Best Baby Beach Tents

Extra weight is one thing you don’t need when heading to the beach with your baby. This portable sun shelter weighs under three pounds and unfolds in seconds. It comes with a carry bag so it’s easy to take with you on the go and is small and compact enough to pack in a suitcase. It features SPF 50+ fabric that protects from 99% of harmful UVA and UVB rays and a pull-down mosquito net.

There’s a lot to love about this baby beach tent, but ease of setup tops the list. Zero assembly and one simple motion are all it takes to pop it open; it’s faster and easier than so many other tents we’ve come across. There’s room enough for up to three kids five and under and the tent weighs only seven pounds. It’s also packed with features, including zip-down mesh sides, a UPF 50 sun and rain removable cover, an included carry bag and a moisture-resistant bottom built right in.

Younger babies are often either too small or too scared for large bodies of water like oceans or lakes—but that doesn’t mean they have to miss out on the fun. This clever tent combines the safety of the shade with the fun of a wading pool. All you need to do is dig a small hole, lay the tent over it and fill in the divot with water and you’ve just created a (shaded) baby pool just right for the tiniest splasher.

With a retractable, full-enclosure canopy and a comfy mat inside, this tiny tent is perfect for smaller babies to have contained playtime or naptime whether you’re out on the beach, in the park or in your living room. (Yes, it works both indoors and out.) It folds flat for easy travel—just keep in mind it’s on the heavier side at about 13 pounds. This baby beach tent doesn’t have UV protection, so you’ll still need to apply plenty of sunscreen on your little one and limit their sun exposure.

Veer’s Family Basecamp features everything we love about the original tent—but supersized. This family-friendly beach tent is designed to comfortably fit two adults plus kids and all of their stuff. There’s plenty of room for a few beach chairs, a cooler or two, towels and even toys. Setup and breakdown are just as quick and seamless as they are with the smaller tent, which is saying a lot considering this tent’s spacious design. You can even add a Sand Mat to the floor of the tent to help filter out annoying sand.

Because family-sized tents are larger than baby beach tents, many also require extra parts and pieces and a longer, more complicated setup. That’s not the case with The California Beach Co.’s pop-up tent. This spacious, sturdy tent sets up in seconds and is roomy enough for the whole family. It includes a carry bag and a removable SPF 50 cover as well as safety stakes and ground stakes. (You can add a mattress and a mattress cover, but they’re sold separately.) It’s also lightweight at just over seven pounds, a big plus for portability. But it’s not just for on-the-go—lots of parents report using it indoors as a safe, contained spot for baby to play.

This family-sized beach tent from Pacific Breeze is another popular option that won’t send you searching for the instruction manual when it’s time for setup. It’s about three pounds lighter and a lot more affordable than The California Beach Co. tent. It also features pockets for holding things like sunscreen and toys. It’s fully open in the front, and the roll-up side windows allow for extra ventilation and views.

More of a beach umbrella family than a beach tent one? This unique umbrella + tent hybrid provides the best of both worlds. Unlike a traditional beach umbrella that stands straight up and down, this one goes into the sand at an angle, creating about nine feet of shade and protection from the wind, as well. The canopy has UPF 50+ sun protection and two roll-down windows for ventilation. There are also several internal pockets for storing your phone and other small items. Just note there’s no bottom portion here, so you’ll need to lay down your own towels or beach blanket if you want a barrier between your little one and the sand.

If you’re heading to a beach with lots of open space, you may want to consider a canopy like this one. It’s definitely more complicated to put up than the other tents on our list, but it provides a ton of shade and can withstand the wind better than more traditional beach tents or umbrellas. This one fits about four adults and several kids and holds up against winds up to about 15 mph. It’s also lightweight and easy to toss into your beach bag. Just keep in mind that in addition to the more complicated setup, it’s completely open on all sides (curious crawlers beware!) and there’s nothing between your little one and the sand.