10 Best Beach Tents To Shop This Summer

A quality beach tent means that your seaside visit can become a full-length beach day! Beach tents serve multiple purposes. They protect you and your supplies from kicked-up sand and minimize sea spray from dampening your towels. They provide a home base for family adventures. Most importantly, they serve as a sun shelter from UV rays!

What To Look For In The Best Beach Tents

There are many beach tents on the market. How do you know which beach tent is right for you? You should keep in mind certain features when looking at your options. It would help if you also considered what your typical beach visits look like. For instance, how many people does your tent need to fit? What are the wind conditions at your beach? Will your tent need to double as a place to change clothes? How much space do you have in your car? Here are the specs to look at for.

Fabric

Many beach tents are made with polyester blend fabric. However, not all fabrics are created equal! Pay attention to the thickness of the fabric and the durability of the seams. Edges should have multiple layers of folded fabric and should secure seams with at least two rows of strong stitches. Some materials have special coatings to reflect sunlight or prevent tears.

Ease of Assembly

Each beach tent assembles differently. Pop-up beach tents can be assembled with only one person, and it's perfect for anyone who doesn't want to spend too much time setting up their tent. Others employ various rods and poles to provide structure to the tent, which can be tricky to maneuver without multiple hands on deck. A hub-style setup system is frequently used, where the poles will slide into place with a twist of a screw.

Size

Is your beach tent just for you, or for a whole family? It's wise to consider how many people the tent should provide shade for. Beach tents are available in a wide range of sizes, from an individual to 6 people. Many tents feature a floor mat that extends out past the walls, increasing real estate. If you want to find the best baby beach tents, find ones that offer plenty of space for napping and changing diapers.

UV Protection

Every good beach tent provides some protection from the sun's rays, especially if you are shopping for baby beach tents. Ideally, your beach tent should block both UVA and UVB rays. However, even the best fabric won't block every UV ray. Look for a percentage rating to determine how much UV protection a beach tent offers. A lower percentage means that you might want to wear sunscreen even inside the tent.

Security

There are many ways to attach a beach tent to the ground. Most beach tents use metal stakes, but how many varies from tent to tent. You should also pay attention to how those stakes attach to the fabric - metal grommets, fabric loop, or reinforced slit. Also, stakes designed for securing something to sand will look different from stakes designed for typical ground. Make sure you have the right kind of stakes with your beach tent!

Air Flow

Beach tents need to block the sun while also allowing good airflow. Otherwise, you will be roasting in your tent. Some tents are designed to block the sun from above but leave the sides open for maximum ventilation. Others utilize side flaps or wind vents to let the fresh air flow through. These openings keep you from baking, but it also keeps a strong breeze from blowing your tent away!

Extra Features

Once a tent checks all of the boxes above, you can see what extra features it offers. Some beach tents are specifically designed for strong winds and will feature top wind vents and sand pockets. Others will have doors for privacy and protection from sand and spray, similar to a camping tent. There are beach tents with clips for portable fans, a separate drying line for towels, and multiple storage pockets.

The 10 Best Beach Tents To Shop This Summer

Now that you know what to look for, here are our top picks for the best beach tents!

This three-person tent by Pacific Breeze is everything you could ask for in a beach tent and at a reasonable price! It is a lightweight tent yet still offers a UPF 50 sun protection rating, is water-resistant, and offers shelter from three sides. Mesh windows let the breeze through, keeping the interior cool. The Pacific Breeze beach tent is designed to set up in seconds - yes, seconds! It pops open on its own. It comes with a carrying case and four plastic stakes. The stakes aren't necessary to keep the tent open but are handy for stability. Sand pockets also help with keeping the tent still.

It's always nice when the budget-friendly option still delivers on quality, and the beach tent from WhiteFang is just that. It is lightweight and packs up small. It can comfortably fit three people and features an extendable floor mat, increasing the real estate of this tent. It is built with thick fiberglass rods for extra durability, and a coated polyester fabric blocks 98% of UVA and UVB rays. Three windows allow for ample ventilation, and you have your choice of plastic or steel stakes. This shade shelter comes with a convenient carry bag.

Need a tent for four to six people? The Easthills Deluxe XL beach tent is the best beach tent for your family. The polyester fabric features a silver coating that blocks 97.5% of all harmful UV rays and reflects heat as well! With its ample size extending further to a 53-inch front porch, you can fit the whole family in the tent. Despite its large size, it's easy to set up and takedown, with an opening mechanism that allows easy setup in one smooth motion. Its size could make wind an issue, but not with the added guylines and zippered windows. The front porch zips up to create a private space for clothing changes. When you're finished, fold it up into its carry bag - it doesn't take too much space in your car!

Sometimes you need a full beach tent. Sometimes, you just need a beach umbrella. Rather than having multiple items, why not just have one you can adjust as needed? Enter the Sport-Brella. The Sport-Brella is similar to a beach umbrella but with extra features that turn it into a spacious tie-down shelter. It has side flaps, mesh windows, an 8-foot height, and a fabric protecting from 99.5% of UVA and UVB rays. With a handle designed to function as an anchor and the tips of the umbrella ribs secure to the ground, you won't have to worry about the tent getting blown away by a strong wind. Ground stakes and guy lines are included for extra security. All of this fits into a convenient storage bag.

Most beach tents block UV rays, but the Dark Shelter from Easthills Outdoors is unique in that it also blocks sunlight. This provides maximum sun protection, but it also provides a nice respite from the brightness of the beach. The XL model is large enough for four to six people yet still easily set up. The extended floor mat can also be zipped up to serve as a door, making a convenient spot for clothing changes or private naps. Metal stakes and guy lines are included to secure the tent from winds, and large mesh windows allow plenty of air to pass through.

Sun protection is a consideration for everyone, especially babies, as they have sensitive skin. Even for a short beach trip where you might leave the big beach tent at home, it's smart to have a pop-up beach tent for the baby. This pop-up tent weighs less than a pound and pops right up, secured with two stakes. It has zippered mesh flaps that can completely enclose the tent, keeping sand and mosquitoes away during naptime. It folds up small, fitting easily into any beach bag.

If durability is your main concern, the beach tent from OILEUS is your pick. It's a four-person tent with a hub-style setup mechanism. The tear-resistant 210T polyester fabric features a 3000mm PU coating - which means that it blocks 99% of UV rays while remaining lightweight and breathable. The fiberglass poles are 8.5mm thick for extra strength and make the tent durable enough for outdoor activities. Six sandbags work with metal stakes and guylines to secure the tent. The OILEUS beach tent outranks other tents for durability, and it will still be going strong when other tents have needed replacing.

Sometimes, you just need a little luxury. This canvas beach tent has a full 6 square feet of space and doesn't take long to set up. The canvas fabric blocks 98% of UV rays and is also water-resistant and specially treated to prevent mold growth. The wood guide poles are laminated to prevent water damage, and the four guylines attach to the cover using aluminum grommets for increased durability. Open sides mean that there is ample airflow - neither the breeze nor the view is hampered in any way!

If you are looking for a beach tent that allows you to have some privacy, whether for changing or napping, this Coleman Beach Shade has your back. The sunshade shelter provides you with UPF protection of 50+, so you can protect yourself from UV rays under the shade. With a fast as 5 minutes easy setup and can withstand wind, this shelter is the perfect choice for any outdoor activities, whether at the beach, the park or at a tailgate. Unlike the other options, the Coleman beach tent allows you to zip up for extra privacy and making this beach tent doubles as a safe escape.