The lounge chair fits neatly against the wall when it’s upright. Lower the back, pull the footrest forward, and suddenly the balcony door won’t open past halfway.

Balcony lounge furniture takes more room in use than in the catalog photo, often 10 to 20 inches more when reclined. You’ll be able to measure for how you actually sit, keep the door working while you’re settled in with a book, and choose between a chaise and a chair with ottoman.

Not every small balcony has room for a full chaise. That’s fine.

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13 balcony lounge layouts that leave room to move

Pick by how you like to sit and how big the balcony really is. Then measure.

1. A single chaise along the long edge

A chaise set parallel to the long wall gives full-length lounging and keeps the middle open. Most outdoor chaise lounge chairs run 75 to 82 inches long and 24 to 30 inches wide.

You need a balcony at least 7 feet long, with the door at one end or on the opposite wall. If the door opens into the chaise’s path, skip this one.

2. Two low chairs facing inward

Two compact lounge chairs angled toward each other make a conversation spot for two. With a small table between them, the group often fits in about 6 by 4 feet.

Low chairs, around 14 to 16 inches at the seat, feel relaxed but are harder to get out of. Sit in one before buying two.

3. A loveseat beyond the door swing

On a balcony with a hinged door, place a compact outdoor loveseat, often 45 to 55 inches wide, beyond the arc the door sweeps. A 30-inch door needs about 30 inches of clear floor in front of it to open fully.

Mark the door arc with tape. The loveseat and anyone’s feet stay outside it.

4. A corner seat with an open foot zone

Tuck a lounge chair into the far corner and keep a clear patch in front for stretching your legs. Corners feel sheltered, and the chair stays out of the main path.

Leave about 24 inches of open floor in front of the seat. Fill that spot with a plant and you will end up sitting with your knees bent.

5. An ottoman that tucks completely away

Some chair-and-ottoman sets are designed so the ottoman slides under the chair or between its legs when not in use. That leaves the floor clear between sessions.

Check the listing says it tucks, and measure the gap under your chair. A 16-inch ottoman will not slide under a chair with 12 inches of space beneath.

6. A daybed marked at full length

A daybed is the comfiest option here and also the biggest by a mile. Twin-size daybeds are around 40 by 78 inches, more than 20 square feet.

Tape the full shape before even browsing. On most balconies under 60 square feet, a daybed leaves little else.

7. A reading chair and slim drink table

One deep chair and a narrow C-shaped or round table about 12 to 16 inches across, set at your dominant hand. That’s it, and it’s the setup I’d pick for most small balconies.

A C-shaped table can slide its base under the chair seat, bringing the top over your lap. Check the chair’s base allows it.

8. A modular pair split for access

Two modular lounge sections can join into a small sofa or split with a gap between. Splitting them leaves a 24-inch walkway through the middle.

Modular sections are often sold one at a time, with cushions separate. Count every piece.

9. A low bench facing the view

A low bench with a back cushion against the wall, facing the view, suits a balcony 3 to 4 feet deep. A bench 18 to 20 inches deep leaves room for your legs in front.

Benches seat two upright but only one stretched out. Choose it if the view matters more than lying down.

10. A floor-cushion lounge for dry days

Large outdoor floor cushions, often 24 to 30 inches square, and an outdoor rug make a relaxed spot that disappears inside when you are done. They take no permanent space at all.

They suit people who sit on the floor easily, and they come in at the first sign of rain.

11. A recliner tested in every position

A reclining outdoor chair with several back positions lets you sit up for coffee and lean back for a nap. Reclining chairs often add 10 to 20 inches of length when fully back.

Some also need room behind the back to recline. Check the flattest position fits before anything else.

12. A pack-away guest seat

Keep one comfortable lounge chair out and a folding chair stored indoors or flat against a wall for visitors. A folding chair often stands just 3 to 5 inches deep when closed.

Your guest still needs room to sit and get past, so tape out their spot too.

13. The quiet one-seat retreat

Sometimes the best balcony furniture design is one great chair, one small table and one plant. Nothing to move, nothing to tidy.

On a balcony under 25 square feet, this often feels more generous than squeezing in two seats.

Which balcony lounge furniture suits the way you sit?

The right piece depends on how you sit. Upright conversation works with a seat around 16 to 18 inches high and a fairly upright back. A supported lean with feet up calls for a lower, deeper seat plus a footrest. Full stretching needs a chaise or daybed.

Think about everyone who will use it. A deep, low chair is lovely until someone with sore knees has to climb out of it. Planning around the real person, the idea behind a small backyard accessible layout, works just as well on a balcony. A narrow chair that makes you perch on the edge is not a lounge seat, however small it is.

Start with the furniture you already have

If you moved with a lounge chair you love, start with it. Sit in it on the balcony and see what space is left for a second person and a table.

A sofa that suited a bigger previous balcony may crowd this one. Try one seat first, and add a second only after living with the first for a few weeks. Don’t cut down or bolt together furniture to make it fit. Buy a piece made for the job.

How much space does a lounge chair need when reclined?

A reclined lounge chair needs its flattest length plus 18 to 24 inches for your feet, which is often 10 to 20 inches more than the upright size. Find the upright size, the fully reclined size and any space needed behind the back, then tape the largest on the floor with painter’s tape.

Add your body. Arms hang 3 to 6 inches past armless chairs, feet reach 18 to 24 inches past the seat, and standing up takes another few inches. If a listing doesn’t give the reclined length, ask the seller. A photo isn’t a scale drawing.

Keep the door route clear during use

Put a kitchen chair where the lounger will go, sit in it with your legs out, and have someone walk from the door to the far end. No one should have to step over your legs or wait for you to move.

