Meet Josh and his folding hammock stand

BUY: Hornsey Folding Hammock Stand

As Europe's biggest hammock retailer we get a lot of emails and calls from companies that would like us to sell their hammocks. More often than not we politely decline, as we try to focus on brands that meet our strict quality criteria. But, a few years ago one email stood out.

It was from Josh based in the UK, who had made his own folding wooden hammock stand, because nothing else was available on the market. Fast forward to 2021 and he now has a proven product that we think is amazing. 

His Hornsey Hammocks’ frame will support over 200kg and fold away to a third of its size. The frame comes with three holes for the locking pins on both sides, allowing for six different length configurations to fit a wide variety of hammocks Stowing holes for the locking pins help to hold all the sections in place when being moved and the frame comes with a strong and waterproof carry bag.
All this enhances the portability of the frame to a point of total freedom: store it in the shed over winter put it in the boot and take it to the beach! But this doesn’t mean you need to put it away every time you use it. His frames are made from FSC certified Baltic Birch and treated with marine grade yacht varnish to keep out the British weather.



We asked Josh about how he came up with the idea.

“The idea for the frame originally came from just trying to solve a problem in my own garden: I wanted a hammock, but didn’t have a pair of trees or strong fence to attach it to. I looked online at what was available, but saw that most frames were too big and heavy to have out in my small garden all year round. I started to mess around with a few designs for a cheap wooden braced design, and after a few attempts realised I could build it in such a way that it would fold away and therefore would be a lot easier to store. After a few goes I had something nice and strong that actually looked alright too! A few friends suggested that it might be something people might be interested in buying, so I stuck it on Etsy to judge for myself and it started selling straight away! By mid-summer I was almost selling more than I could make in my spare time, which was considerable due to the 2020 lockdown.

After a successful summer season last year I decided to jump with two feet into the project and develop a proper product that I could make more of and to a higher standard. The new model is made from Baltic Birch plywood which is extremely strong and hard wearing, meaning I could reduce the overall size and weight without compromising on quality. I also added an additional fold to the center of the base which reduced the folded size of the frame by half, so its loads more portable than before. I’ve collaborated with a few businesses to get the frame perfect and it’s great to still be working with all British suppliers and using ethically sourced materials, and still be able to produce a great product at an affordable price. Everything is still hand finished and assembled personally by me to ensure each frame is up to the standard I’d expect from my own.

I feel like there are loads of people out there who might find themselves faced with my initial problem which was the inspiration for the frame. Hammocks are such a great way to relax outdoors and I’m just trying to share it with the world!”