Best Beach Umbrellas Reviewed

You’re googling for the best beach umbrellas out there huh?

If I was a betting man, I’d wager you either fell asleep on the beach without sunblock again and are now sitting in front of your screen, red as a tomato, cursing the Sun!  

OR

you were up all night reading WebMD and have convinced yourself you will absolutely get skin cancer if even a single ray of sunlight touches any part of your skin.

More...

RELAX!

Whatever reasons you have for being here, we’ve got you covered on buying the Best Beach Umbrella for you and all your needs!

Our Favorite Beach Umbrella

#1 Best Overall Beach Umbrella: Sport-Brella 8’ All-Weather
Sport Brella All Weather Umbrella
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  • 8 ft Water Repellent Canopy that doubles as a sun tent!
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  • 54 x 4 x 4 inches ; 9 pounds
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  • UPF 50

#2 Best Overall Beach Umbrella: BEACHBUB All-In-One 7.5.'
BEACHBUB All In One Umbrella
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  • Wind Resistant up to 35 MPH. The most secure and convenient umbrella base on the market!
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  • 47.3 x 6.3 x 6.3 inches ; 9 pounds
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  • UPF 50 +

#3 Best Overall Beach Umbrella: Tommy Bahama Anchor 7.'
Tommy Bahama Anchor Umbrella
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  • 7 ft Vented Canopy with Tilting Mechanism, making this the most convenient umbrella to stay covered under all day long!
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  • 49 x 4.5 x 4 inches ; 4.3 pounds
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  • UPF 50 +

The Top 9

#1 Best Overall Beach Umbrella: Sport-Brella 8’ All-Weather

Sport-Brella All-Weather

You can’t miss one of these lying around on the beach!

The Sport-Brella is an 8 ft canopy made of 210 D Polyester that doubles as a sun tent and beach umbrella. This canopy is also water repellent and weather resistant, making it a perfect hideout for any rolling rain showers that pass your way!

This canopy has a UPF 50+ coating, ensuring the highest level of protection from both UVA and UVB rays.

Supported by 4.5 mm steel ribs and a 5 mm steel stretcher, the Sport-Brella is durable under all conditions. Angled correctly with the wind, this tent will easily anchor itself in the sand and provide secure cover under intense gusts.

A vented top, side panels, and wind flaps all help balance out the Sport-Brella's airflow, contributing to making it as wind resistant as possible. In addition, there are pockets on the flaps that you can weigh down with some heavier items (or sand) on, especially windy days.

You'll be provided with 8 Tent Stakes and three ties down cords to make securing this umbrella as easy as possible.

The Sport-Brella comes in three different colors, Red, Blue, and Turquoise to help give your umbrella some of its own flare.

When your day is all said and done, you can break the Sport-Brella down and pack it into the provided easy carry bag. The umbrella's packed dimensions are 54 x 4 x 4 inches. This makes the Sport-Brella just large enough to where you could run into some issues trying to cram it into the trunks or back seat of smaller cars. It still fits, but it takes a second or two to get it just right for some vehicles.

Pro's

  • Quality Canopy with a Massive Area of Coverage and Shade!

Con's

  • Slightly large dimensions can make fitting this into smaller cars a bit tricky but far from impossible.

#2 Frankford Commercial Grade 7’5”

Frankford Commercial Grade

The Frankford Commercial-Grade Umbrella offers a much heavier and more durable canopy than the competitors on this list. Made of a marine-grade acrylic mold and resistant canvas, this canopy is constructed for longevity!

A two-piece Ash-Wood pole and 5mm zinc plated steel ribs and stainless steel springs also help further re-enforce the lifeline of this umbrella.

Take note that the Ash-Wood pole is one piece, and you're left with the same limitations we've seen for most of the other one-piece poles on this list. You'll lose the ability to expand or compress the height of the umbrella, and there's no tilt feature. In addition to these limitations, the Frankford Commercial Grade does not come with any anchors or tie downs, making this umbrella extremely vulnerable in windy conditions. Sandbag anchors and tie downs are offered at an additional cost.

There are a ton of canopy designs for this umbrella that are all, not surprisingly, fairly commercial. Variations of solid colors, stripes, and two-tones are abundant with the Frankford Commercial Grade umbrella. There a couple of other standout designs like the beach ball and American flag canopies. My personal favorite is the American Flag! It’s well done and will help keep the spirit of the 4th of July alive all summer long!

