We rented a place with a pool for a long weekend last summer and I got it into my head that I should show up with something nicer than the sun-bleached noodle floats everyone else always brings. Naturally I went looking for something that photographed well, because I am apparently that person now.
I compared a few of the fancier-looking inflatable lounges online, half of which had reviews complaining they deflated by day two, and cross-checked against a friend who actually works pool maintenance for vacation rentals. She pushed me toward the sturdier multi-configuration hammock style instead of the thin novelty shapes.
It held air the entire trip, looked genuinely nice in the group photos, and didn't feel like a $12 gas-station float. Cheap it is not in appearance, even though the price tag actually was reasonable.