means at least 15% of our links will be from Black-owned businesses. I’m gonna be completely transparent here, upon SO MUCH internet research for this post, I found very few Black-owned hammock companies or home furnishing companies that sell them. However, I did find A TON of amazing South and Central American hammock makers and artisans from Guatemala, Nicaragua, Brazil, and more. When you think back to that last paragraph about the origin and history of the hammock, it makes sense why there’s an abundance of these artisans (and I’m VERY excited to share them with you), but if you know of any Black businesses that sell hammocks or patio swings please mention them in the comments!

Okay now as promised, ON WITH THE HAMMOCKS.

HAMMOCKS

1. Colonial Macrame Stripe Hammock | 2. Indigo and Vanilla Striped Cotton Hammock | 3. Lowes Fabric Hammock | 4. Hand Loomed Orange Stripe Hammock | 5. Sucure Hammock in Grey and White | 6. Handwoven Single Striped Guatemalan Hammock | 7. Linen Striped Flatweave Hammock | 8. Handwoven Maize Yellow Cotton Hammock | 9. Pillowtop Hammock

If you guys want to click around to find more hammocks from AMAZING artisans, check out Novica, which is the source for most of the artisan hammocks I found. They’re an awesome company that I recently found and am excited to shop from more since they help to empower artisans and makers all over the world!

Hanging Chairs

1. Handmade Cotton Weave Hammock Chair | 2. Black Nylon Hammock Swing Chair | 3. Denim Hammock Chair| 4. Collectible Cotton Solid Hammock Swing | 5. Britanna Patio Hanging Egg Chair | 6. Skelmersdale Swing Chair | 7. Esquivel Solid Outdoor Swing Chair | 8. Striped Cotton Padded Hammock Chair Swing | 9. Large Hammock Chair With Crochet Edge

Ah an ol’ classic. We actually used #5 in our latest shoot with Target (and we were all very obsessed with it). Click here to see a cute dog that also approves of the chair. Also, I’m pretty sure that #1 and #3 look like the decor version of a cozy hug.

Patio Swings

1. Swanley Porch Swing with Chain | 2. San Blas Hanging Bench | 3. 2 Person Outdoor Porch Swing Bench | 4. Rosean Porch Swing | 5. Kimbro Lutyens Outdoor Porch Swing with Cushion | 6. All American Bed Swing | 7. The “Charlotte” Swing Bed | 8. 2-person Black Wood Outdoor Swing | 9. Indian Handmade Carved Swing

Now patio swings are not something we have used a lot of but in the right area, they are perfect for year-round enjoyment (ok unless you get snow where you live). A little less loungy than a hammock but still gives you that same healing rocking motion when you just need to take a breather. Plus if you are someone that would have a hard time getting in or out of a hammock or swing chair then this is a great alternative.

That’s all for this post guys. Thanks for reading, happy swinging, and see you tomorrow!! xx