The Frankford Commercial Grade weighs a hefty 15 lbs. and has a length of roughly 84 inches. You’ll notice the rest of the dimensions are missing because this umbrella does not come with a carrying case. Again, you’re going to have to purchase another accessory at an additional cost.

Pro's

  • Heavy Duty and Superior Canopy. Multiple Designs including the Stars and Stripes of the USA. ‘Merica!

Con's

  • Does not include any additional accessories, including carrying bag and anchor, that may leave you feeling like it's missing something and will come at an additional cost to obtain

#3 Best Overall Beach Umbrella: BEACHBUB All-In-One 7.5’

BEACHBUB All-In-One

If dealing with the wind and chasing umbrellas down the beach is continuously an issue at your beach, look no further than the BEACHBUB All-In-One!

The BEACHBUB is a one of a kind "commonsense engineered" base that's provided with your umbrella. Essentially you lay the BEACHBUB on the sand, stake your umbrella 8 inches through the middle of it, and fill it with sand for a maximum base weight of roughly 120 lbs, Within minutes you'll have an umbrella that isn't going anywhere! 

As an added convenience there's a small and adjustable rack attached to the pole that can be used to hang towels, hats, bags, clothes or anything else you might need a quick place for.

With a padded shoulder strap and packed dimensions of 47.3 x 6.3 x 6.3 inches and 9 lbs, the BEACHBUB is as easy as it is comfortable to transport to and from your local beach!

A woven polyester canopy measuring in at 7.5 ft with a UPF 50 + rating will keep you, and your loved ones safely shaded for most of the day.

The BEACHBUB’s big drawback is that it has absolutely no titling mechanism whatsoever. Your umbrella isn’t going anywhere, which includes being able to keep up with the movement of the sun as well. This might prove to be troublesome for some beachgoers.

You can have the BEACHBUB in any color you want, as long as it's Blue. Another, smaller, drawback to the BEACHBUB is that it has one and only one color scheme. This isn't too big of a deal, but it's worth noting for anyone looking for a little more external personality from their beach umbrella.

For a more in-depth look at the BEACHBUB Umbrella, make sure to check out our BEACHBUB Umbrella Review

Pro's

  • Ingenious base design that earns the title for most Wind Resistant Umbrella out there

Con's

  • This same design limits the BEACHBUB from tilting in any way, making it difficult to adjust with the movement of the sun

#4 Best Overall Beach Umbrella: Tommy Bahama Anchor 7’

Tommy Bahama Anchor

The Tommy Bahama Anchor is your quintessential beach umbrella! With a built-in tilting mechanism, a wide variety of bright color patterns and schemes, extremely lightweight, and ease of set-up, this is exactly the kind of umbrella you'd expect to see all over any beach.

The Tommy Bahama Anchor comes with a tilting mechanism. A beach umbrella with a tilting mechanism will keep you covered all day long as naturally as the sun moving through the sky. Simply adjust accordingly and never lose a minute of relaxation in the process. In addition to keeping you shaded all day long, the tilting mechanism doubles as a way to reinforce anchoring your Tommy Bahama to the sand in windy conditions.

The Anchor is a 7 ft umbrella that packs down into the provided carrying case at 48.4 x 4.3 x 3.6 inches and only 4.2 pounds! Talk about effortless transportation!

A 2 piece telescopic aluminum pole is responsible for the remarkable lightweight. The pole has a built-in sand anchor for securing the umbrella into the sand. With a fully expanded pole, this umbrella is 84" tall.

The Tommy Bahama Anchor canopy literally has a silver lining, providing you with UPF 50 +  and SPF 100 sun protection. Aluminum ribs and a vented top do what they can to keep this umbrella durable and stable under windy conditions.

With at least six different color schemes and patterns to choose from ranging from Green/Blue Stripe to Apple Red to the classic Multi-Stripe, you won't be short on options when it comes to standing out.

Of course, the image of the quintessential beach umbrella is incomplete without imagining it being ravished by the winds and carried down the beach, and unfortunately, the Tommy Bahama Anchor does not entirely escape these concerns.

The focus on lightweight materials makes this umbrella extremely susceptible to being carried down the beach on windy days. The built-in anchor definitely helps, but further reinforcements will be needed for anything above 20mph. The canopy is also at a higher risk of being damaged under winds exceeding 35 mph. Personally, I'm not gonna hang out on the beach if the winds are the strong, but in case that's your thing, this probably isn't the umbrella for you.

