Lawson Blue Ridge Camping Hammock Review

The Lawson Blue Ridge is spacious and keeps you well-protected from the elements with its spreader bars and tent poles to keep the netting well above your face but, as the most important feature of a hammock is comfort, our testers can't say they would recommend it to a friend. You may find it useful on a car camping trip for lounging during the day, but the price tag will likely steer you to another model.

Performance Comparison

Comfort

We were excited to try the Lawson Blue Ridge because of the high level of comfort offered by other camping hammocks with spreader bars but based on our testing, the overall comfort level was disappointing. The hammock is wide and spacious but the design limits your ability to lie down flat. The head and foot ends are not dropped and a diagonal lay is not possible in this design.

Weight

For those who plan to use their hammock car camping or in the backyard, the weight of the Blue Ridge may not be an issue but we do not recommend this model if you need to carry it anywhere. On our scales, as a full shelter, it weighs in at 93 ounces; that's 5.8 pounds, more than 2 pounds heavier than the next heaviest model in our review.

Durability and Protection

The durable materials and protection provided by this hammock are some of its best qualities. It uses thicker nylon than most camping hammocks which should stand up better to abrasion. The bug netting and integrated tarp will keep you well protected from bugs and rain. This tarp sits closer to the hammock body than many we tested which will provide added protection from blowing rain.

Ease of Set Up

The suspension straps are long and easy to adjust. We like the sliding buckles that allow fine-tuning in the tension of the hammock. The hammock then simply slips to the buckles to hang. Setting up the tarp is a little less self-explanatory as it's not immediately clear where all the clips and loops go. After reading the manufacturer's instructions you won't have any trouble but there are still a lot of pieces to individually attach. One nice feature is that the rain fly is self-contained with the hammock and you don't need to tie it separately to the trees or even stake it to the ground.

Versatility

Because of its weight and the non-removable bug net, the Lawson Blue Ridge loses several points in the versatility rankings. You won't be backpacking with this model or sharing with a friend due to the 275-pound weight rating. We do like that you can flip it upside down and sit on the opposite side without the bug net when lounging at camp. Lawson also provides instructions for setting the hammock up on the ground like a small tent or bivy when trees are not available.

Value

Based on our testing, the performance of the Blue Ridge in the comfort, weight, and versatility metrics do not justify its price. It ranks moderately in ease of set up and well in durability & protection but there are many options that will provide more comfort, less weight, more versatility that are just as easy to set up and that can offer plenty of durability and protection for less money. Read our other hammock reviews to find one that performs well in the metrics that are most important to you.

Conclusion

We had high hopes for this spreader bar hammock based on the performance of other similar models in our test but are unfortunately unable to recommend the Lawson Blue Ridge hammock. It lacks the dropped head and foot area that allows you to achieve a flat position in a spreader bar model. While it feels spacious on the inside, comfort is elusive. Other than the comfort, our testers found the weight and bulky limit its versatility. If you are shopping for a hammock to be your backpacking shelter and like the spreader bar style, there are other models that will give you more comfort that we highly recommend.