Going to the beach is a great way to get your baby out of the house and experiencing the real world.
That being said, too much exposure to the sun can be dangerous for a little one, meaning it is important to make sure that they have some sort of protection.
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A baby’s skin is much more fragile than a kid’s or adult’s, and any sort of sunburn can be extremely harmful.
Having a beach tent is not only a way to give your baby a clean space while at the beach, but also a great way to give them the proper protection from the sun.
There are many beach tents out there that are great for transporting, setting up, and being put to use, though there are also many that aren’t.
This is why we’ve created a comprehensive guide to the best beach tents around so that you can get to the beach and have fun without worry.
Best Baby Beach Tents
#1 Best Family: Pacific Breeze Deluxe XL
- Fastest and Easiest Tent to Set Up!
- Can comfortably fit 3-4 people
- Lightweight Fiberglass frame and water-resistant PE floor
- Comes with a carrying case, 5 sand pockets, and 4 stakes
#1 Best Baby: WolfWise UPF 50+ Easy Pop Up
- Great small design for just your baby!
- Can comfortably fit 1 person
- Steel Wire Frame and Polyester Material
- Comes with Mesh Pocket, 2 sand pockets, and 4 stakes
#1 Best Budget: Monobeach Pop Up, Portable & UV Protection
- Great enclosed tent for just your baby!
- Can comfortably fit 1 adult of 2 children
- Steel Wire Frame and Silver Coated Polyester Material
- Comes with Carrying Case and 6 Pegs
Our Top 7 Picks
Our #1 Pick – Best Family: Pacific Breeze Deluxe XL
The Pacific Breeze Deluxe XL is the number one baby beach tent on the market for a number of reasons. For starters, the design is absolutely impeccable. It is one of the easiest tents to set up and take down, making it very user friendly. For how large it is, it is also incredibly lightweight and compact, only weighing around 6lbs. If you’re looking to give your baby the utmost protection from sun, rain, wind, etc., you’ll be happy to know that this will give him or her UPF 50+ sun protection.
If you’re worried about it getting too hot inside, you’ll really like the 3 large windows that help give your baby a cross breeze, as well as the breathable polyester material. Even while breathable, it’s still completely water repellent, giving your baby protection from not only the sun, but from all elements. On the inside is an incredibly spacious interior that can help you fit up to 4 people easily, so you can hang inside with your baby too. All of this is designed with a tough fiberglass frame and water resistant PE floor. It also comes with a great carrying case, 5 sand pockets for an extra-sturdy setup, and 4 heavy-duty metal stakes.
#2 Best Baby: Wolfwise UPF 50+ Easy Pop Up
While not at the top of our list, the WolfWise Baby Tent is still incredibly easy to set up, making it a perfect candidate for our number 2 spot. There is absolutely no assembly required. The tent simply pops up when you fold it out, giving your baby shade in less than a minute. It is very durable, constructed from 190T anti-tear polyester fabric and corrosion steel wire, meaning it’s a tent with serious longevity that can handle the elements for years to come. Luckily, the materials used are lightweight too, making it perfect for transporting from place to place with the included carrying bag.
The polyester material used is silver-coated so that it reflects and absorbs sunlight and dangerous UV rays. It’s also completely waterproof as well. If you were worried about the heat, you’ll l be happy to know that this thing comes with 2 massive mesh windows, both with buckles and Velcro so that you can optimize your flow. For extra storage, there are 2 small mesh pockets on the inside that are perfect for things like phones, wallets, keys, etc. If you’re looking for a small beach tent for just your baby, look no further than the WolfWise UPF 50+.
#3 Best Budget: Monobeach Pop Up, Portable & UV Protection
If you ever used the original Monobeach Pop Up Tent, you’ll be happy to know that this one has been upgraded to be more practical and convenient to use. The curtain has been updated in front so that your baby or kid can have his or her own personal space inside for changing, sleeping, etc. As for the build, the tent is made from a silver-coated polyester to give your baby full protection from sunlight and harmful UV rays. It’s also incredibly lightweight, making it easy to transport from one place to the next with the included carrying bag.
