The 5 Best Baby Beach Tents, According To Amazon Reviewers

Beach days with your baby are meant to be enjoyable and exciting. And the best baby beach tents combine minimal hassle with plenty of protection. As you shop, choose a tent that is comfortable in size, features an easy-to-assemble design, and fits within your budget. Your beach tent should also provide your baby with protection from the natural elements — most importantly, the sun. With that in mind, all of the beach tents on this list feature a UPF (Ultraviolet Protection Factor) of at least UPF 50 to protect skin against 98% of rays, which offers “excellent” protection, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation.

Besides sun protection, you can find beach tents that protect you from other natural elements. Some beach tents include fine mesh netting that can be zipped closed to keep out bugs and sand while allowing for ventilation. Add-ons like sandbags and stakes can help keep your beach tent steady in breezy conditions.

When it comes to size, you’ll need to consider whether you want a beach tent that fits one child or more people, including adults. If you have a newborn, you may want to opt for a smaller travel-size option that allows them to nap alongside you. If you prefer to have extra privacy for nursing, consider opting for a tent that is big enough for you and your baby, and includes windows you can zip up to close. If your baby can sit up, crawl, or roll around, you may want something a bit bigger with extra space to play or even an optional kiddie pool they can splash around in. Portability is another important factor, and many designs offer easy setup and storage options.

Keep scrolling to shop the best beach tents for babies and families — all featuring UPF 50+ sun protection and all available on Amazon.

1. The Best Infant-To-Toddler Baby Beach Tent

• Assembled size: 39 x 35 x 33 inches (length x width x height)

This baby beach tent is a great option if you want something your infant can grow with. At 2 pounds, the nylon tent is light enough for travel yet large enough for two small children. Mesh netting is featured in the front and back of this tent with a front flap you can easily zip up to keep out the bugs and sand. This model features a zipper closure, but you can snag two other options that use hook-and-loop fasteners and ties instead. The included pegs secure it to the ground and help keep the tent steady.

When you’re ready to pack up and head home, simply fold the beach tent into its convenient travel bag and carry it with you using the shoulder strap. Some reviewers suggest that the folding process can be a bit tricky at first, but suggest watching YouTube tutorials before your first outing to nail down the technique. All in all, though, this is a great option with enough space for both babies and toddlers to enjoy.

Promising Amazon review: “This tent is perfect for a baby who can't crawl yet. Zippers are excellent, keeps the bugs out. However really only big enough for the baby. If [you’re hoping] to lay down next to your little one and put them asleep, it can get a little tight. [...] I use this tent in the park, beach - even rock beaches in Greece, our backyard to keep the kids outside while I garden or just hang out in the back to BBQ dinner.”

2. The Sturdiest Beach Tent For Families

• Assembled size: 78.7 x 59.1 x 53.2 inches (length x width x height)

When you’re in need of a beach tent that can withstand breezy conditions, look no further than this 4.9-pound WolfWise tent. The structural rods are made from galvanized steel, and the design includes four handy sandbags you can place on the inside corners of the tent. There are also four windproof ropes and 10 plastic stakes to keep everything tethered to the ground. Plus, the water-repellent polyester helps to keep you dry if rain clouds unexpectedly appear.

Another great feature is its size — it’s spacious enough to fit up to four people, including both kids and adults. There’s also great ventilation built in, with two mesh windows and two entrance options that you can easily zip closed. On the inside, you’ll find two storage pockets you can use to tuck away personal belongings. It even comes with a hook on the ceiling to hang a portable light fixture from.

While reviewers have broadly agreed that it’s fairly easy to pop open, some have reported that disassembling it can be more of a challenge. Instructions are sewn into the carry pouch for reference, but it might be worth it to practice folding it at home before venturing out.

Promising Amazon review: “Holy moly; this thing is genius. It's incredibly light to carry; sets itself up in the blink of an eye; and provides great protection: for changing, from the sun, for items brought to the beach... The sandbags are very easy to fill and work really well; in a whipping wind the tent stayed in place; and sunburns and overheating were both avoided. Folding takes a little practice, and some frayed nerves at first, but once you stop worrying about breaking the thing and ‘allow’ the segments to fold over one another in circles (watch a youtube video), it becomes easy -- it now takes us about 20 seconds to fold it. Couldn't be happier with this purchase.”

