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How to hang a spreader bar hammock

Updated: October 2026

The hammock is on the lawn, the bars are in the ends, and the first sit either dumps you sideways or leaves the cloth on the grass. That is usually the distance or the height, not a mystery fault in the fabric. How to hang a spreader bar hammock comes down to three adjustments: how far apart the anchors are, how high the middle sits once you are in it, and how you get on without rolling the bar. This page does not rank the nine amazon.co.uk listings. Those prices, captured on 19 October 2026, are on the [bar hammock comparison](/hub/sun-loungers/bar-hammock). Products Compared did not hang these as a lab test.

The hammock is on the lawn, the bars are in the ends, and the first sit either dumps you sideways or leaves the cloth on the grass. That is usually the distance or the height, not a mystery fault in the fabric.

Our top picks

Harbour Housewares Harbour Housewares cotton bar hammock

Best overall

Harbour Housewares Harbour Housewares cotton bar hammock
7.7/10about £17.99
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ANYOO ANYOO polycotton bar hammock

Rank 2

ANYOO ANYOO polycotton bar hammock
8.5/10about £27.99
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MOSFiATA MOSFiATA canvas bar hammock

Alternative

MOSFiATA MOSFiATA canvas bar hammock
7.0/10about £29.90
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Set the distance before the height
  2. 2.Chair height once you are in it
  3. 3.Straps, trees, and walls
  4. 4.Getting in and getting out

Set the distance before the height

Measure the hammock you actually have, end to end, including the ropes you will use. Simply Hammocks suggests hammock length plus 30–60 cm. Its Aruba row lists a recommended 290 cm against a 310 cm hammock, and another Simply article talks about trees 10–15 feet apart. Those pages do not match. Do not average them into one span. For the ANYOO hammock in this set, B097Y4CDZC, the listing wins. It says anchors at least 3 m apart. The total length is 270 cm. Harbour Housewares B07PRX1YDT prints a total length of 276 cm and does not print a span. A length-plus-30–60 cm reading would be about 3.1–3.4 m. If your two trees are 2 m apart, tightening will not make a 2.7 m hammock sit properly. You need different anchors or a stand. Floor space for that frame is on hammock with stand. A gap of 6 to 8 feet is too short for these beds. Hang the bar hammock tighter than a camping hammock and not drum-tight.

Chair height once you are in it

Height on these pages means two different things. Simply's how-to page wants the occupied centre at about chair height, 40–50 cm, once you are in the hammock. Its specification table's 150 cm is an attachment height for one model, not the cloth under your hips. If the cloth under you is about 40–50 cm off the ground, you are in the range Simply gives for a garden sit. If your hips are on the grass, raise the anchors, then sit again. Cotton gives once someone is in it. Set the first hang a little higher than the finished sit you want. Bed width is on the bar hammock buying guide.
Harbour Housewares Harbour Housewares cotton bar hammock

Testsieger

Harbour Housewares Harbour Housewares cotton bar hammock
7.7/10about £17.99
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Straps, trees, and walls

Wide tree straps spread the load and spare the bark. Most of the beds in this comparison do not include straps. ANYOO does: two straps and two steel carabiners. Harbour has hanging loops, and a UK review says the metal hooks are not in the box. MOSFiATA reviews say people bought carabiners. Simply allows a post only when it is concreted and does not move. A panel fence that wobbles is a no. A plasterboard wall is a no. Wall bolts belong in brick, concrete, or structural timber. If you cannot tell what is solid behind the plaster, stop. A snapped bar is not a sewing job. Simply notes that one missing bar roughly ruins the hang. Retire that hammock.

Getting in and getting out

A correct span can still tip you if you sit on the edge. Sit in the centre. Put both hands on the sides, then bring both legs up together. Do not lower one foot to the grass while your weight is on the near rail. That is the move that rolls a straight bar. Come out of the middle, not over one end. If the stand walks or the joints will not close, stop and use the stand page. A running jump is not.

Common questions

How far apart should the two anchors be?
Use the listing if it prints a distance. ANYOO says at least 3 m. If your hammock is silent, Simply Hammocks suggests length plus 30–60 cm, so a Harbour total of 276 cm points at about 3.1–3.4 m. The same retailer's model table sometimes recommends a shorter span. Do not average the two, and do not use a 6–8 foot gap for these beds.
How high should the hammock sit once you are in it?
Aim for about 40–50 cm at the centre while you are sitting in it. That is Simply Hammocks' chair-height guidance. A 1.2–1.5 m figure is an attachment or an empty-hammock height in other guides, not the cloth under your hips. Sit, look, and adjust. Cotton will stretch lower after the first real use.
How do you get in without tipping it?
Sit in the centre, both hands on the sides, both legs up together. Come out the same way. A straight bar tips if you load one edge, which is what a Harbour review describes. Do not step on with one foot while you hold the near rail. If the stand walks while you do this, the frame is the problem, not your balance alone.
Can you fix it to a fence or a plasterboard wall?
Not to plasterboard, and not to a fence that flexes. Simply allows a post only if it is concreted and does not move. Bolts belong in brick, concrete, or structural timber. If you cannot tell what the wall is made of, stop and get someone who can. A garden fence panel is not that structure.
When should you stop using it?
Stop if a bar, a stitch or a rope has failed, or if a stand joint will not stay shut. A snapped bar is not something you sew back. Reviews here include a bar that broke on first use and ropes that went within a season. Take cotton down in prolonged rain. A cover over a damp cloth can trap mildew rather than prevent it.

Related pages

Spreader bar hammock vs gathered end

Bar hammock

Best spreader bar hammock UK: frame, straps, stand

Hammock with spreader bar: width, load and the kit

Hammock with stand: size, capacity and the steel kit

Sources

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

  1. GOV.UK, General Product Safety Regulations 2005: Great Britain (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. The General Product Safety Regulations 2005, SI 2005/1803 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. BSI, BS EN 581-1:2017 outdoor furniture safety requirements (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. Simply Hammocks, how to hang a hammock (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. Simply Hammocks, can you leave hammocks outside (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. Hammock Shop UK, hammock care guide (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. SectionHiker, hammock styles and designs (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. Outabs, what is a spreader bar hammock (retrieved 19 October 2026)