Beach Tent vs Beach Umbrella: Which is Best?

The age-old question of beach tent vs beach umbrella takes on new urgency around this time of the year, with Christmas gift shopping and summer holiday prep in full swing.

From the classic appeal of the cheap and cheerful beach umbrella to the practical and sophisticated shelter offered by a modern beach tent, it can be hard to choose what’s best to pack for your coastal adventure.

So, we thought we’d share our thoughts on the main differences between a beach tent and a beach umbrella to help you choose what’s best for you!  See you at the beach…

1)     Windy Woes.  A windy day at the beach is nobody’s ideal and chasing a beach umbrella all over the place only makes things worse.  This is where shelters like our OZoola Beach Tent win the day, with their smart wind-resistant design.  Their structure allows the wind to flow through your sunshade, meaning you won’t have to waste time and energy chasing it around the beach when the breeze picks up!

2)    Lighten Up & Go!  Beach tents are typically not as bulky as umbrellas, so you can pop one in your beach bag or even in your carry-on luggage.  With less metal and more lightweight UV resistant cloth, our beach tent weighs only 1.7kg – perfect for those long walks from the car to the sand…

3)     Shade Footprint.  Only you, your towel, and your favourite sunglasses?  You’ll be fine under a beach umbrella.  A couple, a family, or the proud owner of a very BIG esky?  You need a bigger shade footprint!  Older style umbrellas offer small pockets of shade.  Modern canopy-style shades like our OZoola range provide the most space for everyone – and everything – to sit safely out of the sun.

4)     The Need for Speed.  This one is a close call, and it all comes down to ‘the drill’.  If the sand you’re cork-screwing your umbrella down into is firm but not dense, it doesn’t take long to have your brolly safely anchored.  However, if you’re on hard or very fine sand (or even grass), it’s a whole different game.  Beach tents like those in the OZoola range use sandbags to secure them, which means no drilling and a quick set-up on any surface. 

5)     Shade with a View.  This one’s a no-brainer – an old-school beach umbrella is most often used on an angle and is shaped like a shallow bowl, which means obscured views.  Similarly, tent-style beach shelters offer great sun protection but block out your surroundings.  In contrast, modern beach tents (which provide a sleek canopy atop slim poles) afford 360-degree views of the beach, your belongings… oh and your children, too!