Plan an Unforgettable Trip With the Best Beach Tents
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Oileus X-Large Portable Beach Tent -
Venustas Outdoor Sun Shelter Beach Tent -
Sunba Youth Anti UV Beach Tent -
SUN NINJA Pop Up Beach Tent -
Buyer's Guide
A beach tent is the perfect accessory to make any beach day a great one. While you usually use beach tents to protect yourself from harmful sun rays, you can also use them at other outdoor locations like music festivals, parks, gardens, campsites, and picnic areas.
But in order to enjoy these outdoor activities to the fullest, it's important to find a well-built beach tent that is also worth the investment. Whether you use it as a small shelter for your outdoor gear or to protect your family from the sun at the beach, having a beach tent that caters to your needs is always a good idea.
Much like camping tents, the best beach tents in 2021 are made from either a very strong polyester or weather resistant nylon. However, they are not very useful for sleeping in; all they pretty much do is provide shelter and shade for when you’re having a day out.
Oileus X-Large Portable Beach Tent
- 4 person capacity with a spacious design
- Features a new design with cooling shade, maximum ventilation and air circulation
- Made of strong and durable materials
- May not be big enough for more than 2 adults
Venustas Outdoor Sun Shelter Beach Tent
- Easy to carry, store and set up
- Spacious enough for 3-4 people
- Anti UV effects along with 3 big mesh windows providing ventilation and cooling
- Hard for one person to set up alone
Sunba Youth Anti UV Beach Tent
- Automatic pop-up feature for 3-second setup
- Well ventilated
- Convenient to carry and easy to fold back up
- Might not be big enough for 2+ adults
SUN NINJA Pop Up Beach Tent
- Quick and easy outdoor setup in any kind of terrain
- Folds to a very compact and lightweight size, perfect for travel
- Comes in three sizes for 4, 6, or 8 people
- Will not protect you from heavy rain
What Are the Best Beach Tents of 2021?
Oileus X-Large Portable Beach Tent - Best Overall
With a spacious, covered area, you’ll be set to stay at the beach all day long. This tent is hexagonal in shape with half of it fully covered and half in the sun, giving you flexibility. It can easily fit 4 people and is very simple to set up thanks to the automatic pop-up mechanism. You don’t have to compromise on the tent’s weight or portability to have plenty of space because this tent only weighs 4 pounds when folded up. The materials are lightweight but are resilient and UV resistant. There are two windows at the back of the tent to maintain airflow and the floor provides you with a cool surface instead of the hot beach sand.
- 4 person capacity with a spacious design
- Features a new design with cooling shade, maximum ventilation and air circulation
- Made of strong and durable materials
- May not be big enough for more than 2 adults
Venustas Outdoor Sun Shelter Beach Tent - Runner Up
This tent offers a bit more privacy. While most tents have an open design, this one has the ability to zip the entrance fully closed, making it the perfect spot to take an oceanside nap. It features UV 50 protection and just needs two poles and stakes for quick and easy assembly. Because assembly is so easy, you can take the tent down in minutes and pack it into its small, lightweight carrying bag. The bottom is also water-resistant and sure to stand up to normal wear and tear. This tent has ample room for 3-4 people, 3 large windows that can be opened for airflow and sunlight, and two sandbags for extra stability on windy days.
- Easy to carry, store and set up
- Spacious enough for 3-4 people
- Anti UV effects along with 3 big mesh windows providing ventilation and cooling
- Hard for one person to set up alone
Sunba Youth Anti UV Beach Tent - Honorable Mention
This tent requires zero setup— simply let it pop up for instant shade. This tent is smaller than others but is perfect for babies and children to get a break from the intense beach sun. You can fit 2-3 people inside and even store some essential beach items in the built-in pockets for easy access. The tent is made of breathable, anti-UV fabric that prevents the interior from getting too hot and the tent comes with stakes and some sandbags for stability. This is definitely the easiest tent to pack up, as all you have to do is fold it down and twist it until fully collapsed.