As for the setup, it is just as easy as the tents listed above, and pops up in a matter of seconds without any sort of fuss. We love that the curtain folds down to give you more space to lounge outside the tent as well. There aren’t mesh windows on the inside, though there are small slats to help it stay a bit cooler.
#4 Best Infant: Campela Baby Beach Tent UV
This beach tent is one of the best infant beach tents out there for the size. It’s very durable, constructed with a 180T Poleyester that is waterproof, as well as tough polypropylene on the floor. As another popup tent, you can set this thing up in seconds by simply opening it up and folding it out. It also comes with a small carrying bag so that you can pack it up and toss it in the back of your car.
The material used provides both sun and rain protection so that you can be protected against the weather at all times, even if it’s sporadic. On hot days, it can be very important to have solid ventilation. This is why they have added the small side windows to make sure it stays relatively cool inside. With the tunnel-shaped entrance, you’ll always be able to keep an eye on your little one too.
#5 Best Toddler: The Hamptons Baby Pop-Up SPF50+
The Hamptons Baby Pop-Up utilizes a special MetalTec Fabric that helps to give your baby or toddler ultimate protection in terms of UPF, SPF, and UV rays. It comes with a few anchors so that you can keep it set in the sand without worrying about any wind. Without tent poles, this thing is easy-as-pie to set up. By simply throwing it out and letting it unfold, it’ll pop up in seconds. Storing it away is just as easy with the lightweight design and zippered carrying case.
The floor of the tent is unique, as it is shaped like a small pool. This means you can fill it up with water if you want to keep your baby cool, or sand if you want to let your baby play while still remaining safe in the shade. On the back is a small mesh opening that allows a nice breeze to come through so that your baby can be comfortable, even if the heat picks up. This tiny pop-up tent is great for your single baby, and if you like the pool design, look no further.
#6 Best UV: Babymoov Anti-UV Tent
This tent is actually pretty large for it being a single baby tent, and has a fairly unique tunnel design. This creates tons of space for your baby to hang out and play around in while staying safe from the sun, sand, and water. It also protects from bugs like mosquitoes, even when the mesh curtain is running down the front. The pop-up design makes it so that you can set it up in just seconds.
The UV Protection with this tent is some of the strongest out there. It is made with an Anti-UV rating of 50 SPF and can protect your little one from 99% of harmful UV-A and UV-B Rays. It comes with a carrying bag, and at only 1.5lbs, it is incredibly lightweight and easy to transport from the home to the beach and back. If you’re looking for a tent with tons of playing room on the inside that doesn’t skimp out on protection, this is one of the best ones you can get!
#7 Best Pop-UP: Finfree Pop-UP W/ Pool
Like the Hamptons tent, this little Pop-Up tent comes with a sweet little mini pool at the bottom so you can keep your baby nice and cool while they are hanging out. There are 2 pockets that are located at the sides for extra storage, as well as a small zipper window design with a mesh covering so that you can create a little cross breeze inside to keep your little once comfortable. The design is great if you want to keep watch on your baby, as it is a very large opening.
Like the other tents, this one also pops up in a matter of seconds, and is also very lightweight at just under 2lbs. As for the material, it is made with a tough nylon parachute that comes with wildly strong stitching to remain in tact, even when the elements get crazy.
5 Features To Look For When Buying
Proper Protection
If you get a cheap baby beach tent, there’s a chance that you might be getting one that only provides your baby with shade, not with real protection. The best thing you can do is to get a tent with UVP (Ultra-Violet Protection), as these are the ones that are going to protect your baby from harmful rays and radiation. Along with having protection from the sun, it is also important that it is strong enough to withstand things like wind and water. Having waterproof, or at least water-resistant material, is crucial for serious protection. Proper mesh material on the windows can also help protect your baby from bugs like mosquitoes that are very prominent on some beaches.
