It’s Been Half a Decade Since Yeti Last Released a Product Like This

But calling it a “beach chair” might be selling it short.

Published May 8, 2025

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Let’s be clear: Yeti calls its latest offering a “beach chair.” But to say it only excels on sand might be selling it short.

“Yes, it is built for a pretty specific sort of pursuit and environment, but those same tenants and those same product features and considerations extend further,” says Chris Welch at Yeti.

Welch, who oversees outdoor gear for the brand, including coolers, also sees the low-profile Hondo Beach Chair becoming a hit at concerts and picnics — places where sitting closer to the ground would be acceptable, if not downright preferred.

“Music festivals is one where seating height is pretty important in terms of not sitting too high to block other people’s views and being able to sit low but also lounge or relax,” he adds.

Grab and go

The chair is the third such release from the brand but the first in five years. Yeti entered the seating market in 2018 with the Hondo Base Camp Chair before expanding its lineup in 2020 with the Trailhead Camp Chair.

Both prior releases are as heavy as they are comfortable, meaning they’re an absolute joy to sit in but somewhat arduous to carry.

The Trailhead, which can collapse into a tubular case, weighs over 13 pounds, whereas the Hondo Base Camp Chair clocks in 16.5 pounds.

The new beach chair, by contrast, is less than 12 pounds. Plus, it supports multiple carry positions.

It comes with a removable shoulder strap but can also be paired with standalone backstraps for beachgoers who need their joints to hulk other gear.

Easy does it

Where the Hondo Beach Chair really starts to separate itself is in both its ability to recline — and how.

“We really looked at the lounge experience and said, ‘How do we make this simple?'” Welch says. “We explored a bunch of different ways to make that happen and felt like we landed on one that was pretty intuitive.”

Welch and his team landed on a set of controls under the armrests, which lift and lock into grooves. There are four recline levels total, and users can switch in-between them with one swift motion.

“It’s kind of one of those ‘once you do it once, you get it’ things,” Welch says.

Built to last

That all said, the chair bears the Yeti name, which comes with certain expectations among its legion of fans, new and old.

And while it shares some of the same materials as the brand’s other chairs (including UV fabric and its EasyBreathe Mesh), and it can pair with existing dry bags, the true through line here is a premise driving every item that successfully makes out of R&D: durability made simple.

“Durability is kind of table stakes for us,” Welch says. “Our consumers expect our products to hold up through any sort of outdoor conditions over a longer lifespan than maybe what they’re accustomed to.”

So, ultimately, should you decide to bring the new chair to the beach, rest assured that Welch and his team considered everything—the salt, the water, the sand, and the sun.

In other words, all that’s left to do is to sit back and relax. The Hondo Beach Chair can handle it and more.

Pricing and availability

The Hondo Beach Chair will be available from Friday, May 9, for Yeti account holders (free to sign up). A wider release is scheduled for next week.

It costs $300 and comes in two colors — blue and turquoise. The backstraps, sold separately, cost an additional $30.

About the Author:

Jack Seemer is the executive editor at Gear Patrol, with over a decade of experience in product journalism. He currently reports on a wide range of topics, including footwear, watches, EDC, cookware and more.