- Automatic pop-up feature for 3-second setup
- Well ventilated
- Convenient to carry and easy to fold back up
- Might not be big enough for 2+ adults
SUN NINJA Pop Up Beach Tent - Contender
This one is quite different from the usual beach tents or umbrellas you see around. Featuring poles and a stretchy fabric cover, you’ll be able to set up a large shaded spot in no time. This tent has sandbags attached to all four corners of the cover to keep the tent stable, even in the strongest winds. All you have to do is place your poles in the sand, put the cover on top, and stretch out the sandbag arms to secure the tent. You can choose from coverage areas of up to 10 x 10 feet, providing plenty of space for a few adults. The tent’s fabric is available in 4 colors and is UV- and water-resistant.
- Quick and easy outdoor setup in any kind of terrain
- Folds to a very compact and lightweight size, perfect for travel
- Comes in three sizes for 4, 6, or 8 people
- Will not protect you from heavy rain
Buyer's Guide
In order to buy a beach tent that meets all your needs, you should have a clear idea of what features are necessary to be a good tent.
Things To Look Out For When Buying Beach Tents
Material
Much like every other thing in the world, one of the most important features you need to think about is the material of your beach tent. If you opt for a poor quality material, then it's pretty likely that you'll have an issue pretty quickly on your trip, meaning you'll have to buy another tent.
The materials that you will often find beach tents to be made of are polyester and nylon. Since they both have excellent UV-protection, they are suitable options for a beach tent where the main objective is to provide shade from the glare of the sun.
While we agree that being out in the sun and soaking up Vitamin D is always good, if you are exposed to the sun for too long, it can lead to many negative health conditions, none of which you’re going to like. So in order to avoid an unnecessary amount of sun, make sure your tent has UV protection.
Size
The size of the beach tent you should get depends on the number of people that will be using it. If you have a big family of more than 2 adults, then get a 4 person tent. But if there's small children and adults, then a 2 person tent might suffice. For couples, you can get a compact sized tent that'll be spacious enough for you.
When picking the size, it is important to take into consideration how many people will be using it. But it’s not the only thing you need to be considering. You also have to make sure your tent has enough space to store your beach essentials, unless you’re willing to leave them out, which we’re sure you don’t want to. Hence, it is always recommended to have some extra space in your tent.
Keep in mind that smaller tents will obviously be more lightweight as well as less sturdy than bigger tents. So if you are planning on going somewhere where there’s a chance of strong wind, go for the sturdier option and pick a larger tent.
Stability
Again, sturdier tents do well in situations where it can get windy. So if you don’t want to be chasing after your beach tent and umbrella, then make sure your tent has large stakes and sand pockets you can stuff to help hold the tent down.
Setup
While it is often overlooked, it is imperative to consider whether or not your tent has easy assembly. If you’re taking the kids out alone, you need to be able to manage the setup by yourself. And it is best if you opt for something that takes less than 5 minutes to assemble so you can focus more on the quality time you want to spend with your friends or family.
Your beach tent also needs to be easily foldable and portable. While carry bags are optional, they do make a difference if you plan on using the tent frequently.
Privacy
Although privacy is important, especially when you have a family, you should keep in mind that spending time at the beach in complete isolation is next to impossible. There will always be people around and there’s only so much privacy you can have.
However, with that said, you can still get some degree of privacy at the beach in a closed-off beach tent. It will give you a space to change or chill without anyone disturbing you.
Beach Tent FAQ
Q: How do you set up a beach tent?
A: Setting up a beach tent is easy but it does require some time to master.
Depending on the type of beach tent you have, either a pop-up, canopy or cabana, you will have to make a few adjustments here and there. However, the main things you need to keep in mind is that you need to have a solid base, whether that means stakes in the ground or pockets filled with sand. Practice makes perfect, so we recommend setting up your tent at your house before going to the beach to make sure everything works right.
Q: Are pop-up tents waterproof?
A: While most tents are water-resistant, they are not waterproof. Besides not being waterproof, they also don’t fare well in harsh weather conditions, so don’t think your tent is invincible like a camping tent. However, you can drape a rain tarp over your tent to make it waterproof, although it will be an extra cost in your budget as well as more hassle.
