Unless you have trees that are perfectly placed apart, a hammock stand is a must buy for most hammock owners. The hammock frames are incredibly easy to set up and use. And once constructed, you can leisurely move your hammock anywhere you want.
Ever have those extremely sunny days where you want to find a great spot in the shade. Simply find the most shady spot in your yard, and position the stand in the place you want.
Or maybe you love to be in the sun…. If that's the case, position the hammock frame in the open and enjoy the blistering heat rays.
The question you need to ask yourself is "what is the best hammock frame for you?" 

Hammock Stand Rankings

1. Pawleys Island Tri-Beam Steel

The average customer rating for this Pawleys Island product is 4.5 out of 5 stars.
This has been the best selling hammock frame product for the last 3 years and counting. Read the reviews to see how many people are absolutely thrilled with this investment.
The stand is actually quite large – it measures at 15 feet long and 4 feet wide … allowing it to be compatible with any hammock on the market.

Reasons to get this stand 

Numbers don't lie. This is the highest rated and most popular stand that you can buy. If you don't know a darn thing about hammock frames, then don't hesitate to pick this one up. It will change the way you relax. 

Reasons to avoid this stand 

The only reason to avoid Pawleys Island steel frame is if you want a wooden hammock frame. Wooden frames are more expensive and considered more luxurious to some customers. But it is purely a matter of aesthetics. If you choose to go with steel, Pawleys Island is the obvious choice. But if you want something wooden, you'll need to look elsewhere.

Click here to read the full review 

2. Byer of Maine Vario Hammock Frame

The next highly rated steel hammock stand is the Byer of Maine. The advantage of this stand is that it can adjust in length from 121 inches to 147 inches in length.
The changing width allows it to be compatible with all types of hammocks. And if you have more than one hammock, it's quite easy to adjust according to the size of hammock you own.
It also accepts an adapter which will allow it to fit extremely large hammocks.
According to existing customers, the Byer of Maine hammock frame has long lasting durability. There is not a single flawed stand on record since this stand started selling to a mass market.

Click here to read the full review 

3. Wooden Arc Hammock Stand

Wooden hammock stands are almost always more expensive than a steel stand. And this wooden arc hammock frame is no exception. This model retails at around 500 dollars, but is often on sale for much less.

Wooden frames tend to look more luxurious and usually fit in better with outdoor decorations.
This stand is constructed of weather and fad resistant fabric and is capable of lasting many years. If you wanted to make this stand yourself, it would cost nearly as much as you would pay to buy it fully constructed. So although 300-500 dollars sounds like a lot of money, your investment goes a long way with this particular model.
My advice would be to make sure that this product is on sale. If I was looking for a wooden hammock frame and this frame was on special, I'd snap it up in a second.
They go on sale occasionally, but then return to the regular retail price that you would expect.

Click here to read full review

4. Hatteras Tri-Beam Hammock Stand

This hammock stand is nearly identical to the popular Pawley's Steel Tri-Beam Hammock Stand. 

At first glance, I really didn't notice much of a difference at all. Checking through the customer reviews, the only negatives pointed out that occassionally Hatteras forgets to ship all of the necessary hooks.

But out of the thousands that have purchased this stand, only a couple of customers have had any troubles. Thankfully, Hatteras stands behind their products and immediately shipped out replacement parts. As well as offering the customers a 40% discount on the next future purchase with Hatteras products. That offer kind of makes me wish that they screwed up on my order too.

Click here to read the full review

Hammock Stands

Think of summer, leisure and relaxation, and a hammock often comes to our mind. Originated in the native America, hammocks were originally meant to function as a suspended bed to protect people from insect stings or animal bites. (1)
A hammock is stretched with ropes between two strong anchor points. Though hammock can be anchored to a simple tree, a stand facilitates portability and allows users to set up the hammock in their place of choice, be it in the sun or shade.
There is no dearth of hammock stands in the market, but potential buyers should consider two key things in mind while choosing a hammock stand: compatibility of the stand with the hammock and the strength of the stand.