Aim for at least 24 inches of clear path, and 30 to 36 inches if it is the only way to a second seat; the ADA’s guide to accessible routes uses 36 inches as its minimum width. Long, narrow backyard ideas rely on the same test, walking the length of the space with every seat taken.

Read a real chaise specification carefully

Here’s a real listing to practice on. IKEA’s SEGERÖN outdoor series chaise (article 205.107.98 on the US site) lists a length of 80 3/4 inches, a width of 28 3/8 inches and a height of 15 inches, with five back positions and wheels for moving it.

That is roughly 16 square feet before anyone lies on it, plus room to walk past and swing your legs off the side. The listing gives the outer size, not how much extra room each back position needs, so tape the full 81 inches and test it. Package dimensions on the same page are for delivery and say nothing about the folded or working size.

Is a chair and ottoman better than a chaise?

On a small balcony it often is, because you can push the ottoman aside and the chair becomes an ordinary seat. For comfort, most people like an ottoman close to the height of the chair seat, often 14 to 18 inches, and about 18 to 22 inches square.

Put together, though, chair plus ottoman can stretch 60 inches or more, close to a short chaise. The ottoman also needs a parking spot between uses. Unless the maker says it doubles as a seat or a table, don’t use it as either.

Where should the side table go?

Right where your relaxed hand lands, on the side away from the door. Sit in the chair and let your arm drop to find it. For many low lounge chairs, a table top roughly level with the armrest, often 16 to 22 inches high, is easy to reach.

Test reach both upright and reclined. A table you can reach sitting up may be a stretch once you lean back. Keep it clear of the backrest’s swing and pick one with a wide, stable base. Never balance drinks on a cushion or the ottoman.

Leave a useful place for the second person

If two people use the balcony, compare one lounge chair plus a compact second chair with a single long chaise. Two chairs facing each other often take less room than one chaise and give both people a real seat.

The second seat needs its own way in and its own table reach. An ottoman is not a second chair unless the maker rates it for sitting. If your balcony only fits one comfortable seat, that is a valid layout; bring out a folding chair when a friend visits.

Rehearse putting the setup away

Walk through the end of an evening. Where does the ottoman go? Does the folding chair go inside or lean on a wall? Do the cushions come in? Each answer needs a real spot.

A chair that folds doesn’t necessarily stack, and neither one means it has wheels. Check the folded size and how the locks work in the instructions. A folding sun lounger left leaning on the wall still takes 6 to 10 inches of depth, and it must not block the door or the drain. How long it can stay out depends on exposure; a spot under a solid roof, like a small covered patio, is much kinder to stored furniture than an open corner.

Give cushions a reachable dry destination

Check what the listing includes. On the SEGERÖN page, for example, the cushion cover is sold separately and a pad is linked as its own item, so the styled cushion is not part of the bare frame. Many lounge chairs work the same way.

A chaise pad can be 70 inches or more long, so make sure it has a spot indoors you can reach in a minute. Let damp cushions dry fully, often 24 hours or more, before sealing them in a bag or box, and wash covers as the maker directs; IKEA’s guide to washing patio cushions is a good general reference. Water-resistant covers slow rain down. They don’t make the foam waterproof.

Finish the lounging spot with a restrained setting

Once the seat, table and storage work, add very little. One potted plant beside the chair, such as a 14-inch pot of ornamental grass for sun or ferns for shade, and a cushion color that suits your balcony walls are enough for modern balcony seating.

Lamps and rugs can come later, if at all. Most of what makes a lounge spot feel good is the empty space around the chair.

Key takeaways

• Measure lounge chairs fully reclined; they often grow 10 to 20 inches past their upright length.
• Add 18 to 24 inches for your legs and keep a 24 inch path from the door.
• A chair and ottoman can stretch 60 inches or more, so the ottoman needs a parking spot.
• Set the side table where your hand lands, usually 16 to 22 inches high.
• Many chaises sell cushions separately; check the parts list before buying.

FAQ

How much space does a balcony lounge chair need when reclined?

Use the chair’s fully reclined length, then add 18 to 24 inches for legs and at least 24 inches of walkway beside it. A full-length chaise often needs about 7 by 4 1/2 feet in total. Check the exact model’s reclined measurement, since upright size tells you little.

Is a chair and ottoman more practical than a chaise on a small balcony?

Often, if the ottoman has a place to go between uses. In use, the pair can stretch 60 inches or more, nearly as long as a chaise. The win is flexibility: move the ottoman and the chair becomes a normal seat.

Where should I place a side table beside a lounge chair?

Put it where your hand naturally falls, on the side away from the door, with the top around 16 to 22 inches high. Test it sitting upright and reclined.

Can a folding lounger stay on the balcony when not in use?

Only if the maker says it can live outdoors and it does not block the door or drain. Folded, it still takes 6 to 10 inches of depth against the wall. Bring cushions in either way.

How can I keep room for a second person?

Choose a compact lounge chair rather than a chaise, and leave space for a second chair with its own path and table reach. A folding chair stored indoors is a simple backup. Do not count an ottoman as a seat unless the maker rates it for sitting.

Are cushions included with outdoor lounge furniture?

Sometimes, but many lounge chairs and chaises sell the frame and cushions separately. Read the included-parts list for your exact item. Then check the cushion fits the frame and has washable outdoor covers.

Final thoughts

Balcony lounge furniture only fits if you can settle in, reach your drink and get up again without a shuffle. One seat like that beats a set that crowds the door.

Before you order, tape the chair’s longest position on the balcony floor and decide where its cushions will live. If the answer is “nowhere yet,” these balcony storage ideas for what you keep outside solve that first.

Last update on 2026-10-01 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API