The Acapulco chair hails from Mexico and dates back to the 1950s. This was an era when the famous Pacific coast resort was the place to be seen for Hollywood stars and artists alike and glamour and creativity abounded. Out of this era came the Acapulco chair, supposedly referencing the traditional Mayan hammock, created out of woven bark and plant fibre – although it isn’t known who exactly it was that created the original, now-iconic, chair design. The story goes, however, that the designer found the chairs available at the time too hot for the heat of Mexico and so used the woven style of the hammocks to allow for better air circulation around the body when seated.
The style is characterised by its oval, egg-shaped seat with a wide back for a relaxed, gently reclined seating position. Check the seat height of the chair you buy as the typical style is lower, more for lounging than dining.
Whatever the story behind the chair’s origin, its striking, minimalist design is now a firm favourite and one that can find a place in a contemporary or modernist-style garden, balcony or conservatory.
Here’s a selection that’s caught our eye.
The best Acapulco chairs for your garden
EVRE Goa Acapulco Styled Garden Furniture Set
Featuring two handwoven chairs and glass topped coffee table, this set is a compact choice for any outdoor space. The chairs are interlaced with premium quality PE rattan that contours to your body shape for optimal comfort. The frames are made of sturdy powdered steel with a PE rattan weave, that contours to your body shape for maximum comfort and is UV resistant and recyclable. The coffee table is topped with tempered safety glass, making it anti-glare and extra strong. The set arrives flat pack, and requires some assembly. Maximum weight allowance is up to 110kg per seat. Available in a range of colours including natural, teal, black, grey and bumblebee yellow (pictured).
VonHaus Rope Garden Sofa Set
Get the family or friends together with this woven lounge set for outdoor use comprising a compact two-seater sofa (113cm wide), two chairs and a glass-topped coffee table. It will fit happily on a smaller patio. Made from a hand-woven synthetic rattan-like wicker, this is easy to clean and withstands varied weather conditions well, although the recommendation is that you don’t leave out year-round. You’ll need to assemble the set yourself, but it’s easy to achieve and you could disassemble in winter for easier storage.
Find more outdoor sofas in our dedicated guide.
Silla Acapulco chairs
If you are looking for a classic Acapulco chair, look no further than Silla Acapulco. Their Acapulco chairs, handmade by artisans in Mexico, are larger than other chairs on the market and have a distinctive shape that supports the head. The flexible vinyl cords are soft and mould to the body but return immediately back to their original shape after use.
Silla Acapulco chairs come in an extensive range of colours (you can order a colour sample chart to help you choose) and include multi-coloured options, as well as hemp and a leather editions; you can even design your own.
Yuri Garden Lounge Chair
Part of a range, the Yuri garden dining chair from Made features the contrasting woven tones of green and pink (bench and table also available) that give this chair a sophisticated appeal. The slim, angled legs are steel and the woven seat is poly rattan.
Homebase Acapulco Garden Chair
Referencing the classic Acapulco style, the woven section of these chairs with gaps make stacking really easy for storage. Available in a choice of four candy colours, the frame is powder-coated steel to match the poly rattan rope work.
Copacabana round beach chair
A lovely sky-blue tone that just says ‘summer’. Named after another iconic beach resort, the Copacabana still has at its heart the classic Acapulco chair shape, with its familiar egg-shaped seat. Steel and poly-rattan. Requires assembly. Look out for a similarly styled coffee table or side table.
John Lewis Salsa Garden Chairs
Part of the affordable and attractive Salsa Garden range from John Lewis, these chairs come in a range of colours, including Jolly Green (pictured), Monochrome (black and white), Two-tone yellow and Rainbow. They're durable and weather-resistant, so you can leave them outside all year round. If you want to stash them away, however, they stack to save storage space.
The powder-coated steel legs and frame are sturdy and can withstand a weight of 160kg, exceeding the industry standard. The dense weave means they are comfortable, too. The chairs arrive fully assembled.
vidaXL Outdoor Acapulco Chair String Moon Chair
Another poly-rattan option in the familiar oval style, weather durable, easy to clean and available in this fresh green, cool grey, sleek black and a bright white. But here’s a twist; this option comes with rockers to allow you to gently rock as you relax on the patio, the repetition of swaying back and forth soothing and pacifying as you enjoy the fresh air. You will need to assemble this on delivery, but this does mean there is the option to take it apart for easier storage over winter – or bring it indoors for fire-side rocking in winter. Alternatively buy a cover to protect it.
For more stylish seating options, take a look at the best cocoon chairs.