In recent years, beach tents are quickly becoming a popular alternative to the basic umbrella. Umbrellas can really only fit one or two people under them, and they’re tough to secure into the ground to keep from blowing away.
A tent, however, is the perfect solution – it’s much more spacious, provides a greater area of shade, doesn’t blow away because its staked in at multiple points, and sometimes even features a floor mat so you’re not sitting in the sand.
There are so many choices out there that it can make shopping intimidating, so we’ve found the best beach tents and compiled this article of reviews of beach tents.
These are our top 10 choices. Click to see current pricing, pictures and user reviews.
- Coleman Beach Shade
- Lightspeed Outdoors Pop Up
- Shade Shack Instant Pop Up
- Rio Beach Portable
- Genji Sports Pop Up
- Texsport Calypso
- Lightspeed Outdoors
- Genji Sports
- Sport-Brella Umbrella
- Pacific Breeze EasyUp
Best Beach Tent
Coleman’s Compact Shade Shelter is the overall best beach canopy currently on the market. It’s the perfect size and price and is made by a name brand with a reputation for great quality. It has all the features one may desire in a shelter for outdoor use.
This one is 7.5 feet wide and 4.5 feet deep, which is enough space for quite a few people. It features not one, but 2 zippered doors, so if you want to close it up for full privacy, you can. The inside also has 4 wall pockets for storage. The package includes a bag for carrying, the extra long stakes, and a floor mat.
Buyers of this tent are most satisfied with the shade it provides. As stated, the size of item alone guarantees about 30 square feet of sitting space and cooler space. The material packs a UV protection level of over SPF 50. When you’re under the cover, you don’t have to worry at all about getting a sunburn at the shore.
The many features of this choice are a large part of the reason it is the top contender. Having a second zippered door is incredibly convenient for entering and exiting. The storage pockets inside are helpful for small loose objects you may need within reach. Lastly, that it comes with a bag for packing it away and the stakes and sandbags are included are great added bonuses.
Beach Tents Reviews
The top ranked option, reviewed above, ought to satisfy the needs of most, but if that’s not the case, you can keep reading more beach tent reviews below.
Lightspeed Outdoors Pop Up Sport Shelter Beach Tent
This choice, though on the higher end of the price spectrum, is heavy duty and well constructed. Three-walled, it protects you from both bad weather and excessive sunrays.
Conveniently, it’s a pop-up design, so with one pull, it will be up and ready and you don’t have to spend your time arranging poles. It’s big enough to fit several people and their chairs.
Shade Shack Instant Pop Up Family Beach Tent and Sun Shelter
If what you’re looking for is easy set up and break down, the Shade Shack is the tent for you! It pops up in just seconds and can be broken down, folded up, and stored into the included bag just as easily.
The material is polyester with a zinc finish and provides UV protection of SPF 30+. For securing this tent to the ground, there are both sand bags attached to the side to weigh it down, or stakes tied to it that can be planted into the ground.
Rio Beach Portable Sun Shelter Cabana
This mid-price option is made of aluminum coated polyester. It offers over 50 SPF UV shield and 9 feet wide of shaded space.
It has two pockets inside and two zippered windows on the sides. It also comes with a stow-away bag with a shoulder strap for easy transport. It has an appealing blue and orange color sheme.
Genji Sports Pop Up Family Beach Tent and Beach Sunshelter
For top notch quality of material and safety, you may want to consider the Genji Sports Sunshelter. It’s made of durable nylon and what makes it stand out is that it is flame retardant.
It is a three-walled tent with windows on either side and offers a SPF 50+ sun shield. The steel beam frame is extra-sturdy and features the pop-up assembly design.
Texsport Calypso Cabana Beach Shelter Canopy
Texsport brings you this colorful, comfortable, reasonably priced canopy. Its material is polyurethane coated taffeta with a silver coating atop that, which creates maximum protection from the sun’s rays.
It has side windows with mesh lining and a polyurethane flooring. It’s very spacious, with 16 square feet of floor space, meaning there’s room for the whole family!
Lightspeed Outdoors Quick Cabana Beach Tent Sun Shelter
This cabana is one of the biggest and most spacious ones on the market. The roof goes to 49 inches high and besides the space inside under cover, the floor mat extends out in the front for an extra 3-4 feet of sitting space.
It’s made of a lightweight polyester material that does a good job of shading you and your company from the sun. It features three windows, one on each wall.
Genji Sports Instant Beach Star Tent
This shelter is super easy to open and close – they advertise that it just takes a few seconds to either open or close it and it’s as simple as an umbrella.
Made of nylon with fiberglass poles for the frame, the entire tent is flame retardant and approved by international standards. It does an exceptional job of creating a shady space and blocking harmful UV rays, with a SPF 50 rating.
Sport-Brella Umbrella Portable Sun and Weather Shelter
This option is a hybrid between a tent and a umbrella – it has a center umbrella pole but can be set on the ground for overhead protection and has side flaps for added shelter.
It has zippered windows on the sides for air flow, and pockets for storage on the inside too. What’s really remarkable about this umbrella is that the inside is metallic coated so the SPF rating is 125, meaning you’ll never have to worry about sunburn.
Pacific Breeze EasyUp Beach Tent
This choice has all the features desired in a beach tent. At a great price, it is a lightweight material with large side windows. It employs EasyUp setup technology, allowing for super quick assembly.
The frame is made of fiberglass and the floor is polyurethane. Plenty of internal pockets for storage is available and very helpful. The package also comes with a carry case, sand bags to weigh it down securely, and stakes.
As beach tents become more and more popular, it is well worth looking into buying one to enhance your ocean-going experience. Luckily, the shopping process has been made a breeze with this article on current beach tent reviews.