There's a particular kind of satisfaction in reading outside. The background noise of birds and leaves. The warmth of sun on your arms. The slight breeze turning pages for you (whether you wanted it to or not). It's a different experience from reading indoors, and once you've got a proper outdoor reading setup, you'll wonder why you didn't sort it out years ago.
But here's the thing: reading outdoors requires more thought than just dragging a kitchen chair onto the patio. Comfort, shelter, and privacy all need to work together. A good outdoor reading spot is one you actually use, not one that looks nice in theory but leaves you squinting, windswept, or uncomfortable within twenty minutes.
Here's how to create one that genuinely works.
What Makes a Good Outdoor Reading Spot
Before choosing furniture or position, think about what reading actually demands. It's more specific than just "sitting outside."
Shelter
You need overhead protection from direct sun. Reading in full sunshine is miserable. The glare off white pages is eye-straining, and screen glare on a Kindle or tablet makes the text almost invisible. Dappled shade is ideal. Full shade works too. Direct sun does not.
You also need some protection from rain, or at least the ability to grab your things and get inside quickly. British weather doesn't announce its intentions. A light shower can appear from nowhere, and a sodden paperback is a sad thing.
Comfort
Reading sessions tend to be long. Thirty minutes minimum, often an hour or more. Your seating needs to support that. A chair that's comfortable for ten minutes of conversation may not work for an hour of reading. You need back support, somewhere comfortable for your arms, and ideally the ability to shift position without getting up.
Privacy
Most readers want to feel slightly separated from the rest of the garden and the rest of the household. Not completely hidden, but not in the middle of the lawn either. A sense of enclosure helps you focus. It also signals to other people that you're doing something and would prefer not to be interrupted every five minutes.
Quiet
Position matters. Next to a busy road is hopeless. Near the children's play area is worse. The best reading spots in a garden tend to be at the far end, against a boundary wall or fence, or in a corner where ambient noise fades slightly.
The Best Furniture for Outdoor Reading
Not all garden furniture is equally suited to reading. Here's what works, in order of how well it suits the purpose.
Egg Chairs: The Ideal Reading Seat
Egg chairs are, genuinely, the best garden furniture for reading. This isn't a sales pitch dressed up as editorial advice. It's a practical assessment based on what makes reading comfortable outdoors.
The cocoon shape of an egg chair does several things at once:
- It blocks wind. The high back and curved sides create a sheltered pocket. Pages don't flap. You don't get that maddening thing where wind blows your hair across your face every thirty seconds.
- It creates enclosure. You're in your own space. Peripheral distractions are reduced. This helps concentration in a way that open-backed chairs simply can't match.
- It provides back and head support. The tall back means you can rest your head while reading, which reduces neck strain enormously during long sessions.
- The deep seat allows position changes. You can sit upright, recline slightly, curl your legs up, or stretch them out (especially with a footstool). In a standard garden chair, you're stuck in one position.
Now, within the egg chair family, there's an important distinction for readers.
Standing egg chairs are better for reading than hanging egg chairs. The stability of a standing egg chair means the seat doesn't move when you shift your weight, turn a page, or reach for your tea. A hanging egg chair's gentle swing is lovely for relaxation, but it can make reading slightly harder because the text is never quite still relative to your eyes.
The Cragside standing egg chair with footstool at £299.99 is probably the single best piece of garden furniture we sell for reading. The standing base gives you stability. The footstool lets you stretch your legs out properly. And the egg shape blocks wind and creates that sense of private enclosure. You can read for two or three hours in a Cragside without any discomfort.
If you prefer the look and feel of a hanging egg chair, that's fine too. The swing motion doesn't bother everyone. Some readers actually find it soothing. The Calke single egg chair at £319.99 has a particularly deep, comfortable basket that works well for extended sitting.
For couples who read together (and there are more of you than you might think), a double egg chair like the Knole gives you side-by-side reading with shared cushioning. It's a companionable way to spend an afternoon in the garden without needing to talk to each other.
Rocking Chairs: A Comfortable Alternative
If the egg chair shape doesn't appeal, our rocking chairs are the next best option for reading outdoors. The gentle rocking motion is rhythmic and predictable, unlike the more variable swing of a hanging egg chair, and most readers find it doesn't interfere with focus.
The Fountains rocking chair with stool at £169.99 is a good reading chair. The stool keeps your legs elevated, which reduces lower back fatigue during long sessions. And unlike egg chairs, rocking chairs are light enough to reposition easily. You can carry one to wherever the shade happens to be.
The Studley rocking chair at £99.99 is simpler but still comfortable for an hour or so of reading. At that price, it's an easy addition to the garden specifically as a reading chair without needing to justify a larger investment.
