10 Best Pop Up Beach Tent Reviews in 2021 [Expert Advice] & Buying Guide

Looking forward to a lazy afternoon at the beach? But feeling a little apprehensive of that mid summer’s sun? Fear not, you have come to the right place. We present to you a possible solution: the pop-up beach tent.

Easy to carry, great protection from the rays, this is the best possible replacement for your beach umbrella.

And thus, we have listed down the best pop-up beach tents you could acquire for your hard-earned cash. Make the most of your summer with the best of the best the tenting world has to offer.

Best Pop Up Beach Tent In 2020

1. Lightspeed Outdoors Quick Canopy

Very easy to prop up and fold away after use with the integrated bottom pull hub system that goes up and down easy as cake. The central hub contraption operation almost resembles that of those windproof umbrellas. You can easily pop it down even in high winds.

Our favorite bit of this unit is the space that the unit takes up. The real estate within is quite sizeable too. Like we have mentioned, it can shade up to four people. The canopy also comes with four, conveniently sized, side pockets to stow away all your necessities.

To top it all off, the canopy has sidewalls that come built-in. These sidewalls offer adequate protection from the harshest that the sun can throw at us and our belongings, and of course, the winds.

Now let us come to storing the unit. The package also includes a very oversized bag that is super easy to carry, thanks to the included shoulder strap. The whole thing packs in quite nicely in the carry bag.

2. Abco Tech Pop-Up Tent

With doors on each side, you can make your way out of the tent without waking up the other occupant. The water-resistance comes as standard, and so those a bit of UV protection.

And the doors and the windows, too, come with both nylon flaps and mesh. Ventilation seems to be a strong point for this tent as it is primarily designed to be slept in. The nylon straps help with waterproofing and also takes the privacy up a notch.

Moreover, the package includes a convenient carrying bag and a smaller bag to store all of those essentials and accessories. Our only complaint is that there is no inner zipper control for both the nylon and the mesh. The lack of headroom is understandable as the unit is meant for sleeping in.

3. OutdoorMasterPop-Up

Setting up and using this tent is simple. Its simplicity and ease of use rivals that of the Lightspeed tent we talked about earlier. With no assembly required, you can have this up and sheltering your kids in no time at all.

Granted, it takes a little bit of time, but it’s the process that counts. It is so easy that you can have your kids do the job under some supervision, of course. The package itself includes a handy dandy carry bag so you can fold this bad boy up and take it along in a jiffy.

The tent makes use of fiberglass poles to hold its shape. We picked the glacier blue color to review. Now the color may not be to everyone’s tastes, but its something you can look directly at on a sunny day and not end up squinting. The fabric is rated at SPF 50+, so your baby is getting the maximum protection possible.

Also, the tent itself comes with sandbags sewed right in. The guy lines and tent stakes can help secure your tent, be it on a grassy lawn or on a sandy beach. So, one thing we felt like mentioning is that the door can be completely closed with the zipper. We mention this because this feature is very rare in these pop-up tents.

4. Easthills Outdoors Instant Shader Deluxe XL

This is in a higher price bracket, but we have realized that it is meant for families, not a single or a couple of individuals. Therefore, we suggest that you think of it more of an investment rather than something temporary.

The setup process is quite simple. However, the tent is on the larger side and thus may require two people. The tent comes in a handy carrying bag. Structure-wise, it is a hexagonal affair with three windows (mesh) and a front door that is open to the world.

Like another model we talked about earlier, this model also makes use of an integrated hub system. The fiberglass frame pops in to place as you tug at the ropes from the center. And the tent comes with four guylines and 10 plastic stakes, so you are covered both at the beach or someplace windy.

Also, this tent is big enough to fit four adults and their equipment. We would go as far as to say that it might even fit in a few kids and a cooler too.

5. Arcshell Premium Extra Large Pop Up Beach Tent

With a 60 second deploy time, this unit absolutely crushes in the easy-to-prop-up category. The two yellow indicators help in directing the direction of grip while taking it down, making it equally as easy to take it down and pack up.

Also, the feature that caught our attention is that this tent has an extendable ground cloth that you can zip up anytime you want. The cloth serves as a play area for the kids and increases privacy as a breathable door.

Let us talk about the dimensions. The Arcshell premium takes the cake in this category as well. We managed to fit two regular-sized beach chairs within. The tent folds down to about 30.7 * 5.4 b* 5.4 inches, so you can easily carry it around in the trunk of your car or a suitcase.