3. The Best Beach Tent With A Kiddie Pool

• Assembled size: 47.5 x 31.5 x 27.5 inches (length x width x height)

Here’s a beach tent that can keep your infant cool and stimulated. It comes with a shallow pool for splashing, while offering shade and space for napping when the pool is emptied out and flattened. (Of course, you’ll always want to closely monitor any child’s splash time!) Besides its unique pool feature, the bottom of the tent is also detachable. This allows your little one access for playing in the sand if you want. Made with polyester Oxford fabric, this tent weighs 1.8 pounds.

The tent is easy to set up — and with some practice, it’s easy to fold up and store, according to reviewers. Its lightweight design and included carrying case also make it easy to transport. It comes with four stakes for securing the tent to the ground and two inside pockets for storing your valuables. The tent is designed for kids under 3 years old, so you might be better off with a slightly bigger option if you have multiple children or older kids.

Promising Amazon review: “We live at the beach and we would be lost without this. Baby loves it as much as we do. Lined well to protect baby from rays and the stakes that come with it hold it down well on windy days. The two inside pockets are great for stashing my phone and a burp cloth out of sands way. I love that the bottom zips out so baby can play in the sand while still in the shade or leave it zipped in and have the option to fill it with water for a little pool. The mesh window with cover in the back is a great touch. We appreciate how easy it is to open up and once you get the hang of it, folding it up is almost just as easy.”

4. An Easy Beach Tent To Set Up & Break Down

• Assembled size: 87 x 49 x 47 inches (length x width x height)

Looking for a low-hassle beach tent that’s big enough for adults and children? Check out this 4.5-pound option from Pacific Breeze. It features a unique hub design that allows you to easily prop open the tent by pulling the attached ropes. Taking it down is just as simple, and you can conveniently roll it up and store it in the included carrying case. One reviewer attested, “It’s SO easy to fold. And actually fits back into the bag once you fold it up. You don’t need an engineering degree to set it up or fold it and one person can easily fold it up while still on the beach.” Pacific Breeze doesn’t specify this tent’s capacity, but one user described: “The size is adequate for two adults or our three children (age 8 and under).”

This beach tent is one of the larger and heavier options on the list, but reviewers still describe it as “super light” and “comfortable to carry.” One potential drawback: It’s also the only option on this list that doesn’t have a door to allow for privacy or protect you from bugs.

Promising Amazon review: “Finally got to test this tent out at the beach recently and it was excellent! I was very surprised at how light and easy to carry this is when folded and it is very easy to set up. Just like the videos show, all you do is spread out the bottom and then pull the ropes in the middle of the hub. In one very quick motion, the tent pops open and is ready to go! We watched another family attempt to set up a similar shelter made by Coleman and it was quite a struggle for them...I almost felt guilty watching them as I thought of how easy my Pacific Breeze Tent was to set up!”

5. The Most Compact Beach Tent For Babies

• Assembled size: 41.3 x 25.6 x 19.7 inches (length x width x height)

Weighing less than a pound and measuring less than 2 feet tall, this is the lightest and smallest beach tent on the list. It is ideal for infants, especially those that aren’t old enough to wear sunscreen. It features plenty of mesh-lined windows on all sides of the tent. The large zip window has two different layers you can choose to keep open or closed: The top nylon layer blocks out the sun, and the second layer has mesh netting. You can also choose to unzip the entire window to allow for more direct air flow.

Easy to set up and pack away, this option is great for on-the-go beach trips and comes with a traveling bag and two tent pegs for extra ground support. Because of its small size, this beach tent is ideal for just one infant at a time, rather than toddlers or multiple children.

Promising Amazon review: “This tent is great! We took it to the beach for our 2.5 month old and it was awesome. It has separate mesh zipper and cover zippers. So you can keep the mesh zipped up and leave the cover unzipped and the wind can blow through nicely. You can roll up and hook the sides so you can see in but keep the sides down so the sun doesn’t beat down in there. It’s great and I definitely recommend it!”