For every 10 e-mails, comments, and good reviews we get raving about our YOBO hammock stands, we get 1 question or comment about our top shelf prices. That is very understandable! Google “hammock stand” and you’ll see you can find them on Amazon for as little as $79. “Why would I pay top dollar when I can get a cheap hammock stand?” you might be wondering. That depends on you and what you consider to be the best hammock stand for your purposes. We never tell people what they need to spend on their gear — that is a very personal decision. We do want to be completely transparent about how we priced our YOBO stands however. What are you getting when you purchase a YOBOgear hammock stand? This is best explained in three categories:

1) Quality of Product and Service

In the world of hammock stands, there are none on the market quite like ours. We carry the only stands made out of 7000-series aluminum. (This is the lightest, strongest aluminum for these purposes.) We chose this over carbon fiber for the strength, telescoping, and recyclability factors. We chose it over 6000-series aluminum for it’s flexibility and lightness. The machined hubs and feet are basically indestructible. These high quality materials are expensive to buy and expensive to manufacture, but we feel TOTALLY worth the benefits! Our stands support full-sized hammocks (which is something to watch out for, as many cheap models do not). The poles are flexible, lightweight, and strong enough to hold hundreds of pounds of weight. If a pole segment happens to bend or break from improper use, it can be easily and inexpensively replaced without buying a whole new hammock stand. Our free-standing Cricket Stand is patented, so the design is not replicable. So not only are our stands completely unique, they are high quality and easy to repair if needed.

Along with quality of product, we make it a top priority to offer the highest quality customer service. This is evident in our customer reviews — many mention the great service as well as the great products. We are always available via DM or e-mail and respond to inquiries as quickly as possible. We have even face-timed a few customers to help them with set-up! When customers request a certain tutorial, we make it and post it ASAP. (Check out our YouTube channel.) This kind of service does not come with a cheap hammock stand. Free world-wide shipping on orders over $300 is another perk we’re happy to offer. We also have a 10-day return policy so your hammock stand order is risk-free.

2) Community

When Cal and I decided to double down on YOBOgear, we knew that being an active part of our communities – local, hammock, and outdoor – was a TOP priority. We make it a point to travel far and wide to in-person events where we can meet folks face-to-face and discuss not only our products, but the needs of the hammocking and greater outdoor communities. We’ve learned so much and met some incredible humans by making the effort to show up! (Psst: Cal’s already got some awesome new innovations cooking as a result of talking to our customers in person and listening to their wish lists.) We’ve gotten to collaborate with other cottage vendors in the hammock community, which is so fun. It is awesome when small business owners support each other!

Along with being an active part of our communities, we also make it a priority to be as generous as possible. Not only do we offer discounts on our products at in-person events, we have donated thousands of dollars in product and, well, dollars to causes we believe in.

Here is where our donations have gone so far:

National Park Foundation (focused on preserving land, protecting wildlife, educating youth, and connecting humans)

Palmetto State Hangers (hammocking group that puts on awesome events and educates children on how to enjoy the outdoors)

Wyoming Symphony Orchestra (enriches the cultural lives of adults, expands the musical lives of children, and provides an outlet for the creative talents of musicians living in Wyoming and the Rocky Mountain area)

Beyond Borders (creating unity through adventure experience and travel)

HangCon (world’s largest hammock gathering that promotes love of the outdoors and works hard to make this event FREE to participants)

Boys and Girls Club (nationally recognized organization that provides education, art, health, career, character, leadership, and fitness programs for children)

Charging the bare minimum for our products would not allow us to be active and generous in our communities. When you purchase a YOBO product, not only are you getting incredible value for your own purposes, you are contributing to a greater good!

3) Growth and Innovation

One of the main reasons small businesses don’t succeed is burnout. Burnout happens when resources are exhausted. That means the business owners are too short on time, money, or energy to keep going. Our desire with YOBOgear is to be around for a long time, because hammocking, camping, and the outdoors are what we love! Therefore, we are taking precautions to prevent burnout and make sure we can grow as a company. This means we need funds available to

• hire new people as needed
• travel
• purchase more inventory
• design new products
• keep our website and other platforms running smoothly
• pay for patents and licenses
• get our products in front of as many potential customers as possible

This is something I never understood until I owned my own business! Prices can’t be based on the cost of the products alone, but must include the cost of running and growing a business. Selling a cheap hammock stand might be an ok short-term get-money-quick scheme, but it doesn’t work for our integrity and our long-term goals.

So, what’s wrong with a cheap hammock stand?

Absolutely nothing. If price is your number one concern, then there are plenty of stands on the market for you! For some folks, a high price is a deal-breaker. We understand that completely. We also know that there are folks who have different priorities, such as knowing they’ll receive incredible service and a supreme product, and/or that their money is going to a small business who is working to do good in the world. No matter what hammock stand you choose, the most important thing is that YOU are happy with it.