This beach tent is a shady game-changer

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Ready for the next beach day? While you could make do with an umbrella punctured in the sand, a beach tent tends to be the better investment for frequent beach-goers. Not only does a beach tent lend greater shade coverage (read: reduced sunburn risk!), but it’s a sturdier structure, which means you can wait out the weather in case a gust of wind sneaks up or an afternoon rain cloud makes a cameo.

As it turns out, popping up a beachside basecamp is pretty easy to do thanks to this easy-to-transport beach tent that Amazon reviewers say is a must-have.

The Abccanopy pop-up beach tent has amassed 4,150 five-star ratings on Amazon, and this beach staple is on sale for under $100, with some colors of the tent reduced further in price. The beach tent comes in 16 different colors ranging from neutrals like gray or white to brighter colors like blue or grass green.

The portable canopy is 8-feet-by-8-feet (with larger 10×10 and 12×12 tents also available) and it provides 64 square feet of coverage, which can comfortably cover three to five people, according to the manufacturer.

A bonus? The canopy top of this beachside basecamp is coated with silver and Ultraviolet Protection Factor 50, which means the fabric blocks 98% of the sun’s rays, significantly reducing your sun exposure risk.

“After trying multiple canopies, this one is by far the best one!” one five-star review says. “You cannot beat the price for the quality of this canopy.”

The beach tent is also an easy one to carry because it comes with a lightweight backpack equipped with padded shoulders. Many other beach tents require a more cumbersome drag wheel bag.

The manufacturer says that one person could set up the pop-up tent in just one minute. But if you want to stabilize your beach tent and anchor it to the sand, set-up will take a little longer. The tent comes with eight stakes and four ropes so that you can secure the canopy in the sand.

Several Amazon reviewers say they’ve switched from beach umbrellas to a more spacious beach tent.

“After using beach umbrellas for years, this canopy purchase was the absolute best!!,” one review says. “My husband felt like setting it up was less work than our past umbrellas. It also provides so much more shade.”

Now, you just need to convince your beach buddies that you’ll provide the shade, and they’ll provide the beverages.