Pro's

  • Excellent UPF and SPF Protection with a Tilting Mechanism that makes it easy to enjoy the full benefits of the shade all day long

Con's

  • While the ultra Lightweight material is convenient, it can also lead to a flying umbrella and a damaged canopy

#5 Sport-Brella X-Large

Sport-Brella X-Large

The Sport-Brella X-Large appears to be nothing more than a larger version of the Sport-Brella. Same 210 D Polyester canopy, 9ft in diameter as opposed to 7ft, eight tent stakes and three tie downs, UPF 50+, 4.5 mm steel ribs, water repellant and weather resistant, side flaps, vented top, it's got all of that.

The main difference on paper is size. Packed down to 62 x 3.5 x 3.5 inches and weighing 10.2 pounds you would think this is essentially a blown-up version of the Sport-Brella.

However, it would be an insult to compare the Sport-Brella to the Sport-Brella X-Large.

The Sport-Brella X-Large is vastly inferior to the original. While the dimensions only change slightly on paper, it is enough to undermine the integrity of the entire umbrella. Perhaps Sport-Brella only needs to enhance the strength of the ribs. Maybe it's just a matter of getting a stronger canopy. Who knows, maybe they just produced a batch of lemons?

For now, the Sport-Brella X-Large should be considered a prototype at best while the company works out the kinks. It struggles to hold up under windy conditions and churns out a heavy handful of broken ribs and torn grommets.

Alright, so why did it make the list?

It’s still worth your while if you’re looking for the largest canopy around. You could basically have a picnic under this thing with your entire family! It’s also worth noting that most people don’t visit the beach on extra windy days. If you're just looking for an extra large and shady space (and you have the extra space to transport the Sport-Brella X-Large), it might be a nice addition to your beach umbrella collection. Just make sure you're feeling confident about the winds remaining calm because an unexpected change in the forecast could leave you with a giant piece of trash to throw away at the end of your beach outing.

Pro's

  • Largest area of shade coverage

Con's

  • Inferior product quality

#6 Impact Canopy 8’ 

Impact Canopy

Impact Canopy has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? It sounds like an umbrella that's seen some storms and can handle even more. For the most part, it lives up to its name.

This 8 ft canopy is larger than most at 54.8 x 5 x 5.2 inches and 9.5 lbs. Smaller cars will definitely need to fold the seats down to make room for the Impact Canopy.

The umbrella is supported by a single rust-free aluminum pole. This means that what you see is what you get and it lacks the expansion and compression that telescopic poles offer.

A spike tip helps to anchor the Impact Canopy into the ground, and a tilting mechanism offers convenient shade throughout the entire day.  The Teflon coated polyester, and weatherproof canopy provides UPF 50 + protection and is supported by 16 fiberglass ribs.

A vented top provides airflow for comfort on light, breezy beach days while helping to break up the wind on gustier days.

The Impact Canopy comes in Rainbow and Blue/Green color schemes giving it a pleasant and inviting look on the beach.

Pro's

  • Strong, Durable and Reliable in the winds with the added benefit of having a Tilting Mechanism and a large area of shade.

Con's

  • Big and Bulky. Unable to Expand or Compress the one size only Rust-Free aluminum pole.

#7 Banana Leaf Beach Umbrella 6’5”

Banana Leaf Beach Umbrella

The first thing that catches your eye with the Banana Leaf Umbrella will naturally be the rad designs of the canopy. The "red stripes" scheme offers an old school 60's looking red, pink and yellow palette while the "stripe blue" pattern has a calm and cool mix of blues with some neon green stripes. Finally, the "sand" scheme is an interesting print of white clouds and blue sky that looks mildly psychedelic from the right angle. If you're into *those* kind of trips to the beach, this umbrella would be a fun choice for you!

The Banana Leaf Umbrella is one of the smallest umbrellas on our list at only 6.5 ft in diameter. At 40 x 4 x 4 inches and 5 pounds, the Banana Leaf Beach Umbrella is an excellent choice for a traveling beach umbrella!

Made of durable polyester fabric the smaller size of this umbrella doesn’t offset any level of protection and still has a UPF 50 + rating.

