Zero Gravity Chair vs. Outdoor Recliner: Which Is Better for All-Day Lounging?
Comparison guide · Published by Outdoor Nook, which makes and sells the recliners shown
Zero gravity chairs and outdoor recliners both promise a long, lazy afternoon with your feet up. They get there in very different ways, and they suit very different patios. Here is an honest side-by-side, including the places where a zero gravity chair is the better buy.
One thing first, because it gets muddled online: our recliners recline fully, but they are not zero gravity chairs. We will explain the difference.
1. What “zero gravity” actually means
The term traces back to NASA. Starting with Skylab, researchers studied the relaxed posture the body drifts into in weightlessness, which NASA calls the neutral body posture. Its own write-up stresses that this is a range of postures rather than a single fixed angle. Furniture makers borrowed the idea, and in the chair world “zero gravity” has come to mean a reclined position with the legs raised to around or above heart level.
The classic zero gravity chair is a folding lounge chair: a steel frame, a mesh or sling seat on bungee cords, and locking levers that hold the chair at whatever angle you stop. Padded versions exist, and so do powered indoor recliners and massage chairs sold with a zero gravity setting.
2. How an Outdoor Nook recliner is different
Our swivel glider recliners have a cushioned, high-back seat on a base that swivels 360 degrees and glides front to back. You lean back to recline and the footrest rises; push the footrest down to close. There is one position, fully reclined, rather than a range of stops.
In that full recline your legs are raised and supported, but the footrest stays lower than your head. The footrest pad sits 16.1 to 19.5 inches off the floor, depending on the model. That is a comfortable lounging position, and it is not the zero gravity posture. If raising your legs to heart level is the goal, a zero gravity chair does that and ours does not.
“I would have given it 5 out of 5, but the recliner only has one reclining position.”
3. Side by side
| Folding zero gravity chair | Outdoor Nook recliner | |
|---|---|---|
| Seat | Mesh or sling on bungees; some padded | High-resilience foam cushions in outdoor fabric |
| Recline | Locks at almost any angle | One full-recline position |
| Leg height | Legs around or above heart level | Legs raised, footrest below head height |
| Getting in and out | Low, tilting sling seat; you often tip it upright to stand | Seat 20.1 to 20.5 in off the floor; close the footrest and stand |
| Motion | Pivots back within its frame | 360° swivel plus glide |
| Weather | Fold it and store it | Stays out; built-in cover stores in a pouch on the back |
| Portability | Folds flat; one popular model weighs about 24 lb | Ships in a 90 to 100 lb box; stays put |
| Price | Often under $100 | From $864 |
| Capacity | Varies by model | 300 lb |
Zero gravity figures are typical of popular folding models and vary by maker; see sources below.
4. Comfort for hours: cushion vs. sling
A sling seat is cool, light and dries quickly. For an hour by the pool it is hard to beat. Over a whole afternoon, a thick cushion and a high back feel more like living room furniture, and that is what owners tell us. Comfort comes up in 51% of our 635 reviews.
“These are better than the Lazyboy chairs I have for the inside.”
5. Getting in and out
Zero gravity chairs sit low and tilt with you, so standing up often means tipping the chair upright first. Our recliners have a conventional chair height, 20.1 to 20.5 inches to the seat, with arms at about 25 inches on the models with published charts, so you sit down and stand up the way you would from a dining chair.
To be fair, closing the footrest takes a firm push, and some owners mention it:
“Getting out of the recline position is a bit hard -- you have to press down with your legs.”
6. Staying outside all season
Most folding zero gravity chairs are designed to be folded and put away, and their fabric and steel frames do best out of the weather. Our recliners are built to stay where they are: rust-resistant aluminum frames, a zinc-plated, e-coated steel mechanism and a built-in cover that pulls over the cushions in seconds. The built-in cover is praised in 109 of our reviews.
It is water-resistant, not fully waterproof, and in very strong wind it can blow off, though it stays attached to the chair. We still suggest bringing cushions in before severe weather and over winter.
“although the cover has blown off once, because it was attached we didn't lose it!!”
7. Where a zero gravity chair wins
- Portability. It folds flat, fits in a trunk and goes to the beach, the campsite or the lake. Ours is patio furniture, full stop.
- Price. You can buy several zero gravity chairs for the cost of one of our recliners.
- Leg elevation. If your goal is legs at or above heart level, that is what a zero gravity chair is designed for. Ours raises your legs, but not that high.
- Adjustable angle. It locks wherever you stop. Ours has one recline position.
The verdict: it depends where you lounge
Choose a zero gravity chair for a pool deck you clear at the end of the day, for camping and travel, for a renter's balcony, or if leg elevation is the point.
Choose an outdoor recliner for a porch, patio or lanai you live on every evening: a seat you can get out of easily, cushions you can nap on, a swivel to follow the conversation and a cover that stays with the chair.
“I spend hours every day rocking and reclining in them and have even had a few naps!”
Next, decide whether you want the swivel at all: Is a swivel rocker recliner worth it? If weather is your worry, read weatherproof outdoor recliners: what survives rain, pollen and wind. Not sure it will fit you? Try our fit guide for 5'2" to 6'4", or start from the Recline & Relax guide.
Good to know before you order
- Delivery is free. We ship by FedEx to the 48 contiguous states, typically within 7 to 10 days, to your door or curbside. Assembly is minimal and needs no tools.
- You get a 14-day return window. Return an undamaged item in its original condition within 14 days of delivery for a full refund, and we arrange the FedEx pickup free. After that, returns are accepted up to 90 days with a 20% restocking fee. See our returns policy.
- The frame carries a 5-year limited warranty and the cushions 2 years, against defects in materials and workmanship, for the original buyer. Read the full warranty.
Choose your recliner
Pick the size that fits your space, then the finish that fits your house.
Questions before you order? Call 1-800-296-0232 or email cs@outdoornook.com.
Quick answers
Is an Outdoor Nook recliner a zero gravity chair?
Can I leave a zero gravity chair outside?
Which is easier to get out of?
Which is better for napping outdoors?
Reviews: our own analysis of 635 Outdoor Nook product and company reviews on Reviews.io (90% five-star), October 2026, quoted as written; excerpts are marked. Zero gravity background: NASA Spinoff, “Zero-Gravity Body Posture Influences Acupressure Massage Chair”; definition of legs above heart level: Svago, “Zero Gravity Chairs vs Recliners”. Typical folding chair prices and features: Your Best Digs, best zero gravity chairs (top pick “around a hundred dollars”); weight and price of one popular model: Timber Ridge Zero Gravity Lounge ($90, about 24 lb). Retrieved October 2026. Our prices and specifications are from our product pages and size charts as of October 2026.