The downside of rocking chairs compared to egg chairs is the lack of enclosure. Your back is supported, but wind and visual distractions come from all sides. If your garden is sheltered and private, this won't matter. If you're overlooked or exposed, an egg chair provides better screening.
What Doesn't Work Well for Reading
Some popular garden furniture is poor for reading specifically:
- Sun loungers. Too reclined. Your arms tire holding a book above your face. Acceptable for magazines but impractical for anything sustained.
- Dining chairs. Too upright. No head support. Hard seats. Fine for eating, wrong for reading.
- Benches. No back support in most designs. Those that have backs tend to be too upright and too hard.
- Hammocks. Good in theory, terrible in practice for reading. Everything moves. Your hands are at wrong angles. Getting in and out is an event.
Positioning for Light and Shade
Where you put your reading chair matters as much as which chair you buy. Here are the key considerations:
Track Your Garden's Shade Through the Day
Before committing to a position, spend a weekend observing where shade falls at different times. The shade at 10am is not where it will be at 3pm. You want your reading spot to be in shade during the hours you're most likely to read. For most people, that's afternoon and early evening.
Natural Shade vs Created Shade
A mature tree is the ideal shade source for a reading spot. Dappled light through leaves is the most comfortable reading light there is: bright enough to see clearly, varied enough to avoid glare, and gentle on the eyes. If you have a large tree in your garden, put your reading chair under it. Problem solved.
If you don't have mature trees, you need to create shade. Options include:
- A parasol. Portable and adjustable, but needs a heavy base and can be unstable in wind. Not ideal for a permanent reading spot.
- A sail shade. Fixed overhead shade that covers a defined area. More reliable than a parasol and better-looking, but a permanent installation.
- A pergola. The best permanent solution. Provides a defined space that feels like an outdoor room. Add climbing plants and you get natural shade that improves each year.
- Against the house wall. The house itself casts shade, particularly on north and east-facing walls in the afternoon. A Tyntesfield standing egg chair positioned against a north-facing wall gets consistent shade from midday onwards.
Avoid Direct East or West Facing
Low sun is the worst for reading. It comes in at eye level and no amount of positioning within the chair helps. Morning sun (east) and evening sun (west) are particularly problematic. North-facing shade is most consistent. South-facing is fine if you have overhead cover to block the high midday sun.
Wind Protection Strategies
Wind is the single biggest obstacle to comfortable outdoor reading in the UK. Even on warm days, a persistent breeze makes reading frustrating. Pages blow. Papers scatter. Your eyes water. Here's how to deal with it.
Use Natural Windbreaks
Hedges, fences, and walls all reduce wind speed. Position your reading spot on the sheltered side of whatever boundary structure you have. A spot that faces away from the prevailing wind direction (which in most of the UK is south-westerly) will be noticeably calmer.
Use the Furniture Itself
This is where egg chairs earn their keep again. The curved, high-backed shape acts as a personal windbreak. Even in a moderately breezy garden, the air inside an egg chair basket is noticeably calmer than the air around it. If wind is a persistent problem in your garden, this alone might be reason enough to choose an egg chair over any other seating option.
The Waddesdon oval standing egg chair at £199.99 provides excellent wind protection for its price. The tall oval back shields you from behind, and the curved sides catch side breezes.
Create Sheltered Corners
The best reading spots are often in corners where two walls or fences meet. The two perpendicular surfaces block wind from multiple directions. If you have such a corner in your garden, it's worth claiming it for reading even if it's not the prettiest spot. Comfort beats aesthetics when you're three chapters deep.
Keeping Books and Devices Safe
Outdoor reading means exposing books and electronics to weather. Here's how to manage that practically.
Physical Books
- Keep a waterproof bag or pouch next to your reading chair. When you go inside, slip the book into it. Dew, unexpected rain, or sprinkler systems can damage a book left out overnight.
- Paperbacks survive outdoor reading better than hardbacks. They're lighter to hold, and if they do get slightly damp, they recover. A waterlogged hardback warps permanently.
- Don't leave books in direct sun. UV fades covers and yellows pages faster than you'd expect.
Kindles and Tablets
- E-readers are ideal for outdoor reading. No page-flipping in wind. Adjustable text size. Waterproof models (most current Kindles are) handle light rain.
- Screen glare remains an issue. E-ink screens (Kindle, Kobo) are far better outdoors than LCD/OLED tablets. An iPad in sunshine is nearly unreadable. A Kindle is fine.
- Heat is a concern. Don't leave any electronic device in direct sun for extended periods. Batteries degrade and screens can be damaged.