A Metal Hammock Stand
There are varieties of hammock stands, depending on the material, design or functionality. (2) Based on the type of material, the commonly available varieties are:
Metal Hammock Stand: Metal stands are light weight and easy to assemble and disband, which makes them very popular among users. These stands can be made of steel or stainless steel. Steel ones can rust easily on exposure to moisture, which makes it unsuitable for outside use. A coat of protective painting can solve this problem. Stainless steel stands are comparatively costlier but requires lower maintenance cost since it is rust-free and does not require additional coating for protection. This makes the stainless steel variety an excellent choice for outside use. (2)
Wooden Hammock Stand: Wooden stands impart a touch of elegance and tradition. Their heavier weight has both plus and minus points. The extra weight supports hammock more sturdily, but is a hindrance in movement and assembling. Wooden stands are usually varnished or pressure-treated to protect their look and for better weather resistance. Stands made of Cyprus woods do not such maintenance because of their natural oils which act a protective barrier and make them look new always. (3)
Following are some of common types of Hammock stands based on their functionality and design:
Arc Hammock Stand: Contemporary in looks, the arc hammock stands are styled in the form of an arc, supported by two legs towards the center of the arc. With its stable design, an arc stand can prevent collapse or overturn of hammock. Arc hammock stands are available in both metal and wooden construction. (4)
Portable Hammock Stand: Since hammock stands free users from tying the hammock between two trees or attached to a wall, most of the hammock stands are portable in nature. There are hammock stands that are considered even more portable because of their design or easy storage and set-up. Foldable or collapsible hammock stands are the most popular in the portable varieties. (5)
Folding Hammock Stand: For those who want to carry their hammock on vacation, folding hammock stand may be the answer. These stands are easily foldable and can be stored or carried in the car. Foldable hammock stands are perfect for camping or setting up on the beach. A folding hammock is advantageous over a regular one since setting it up is almost hassle free as all the required parts are supplied along with it. When not in use, it can be stored inside the house, eliminating the chance of deterioration caused by weather. It can thus save the usual maintenance cost. (6)
Indoor Hammock Stand: An indoor hammock stand is used to set up a hammock inside the house and can be mounted on either wall or ceiling. It can instantly add to the fun and comfort ambiance of the indoor living space. (7)
Hammock Chair Stand: Resting in hammock chairs is as comforting and relaxing as in a regular hammock, but without occupying much space. The hammock chair stand should be chosen keeping in mind about the body weight of the user. One should not ignore the manufacture-recommended weight capacity. Some hammock chair stands are sturdy enough to support up to 600 lbs. There are numerous types of hammock chair stand made of wood or metal to suit one’s need such as the hanging chair stand, the swing hammock chair stand, the three-legged stand, the oval tripod, and the C framed hammock chair stand. (8)(9)

A Wooden Arc Hammock Stand

(10)
Cheap Hammock Stands: The cheaper variants come in teak wood type frame or cheap folding ones. Some of the manufacturers of hammock stands between $50 and $100 are Algoma, Hammaka (11)
How to Make Your Own Hammock Stand: Making one’s own hammock stand is easy on pocket and not too difficult, but requires little creative effort. Since a hammock will entirely support the body weight of a user, getting it right is of utmost importance. Following are some tips for a successful DIY hammock project:
1. The hammock stand should be designed in such a way that it can sturdily and safely hold the hammock. The design should be made according to the available materials and space.
2. The hammock fixings are required to be about approximately 1.5m above the ground level. The fixings should be horizontally separated by a distance of about two-thirds of the hammocks length and an extra 50cm.
3. String hammock fixing is a must; the minimum recommended bolt diameter is 12mm.
4. The material chosen should be strong enough to support the user’s weight. The beams holding the hammock ends should be at 3’’x2’’.
One can make the base beam out of 2 planks (6”x1” or 4”x1”) which sandwich the beams that hold the hammock. This would allow a bolt through both sides of the sandwich and through the supporting beams in the center.
The best angle to cut the bottom of the supporting beams is 60 degrees, while that of the triangular brace timbers is 45 degrees. (12)
Whether one plans to build a portable or stationary hammock stand, it should be tailored to the type of hammock one owns. (13)

Reviews: Some of the positive reviews about few popular hammock stands are given below:
· A user rates 4 stars out of 5 for the New Cypress Wooden Curved Arc Hammock Stand W/ Hammock. The reviewer also appreciates the quality of the wood and says that the stand complements any surrounding. (14)
· A first-time hammock stand user was satisfied with the ease of assembling the Pawleys Island Tri-Beam Textured Steel Hammock Stand. The purchaser also highlighted the sturdiness of the stand and recommends the stand to potential buyers. (15)
· A family was looking for a hammock stand which would not take up much space and they were happy to own the New Steel "C" Stand for Hammock Air Chairs Hanging Chair Hammock Stand, a perfect match to fit in the corner of their room. (16)

Videos: The following URL leads to a video showing how to build a hammock stand http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3Aqw1onvAM. Another video shows how to assemble a metal hammock stand (URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qxsqvnu9ULw)
Source:
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammock
2. http://www.hammocksrock.com/hammock-stands.php
3. http://www.hammocks.com/hammock-stands/wood-stands/1030+1065+4294924612.cfm
4. http://hammock-chairs.org/ar/arc-hammock-stand.php