Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I love hammocks but we simply didn't have the necessary tree arrangement to have a traditional one. I started researching stand alone hammocks and was dismayed when I realized I was going to be spending easily $200-300 for just the stand! As beautiful as they were, I was looking to spend much less. I just wanted to be able to lay out in our backyard with a good book on a nice day. These portable folding hammocks were my next option, and this is by far the best one I've found for the price. Other similar products are more like camping cots. This one actually swings like a proper hammock. I ordered two of these directly from SportsmanGuide and had no problems. It was on backorder but came in much sooner than anticipated! Shipping was very reasonable considering the odd shape and weight. It was very easy to set up, and feels sturdy. It doesn't require any brute force, back breaking, or sweat to set up/take apart. Anyone (not just strong men!) can easily break it down and have it ready to carry off in less than one minute, and then have it set up and ready to rock again in another minute. It may not have the attractiveness of some of the stand alone hammocks, but the portability is great! We actually have one set up inside the house and everyone loves it! It's very comfortable, and the mesh keeps it cool in the summer. I can't imagine going on any future camping trips without it. (Note: There is a product video on the SportsmanGuide website. I'm mentioning it because it helped me in my purchasing decision.) Problems I've Come Across: The first time we set them up, we needed a bit of force, but after that it became ridiculously easy. One of the four holes where the locking pegs are inserted is slightly misaligned. I don't know if it's just ours, but both the units I ordered had this problem. It made the initial set up a little harder, but once we got the peg through once, we didn't have any trouble from it again. Also, if you happen to be very light like me (<100lbs), you might not "sink in" nearly as much so that the hammock lays flatter and doesn't curl around your body. This will require you to have a bit more finesse in order to stay balanced if you shift around. Also the zipper broke on one of the carry bags as we pulled it out of the packaging box. Admittedly we were a little too excited and probably didn't pull it out very gently, but be aware it's not the sturdiest zipper. :) Update: After a little over a year of loving abuse, one of our units is starting to come apart at one point on the seams (right about where everyone's butt lays). It's still very functional and holding together well, but we are now being more gentle with it as one good forceful pull will likely rip it apart. It's been about a month since I noticed it, and it doesn't appear to be getting any worse.