Hanging A Hammock Indoors

This video shows the process for hanging a hammock indoors.

I often get asked how to hang a hammock inside. This is actually very easy to accomplish. I’ve been using large metal eye bolts for years, but there are also hanging kits specifically made for hammocks, including the ENO Hanging Kit.

The process is straightforward:

  1. Measure the distance inside your room (wall to wall)
  2. Use the hang calculator to determine the hang point
  3. Locate the wall stud
  4. Drill the holes
  5. Insert the eye bolt (or other hardware)

Materials Needed

1 – Measuring tape
1 – Stud finder (you can also use a nail and hammer a series of holes until you find the stud edges and measure for the center)
1 – Hammock Hang Calculator
2 – Eye bolts (or hanging kit)
1 – Drill with drill bit

If you are installing a single hardware piece like the eye bolt, be sure to drill the hole in the center of the stud.

The minimum hang distance for a hammock, generally speaking, is about 9 ft (2.7 m), but much depends on what hammock you have. A lot of bedrooms are built with 10 or 12 ft (3 to 3.6 m) floor space, but if you have a small room, you could also go diagonally across a room for more distance.

Wall studs are easily found on corners or around window frames, but using a stud finder or using the nail method are good ways to make sure you are drilling or installing in the right place.

One the hardware is installed, hang your hammock! I use various hardware pieces I’ve collected over the years, including large steel S-hooks, steel carabiners, and even short lengths of chain. The chain is a nice because it provides variable hang points every few inches.

I also often use a short length of webbing that I hook on to the eye bolt and then use the Becket Hitch to tie off the hammock. This is a traditional method used in South America.

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195 responses to “Hanging A Hammock Indoors”

  1. Ted Avatar
    Ted

    Curious question. Would you be able to hang two hammocks from the same eye bolt? Wife is not even willing to try the hammock at this point but was curious if you can put two hammocks up on the same eye bolt in the stud?

    1. Derek Avatar
      Derek

      I’ve done that with kids. I would be hesitant with adults. Just thinking of the load strain. If it were a more robust connection then maybe.

  2. Johnny Avatar
    Johnny

    I tried this……and broke my tailbone when the eye bolt pulled out of the wall stud. It took many months to rehab this so just be careful. I probably drilled out a little too much or drilled into a weak part of the stud, but regardless, I’d be pretty nervous about recommending this hanging approach as is.

    1. Derek Avatar
      Derek

      Good observation. Any time you drill a pilot hole, it should be smaller than the screw, otherwise there isn’t enough material to hold it in place. I’ve done dozens of these installs and have never had a problem, but there always exists a risk. If you are worried about structural integrity or install, please consult a contractor or builder.

  3. Jim P Avatar
    Jim P

    Hi Derek, I’m trying to make a hanging space out of a pretty small room (8.5′ diagonal). It’s not ideal, but I feel I should be able to make a hammock work in that space, since some frame hammocks are only 8.5′ (but come with the frame). Do you have any suggestions about where to look for a hanging one, and how the experience will be impacted? There are so many models and vendors but all seem built for bigger spaces.

    1. Derek Avatar
      Derek

      You’re going to want to find a smallish hammock, no longer than 9.5 feet. While not 100% complete, you can do a quick search through my hammock database. I know the Hennessy models are right at 9.5, along with the Grand Trunk Ultralight.

  4. hayden Avatar
    hayden

    Is it safe to swing in the hammock after i hang it? I want to do this in my room but I’m nervous about the stud not holding. Thanks

    1. Derek Avatar
      Derek

      Gentle swinging is always encouraged in a hammock. Getting more aggressive can exert more force on the wall studs and anchor points than you probably want. Of course, if you loop your webbing straps or suspension over and around exposed studs or have more robust anchor points, you could probably do more. Just be careful 🙂

      You might want to look into Minorswing Hammocks 🙂

  5. Thomas Avatar
    Thomas

    Hey Derek,

    I’ve been looking at a 14ft Brazillian Hammock. (14ft being the hanging length according to the website.)

    I’m really interested in using it to replace my bed, however the wall space is just over 10ft.

    Using you’re calculator, I punched in the information and it recommended a height to hang it. I was wondering if this is actually possible or if the calculator is just adjusting to the information i’ve given it.

