Keeping a hammock set up outdoors can be a bit risky. In many places summer weather is extremely variable, with showers and thunderstorms popping up quickly, and your hammock is soaked before you know it. Even in more benign climates a hammock seems to act like a magnet to kids fresh out of the swimming pool. Fortunately, modern fabrics of breathable quick-drying mildew-resistant synthetics are giving a boost to the life of outdoor hammocks that can’t help but get wet.

            This quick-drying outdoor hammock, from the Twin Oaks Community in Virginia, is ideal for the poolside. Made of Sunbrella Texteline (vinyl-coated polyester) the fabric is completely waterproof, mildew resistant, and easy to clean with a little soap and water. The two-person bed, in a green and sand pattern of myrtle leaves, is seven feet long by 4.5 feet wide and will support up to 450 pounds. The matching Olefin ropes thread through oak spreader bars that have been hand-finished with natural oil.

            Just looking at this outdoor hammock’s green-and-white cabana stripes makes you feel cool and relaxed. Its quick-dry acrylic weave bed not only handles dampness, it’s really comfortable on the skin, so it’s a good choice for poolside. The bed measures 6.75 feet long by 4.75 feet wide with room for two and a maximum weight of 450 pounds. The hand-woven polyester ropes that attach to the polybar spreaders are a little longer in the center to create a pocket in the hammock bed that improves the overall stability.

            If you’d rather have a rope outdoor hammock, Island Bay’s Northshore Space-saver is a possible choice. Although it’s only six feet long, this one-person hammock offers the same comfort as a larger hammock but it fits in a smaller space. The 680 feet of soft-spun twisted rope comes in either cotton or polyester; both are comfortable but the polyester is more durable for long-term outdoor use. Even the oak spreader bars are finished with weather-resistant varnish to enhance their outdoor lifespan.