Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This sport-brella beats any cabana at the beach. It is easier to setup than any tent. It really is just a huge umbrella that is designed to lay with a side on the ground. The windows are perfect for letting in more air and allowing an escape for the wind (preventing presure blowing the umbrella away). This thing creates a lot of shade. You can fit two big beach chairs under the umbrella and still have room for gear / kids / another smaller chair. The key to this umbrella is to anchor it appropriately. The provided stakes are great for anchoring in the sand. Dig a little hole with your hands and push the stake in "more solid sand." Don't be lazy and use just two stakes; use them all. Setup is about 5-10 minutes including the stakes, and can be easily done by one person. We've used this umbrella on a really windy beach day, and it didn't blow anywhere. There are only two negatives to using the sport-brella-- where a beach tent is superior. (1). This thing is LONG (when all packed up). The XL size is about 5 feet long-- which makes it difficult to put in a car or even the back of a minivan. It would not lay flat (driver to passenger in the back of our Honda Odyssey). We need to stand it up at an angle. It would be difficult to transport in our car with kids in the back seat. (Note it's not heavy or hard to carry; it weights about 10 lbs). (2). When installed, you will eventually lose shade as the sun moves. A tent actually provides shade longer because there is more of a "top" and "front." A cabana can usually be moved (e.g., propped up in the back) as the sun moves. The sport-brella can not be moved as the sun moves. I find this a minor inconvenience-- given the benefits. My solution is to "re-install" and "re-position" the sport-brella when I start running out of shade. (At a day at the beach in Naples, FL, I needed to reposition the sport-brella after about 4 hours). In conclusion, the sportbrella is by far the best beach solution I've used. I had many people at the beach ask me where I got it. It has saved me a lot of money in cabana rentals.