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Avoid sunburns and stay cooler with these 10 sunshades.

Extend your stay under the sunshine by bringing a beach tent or canopy on your next trip to the shore. A beach tent is a worthy summertime investment because it gives you extra shelter against UV rays, wind, bugs, and sand, plus a place to stash your things. After thorough evaluation, we found the best beach tents for groups, kids, infants, and overall protection.

When thinking about how to choose the right beach tent for you, consider the size. Sunshades range from tiny, enclosed tents made for babies to huge canopies that’ll cover a large group. Choose the size that accommodates your crew, but keep in mind that larger tents tend to be heavier and more cumbersome to set up than their smaller counterparts.

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You also have a choice of structure style. Sun canopies are typically made from a large sheet of material that blocks the sun overhead, whereas tents protect from wind, sand, and sun on multiple sides. If you want to feel the sand beneath your toes or have a spot to build sandcastles in the shade, choose canopy or another model with an open floor. But if you prefer to stay as sand-free as possible, a tent with a covered floor is a better pick. All tents block harmful sun rays to some extent, but opt for those with a UPF 50 rating for maximum sun protection.

As with camping tents, beach tents are at risk of flattening or blowing away in high winds. If you’ll be hitting the shore on a breezy day, secure your sunshade with a combination of guy lines and heavy objects, like sandbags.

When choosing the best beach tents, I prioritized portability, ease of setup and pack down, shade coverage, and durability. I spend most of my leisure time at the beach and a large part of my professional time finding excuses to be near the water. I’m also the founder of The Salt Sirens, a website dedicated to ocean adventures. The beach tents featured include my expert recommendations, popular choices among regular beachgoers, and best-sellers from trusted beach tent manufacturers. I also considered customer reviewers from online retailers.

Key Specs • Weight: 6.5 lbs • Dimensions: 95 x 51 x 52 in.

A solid all-around beach tent that can easily fit three adults inside, the Pacific Breeze Deluxe XL is intuitive to set up and pack away. It has a wide front and three mesh panels around the sides to allow for plenty of airflow. But when you want extra sun protection, unfurl the adjustable shade curtains. The floor of the tent is covered, and there are a handful of hooks and pockets to stash away belongings.

Key Specs • Weight: 6.5 lbs • Dimensions: 110 x 110 x 83 in.

The Neso Grande Sunshade is ideal for accommodating groups of up to six people on low-wind beach days. Setting up the shelter is simple: place two poles on one side of the shelter, then secure four sandbags at its base. Although you will have to readjust your towel to chase the shade as the sun moves across the sky, this canopy provides enough room for kids to dig holes and build sandcastles with sun protection overhead. Neso also offers the Neso Gigante for even larger groups and the Neso 1 for 2 to 4 people.

Key Specs • Weight: 8 lbs • Width: 96 in.

The Sport-Brella Premiere is an 8-foot-wide beach umbrella that rests in the sand with side panels, providing more shade options than your everyday beach umbrella. Side vents allow for extra airflow, and an adjustable tilt on its base lets you to create a bit more shade when sun is directly overhead. Taking less than a minute to set up and pack away, this is one of the most user-friendly beach tents around. The Sport-Brella Premiere XL offers an extra foot of coverage for larger groups.

Key Specs • Weight: 1.7 lbs • Dimensions: 39 x 35 x 33 in.

Babies can stay protected from the sun, sand flies, and mosquitoes inside the Babymoov Anti-UV Tent. This pop-up style tent sets up within seconds and is easy to pack away once you get the hang of it. A covered floor keeps sand away, and an adjustable mesh doors prevent bug bites yet still allow some airflow.

Key Specs • Weight: Not available • Dimensions: 99 x 55 x 59 in.

The WhiteFang Deluxe XL is a durable and spacious beach tent with an expandable floor that can turn into a front screen for added privacy. It’s large enough to comfortably fit two adult beach chairs with space overhead. Assembly is quick once you get the hang of it, but you’ll want to watch the instructional video before trying it on your own.

Key Specs • Weight: 7 lbs • Dimensions: 84 x 90 in.

The Sun Ninja 4-Person Tent is made from a single piece of washable elastic spandex propped up on four poles. It is easy to set up and packs down into a compact carrying bag. This is a great option if you’re wanting a shelter that’ll provide enough shade overhead for four adults with plenty of space to stand or lounge underneath. A larger 10-by-10-foot canopy sunshade is also available from Sun Ninja.

Key Specs • Weight: 5 lbs • Dimensions: 100 x 57 x 47 in.

The Redmon for Kids Beach Baby Family Size Pop-Up Tent is a versatile shelter that works especially well for road trips. The pop-up style tent takes just a minute to set up and pack away, making it a hassle-free shade when you’re looking after little ones. Set it up at a grassy rest stop or on the sandy beach. The mesh front screen keeps out bugs and critters, and an adjustable back panel lets you control ventilation.

Key Specs • Weight: 6 lbs • Dimensions: 90 x 53 x 57 in.

A best-seller from a legacy camping brand, the Coleman Beach Shade resembles a traditional tent but has an extra wide opening for ease of access. The extended floor can zip up and become a front wall for privacy, and a mesh window on the back panel provides extra ventilation. This tent packs down into a compact carrying bag and is assembled with a traditional tent pole system.

Key Specs • Weight: 14 lbs • Dimensions: 98 x 98 in.

The Mobihome Beach Canopy Sunshade is a spacious sunshade that comes with an adjustable wall for extra sun protection. The major perk of this sunshade is its ease of set-up and take-down compared to similar sunshades of its size. This is a great pick for accommodating beach chairs, sandcastle building sites, and picnic blankets.

Key Specs • Weight: 3.8 lbs • Dimensions: 59 x 59 x 49 in.

The AquaBreeze takes just a few minutes to set up and stow away, leaving plenty of time for the beach. It’s one of the best tent-style sunshades in windy conditions thanks to its adjustable mesh side windows and zip-down front and back doors. Plus, fillable sand bags and guy line loops keep the tent standing in big gusts. Like most pop-up tents, it takes a few tries to get the hang of packing the tent down.