The Best Beach Tents to Keep You Sun-Safe All Day
The Best Beach Tents to Keep You Sun-Safe All Day
We updated this guide in July 2022 to ensure all products vetted by the Textiles Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute were in stock and reflected current pricing.
When the hot summer sun's beating down, a fun beach day can get uncomfortable quickly. But a good beach tent will protect you from the sun, and the best ones are easy to set up, lightweight and won't flip over in the wind. Enjoy your beach day to the fullest by packing a tent along with your beach chairs, a great beach umbrella, a durable beach bag and a beach wagon to get it all there.
To make our top picks, the Good Housekeeping Institute Textiles Lab sent beach tents to consumer testers to test in real life, and we also found tents from top-performing brands that received great consumer feedback. While shopping for your beach tent, make sure to look for a 50 UPF rating (meaning it blocks 98% harmful rays), durable stakes or sandbags to anchor it against wind and compact storage bags for easier carrying (some beach tents are pretty bulky and can weigh up to about nine pounds!). Also keep in mind the dimensions of each tent, especially if you plan on using it for a group of people, pets or kids. Here are the best beach tents of 2022.
Our top picks:
Read on after our picks to learn more about how we test beach tents, plus what you should keep in mind when shopping for one. Here are the best beach tents of 2022.
1) Easy Setup Beach Tent
Pacific Breeze Products
amazon.com
$61.99
The Pacific Breeze beach tent is one of the top-searched beach tents online for good reason. The tent weighs less than 5 pounds, has a UPF 50+ rating for good sun protection and includes large windows for ventilation. We love that the tent is roomy at 28 square feet while remaining inexpensive. It also comes with both stakes and sandbags to provide extra security against harsh winds at the beach.
2) Canopy Tent Beach Sun Shelter
Coleman
amazon.com
$51.30
In the Textiles Lab, we love that this Coleman beach tent offers so many unique features at an affordable price. The tent is constructed with a front panel that zips open to become an extended floor, but the panel can also be zipped fully closed for total privacy if you need to change in or out of your swimsuit. A dry line is included to hang wet bathing suits and beach towels, and you can store your belongings in the interior pockets. For extra ventilation, the back panel can be unzipped, as well.
3) Easy Up Beach Tent
WolfWise
amazon.com
$59.99
Good Housekeeping Institute Textiles Lab Director Lexie Sachs is a fan of WolfWise's beach tents and uses them with her kids. She says they're lightweight and easy to carry to the beach. "We love that this tent has built-in sandbags to weigh it down and prevent it from blowing away," she says. There are also mesh windows to provide ventilation on hot days in case you need a breeze, and it has a UPF 50+ rating. Just note that it can be tricky to take disassemble.
4) Portable Beach Sun Shelter
Neso
amazon.com
$99.99
If you prefer a more open-concept tent to enjoy all of the views at the beach, this Neso tent acts more like a sun-shade tarp with no side panels. It comes with four sandbags to weigh it down and two supportive poles. The tarp is also lightweight and made of a unique nylon and lycra stretch fiber blend. One consumer tester mentioned that the tent performed well in the wind overall but experienced some difficulty when the wind shifted direction. Altogether, the tester was impressed by the tent and appreciated how easy it was to assemble and take down.
5) XL Umbrella Shelter for Sun and Rain
Sport-Brella
amazon.com
$67.97
The Sport-Brella beach umbrella is convertible and can function as a beach tent as well. It can be assembled fully upright like a standard beach umbrella, but the pole can also be tilted down at an angle and anchored into the ground. This pick features side panels than can be folded up or down, and there are zippered mesh windows that can be opened for more ventilation. The canopy fabric covers a wide surface area, but as a tradeoff, it doesn't fold down very compactly and won't fit in smaller cars.
6) Shade
Shibumi
shibumishade.com
$250.00
What's unique about the Shibumi shade is it's meant to work with the wind instead of against it. To use it, you do need a breeze of at least 3 mph to keep the shade afloat, but that shouldn't be hard to come by at the beach. Good Housekeeping Institute's Registered Dietitian Amy Fischer loves the Shibumi shade and says it's nice and sturdy. She added, "This is one of the best beach shades I've tried, and as an added bonus, it looks pretty!" The tent is easy to pack up and transport, as well, weighing in at less than four pounds.
7) Royal Box Portable Sun Shade
Helinox
amazon.com
$249.95
This pick from Helinox has a floor area of 34 square feet and stands at nearly 5 feet tall, which allows space for four people and is much larger than any other beach tents we tested. Although it's large, this tent only weighs five pounds and packs down into a compact carrying case for easy transport. One consumer tester had some difficulties assembling the tent but found the teardown process to be "a breeze." The tent performed well in terms of sun protection (It has a UPF 50+ rating.), wind resistance and temperature regulation in our consumer tests, as well.
8) Total Sunblock Kids Beach Tent
Rio Brands
amazon.com
$65.18
This popup beach tent from Rio Brands gives kids a separate shelter to play with their favorite water toys at the beach. The sides of the tent and the front panel are designed with mesh panels for ventilation, and the front panel can be unzipped and rolled up for even better airflow. The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends this beach tent for kids because of its strong UVA and UVB protection. One consumer tester noted that the tent was large enough for both of her children to fit inside with extra room and that the kids were excited to have their own space. This tester thought the tent was tricky to assemble but loved that the instructions are sewn into the carrying bag for a quick reminder.
9) Baby Beach Tent Pop Up
Monobeach
amazon.com
$32.39
Keep your babies protected from the sun while they play at the beach with this pick. Monobeach's baby beach tent comes complete with a mini pool so that babies can splash around safely without having to face the waves. The tent also features easy pop-up assembly and includes ground stakes to ensure it stays put. Although assembly only takes seconds, folding it back up at the end of the day can be difficult.
10) Outdoor Ultimate Shade with Front Awning Tent
Arcadia Trail
petsmart.com
$49.99
Even if your dog acts a little rough with their claws, this tent is made with nylon ripstop fabric that, according to the brand, is resistant to tearing and ripping. Our Textile Lab experts can vouch for the durability of nylon ripstop fabrics in general, and we love that this pet tent is made with nylon ripstop instead of the usual polyester because it should hold up well against use by a rambunctious dog. This tent comes with a front awning for additional shade and is compact and packable for transport — complete with an easy-carry storage bag.
11) Quechua 2 Second Fresh & Black Waterproof Camping Tent
Decathlon
walmart.com
$99.99
If you want a tent that works for both the beach and an overnight camping trip, try this pick from Decathlon. The lightweight UPF 50+ tent folds into itself for easy transportation, and its rapid setup feature means it should only take seconds to assemble. It’s made of patented Fresh & Black fabric that the brand claims is wind and heat resistant, which makes it perfect for a hot summer day.
12) Fatboy Miasun Portable Beach Sun Shade, Salin One Size
13) Sideroads Car Awning
Kelty
rei.com
$129.95
Sometimes it’s easiest to load up your car and park it on the beach instead of trekking through the hot sand while carrying all of your things. Kelty offers a tent with an attachment system that buckles onto vehicles so you can set up your beach tent right where you park. The attachment system connects to SUVs, vans and cars and allows for hookup off the side or from the trunk of your vehicle. Some reviewers say the tent can be tricky to assemble alone, so it’s best to put it together with a little help.
The best beach tents and beach canopies that stand against the wind, automatic pop up tents and tents from popular brands like Pacific Breeze and Coleman.