Easy-To-Set-Up Design
Pretty much all of the tents on our list come complete with the easy to set-up pop up design. This can be very helpful, as painstakingly trying to set up a complicated tent at the beach can be incredibly annoying, as well as can take a long time, exposing your baby to tons of sunlight while you get it going. After a long day at the beach, packing up a tent can be a bit of a burden, which is why you’ll also want to find a tent that is easy to collapse as well. This will make it much easier to transport too.
Ventilation
While having a closed off tent can be nice to protect your baby, it is important that the tent has some sort of ventilation to help keep your baby nice and cool while he or she is sitting inside. Even when you have materials that are breathable, these types of tents can heat up very quickly. There are a few things you can look for to help keep your tent ventilated. For starters, look for a tent with mesh windows on the inside. You can also look for a tent with a tunnel-style opening that can have more air travel through it.
Anchoring
You don’t want to have to chase your tent miles down the shoreline if the wind picks up. Even worse, you don’t want to say goodbye to your tent if it blows out into the deep blue. This is why it’s important to have a baby beach tent with built-on anchor points. These kinds of tents will typically come with strong metal pegs so that you can hammer your tent into the sand, making sure to keep it stable in place. This will also help so that it doesn’t collapse while your baby is using it.
Size
When you’re deciding on the size of your tent, you need to consider what you actually want to use it for. If you’re just looking for a tent to keep your baby nice and safe, you can definitely get one that is just the right size for a solo stay. If you want to be able to hang out with your baby, possibly have some privacy for changing, breastfeeding, or playtime, we highly recommend getting a tent that has a bit more room inside. This can also help in creating a bit of additional storage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Baby Beach Tent vs. Umbrella
Many people will just grab an umbrella if they need to get beach shade for their baby and they are probably the most popular form of beach shade. While they’re portable, easy to set up, and great for providing shade, they actually aren’t the best form of protection when it comes to your little one.
For starters, the actual shading with an umbrella is much less consistent when compared to the shade you get from a beach tent. This is great, as it is important to keep your baby as much out of the sun as you possibly can.
Secondly, tents are better when the wind picks up or the weather becomes non-ideal. A nasty gust of wind can topple your umbrella, which can be dangerous if your baby is sitting under them. Baby beach tents are manufactured so that they are safer and sturdier, regardless of the weather outside.
Lastly, baby beach tents are made to provide real UV protection to give your baby more than just shade. This can decrease the harmful rays that can endanger your baby’s skin.
Why does my baby beach tent need UV Protection?
UV protection is especially important for babies, as they have less melanin in their skin. Melanin is one of the natural things in the body that protects us from the sun and its harmful UV rays. If you don’t consider that protection, you’re leaving your baby open to things like painful sunburns, skin damage, eye damage, and illness.
How Else Can I Protect My Baby From the Sun?
If your baby is any younger than 6 months, we recommend that you give him or her a wide-brimmed hat to give them the utmost protection. If your baby is older than 6 months, this is when you can start using sunscreen with SPF protection to keep their skin protected. You can even make sure that their clothing is coated with UPF protective material.
Final Thoughts – Which Should I Buy?
Having a baby beach tent is very important if you want to make sure that your baby stays safe, even when the outside conditions aren’t ideal. Obviously you want to continuously apply sunscreen, make sure they’re wearing the proper clothing, and even throw on a pair of sunnies to protect their eyes, though a tent on top of that can give you relief that your baby is cool and protected during your beach days.
We highly recommend the Pacific Breeze Deluxe XL for families. It’s big enough that you can hang out inside with your baby or family, has great UV and water protection, is well-ventilated, and is incredibly easy to set up.
But if the Pacific Breeze is too big and you want a true baby tent, see our #1 recommended baby beach tent right here.
We hope that you found our Best Baby Beach Tent article helpful and have fun at the beach this summer!
