We’ve discussed in-pool furniture before. Often overlooked in the process of furnishing your outdoor space, furniture for inside the pool can be as useful as a great outdoor dining set. If your pool has a baja shelf, adding furniture helps you get the most use out of your investment.
But when it comes time to shop for this furniture, you’ll notice options are limited. And what is available is, well, pricey. Ledge Lounger is the industry’s leading in-pool furniture company. But their products don’t come cheap. So, is Ledge Lounger worth the price? And are there Ledge Lounger alternatives on the market that are worth your time? Let’s dive in.
What is Ledge Lounger?
Let’s start off this deep dive with a little bit of background information about the company in question. Information about the origins of this company takes some digging. Further investigation reveals they were started in 2011 by Christopher Anderson. Ledge Lounger is based in Houston, Texas, an area of the country with plenty of swimming pools to go around.
At their core, Ledge Lounger is a company committed solely to providing water proof, wear-resistant, all-weather furniture. They make products that can be set up and left in your pool all year long. Ledge Loungers first made a splash in the marketplace with their signature lounge chair. The piece is designed to fit on a tanning shelf, also called a baja shelf. As years went on, tanning shelves grew in popularity in both residential and commercial spaces. In response, Anderson expanded the product range to fit expanding demand.
Now, Ledge Lounger offers more than 40 different models of furniture. From tables to chairs, to in-pool sectionals, you can recreate anything from a living room environment to a dining area where kids can have lunch. Sounds great, right? And it is, mostly. But there is one major catch that will have a lot of consumers taking a pause before purchase. That is, the cost.
Why are Ledge Loungers so expensive?
Ledge Lounger furniture is notoriously expensive. How expensive? Well, currently a single Ledge Lounger signature chaise will run you $695.00.
Want a side table to go with it? Purchase a place to put your pina colada for a neat $269.00. But let’s be honest, not many people are looking to buy a single chair and table set. Say you want a fleet of three chaise lounges and side tables, so that you and your friends might enjoy soaking up the sun on a July afternoon. Prepare to spend nearly 3k making that ledge loungers dream a reality.
If you’re like most people, you might be thinking, “why is this sh*t so expensive?!”. Sure, a nice indoor couch will commonly run for thousands of dollars. And most of us accept the cost of investing in home furniture without question. But the outdoor, plastic chaise lounge that most of us grew up on rarely had us shucking out more than $100 bucks. So what gives?
Well, the answer is a little more complicated than you might think. Part of the equation is definitely quality. More than you think goes into the process of creating furniture that is not only aesthetically appealing, but maintains functionality with constant submersion in standing water. Still, we suspect the biggest reason for ledge loungers sky-high pricing boils down to the age old question of supply and demand.
Cost and Quality
Ledge Lounger isn’t charging you hundreds for a piece of in-pool furniture that is doomed to fall apart immediately. Based on hundreds of reviews, ledge loungers are pricey, but they deliver in regards to quality.
It isn't referred to as a sun shelf for no reason. Your pool's tanning ledge is designed to catch major rays. Ledge Lounger furniture is resistant to beating sun and harsh chlorine. Products are constructed from high density polyethylene and are reportedly made individually.
Materials used for hard component construction and soft component construction such as sectional covers and float pillows are graded with UV16 resistance, meaning they can withstand 16,000 hours in direct sunlight without fading.
All this said, paying nearly $700 for any plastic pool furniture is still notable. So why are people so readily willing to do so? Well, there simply aren’t that many alternatives.
Supply and Demand
One of the first things you learn when becoming a consumer is the rule of supply and demand. If you need a refresher, the basis for the theory goes as follows. The larger the demand for a service or product, and the fewer people who provide this service or product, the higher the cost of the service or item will be. Think about when gas prices sky rocket. Every time a supply chain becomes bottle necked or stressed, consumers will feel that impact in their wallets.
Call them a tanning ledge, sun shelves, or baja shelves- whatever the name, they have become increasingly popular in the last decade. As landscape designers expand what is possible for residential pool design, more and more families are demanding amplified functionality from their backyard pool. So while a new tanning ledge is great, you probably don't want to sit on the gritty unite floor, or perch on cold pool tile. (Vinyl liner pools may have a tougher time.)
In-Pool Furniture Emerges
Enter an immediate need for aqua chairs, or lounge chairs that go beyond what the plastic chairs from your last backyard BBQ are capable of. It just so happens that Ledge Lounger was able to identify this demand for a better aqua chair early, and work quickly to meet that need.
Since 2011, their product range has grown along with the increasing prevalence of baja shelves. They have been able to remain the go-to source for attractive, functional, in-pool pieces. And unlike most other markets, few competitors have risen to challenge their monopoly. Without competition, Ledge Lounger has been able to charge hundreds for their specifically designed, signature pieces without much resistance.
