This tent is absolutely top notch. The photos don't do it justice, but the reviews are spot on - this tent is the best of the best. I spent about a week researching beach tents online before biting the bullet and purchasing this one. I looked at the cheaper tents that required insertion of poles, as well as the pricier ones that open as easily as an umbrella. In the end, it was between this tent and one other, and I feel that I made the correct choice.
This tent is HUGE...I was expecting it to be big, but based on the other reviews, was unsure whether or not I'd be able to fit my family (two tall adults - myself currently pregnant - and two young children, including beach chairs for each of the four of us AND a cooler. We put it up in the family room last night to test it out prior to our beach trip and it can indeed hold all of the above, without feeling cluttered or cramped. Inside, I really like the three "windows", as well as the option to zip up the front "porch" and close off the tent to make it a changing room or other private space if necessary. The placement of the three roll-up windows means that whichever direction the tent is facing, you'll always be able to see what's going on both behind, in front, and on both sides of the tent. That was an important distinction for me over some of the other tents that I looked at. Even on a public beach, I still need to be able to see what is going on on all 4 sides of me, not just in the front and back, or the front and sides! Also inside this tent are two pockets, convenient for storage of small items that you wouldn't otherwise want to blow away or get lost during a day at the beach.
Set up was a breeze, once I'd read the instructions and viewed the online video. This company had an ingenious idea in printing the instructions on a flap that is connected to the storage bag. Essentially, this means that as long as you hold on to the storage bag to keep your deflated tent in, you will never actually lose the instructions. Disassembling the tent was just as easy as assembling it, again by following the simple instructions. I must admit that I was a little nervous to try to fold it back up to get in it's storage bag, as that seems to be a common problem for all the beach tents I've reviewed. To my pleasant surprise however, I ran into no problems and getting it back into it's bag was as following the instructions and sliding it right back in. With this tent (and as with most, I suppose), the first time you do it, it takes maybe 10 minutes to read through and figure it all out, but now that we've done it, once we're actually at the beach it should take no time at all - TRULY as easy as opening and closing an umbrella!
Which is really honestly the main reason that I went with this particular tent over others...if your family is anything like mine - two small kids aged 4 and 2 - you likely don't want to have to fuss with poles and rods once you get to your destination, be it the beach or the park. You want something that will be quick and easy for you or your spouse to throw together so that you and the kids can get straight to the fun stuff - frolicking in the sand and water! I have no doubt that this tent will be a wonderful asset to our future family trips.
My only negative is that there was a rather strong chemical smell that filled the room once we set up the tent at home...I'm assuming that this probably couldn't be helped, as it was a byproduct of the plastic material it is made of. And, to be honest, my supersonic pregnant nose may have been the only one that detected it...my husband and kids didn't seem to notice! Still, to be cautious, you might want to put this up outside in your backyard to let it air out a bit before your actual first use, especially if you'll be using it for a baby, an asthmatic, or someone with an otherwise sensitive respiratory system.
All in all, don't hesitate - go ahead and purchase! If you'd like to read more reviews on this item, it is also sold at Costco (and searchable on their website) with about 60 reviews for it posted there - all just as positive as these. However, Amazon does have the better (and best that I've found) price.
Enjoy!