- A small side table next to your reading chair is invaluable. Somewhere to put your device, your drink, and your glasses when you look up. The Hidcote folding bistro set table works well as a reading companion piece if you don't want to buy a dedicated side table.
Cushions and Throws for Extended Comfort
The right soft furnishings transform an outdoor reading session from "quite nice" to "not moving for three hours."
Cushions
All our egg chairs come with cushions, but layering makes a difference. A small lumbar support cushion behind your lower back prevents the ache that develops after an hour of sitting. A head cushion (or just a folded towel) lets you rest your head back between chapters.
For reading specifically, firmer cushions are better than softer ones. Very soft, squishy cushions feel great for five minutes but leave you slumped and uncomfortable after thirty. You want support, not just padding.
Throws and Blankets
From March through May, and again from September onwards, you'll need a throw to read outdoors comfortably. UK evenings get cool quickly. A good outdoor throw means you can stay in your egg chair for another hour after the temperature drops, rather than retreating inside just when it's getting good.
Wool blankets work well outdoors. They're warm when damp (unlike cotton), they resist wind, and they drape nicely around you in an egg chair. Keep one in a waterproof basket next to your reading spot so it's always there when you need it.
Lighting for Evening Reading
Summer evenings are long enough to read outdoors until 9pm or later. But as the light fades, you need supplementary lighting that works for reading without ruining the garden atmosphere.
What Works
- Rechargeable LED reading lights. Clip-on book lights work outdoors just as well as indoors. Choose one with a warm white setting rather than cool blue, which attracts more insects.
- Solar-powered garden lanterns positioned near your reading spot. These provide ambient light that helps with reading without being too bright. Two or three lanterns within a metre of your chair usually provide enough light for comfortable reading.
- Festoon lights or string lights draped above your reading area. These create beautiful evening atmosphere and provide enough light to read by, particularly if positioned relatively close overhead rather than high up.
What Doesn't Work
- Candles. Romantic but impractical. They blow out. They flicker. They attract moths that then fly at your face while you're trying to concentrate. And they provide uneven light that strains your eyes.
- Security floodlights. Far too bright and harsh. They switch off on a timer just as you're reaching the good bit. Don't rely on them.
- Phone torch. Drains your battery, wrong colour temperature, uncomfortable to hold. A last resort.
Making It Work in a Small Garden
You don't need a large garden to create a reading spot. You need about two square metres of space, a chair, and a bit of thought.
Use Vertical Space
In a small garden, privacy and shelter often come from vertical elements rather than horizontal distance. A trellis with climbing plants, a tall container with bamboo, or a simple fabric screen can create a sense of enclosure without taking up floor space.
Choose Compact Furniture
A Waddesdon standing egg chair has a footprint of about 80cm. That's less than a square metre. Add a small side table and you have a complete reading nook in less space than a sun lounger requires. In a small courtyard garden, that compactness is everything.
The Studley rocking chair is even more compact and can be tucked against a wall when not in use. At £99.99, it's a low-commitment way to add a dedicated reading seat to a small garden.
Double-Purpose Your Reading Spot
In a small garden, your reading chair will probably also be your relaxation chair, your morning coffee chair, and your evening wine chair. That's fine. Choose something comfortable enough for all of these uses. An egg chair handles all of them well because the comfort factors that make it good for reading (support, shelter, enclosure) also make it good for everything else.
Corner Placement
Corners are your friend in a small garden. A chair placed in a corner is out of the main circulation path, feels private even without screening, and benefits from the wind protection of two boundary surfaces. If you have a corner that gets afternoon shade, claim it. That's your reading spot.
Putting It All Together
The perfect outdoor reading setup doesn't require a huge budget or a massive garden. Here's a practical combination that covers everything:
- Chair: A Cragside standing egg chair with footstool (£299.99) for stability, comfort, wind protection, and the ability to stretch out.
- Position: In a corner of the garden, against a fence or wall, in afternoon shade. Facing away from the prevailing south-westerly wind.
- Shade: Natural tree cover if available, or a sail shade above.
- Accessories: A small side table for drinks and devices. A waterproof pouch for books. A wool throw for cooler evenings. A clip-on LED reading light.
- Plants around it: Lavender (scent without high maintenance), grasses (movement and sound in the breeze), and a climber on the nearest fence or wall for added privacy.
Total cost including the chair: under £400. Total time to set up: an afternoon. Total hours of reading pleasure: as many as the British weather will allow.
Browse our standing egg chairs, single hanging egg chairs, and rocking chairs to find the right seat for your reading habit. The right chair makes the difference between a reading spot you intend to use and one you actually do.