Home Summer Decor Ideas The Best Adirondack Chairs By Southern Living Editors Updated on September 1, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more. Laurey W. Glenn The Adirondack chair was first designed in 1903 by Thomas Lee, a Harvard grad and law school dropout who found he preferred spending time in the mountains of upstate New York to studying law. After building several prototypes of a chair he could kick back in and asking his family to test out every iteration, he landed on the design we've come to know as the Adirondack chair: high back, an easy recline, and armrests with plenty of room. Eager to give his friend Harry Bunnell, a local carpenter, some off-season work, Lee showed him the chair and urged him to start crafting them himself. Bunnell began selling the chairs to locals, calling them "Westport chairs," and patented the design in 1905. While the Adirondack chair has New York roots, it feels right at home in the South. Here, we've found the best Adirondack chairs for summer, whether you're perching on the front porch with a glass of lemonade or sunning by the lake with a watermelon margarita. Our Top Picks L.L. Bean Adirondack Lounger at L.L.Bean Jump to Review Project 62 Moore POLYWOOD Adirondack Chair in Green at Target Jump to Review Polywood South Beach Casual Adirondack Chair in Lemon at Wayfair Jump to Review Pottery Barn Adirondack by Pollywood Bench in Vintage Coffee at Pottery Barn Jump to Review L.L.Bean All-Weather Waterfall Adirondack Chair in Classic Red at L.L.Bean Jump to Review Beachcrest Home Ravenna Adirondack Chair (Set of 2) at Wayfair Jump to Review Dovecove Melida Wood Adirondack Chair in Beach House Blue at Wayfair Jump to Review L.L. Bean Eucalyptus Adirondack Lounger L.L.Bean View On L.L.Bean Project 62 Moore POLYWOOD Adirondack Chair in Green Target View On Target Polywood South Beach Casual Adirondack Chair in Lemon Wayfair View On Wayfair Pottery Barn Adirondack by Pollywood Bench in Vintage Coffee Pottery Barn View On Pottery Barn L.L.Bean All-Weather Waterfall Adirondack Chair in Classic Red L.L.Bean View On L.L.Bean Beachcrest Home Ravenna Adirondack Chair (Set of 2) Wayfair View On Wayfair Dovecove Melida Wood Adirondack Chair in Beach House Blue Wayfair View On Wayfair Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit