Striped Canvas Double Hammock

Two hundred and sixty centimetres long and a hundred and fifty wide, which is a genuine double rather than a single with optimistic marketing. Two people fit across it comfortably, or one person lies diagonally, which is the way a hammock is actually meant to be used and the reason a wide one is so much more comfortable than a narrow one. The canvas is high-density cotton, heavy and closely woven.

Cotton canvas behaves differently from the nylon parachute fabric most portable hammocks use. It breathes, so it does not get clammy on a warm afternoon, and it holds its shape rather than wrapping around you as you settle. The seams are double stitched and reinforced at the ends where all the load goes, and the rated capacity is two hundred kilograms, which gives sensible headroom over two adults.

It packs down small enough to carry, so it works slung between two trees on a camping trip as readily as on a frame in a garden. The anchor points are what matter: use rated hammock straps or hardware fixed into sound structure, hang it low so a fall is short, and check the fixings every time before getting in. Keep children supervised while it is in use, and store it dry to stop the cotton mildewing.

• High-density cotton canvas; 260 x 150cm double size
• Rated weight capacity 200kg; reinforced double-stitched seams
• Two striped colourways: blue or red
• Hang from rated hammock straps or hardware fixed into sound structure
• Hang low so any fall is short; check the fixings before every use
• Keep children supervised while the hammock is in use
• Store dry to prevent mildew; do not leave out in prolonged wet weather