The Problem With Beach Loungers With Built-In Shades
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The Built-In Shade Dilemma.
We love shade.
We love sunscreen.
We love hats.
And on particularly hot days, we love a good beach umbrella.
So let’s get one thing out of the way:
This isn’t an argument against sun protection.
It’s an argument against turning every product into a solution for a problem that has already been solved.
Take the beach lounger with the built-in shade.
At first glance, it looks clever.
A lounger.
A headrest.
A shade.
Everything in one.
But the more we look at it, the more questions we have.
The first one is obvious.
The sun moves throughout the day, and in California, it often sits over the ocean in the afternoon. That means a built-in shade would only work if you turned your back to the view. Who wants to do that?
The second is less obvious.
The beach is not always a solo activity.
Most of us go with a partner, friends, family, or children.
So while one person enjoys their tiny private patch of shade, everyone else is still looking for theirs.
Then comes the practical question.
You’re already carrying a bag.
A towel.
A cooler.
Maybe a book.
Maybe snacks.
Those shade built-in loungers aren't small.
Did we really need to turn shade into another object attached to another object?
Because hats already exist.
Umbrellas already exist.
And both happen to be remarkably good at their job.
Which brings us to a broader question.
Why are we so obsessed with adding features?
A shade to a lounger.
A pocket to a chair.
An attachment to an attachment.
At what point do we stop and ask whether the experience is actually improving?
At Chez Dédé, we believe not every product category needs another feature.
Sometimes the answer isn’t adding something.
It’s remembering what already worked.
A hat.
An umbrella.
A simple solution.
The beach is complicated enough without turning every product into a Swiss Army knife.
Welcome to the Art of Reclining.