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How to hang a double hammock

Updated: October 2026

You have two trees, or you are about to find out that you do not. How to hang a double hammock comes down to the gap, wide straps, some sag, and a bed that finishes about chair height once you are in it. Pull it flat and you load the trees and your back. This page is the tree method only. Frames stay on the [2 person hammock with stand](/hub/sun-loungers/2-person-hammock/sub/2-person-hammock-with-stand) page. The listings are on the [2 person hammock comparison](/hub/sun-loungers/2-person-hammock). This is not a laboratory method. Listings and UK maker notes were read on 19 October 2026. A purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have two trees, or you are about to find out that you do not. How to hang a double hammock comes down to the gap, wide straps, some sag, and a bed that finishes about chair height once you are in it.

Our top picks

AnorTrek AnorTrek camping hammock ON-AT-0063

Best overall

AnorTrek AnorTrek camping hammock ON-AT-0063
9.4/10about £19.99
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Ovyuzhen Ovyuzhen camping hammock 300 x 200 cm

Best value

Ovyuzhen Ovyuzhen camping hammock 300 x 200 cm
9.2/10about £17.91
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GOCAN GOCAN Brazilian double hammock (Grey)

Alternative

GOCAN GOCAN Brazilian double hammock (Grey)
9.0/10about £28.89
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On this page
  1. 1.Pick the trees and the gap
  2. 2.Straps, sag and height
  3. 3.Getting in
  4. 4.When this method stops

Pick the trees and the gap

Use two living trees, each at least 15 cm across. That trunk size is what DD Hammocks gives for its own hammocks. Dead wood, a fence panel and a balcony rail are not stand-ins. DD puts a useful gap at about 3 to 5 metres. Decathlon’s two-person hammock, not one of our listings, asks the set to smile rather than run tight. One UK review of the Ovyuzhen used straps between trees about 3 metres apart. A 300 cm bed still needs slack. Measure before you buy. If you only have one suitable trunk, stop. In England and Wales you need the landowner’s agreement to camp. The Supreme Court judgment of 21 May 2025 covers overnight camping on the Dartmoor Commons only.

Straps, sag and height

Wide tree straps spread the load. Thin rope saws the bark. The grey GOCAN includes rope, and a UK review says the hooks are extra, so do not assume every cotton bed arrives ready to clip on. Attach the straps near head height, which is DD’s starting point, then leave sag. A flat hammock raises the force on the anchors. Outdoor teaching often quotes a strap angle of about 30 degrees. That figure is a rule of thumb, not a UK regulation. Once you are sitting, the lowest point wants to be about chair height. If your backside is on the grass, the hang is too low. If you have to climb in, it is too high. Gathered-end beds can sit a little looser. A barred bed is hung a little tighter.
AnorTrek AnorTrek camping hammock ON-AT-0063

Testsieger

AnorTrek AnorTrek camping hammock ON-AT-0063
9.4/10about £19.99
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Getting in

Sit in the centre, sit back, then lift your legs. UK reviews of the AnorTrek camping hammock say the first sit-down is awkward, and that it fades once you have done it. If a child is climbing in, stay with them. Lie on a diagonal if you want a flatter back. DD recommends that diagonal for a gathered-end hammock, because lying straight along the centre line bends you into the sag. Two adults who both try to lie straight in a 140 cm bed will argue with the cloth. That is a size problem, not a knot you can retie. If the bed is 260 x 140 cm, two adults may only be able to sit, which is what UK reviews say about the Tyouki. Shape, if that is what feels wrong, is on the nylon or cotton hammock page. Do not stand, jump, or hang the bed over water. RoSPA treats falls and water as ordinary garden risks, and a hammock adds a swinging edge above both.

When this method stops

Stop when you do not have two sound trees. One trunk, a fence or a balcony rail is the moment to change plan. A stand removes the trees and keeps a height problem of its own, which suits a patio and not a walk to a campsite. Call a professional when the fixing goes into masonry or a balcony, when the only trees are dead or thinner than about 15 cm for two adults, or when someone has already been hurt. A tree that moves at the roots when you sit down is also a stop. If the width and the gap are right, the rest is sag and practice.

Common questions

How far apart should the trees be?
About 3 to 5 metres is the DD Hammocks range. Simply Hammocks says about 3 to 4.5 metres, or the hammock length plus 30 to 60 cm. Decathlon allows up to 6 metres on its own 350 cm model, which is not one of these listings. A 300 cm bed still needs sag, so the longest gap is not automatically the best. Measure yours before you buy.
How high should the bed sit once you are in it?
About chair height. UK retailers put the lowest point around 40 to 50 cm once you are sitting. Decathlon’s two-person page says no more than 40 cm seated. DD talks about an empty bed near half a metre, which drops under your weight. If you are on the grass, raise the straps. If you have to jump in, lower them.
Why not pull the hammock tight?
A tight, flat hang increases the force on the trees and bends your back. DD Hammocks says to keep the sag. Decathlon’s word is that the hammock should smile. Outdoor teaching’s 30-degree strap angle is a rule of thumb, not a UK regulation. You should see a curve, not a washing line.
What counts as a strong enough tree?
A living trunk at least 15 cm across, in DD Hammocks’ setup note, with a second tree to match. Dead wood and a slender sapling are out. If the trunk shifts at the roots when you sit, take the hammock down. Two adults are a different load from one child, so last summer’s tree still needs another look.
Can you use thin rope on the bark?
Do not use thin rope around the bark. Wide straps spread the load. The grey GOCAN, in a UK review, arrives with rope and without hooks, so you still need webbing or a hook you supply. Carabiners on a camping hammock are for the strap loops, not a licence to lash cord around a trunk.

Related pages

2 person hammock buying guide

2 person hammock

Best double hammock UK: camping bed or patio stand

Nylon or cotton hammock: pack weight, rain and bars

2 person hammock with stand: height, footprint, tip

Sources

Public UK sources named below. amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts on these ten listings were read on 19 October 2026. Page updated 21 October 2026.

  1. General Product Safety Regulations 2005, regulation 5 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. GOV.UK: General Product Safety Regulations 2005, Great Britain (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. BSI: BS EN 581 series, outdoor furniture (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. RoSPA: garden safety (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. DD Hammocks: setting up your hammock (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. Decathlon UK: two-person hammock (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. UK Supreme Court press summary, UKSC 20 (21 May 2025) (retrieved 19 October 2026)