Your back gets something to lean on. The sand gets nothing to swallow.

One aluminium leg does all the work. It clicks out behind the backrest, braces it with a reinforced triangle, and holds it at an angle while you lean back. The seat and the mat lie flat on the sand in front of it. There are no legs under you to dig into soft sand, and nothing to thread, screw or put together.

Unfold it. Click the leg out. Sit back. That is the whole set-up, every time.

Same beach, three o'clock

Down the beach, his folding chair has settled on one side and he is up levelling it again. Next to him, she has gone from her elbows to flat on her towel, looking at the sky. The one on the Shoreline is still sitting back against it, legs out along the mat, watching the water.

The measurements, before you wonder

The seat is about 40.5 x 41 cm. The mat is about 79 cm long, and that length varies by style. The frame is aluminium tube. The cloth is 600D Oxford: water-resistant, scratch-resistant, and wet sand wipes off it by hand. The leg holds the backrest at an angle, upright enough to sit and watch the water.

Which one to get

Beige, at A$83.95. It has the extended mat, so your legs lie on fabric instead of hot sand, and it is the lowest price of the three extended-mat colours.

• Short (A$65.95 to A$70.95): the compact seat pad, smallest to carry.
• Beige, Black or Army Green (A$83.95 to A$89.95): the extended mat for your legs.
• Mesh Back (A$79.95 to A$80.95): a breathable panel through the backrest for hot days.
• With Pocket (A$90.95 to A$91.95): a side pocket for your phone, keys or sunnies.

When it is time to go, the leg folds in, the chair folds back into a flat rectangle, and it slides into its carry bag. If the leg, the frame or a seam fails from a defect, email your order number and a photo to help@bealphes.com and it is replaced or refunded at no cost to you.