Now coming to the fabric. This is the star of the show here. The walls are composed of 190T Polyester fabric. And the floor has a 210D Oxford construction. The floor area and the walls have a 3000mm PU material inner coating, making the entire tent waterproof. Also, the twofold sewing makes the tent sandproof.

6. iCorer Automatic Pop-up

7. G4Free Easy Set up Beach Tent Deluxe XL

8. Shade Shack Beach Tent

The fabric is a zinc-coated polyester that gives us a UV protection factor that is upwards of 30+. That basically translates to over 96 percent of the dangerous UV rays being blocked.

With this unit, you basically have your own personal sun shaded area wherever you want. The included sand pocket can be used to secure your position on the beach, or you can make use of the stakes out on the grassy fields. You can be sure Shade Shack is not going anywhere.

We recommend this unit for small families, with young kids, ideal for their nap time or you can duck in to breastfeed under the privacy of the opaque walls. The unit is ventilated, too, so you would not feel stuffy while in there.

9. Easthills Outdoors Instant Shader Pop Up Tent

Very easy to prop in place and take down and equally easy to pack away, the Easthills Outdoors Instant Shader comes on only at about five pounds fully packed. So portability is this unit’s strong suit.

The fabric is a 185T polyester material, and that makes this unit fairly water-resistant. It is UPF 50+ rated, so you know you are getting the maximum protection from the sun. Quite useful when you are sitting by the lake on a midsummers day. You can duck inside when the sun goes a little too hot.

This fabric extends to the floor as well, thus serving as a protective barrier between you and the ground. The floor space, we would say, is enough for a couple of adults and a kid. Plus, all your essentials. Adequate ventilation with mesh windows on three of the walls.

10. Pacific Breeze Easy Setup Beach Tent

And thus, the tent fully folded will weight just shy of 6.5 pounds. We will make it easier for you. Imagine the easy-to-prop-up nature of a smaller tent. Scale it substantially, and we have in our hands the Pacific Breeze.

Like a lot of tents on our list, this tent also offers UPF 50+ protection. You are basically guaranteed protection from the grueling sun. The fabric resists liquids, and thus, we get proper protection from winds and rain too. And the fabric itself is also surprisingly breathable, making it ideal for those summer getaways.

Moreover, the walls consist of three large, meshed windows that you can open up further to let in more air. Ventilation was clearly in mind when they were designing this tent. The tent comes with five sand pockets for all your equipment. A nifty carrying bag takes the portability up a few notches.

What to Look For Before Buying

So perhaps you have decided to pull the plug and get a beach tent for yourself. While the offerings on our list are pretty solid, perhaps they were not to your liking. Or perhaps, you wanted more choices. Fret not, this review article would not be complete without a relevant buying guide. So what are the things to look out for?

    • Beach Tent Type

There are just so many types to choose from. It can get a little difficult when it comes to acquiring one for yourself. One thing we should note down is that these beach tents look quite similar to beach canopies. But there are subtle differences amongst the two which make them appropriate for their use cases.

Beach tents, like their camping counterparts, use a piece of material to create a barrier between your belongings and the beach floor. This keeps the sand out and helps protect you from the hot sand when inside the tent.

    • Beach Tent Dimension

It goes without saying,the tent you buy should be tall enough that you can sit on it without hunching or bending. So, try and buy one with enough height clearance for you and your family.

The second thing you should be taking into account is your family size. Your family size is the second determinant in the shape and size of the tent you will be acquiring. A family with more members will require a larger tent than a family with fewer members.

Different tents come with different space layouts. Some are more open than others. Some allow you to sprawl out all over the place with your family and equipment.

    • Beach Tent Weight

It is like one of those implied rules;it exists, but no one mentions it. And that is, camping out means traveling light. And since the tent is a principal part of camping, it deserves due consideration. So, the weight of the tent is very important.

The same thing is applicable in the case of beach tents. And the best pop-up tent for beach tends to be lightweight and can be folded down to a compact package. This greatly improves portability. Luckily for us, most manufacturers now account for this and make their tents as lightweight as possible.

But by going lightweight, make sure that the setup process of the tent does not become overly complicated. Remember, we always want something that is easy to prop up and also pack up when needed.

    • Beach Tent Price

Whenever we want to buy something, it is always sensible to set up an appropriate budget. It is the same in the case of beach tents. They are offered in a range of prices, and as usual, the premium models command a premium pricing. Set about the things which are important to you.

It is in your best interest to carry out some research into the different models being offered in the market. In the end, this helps us to narrow our options, and we end up more satisfied with the unit we choose.