9 Best Beach Tents in 2020
A warm summer day is best spent outside. If you spend a long time in the sun on the beach, at a picnic in the park or simply in the garden, you must also protect yourself from the heat. The sun’s rays are tiring, dehydrating and this can quickly lead to sunburn.
This is especially important for families with small children or people with very fair skin. With a suitable beach tent you don’t have to flee into the shade after a while. If you have such a beach tent, you don’t have to give up your place in the first row directly at the water, just to protect yourself and the children.
The choice of beach tents is large. It is not easy to keep the overview. Our best list with the best beach tents is therefore a good starting point for your research. The models that made it onto our list have already been tested in a beach tent test or have otherwise proven themselves in practice.
Especially families with babies and small children are dependent on a beach tent. With the large number of different beach tents on the market, however, it is difficult to decide on one model.
Our best list gives a first overview of the individual beach tents. On this list we have already briefly presented some of the best beach tents. But in the following section we will go into more detail about the individual beach tents.
The best beach tents
| # | Product | Rating | Shop |
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1 |  | ||
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2 |  | Pacific Breeze Easy Up Beach Tent | |
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3 |  | AmazonBasics Pop-up Beach Tent Sun | |
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4 |  | Felicigeely Beach Tent,UPF 50+ | |
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5 |  | WolfWise UPF 50+ Easy Pop Up 2-3 | |
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6 |  | G4Free Large Pop up Beach Tent | |
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7 |  | OutdoorMaster Pop Up 3-4 Person | |
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8 |  | SUN NINJA Pop Up Beach Tent Sun | |
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9 |  | Venustas Beach Tent Beach Umbrella | |
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guide: Buying the right beach tent
Even families with small children do not have to do without a day at the beach. Sure, such an excursion has to be planned better, but a day at the beach is also good for the little ones. The presented beach tents are practical to be outside on the beach or in the park on the one hand and on the other hand to provide enough shade for the children.
The easily transportable beach tents are ideal for the beach, a family picnic in the park, a football tournament or even for your own garden. The beach tents provide a cooler environment as well as protection from sunlight, wind and flying sand.
For the summer holiday the beach tents are a particularly good choice. A beach tent is an excellent investment. The children can stay longer on the beach and are less likely to get stuck in front of electronic devices. In the next section we will therefore look at the characteristics you should look out for when buying a beach shell.
material
The manufacturers use different materials for the outer tent of the tents. Mostly, however, polyester or nylon materials are used. Both materials are durable, waterproof and dirt-repellent. In addition, polyester and nylon beach tents weigh little, which makes transport easier.
The frame of the beach tent is made of light but durable materials. Usually it is aluminium or plastics that can withstand salt water without rusting. The low weight of the struts also makes the beach tent much easier to transport. Nobody needs a handcart for the transport.
size
The right size of the beach tent depends on the number of people who should be able to find space in it. Most beach tents are designed for families with two adults and one or two children. However, it should be noted that children need more space than just enough room to sit.
The little ones simply need space to play and explore. If you want to buy a beach tent for several children, it is therefore best to buy a large beach tent. Some of these XXL models even offer space for a few beach chairs and a small table on which you can eat or play card games.
Another aspect is the height of the beach tent. Many tents are only suitable for sitting. However, some manufacturers have also specialised in larger models in which (most) children can stand upright without retracting their heads.
build up
The construction of the beach tents from our best list is extremely simple. Most of them are already standing after only 10 minutes. In former times struts had to be pushed through loops. Today most models are Pop Up beach tents that simply need to be unpacked and then unfold almost by themselves.
An exception are throw-up beach tents, which can be thrown literally and are fully erected within a few moments. Beach tents only have to be fixed with pegs. Beach tents that can be thrown, however, require some practice in folding them together.
colour
Beach tents are available in all possible colour variations. Choosing a colour is a matter of personal preference, but it should also be noted that dark colours absorb more sunlight and therefore heat up more quickly. We therefore advise you to prefer lighter colours such as light blue, orange or light green if the mussel is to be used on the beach.
weight
The weight also plays a role. The lighter the beach tent is, the easier it is to transport. Many manufacturers have recognised this and are constantly working on making their tents lighter and further reducing the packing size. Carrying bags are particularly practical, in which the beach tent can be stowed.
price
The large number of manufacturers offering their own beach tents has also led to significant price reductions. As with other purchases, however, the price of beach tents also plays an important role.
