Pacific Breeze Sand & Surf Beach Shelter (Pacific Breeze Sand & Surf Beach Shelter with Moveable Sides)

I did a LOT of research on sun shelters before deciding on this one. This one has some great features that most others don't have. Let's start with the basics:1. It's big (almost 8' side to side and front to back, and almost 5' tall). You can fit a lot of stuff in there, and I've included pictures to show that. I was actually worried that it might be TOO big when I ordered it, but it's just the right size. Also quite small and lightweight when packed up in the carry bag. A little over 3' long and about 9lbs. Probably about as heavy as two camping chairs.2. It's easy to set up and take apart. Read the directions the first time (and do it at least once before you go to the beach), especially for the take-down. I read some reviews that it was hard to fit it back in the carry bag, but if you fold it back up the right way, it fits easily. I can set it up and take it down by myself in a minute or two.3. Good shade coverage. So here's one of the features I love. The back wall is fixed, but the side panel can be moved to any of the other 3 sides, or not used at all. So if you want more breeze and a better view, don't put it up. If the sun is coming from the left, put it up on the left side, and as the sun moves throughout the day, you can move the panel to one of the other sides to maximize shade. Very cool. It only comes with one side panel but I read that the manufacturer is eventually going to sell additional panels as an add-on, which I will definitely buy. It would be nice to have the option to close up all 4 sides if you need some privacy to change on the beach.There's some other nice features that are standard in most of the sun shelters on the market. Sand bags to hold it in place on the beach (8 total), stakes to hold it down if you're on grass or dirt (also 8). There's 2 mesh pockets inside to keep your phone or whatever in. It's apparently got the UPF 50+ rating for sun protection. But my favorite feature of this tent that most others (any others?) don't have is the zip up floor. Genius! I can keep the floor down if my little ones want to lay down for a nap, or zip it back to give them access to play in the sand under the shelter. Love it.I think this shelter is going to get a lot of use, not just at the beach. That's another reason I like this one. The open sides make it very suitable for use at the park, on sidelines of sporting events, or just in the back yard on a sunny day. I think the typical half-tent style shelters would be a little less versatile, and I'm all about getting my money's worth, so the more I can use it the better!So far I'm really happy with my purchase. I think all my research really paid off because this tent is exactly what I was looking for. If you have little kids, this is a must-have. I haven't used it at the beach yet so I can't speak to how it holds up in the wind, but I'm going next week so I'll update this review then.

We compared this to the company's other product, the XL, and we're very happy we decided on this one.Don't be fooled by the photo, which lacks a point of reference. It is B I G !Compared to the XL, this has a larger floor space, taller ceiling, and better ventilation due to more airy design. It provides a ton of shaded area, which can be further adjusted using the separate side panel. It is incredibly light and compact when stored. And it sets up nearly instantly. Just unfold, push the center "button" up until it clicks into place, then either stake it down or fill the sandbags. Easy for one person to do.Tip: bring some 1 gallon zip lock bags. You can fill them with sand or water, then put them in the sand bag pouches. Easier to remove the weight and clean up when you're done.We really like the easy to install/remove side panel. This lets you open or close off a 2nd side for morning or evening sun, when the low sun requires more shade. This arrangement lets in more air and blocks less view than the more fully enclosed XL. Pacific Breeze says they plan on selling a 2nd side panel as an add on in the future, so you can enclose 3 sides if you want. But really, the sun wouldn't be on both sides. So that would be more useful for privacy or wind protection, rather than for additional shade. There is more than enough shade as it is.The zipper floor is pretty cool too. If you want, you can unzip it and roll it up, creating a shaded area where kids can dig in the sand, etc.Tent seems pretty durable. Material is strong, but light, and pretty easy to fold up when done.Only minor quibble, as with all products, is that it takes a bit of effort squeezing it back into the bag. Would prefer it if the bag was a bit more roomy, so that I didn't worry I was going to tear it. Maybe Pacific Breeze can address the bag in a future version.Overall, we got a lot of use out of this on our recent weeklong trip to Florida beaches. And we expect to use it for future beach trips, soccer games, trips to the lake or park, and even backyard play.

Very easy to setup and take down. Especially like the zip out floor for beach chair use. Gave it a 4 out of 5 stars because of the worthless ‘single use’ bag provided (more on the bag below) and the shelter is not very sturdy in a stiff breeze.If you have any breeze at all you must properly stake this shelter it at the corners and deploy all 4 guy lines with real stakes or the shelter will tend to bow in, especially if you have the side wall up.The cute little stakes provided are almost unless in our Florida Panhandle super fine 'sugar' sands. The first thing you need to do is run down to your friendly ACE hardware and purchase a set of the same type of stakes but in the 12" length. About $5 for 6 and you will need at least 8 stakes ($10 total). Or you can make your own stakes from ½” or ¾” PVC pipe with a cap on the end. See the attached photo.And while you are at it go ahead and spend another $20 for a decent storage bag that is not only large enough for the shelter once it has been used, but the strap will not rip off the bag at both ends the very first time you pick up the bag with the shelter inside shelter. I got a Magellan (Academy Sports store brand) 42"x15"x15" 'Canvas Barrel Duffel' that is a perfect fit. It comes with its on canvas storage bag that you can put the stakes 12" stakes in, room for a rubber mallet, and the end to end zipper is long enough that you can easily stuff a poorly folded shelter into it. And best of all it is made of heavy canvas with a heavy duty carry handle and a heavy duty carry strap that can be removed from the bag.Basically you need to plan on spending up to an extra $30 on this shelter in order to properly use it on a sandy beach and have something to store it in.