    What I mean to say is is it feasible to hang something like that in that way and have it still be comfortable.

    Thanks.

    1. Derek Avatar
      Derek

      That is a good question. The calculator will help, but it is adjusting. Big mayan hammocks typically hang at 45-degrees so they will fit in spaces differently. The hang point is also higher than a camping hammock. When I plugged in the numbers it appears to just fit. What I would do to test is to use a 14 foot rope and hold it in position and let it sag like a hammock.

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  7. Gemma Seymour Avatar

    I have quite a bit of construction and rigging experience and I’m pretty good at physics. I’d be very wary of relying on a single eye screw into a 2×4 stud with a hammock. Personally, I’d cut 52″ lengths of 2×6 or I-channel steel (backed with furring strips, put washered eye bolts (not eye screws) into them, and lag screw them into four studs each, assuming my walls were framed 16″ o.c. as most houses are, to spread the load. There’s a very big difference between dynamic loads and static loads. Just calculating the static hang load isn’t enough. If you can contrive it, you might want to consider some engineered wood studs in the wall to hang your hammock from.

    1. Hammocks4Health Avatar
      Hammocks4Health

      Gemma, I am having trouble seeing this. Could u email me pls? I have a small cabin and want to reinforce hanging points before I install the walls. Thanks in advance. Wompol at hotmail.

  8. Gemma Seymour Avatar

    BTW, what you are calling an eye bolt is not an eye bolt, it’s an eye screw, and I wouldn’t recommend the ones that have open eyes like you used in the video. Find ones that are welded closed. An eye bolt goes into a hole and attaches with a nut, or threads into a threaded hole or insert. An eye screw screws directly into the substrate.

  9. Ryan Avatar
    Ryan

    Has anyone tried using a threaded insert into a 2×4 so you can remove the eye bolt when you are not hanging the hammock? It appears like the threaded insert will have sufficient pull strength.

  10. Jason Avatar
    Jason

    I’ve been thinking about this post in application to my apartment. I’ve seen the references to putting a board between two studs and hanging from it to give more strength. I’m thinking about putting an eyebolt in two adjacent studs, then run some webbing straps between them. I’d then attach the hammock to the strap. Seems like this would accomplish the same thing as using the board.

    Aside from the unknown inside the wall, so lets assume the wall construction is good, anything I’m missing here that would need to be addressed or done differently?

    1. Derek Avatar
      Derek

      Sounds like a good approach.

    2. Bobby Avatar
      Bobby

      You could even use a peice of chain.

  11. kyle Avatar
    kyle

    is it possible to hang a standard hammock from a single anchor point on the ceiling without a space bar? I have a hammock and the ability to hang hammock chairs only from my balcony, I truly do not wish to purchase a new hammock.

    1. Derek Avatar
      Derek

      This is a very interesting question. I suppose if you had a steel bar that was as least 10 feet long, you could attach a hammock to the two ends of the pipe. Then, from the center of the pipe, attach the single point to hang from the ceiling. You would need to have some stabilizer or floor anchor, otherwise the hammock would simply tip over to one side or another, much like a balanced scale.

  12. […] night my sons invited me to bunk in their room—I have hammock hooks installed there, so I obliged. My sons are in bunk beds and my hammock crosses the room diagonally, with one end […]

  13. Kaily Avatar
    Kaily

    Hi, I am wondering if I can hang the hammock on two walls so it is just in one corner, therefore the hooks would be pulled at at an angle. Is this bad to do?

    1. Derek Avatar
      Derek

      Not necessarily. This is exactly what I do in my master bedroom — hang on an angle in a corner. Sometimes that is the only way to make it work. Just be sure you are on secure studs (I always pick reinforced studs like on window or door frames) and make sure to drill in the center of the stud. It does put extra strain on the hardware device and mine have twisted until they equalized.

  14. Antje Avatar
    Antje

    Hi, what a great site! We are renting a place whose owner had a hammock. The hooks are still in the wall. It’s a diagonal setup, and he said that we need a “shorter” hammock to make it work. I don’t quite know what “shorter” means and where to look. Any thoughts?

    1. Derek Avatar
      Derek

      What is the hang distance?

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