Wise Owl Hammock Review: A Cheap and Easy Hang

By Alden · August 11, 2026

If you want a cheap hammock that sets up fast and packs down to nothing, the Wise Owl DoubleOwl is an easy yes. It’s about $50, often less on sale, and it does the one thing I want out of a hammock: it gets me off the ground and relaxing fast. I’ve had mine three months, and it’s the first thing I reach for when I want to sit by the river with a coffee.

I’m not using it as a full sleep system. It’s a lounger, and a really good one for the money.

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What it is

The DoubleOwl is Wise Owl’s two-person size, 10 feet long and 6.5 feet wide. I got it because I didn’t have a hammock and wanted one, and this was the lightweight, budget-friendly pick next to pricier hammocks. Mine’s dark blue. It’s been out on a few camping trips, but my favorite way to use it is stringing it up by the river in the morning and doing nothing.

The quick specs:

Setup is the best part

This is where a cheap hammock either wins you over or annoys you, and the Wise Owl wins. The straps and carabiners make it stupid easy. You don’t tie any knots, you don’t need any tools, you just find two trees or anchor points, wrap the straps, clip in, and you’re done. The whole thing lives in a little stuff sack smaller than a Nalgene, so it disappears in a pack or a truck door pocket.

A lot of reviews knock the straps for only having a few adjustment loops, and some mention sticky carabiners. I haven’t had that problem. The carabiners clip and unclip clean, and the loops have gotten me tight enough between every set of trees I’ve tried.

It holds a big guy fine

I’m 6 foot 4 and 225 pounds, and I fit good because I got the double. Plenty of room to lie at an angle, which is how you get a hammock to lie flatter instead of folding you into a banana. The straps hold me without a creak. That’s why I’d tell a bigger person to skip the single and get the DoubleOwl. I can’t speak for how the single feels, but the double has space to spare for one person.

After three months of use I’ve got no wear to report. No pilling, no fraying, the stitching is holding.

The honest downsides

There’s no bug net and no rain tarp included. It’s a hammock, that’s all, so if the mosquitoes are out, you’re exposed. That’s fine for a morning coffee hang, less fine for sleeping through a summer night. If you want bug protection you add a net. I don’t own one for it, but the ENO Guardian SL is the premium pick most hammock people land on, 9 oz and it slides over a gathered-end hammock like this one.

The fabric is thin performance nylon, not a thick padded lounger. I like that, it’s why it packs so small, but if you want a plush, cushioned feel, this isn’t it.

And you need trees or solid anchor points. No stand comes with it. If you’re usually somewhere without two things about ten feet apart to hang from, a hammock is the wrong call and you want a chair.

Who should buy it, who should skip

Buy the Wise Owl DoubleOwl if you’re a backpacker who wants low weight, a camper who wants a setup with zero fuss, a beach or park lounger, or a beginner who wants something that just works the first time. At around $50, it’s an easy first hammock.

Skip it if you need a stand because you rarely have trees, if you want a fully enclosed, bug-proof, weather-ready sleep system, or if you’d rather have a thick padded feel than a light packable one.

Would I buy it again? Yeah. For most people this is a strong buy, especially at the price. It nails the stuff that matters in a hammock: comfortable room, enough strength, fast setup, a tiny packed size, and the straps and carabiners already in the bag. If you want a dependable hammock without the complexity, the DoubleOwl is worth it.

A hammock makes a campsite better without adding much weight, right alongside your shelter. Get the hang right and the river does the rest.

Wise Owl DoubleOwl FAQ

Should you get the single or the double? I’d get the double. It’s a two-person size at 6.5 feet wide, but I use mine solo for the extra room, and at 6 foot 4 and 225 pounds I’ve got space to spare. Two adults fit, just cozy. If you want to lie at an angle and actually stretch out, the double is worth it.

How much weight does the Wise Owl DoubleOwl hold? It’s rated up to 500 pounds, well past what a person and their gear will ever put on it. The straps have held me solid every time.

Can you sleep in it overnight? You can, but there’s no bug net or rain tarp, so out of the box it’s more of a lounger than a full sleep system. It’s perfect for a morning coffee hang or a nap. If you want to sleep through bugs, add a bug net.

Is the Wise Owl hammock worth it? For around $50, yes for most people. Setup takes no knots, it packs down smaller than a Nalgene, and the straps and carabiners come with it. Skip it only if you need a stand because you rarely have trees, or you want a fully enclosed, weather-ready shelter.