The Banana Leaf Beach Umbrella also has a tilting feature, but it seems like the company either cut corners when installing this or they need to revisit the blueprints for this feature. The button is off center and can get stuck after only a couple of uses. Most of the time it can be finagled back into place, but occasionally this will lead to a fully defunct and broken product.

Steel ribs and a rust-resistant steel pole offer pretty basic support for this umbrella and holds up well in most conditions. Personally, I wouldn't bank on the Banana Leaf staying anchored in the sand in winds over 20 mph without added tie downs or weight.

Overall, this is a simple beach umbrella that’s fun to look at and holds up well provided your tilt button doesn’t break.

Pro's

  • Great Canopy Designs! Small and Lightweight making this an ideal traveling beach umbrella!

Con's

  • Tilting Button is off center and can get permanently stuck

#8 Aoske Portable Sun Shade 6’5”

Aoske Portable Sun Shade

The Asoke Sun Shade is the definitive portable umbrella!

Packed in at 46.5 x 4.7 x 3.2 inches and 4.23 pounds in the provided carrying case, transporting this umbrella couldn’t be any easier. A 6.5 ft. Umbrella that keeps you covered without the hassle of storage or transportation worries.

Constructed with double layer polyester and vinyl materials offering heat insulation, anti-ultraviolet function, and a breathable light filtering fabric offering a UPF 50 + rating, you'll be safely shaded from 99.9% of the sun's harmful rays. A vented top helps with airflow to keep you as cool and comfortable as you are covered.

The Aoske Sun Shade has an unconventional tilting mechanism built into the middle of the two-piece aluminum pole set up. It can take a little bit of strength to really bend and tilt, but once you get used to it, it’s fairly easy to use that holds up extremely well over time and avoids having to worry about stuck buttons.

It also has a three pronged tip for staking into the sand. It looks cool, but it's a pretty weak anchor overall and shouldn't be considered dependable in winds above 20-25 mph.

There is only one design for this umbrella, an orange canopy with a white Aoske logo. Nothing too fancy and won’t stick out unless you’re the only one using it.

Pro's

  • The Most Portable Umbrella on our list with a unique and effective tilting mechanism

Con's

  • Three Prong Anchor looks cool, but is pretty weak overall

#9 AMMSUN Polyester 7’

AMMSUN Polyester

The Ammsun Polyester Beach Umbrella sticks out on any crowded beach with it’s refreshing and unique hollowed out flower design canopy!

With a lifted cover on top and open vented pedals underneath, the vented top of the Ammsun is a creative spin on an otherwise common feature. You’ll receive the maximum amount of airflow possible while still remaining safely shaded underneath this UPF 50 + polyester canopy.

This 7 ft umbrella with a built-in tilting mechanism and two piece aluminum pole breaks down into the provided carry bag at 50 x 3.9 x 3.9 inches and 6.3 pounds. This puts this umbrella on the bigger and heavier side of our list, but it is in fact surprisingly compact.

Ten steel ribs are all that really hold this umbrella together though, and without a sand anchor being provided, you're definitely going to need to purchase one if you plan on using and keeping this secured in the ground during any windy days.

Pro's

  • Creative, Unique, and Refreshing Canopy Design + Tilting Mechanism

Con's

  • Not that durable and a sand anchor will have to be purchased separately



What To Consider When Buying a Beach Umbrella


Type

Traveling and Portable - These umbrellas are best suited for people on the Go who need to prioritize smaller size and lighter weights

Commercial - These umbrellas are heavy duty and are best suited for locations and/or events being held on the beach

All - Around - These umbrellas combine the best of all the other types and will be the most common type found on beaches


Weatherproof

Weatherproof Umbrellas are coated with water repellant and made of weather resistant material (think extra durable and light, kind of like a rain jacket) to ensure the best quality in the harshest beach conditions


UPF Rating

Possibly the most valuable factor when buying an umbrella. However, it has become the standard to max out the UPF rating on almost every new umbrella these days.  If you noticed, there’s not a single umbrella on this list that doesn’t sport a UPF 50 + rating. 50 + is the maximum rating and will block out 99.9% of harmful UVA and UVB rays. Keep this in mind if you are going to purchase an umbrella that doesn’t have a UPF 50 + rating


Size

Sizes typically range from 6’ to 13’. Our list personally stays within 6’5” to 9’. Anything larger on the beach is a bit overkill and will probably weigh enough to make churning through the sand with it a bit of a chore.


