Few sights of summer inspire as much joy as a child swinging for the sky in a neighborhood park.
But why should kids have all the fun? Grown-ups may call them hanging chairs instead of swings, but the idea's still basically the same -- and almost as fun, too. Just make sure that whatever you dangle them from, be it tree or ceiling, the weight is safely supported.
A neutral rattan design will blend into many different environments. Two's Company makes one that retails for about $370. Or for bohemian muchness, swing toward the egg-shaped Knotted Melati Hanging Chair at Anthropologie for $498, in neutral brown shades or brights. They're pictured side by side here.
IKEA's blue or white hanging seat is categorized as a children's product, but the maximum weight is 220 pounds, so have at it. The chair is $70, available only in stores -- and that's if you're lucky; IKEA frequently sells out of items, as any devotee knows.
The aerodynamic-looking Sky Chair shown at right has been around for decades, the brainchild of an 18-year-old who was working on a homework assignment. Its angles, like those of the IKEA chair, pleasingly echo the recent geometric trend; possibly the wooden dowels could be painted with stripes or contrasting colors for extra style? With the optional $20 footrest, it's $110, and it comes in a number of colors.
If you lack somewhere to hang a chair, no problem: Some swings come with their own frames to hang them from. Tonic Home's all-weather synthetic rattan set is suitable indoors or out; it's $1,159 and comes in white all-weather synthetic rattan with a zingy orange pillow or espresso with a white pillow.
Pier 1 carries a hippie-style Swingasan rattan chair in dark brown or in light tan on special for $250; if you're not afraid of color, check out the Daisy variation, which even has a matching side table. An optional swing stand is $150. None can be purchased online, but you can reserve one for pickup at the store's website.
And finally, if it's a sleek Austin Powers look that you're going for, then the iconic Eero Aarnio Bubble Chair is undoubtedly the way to go. The authentic version retails for $4,914 at Plushpod, above left, but you can find a "quality reproduction" for $639 at Overstock.com, above right.
Swing, baby!