The plan is simple: somewhere to lie down outside on a Saturday afternoon, with a book you have no intention of finishing. The furniture is the hard part, because hammock vs daybed is really a choice between two different afternoons — one swaying gently above the lawn, the other stretched flat on a thick cushion that never moves.
This guide compares the two on cost, comfort, space and upkeep for Australian backyards, decks and courtyards. One contender hangs in our hanging egg and swing chairs collection; the other holds its ground among the daybeds and sun lounges.
Hammock vs daybed: the one-minute answer
Choose a hammock if the budget is small, the space is borrowed or rented, and the gentle sway is the whole appeal. It costs a fraction of a daybed, packs away in a minute and moves house with you.
Choose a daybed if you want a flat, stable surface that two people can share, and a piece of furniture that anchors the area even when nobody is lying on it. It costs serious money and claims real floor space, but it earns both. The rest of this guide is the detail behind that split.
The case for a hammock
Our cotton Hammock ($159) is the classic version: a woven sling strung between two trees or a pair of posts. Cotton breathes on a hot afternoon, and nothing else in the backyard rocks you while you read. When the forecast turns, it unhooks and stores in a cupboard.
It is also the renter's option. Nothing is drilled, nothing is fixed, and the whole thing moves to the next place in a shopping bag. Students, share houses and holiday homes have run on hammocks for decades for exactly this reason.
The trade-offs are real, though. A hammock is a one-person perch, climbing in and out takes a little practice, and it cannot simply be placed where you want it — it needs something sound to hang from. No sizes or weight limits are listed for our hammock, so check those details with us before matching it to a stand or a gap between trees.
The case for a daybed
A daybed is furniture, not equipment. The Surabaya Daybed ($2,065) is hand made from 100% FSC-certified plantation Indonesian teak, with a 13 cm thick base cushion and a bolster at each end to lean against. One person can lie flat, or two can sit facing each other with their feet up — an arrangement no hammock can offer.
It sits flat on any deck, lawn or paving, needs no anchor points and no approvals, and looks like part of the landscape even when it is empty. At 210 cm long and 75 cm deep, the Surabaya is the compact option in our sun lounges and bean bags range, sized for tighter courtyards.
If the space allows, the Ubud Daybed ($2,941) is the full-length version of the same idea: a 233 cm teak frame carrying a 210 cm cushion, made for a wall you never otherwise use.
Side by side: cost, space, comfort and upkeep
| Hammock | Daybed | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Under $200, before any stand | Four figures — proper furniture money |
| Space | Needs two anchor points or a stand, but packs away to nothing | Roughly the footprint of a two-seater sofa, permanently |
| Comfort | Cradled and gently moving; strictly one at a time | Flat, stable and shareable; the closest thing to a bed outdoors |
| Weather | Cotton comes down in rain and stores dry over winter | Teak stays out year-round; cushions come under cover in long wet spells |
| Renting or moving | Ideal — nothing is fixed and it fits in a car boot | A two-person lift and a trailer |
Notice the pattern: the hammock wins on money and flexibility, the daybed on comfort and permanence. Households that move every few years lean one way; owners furnishing a forever alfresco lean the other.
Sun, shade and the Australian backyard
Neither piece belongs in all-day sun. Australian UV through the middle of the day fades cotton and tires cushions, and a nap spot in full glare goes unused anyway. Plan both around afternoon shade — a tree canopy, a pergola or the shadow of the house.
Climate tilts the decision too. Teak is valued for its durability and water resistance, which is why a daybed can live outside from Cairns humidity to a Hobart winter, greying gracefully as it goes. A cotton hammock in coastal air needs to dry out properly between sessions, and should be stored through the wet months.
The hammock also carries a homework step the daybed skips entirely: something to hang it from. Before you commit, read our guide to hammock stands, tree spacing and anchor points — if your backyard has neither two sound trees nor room for a stand, the decision may make itself.
Can't choose? The hanging chair middle ground
If the sway is what sells the hammock but you want furniture that stays put, a hanging chair splits the difference. The Hanging Pod Chair ($749) comes with its own base and pole frame, holds up to 120 kg and occupies about the floor area of an armchair. Its steel frame is susceptible to rust, so it belongs under a patio roof, away from rain and salt air.
Hammocks and daybeds — frequently asked questions
Is a hammock or a daybed better for sleeping outside?
A daybed is better for a genuine sleep, because it gives you a flat, stable surface with a thick cushion underneath. A hammock suits lighter dozing — the curve and the movement relax you, but most people will not stay in one for two hours. If the nap is the main event, buy the daybed.
Can two people use an outdoor daybed?
Yes — on the Surabaya, one person can lie flat or two can sit at either end with a bolster each behind them. The longer Ubud gives two seated people more room again. A standard hammock, by contrast, is realistically one person at a time.
Can you leave a hammock outside all year?
Not a cotton one — cotton holds moisture, so take it down in wet weather and store it dry through winter. That is also the hammock's quiet advantage: it packs away in a minute. A teak daybed is built to stay out, with only the cushions coming under cover.
How much does an outdoor daybed cost compared to a hammock?
In our range, teak daybeds run from just over $2,000 to just under $3,000, while the cotton hammock is under $200. The gap narrows once you price a stand on the hammock side, but a daybed is always the bigger commitment — you are buying hand-made teak furniture, not woven fabric.
Shop the range
Hammocks and hanging chairs live in our hanging egg and swing chairs collection; the daybeds share a page with the sun lounges. We deliver Australia-wide, with free delivery on orders over $100. Measure the corner, check the shade at 3 pm, then pick the afternoon you want.