Materials

From acrylic to vinyl there are an array of different materials that can be used, but Polyester is the most common. It is the best overall material for providing shade, withstanding winds, and keeping things light.


Design

Design essentially boils down to tilting vs. non-tilting and two-piece poles vs. single piece poles.  Very simple traits that can make very big differences in your day on the beach. Be sure to read the details of the design carefully!


Color

From standard to commercial to unique and creative the color, or color scheme/pattern, will help your umbrella stick out and will sometimes provide a chance to express a little bit of your own personality.


Accessories (carry bag, anchor, etc.)

In the world of Beach Umbrellas, accessories are surprisingly useful, and I would go as far to say necessary. Lugging a multi-piece umbrella around without a carrying case gets old quick, and having to figure out how to MacGyver an anchor on the spot when a 25 + mph wind shows up out of nowhere can be as frustrating as it is disheartening! Accessories are surprisingly important, and it's in your best interest to make sure they're included or that you have factored in the price of adding them on when selecting your beach umbrella.



How To Make A Beach Umbrella Anchor

To make a simple beach umbrella anchor, such as the Shade Anchor Bag, all you need is a simple, canvas grocery bag and some canvas straps with buckles. With a DIY beach umbrella anchor, you won't even have to dig a hole for your umbrella. 

Get Your Bag

Start by getting a large, canvas grocery bag, or something of the like, that can hold up to 40-50lbs. You'll need it to hold tons of sand, as this bag is going to act as the ballast that will hold your umbrella upright, even in the windiest of conditions.

Position the Bag

Place your bag flat and open on the spot that you choose. This should ideally be a flat surface of sand. Dig a hole and fill your bag about 3/4 of the way with sand. You want to get as much sand in there as possible.

Put Your Umbrella Pole In the Bag

Once your bag is filled with sand, stick your umbrella pole into the bag until it touches the bottom. Be sure to keep the top of the umbrella closed while doing this, as it will be much easier to position correctly.

Secure Your Umbrella With the Canvas Straps

Lift your bag slightly and run your canvas strap under the bag in the center. Open your umbrella and run your canvas strap from under the bag to the arms on the top. Loop it through the arms and run it back down to the under side. Buckle the canvas straps and pull them tight. This will create force to help secure the umbrella inside your sand bag. 



FAQ 

Why Do I Need a Beach Umbrella?

       Did you know that getting a sunburn just once every two years will actually triple your risk of getting skin cancer? On top of that, it's actually very easy to encounter heat exhaustion, and in turn heat stroke, when you're out on the beach all day in the summer. A beach umbrella will not only provide shade to keep your skin safe from harmful UVA's and UVB's, but it will also help you stay cool and prevent heat exhaustion and stroke on the days that are too hot.


What Is The Best Beach Umbrella For Wind?

       Hands down the BEACHBUB is the best Beach Umbrella for wind. With its ingenious base design and the ability to withstand winds of up to 35 + mph without breaking or flying down the beach, the BEACHBUB Bubrella is the ultimate beach umbrella for wind.


What’s the Best Way To Secure Your Beach Umbrella?

            The best way to secure a beach umbrella without any accessories is as follows:

1. Rock your umbrella back and forth into the sand. Each rock should get the umbrella further and deeper into the sand.

2. Do this until your umbrella is at least 1/3 the length of the pole into the sand

3. Tilt / Angle your umbrella so that it is into the wind. This way the wind cannot lift your umbrella from underneath and yank it out of the ground. With your umbrella tilted into the wind, it will work as a shield against the wind

4. Make sure you're paying attention to the direction of the winds! It can change at any moment, and the tilt of your umbrella needs to change with it.

5. If the winds are getting too intense, take down your umbrella!

It’s not all about making sure your umbrella lasts as long as possible, it’s about keeping yourself and everyone else on the beach as safe as possible from hazardous flying umbrellas.



Final Thoughts - Which Should You Get?

The Sport-Brella 8’ gets our vote!

There's something about being able to double an umbrella as a sun tent that we really love about the Sport-Brella! The 210 polyester offers the best protection on the market and will hold up in the toughest winds. On top of that, the convenience of having pockets built into the side flaps for your personal belongings or simply adding extra weight is an extremely well thought out design by the team over at Sport-Brella.

With maximum space and comfort, top quality materials, and an overall balance of size and weight that fits perfectly and conveniently into the provided carrying case, the Sport-Brella is the best umbrella you can buy!

should you buy?