Coleman Beach Shade Canopy Tent Lightweight & Portable Beach Shade Sets Up in 5 Minutes UPF 50+ Sun Protection Includes Sand Bags & Stakes to Withstand Wind Great for Park Yard Picnics

I bought this for my wife because she is fair skinned and doesn't like to be out in the sun very long when at the beach. I searched through several of the other types of umbrellas and beach canopies, but couldn't decide on one that looked like it would give her much shade. I kept coming back to this one, but was still skeptical based on reviews that it was difficult to setup and was afraid she'd have some difficulty if she tried to do this alone on the beach.It was ordered on Saturday and received on Tuesday (/shameless plug to Amazon Prime and the awesome shipping), so that insured us plenty of time to set it up before we leave for the beach on Saturday. I wasn't home when it arrived, but my wife was so excited, she had already unpacked it and had it setup in our living room. She said it took her roughly 10 minutes to setup and seemed to be simple enough to handle even if there was wind on the beach. I think she was most excited because it is definitely way bigger in person than it is shown on the website. There is plenty of room to sit back into the tent area and be completely covered, or you can sit just under the shade and allow the sun to tan your legs. There is also plenty of room for your chairs, beach bag, and anything else you need to store out of the sun or in a safe place.Once she had her fun with it, she wanted to time how long it would take her to break it down and pack up. There were only a few snags, but still a breeze and not as difficult as other reviews have claimed.- The biggest issue is the mesh that your poles go through and when inserting or removing, they tend to get caught in the holes. I think a better design in that area (making the pole holes solid fabric) would assist in getting the poles in and out quicker and without them coming apart at the hinges. Still, she got the poles out and back in the bag in around 10 minutes with some of my help.-The only other MAJOR pain was the bag that the tent and accessories comes. Good luck getting the tent folded back down small enough to perfectly fit into that bag. It's almost like folding a fitted sheet and we know only witches can do that. She eventually got it tucked into the bag, but if you're hot on the beach and flustered from fighting with the poles and mesh, you're going to just shove it to make it fit which can lead to tears if you zip over it.Her recommendation and probably her own solution, was to just invest in a cheap beach bag big enough to hold the poles and the tent, so that way you can get it rolled down as far as you can and tie each end with the included plastic ties. It's not that bulky and the poles/stakes/sand bags all come in their own bags so it's easy clean up.I will do an updated review in a week or so once she has had time to enjoy it on the beach. So far, she thinks this is going to be a great investment and will be used many more times in the future!

I purchased this shade after doing much research and reading many reviews, and could not be happier. There is a good reason it got so many positive reviews.One of the best things about this shade vs. a beach umbrella is that it can be put away in a very convenient and compact bag with handles.The set up was easy. We use Coleman tents for camping, so we know how they work. If you are new to setting up tents, I suggest doing a trial run at home. Once you figure it out, setting it up on the beach will be easy.The shade consists of the fabric part and 3 folding poles. The poles need to be assembled (takes 2 seconds) and slipped inside stitched pockets on the outside of the tent, then the ends of the poles are threaded into the holes on the bottom of the shade. This creates a standing shell shape.The shade's front has a large zippered door. In the fully open position it is meant to be laid flat at the entrance, to protect you from the sand. The back of the tent has another zippered door. It can be left closed, or you can open it for more ventilation. The solid fabric part can be rolled up and secured with buttons, leaving just the bug screen part open.The shade is very light, so in very windy conditions it might fly away if not properly secured. For that Coleman provided several bags that can be filled with sand to weigh it down, and extra long steaks to anchor it to the ground.The floor of the shade is thin, so I would recommend bringing a beach blanket or a towel to lay on.The shade is roomy, with high ceiling, and fit my husband and I very comfortably, I think it would be ideal for a family with small kids. It provides SPF 50, and if you are fully inside of it it, you are shaded on all sides, unlike being under a beach umbrella.I appreciate well thought out products, and I really liked that waterproof sheet of instructions is stitched right inside of the carrying bag.The last but not least, this lovely shade turns into your very own private changing room at the end of the day. I zipped both doors closed, and changed very comfortably out of the wet bathing suit, much better than a dirty public bathroom!!!I would recommend this shade for anyone who has children, or loves the beach but hates roasting in the sun, or wants more sun protection.