At the end of the day, if you are the only person selling something that a large amount of people want, those people will pay top dollar to have it in their home! Even if that price tag means you are shelling out over $9,000 to create an in-pool paradise.
Ledge Lounger Alternatives
So, now that you know just how much a premium Ledge Lounger piece will cost you and why, you’re probably wondering if there are any workarounds. You wouldn’t be the first to ask this question.
There are a handful of well trafficked forums online from consumers hunting for similar pieces at lower prices. Everyone is asking the same question: is there a cheaper option? Well, yes. But are these options comparable in quality or style? The consensus seems to be a resounding “not really”.
If you are simply looking to create a temporary, water resistant seating solution for your pool, there are more affordable ways to do it. Simply purchasing a cheaper, plastic lounge chair or chaise should give you a lot of the flexibility you need. A few hours in standing water and direct sunlight here or there is unlikely to do much damage.
Still, most of these pieces are not designed to withstand long term submersion in water or endure long hours of beating sun. Furthermore, standard plastic outdoor furniture is not weighted. This means that as soon as you stand up, your chair is likely to float away.
So, is there anyone else on the market offering a similar product and experience for a smaller price tag? There aren’t many, but some digging revealed a few viable options.
SwimWays Terra Sol Sonoma Lounge
After much digging, this is one of the only comparable outdoor furniture products on the market that offers both flexibility of design, functionality, and a marginally lower price tag than Ledge Lounger. This model can be found in multiple places across the internet, going for as much as $300, and as little as $180 on Amazon at the time of writing.
This model mirrors the Ledge Lounger signature chaise shape, but is meant to be used both in an out of the pool. You can set it up on your pool deck, let it sit on your tanning shelf, or use it as a float on a hot day. This alternative is available in three colors. The selection makes it’s design capabilities limited when compared to the Ledge Lounger color range, but if neutrals suit your purpose, the white or brown color way should work for your space.
Overall, this is the closest product available that offers consumers similar functionality at a lower cost. But if you’re willing to spend the money, and are simply looking to explore your options, there may be at least one competitor making some headway in the in-pool furniture world.
Compamia
Another outdoor furniture company, Compamia doesn’t specialize in in-pool furniture the way that Ledge Lounger has done. But they do sell their own answer to the popularity of the Ledge Lounger signature chaise. The Compamia Slim Pool Chaise Sun Lounger offers the style and functionality homeowners are looking for. What it doesn’t offer? Any reduction in price.
While the product pricing is not directly available on the Compamia website, listings on Houzz reveal that a single lounge chair will run you nearly $700 dollars. Unfortunately, reviews for the company on Houzz are few and far between. And what is available is not exactly glowing. Still, if you’re simply looking to try something different, it may be worth a second look.
Available in three fun colors, Tropitone's curves chaise lounge chairs are ready to add functionality to the shallow area of any pool. Simply submerge, and enjoy your pool water and your new pool furniture at the same time. While the price isn't directly listed on the Tropitone website, we have doubts that this brand will see you saving any money over your Ledge Lounger Alternative.
Another option to explore is a company making outdoor furniture that stays true to its namesake. The Aqua Chair, by aqua outdoors, is a line of lounge chairs that are very similar to the style of a classic Ledge Lounger chaise.
Slightly less expensive than Ledge Lounger, a chair here will run you between $550-$600. Their lounge chairs may be less expensive, but they are also a little clunkier than the classic Ledge Lounger design. Nonetheless, they are equally resistant against pool water and pool chemicals.
If you're looking for a chaise lounge for your pool that is designed specifically for pool use, the Aqua Chair offers similar to the same quality and will do the job well on tanning ledges across the country.
Is a Ledge Lounger worth the price tag?
At the end of the day, there simply isn’t a lot on the market that is currently challenging the Ledge Lounger monopoly on in-pool furniture. We are hopeful that as the demand in the market continues to grow, others will take notice. This is likely to be one of the only ways these speciality products see a significant reduction in cost. But is it worth spending your own money?
That depends. If you spend hours every day in your pool, then it makes sense to make your pool as functional as possible. After spending thousands on a custom pool with a sun shelf, you want to be able to enjoy it. And in the broad scheme of things, after what could have been a $150,000 pool install, what is a couple thousand bucks for a premium product?
On the other hand, you may firmly believe it’s ridiculous to spend that much money for what is, essentially, plastic furniture. This is fine, too. You may not get the same experience, but you can get similar functionality for limited periods of time by simply dragging your plastic outdoor furniture into the water with you.
At the end of the day, you know what makes sense for your budget, lifestyle, and space. Whether you’re making it work with temporary furniture pieces, or committing to the full Ledge Lounger experience, having a pool that fits your needs takes precedence, always.