Before buying, it is best to consider a budget that you are willing to invest in a good beach tent. Even with a budget of 50 to 60 euros, you have a wide selection of several of the best beach tents that have made it onto our best list.
kinds of beach tent
There are different types of beach tents. Just as with camping tents, there are different types, which differ in subtleties and are suitable for different uses.
Among the best known types of beach tents are the following:
- throwing beach tents / Pop Up beach tents: No other type of beach tent can be set up so easily and quickly. The Pop Up beach tents are simply taken out of the packaging and unfold by themselves. Within moments the whole tent has erected itself.
- Beach tents for babies:Toddlers and babies need special protection from sunlight, flying sand and the hot sand. Beach tents for babies offer the ideal environment. These beach shells have a sun protection factor of 50 or more and are well insulated against the hot ground.
- Beach tents with mosquito nets: For holidays at tropical stands, however, a mosquito net cannot harm. The integrated nets provide effective protection against mosquitoes and other insects and can also keep sand away.
- Semi-open beach tents: In contrast, Mediterranean holidaymakers prefer semi-open models. These beach tents offer good protection against wind, flying sand and salt water on the one hand, and on the other hand they are nice and airy so that the heat does not build up inside the tent.
- If the wind picks up, rain starts or simply too much sand is flying, these beach tents can easily be closed. These models offer the best possible protection and are the best choice for adverse conditions.
FAQ: Frequently asked questions about beach tents and beach tents
What makes a good beach shell for babies?
A day at the beach with a toddler requires more planning and preparation than an excursion alone or with just adults. Babies have a sensitive skin which is vulnerable to UV radiation. This can quickly lead to sunburn.
For this reason, the beach tent should offer protection against UV radiation. Beach shells with a UV protection of at least 50 (and better a sun protection factor of 80) are common for babies. It is also important that the tents withstand wind, water and heat. It is especially important for babies that the beach shell effectively shields them from the hot sand.
A beach shell for families should also offer more space than a conventional model, so that all members of the family and the children have enough room. Especially for small children, extra space should also be planned in, as the little ones don’t just want to sit around but also need space to play and explore.
Parents of small children have to take a number of things with them to the beach. It is practical if at least the beach shell does not weigh much and does not take up much space. Furthermore, the beach shell should be easy to assemble. Especially throwing beach shells or pop-up models prove to be very practical with babies, as the tents are almost completely self-assembling within a few moments and only need to be fixed with ground nails.
How to fix a beach shell?
Most of the beach shells are supplied with pegs, which can be used to fix the beach shell in the ground. The ground pegs are either made of metal or plastic. The former prove to be better in practice because they are more stable and last longer.
Many beach shells have loops at all four corners, through which the peg simply has to be passed and then sunk into the ground. In soil the pegs have a very good grip, but with fine sand it looks different.
On particularly windy days a small hole should be dug in all four corners. Below the fine sand on the surface there is wet sand, which is much firmer. The pegs hold better in this sand.
Several other beach shells also come with ropes that can be used for additional fastening. Other manufacturers have equipped their tents with sand bags. The bags are located on the outside and are simply weighted down with sand and stones to anchor the tent securely to the ground.
How expensive is a beach shell?
The price for a good beach shell fluctuates. The main reasons for different prices are the differences in size and materials used. Even the best beach tents do not cost too much and range from 40€ to 80€. There are of course a lot of beach shells that cost more, but for most people these quite cheap models are completely sufficient.
How do you prevent the beach shell from flying away?
In the past, this was often a problem. However, the manufacturers have given some thought to the modern beach shells and also to the models from our best list. Often the beach shells have loops in the corners and can be anchored in the ground with the help of pegs.
If no pegs are included, the beach shells often have pockets at the corners that can be filled with sand. If these are also missing, stones can simply be collected and placed in the corners of the tent to give it more stability.
How do you fold a beach shell together?
This varies from model to model. A manual is either included in the delivery, on the packaging or at least on the manufacturer’s website. Especially with throwing and pop-up beach shells, folding them together proves to be complicated at first. But with a good instruction and some practice this can be mastered quickly.
Conclusion
Some of the presented beach shells can be closed when the wind increases and sand is flying around. Other models offer extra space inside, have an extra roof or offer an extra high sun protection factor, which makes them a good beach shell for babies.
Throwing beach shells, on the other hand, are incredibly comfortable, just like Pop Up beach shells, and they have been convincing in many beach shell tests.
And if you want to use the beach tent in the tropics, you should look out for an integrated mosquito net, while Mallorca holidaymakers are best off choosing a semi-open model, which ensures good draught and still provides good protection from the flying sand.
