Customer Reviews

Lightspeed Quick Cabana

5 star:		(65)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I bought this at my local Costco for thirty-seven dollars and brought it with me on a recent week long beach vacation. Fortunately I also brought my beach umbrella because this product really cannot replace it in all conditions. Here is what you need to consider:

1. Setup is quick and easy. Just lock the supporting rods in place and pull up the strings connecting them. Even in windy conditions this was no problem.

2. Take down is also quick and easy. Just push down where the supporting rods connect, and the shelter collapses, after which you unlock the supporting rods. In windy conditions this was a little trickier, but still no problem.

3. There is an instructional video that you can watch on the internet. But that video does not show the unit being folded up after take down and fitted into the carrying bag. The reason is that this takes a little bit of effort even in calm conditions. In windy conditions I found it almost impossible, and waited until after I was off the beach and in a less windy area to fold this up and fit it into the carrying bag.

4. This unit has three attached sandbags which are more than adequate when filled with sand to keep the unit in place even in very windy conditions so long as at least one person is sitting inside it. While this unit comes with plastic stakes to further stabilize it, I found that using them had little effect in windy conditions and was completely unnecessary in calm conditions.

5. This unit is great to use when (as happened on my vacation) you have a cool day to start, and then the wind kicks up on the beach producing an uncomfortable wind chill effect. That's when my wife usually wants to leave the beach, but with this unit she was able to be comfortably protected from the wind.

6. On a hot humid day with little wind (as also happened on my vacation) I found this unit to be uncomfortably warm. Although this unit has three roll up windows to provide ventilation and also let you see out all sides, on a hot humid day it felt much less comfortable being in this unit than under a beach umbrella.

7. With a beach umbrella, the shade shifts as the sun changes position, which means you move your beach chair. With this unit, however, you have to move the entire unit (which is another reason not to use the stakes), which can be done even with the sandbags filled as long as you take out a little sand and then replace it after the move.

8. If you want to stay out of the sun under a beach umbrella, as long as you are in the shade of the umbrella, you can position your beach chair in any direction. However, with this unit in order to stay out of the sun you may have to position the tent so you are facing shore rather than the ocean (depending on the position of the sun) or at least facing sideways. I was never able to position this facing the ocean directly until late in the afternoon (just about the time we were getting ready to leave the beach) because of the position of the sun at the beach I was on at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. That did not bother my wife, but it did bother me, which is why I opted to stay under the beach umbrella rather than in this unit.

9. There is a flap on the front of the unit that provides a seating area, but I am very tempted to cut it off because it makes folding the unit up more difficult due to the extra material, and at the beach just serves to collect sand. You are better off with a beach blanket.

10. When it gets very windy at the beach, I often have to close my beach umbrella so it doesn't blow away. Not so with this unit, which worked very well in some heavy wind, which did not damage the unit. For the price, this is very well constructed.

11. If you take this unit to watch a sports event at a park, you now have no sand to fill the sandbags, which is not a problem so long as it is not windy. However if it is windy at the park, the plastic stakes alone are not going to keep this in place. Also, while you may not care if you are facing the ocean directly at the beach in order to stay out of the sun, you will definitely care if you cannot position this to face the sporting event in order to stay out of the sun.

12. This unit is roomy and large enough to easily accommodate two adults. It also has pockets on the back wall to hold miscellaneous items like sunglasses or sunscreen. The three roll up windows are easy to use.

Bottom line: This works great at the beach on cooler, windier days, but can be uncomfortable when it gets very hot and humid with no breeze. For sporting events at a park, heavy wind can be a problem since the sand bags are not weighted down, and there is also the possibility of having to choose between seeing the sporting event and staying in the shade depending on the position of the sun. Also, while this is not heavy to carry, it does take up more space in a car than a beach umbrella, which can be a consideration when packing for a vacation. And while setup and take down are not hard, it's still not as simple as opening and closing a beach umbrella.

My wife likes this unit since she tends to get cold much more quickly than I do at the beach. As for me, I will stick with my beach umbrella most of the time.

I seem to be a collector of portable tents and shades. I have the pole and tarp type, the ez-up shades, as well as the mini go quickshade. The problem with those are that they are heavy and take up valuable storage space. The only exception is the go quickshade which is compact, faily light, but is still a pain to set up by myself. When I saw one of these (Lightspeed Quick Shelters) at my local Costco, I had to try it out. When I picked it up, I noticed it was extremely light and compact. In fact, it's even more compact and lighter than my folding chair. One point to Lightspeed. Next was to try open and closing system...what a breeze. All it takes is a pull on the strings, which is kinda like pulling the string and clip on the bags that hold your folding chairs. To my surprise it was pretty big. It took up the width of a Costco isle. It can easily fit a family of 4. Break down was almost as simple and quick. Unlock and it breaks down like an umbrella. Wrap up the canopy material and shove it in the bag. Perfect for those AYSO soccer games or days at the beach. This is my new go to shade that will just live in the back seat of my car.

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!

Found this @ Costco for less than the price of 4 movie tickets- what a steal. Just tried it out last weekend at the beach - remarking that it was practically as small and light as the portable chair I'd brought. Was able to set it up the first time in about 3 minutes, next time would take me less than one. Breaks down very quickly too. You'll need to actually roll it (somewhat) thoughtfully to get it back in the carry bag, but overall highly, highly recommended purchase.

I'm *never* going to the beach without one of these again.

We used this 2 days at the beach. Set up was fast,and it provided plenty of shade for myself, my mom, and my 7 month old plus all of our gear. It kept us cool on a 102 degree day. Being on the beach without this tent was unbearable. This tent made our time out of the water still enjoyable. There were many other tents and umbrellas up that day but ours I felt was the nicest. I highly recommend this tent because it is large, great windows that are up off the ground so sand didn't blow in, it was easy to use, kept us cool, wasn't expensive, looked great, and the front flap that extends outside the tent can be pulled up and buttoned to close the tent up if you needed more privacy. When the front flap is pulled up and buttoned there is still a small opening at the very top where the tent itself is rounded and the flap is straight. My thanks goes out to all of the reviewers before me who recommended this tent.

I agree with the other reviews: the set up and take down of this tent is quite easy. One warning, though: be very careful when you press the two sides in to take the tent down. The middle piece sprung forward, hitting me in the face. It cut my nose and busted my lip, sent me stumbling to the couch, and gave me quite a headache. I look like the losing end of a boxing match. Watch the instructional video on lightspeedtents.com and you'll see what I mean. I should have watched it before attempting to take the tent down.

I bought one prior to a trip to the beach, and it arrived with a ripped bag. I set it up to make sure I liked it. I seemed flimsy, but I decided to go with it. Returned it because of the ripped bag and got a new one. Tested the new one and everything seemed fine. Arrived at the beach and it BROKE ON THE 1ST TIME I SET IT UP. The joints that have to take up all of the stress of the tent when it's set up is made of cheap plastic. Great idea, easy to set up, light weight, but not durable at all. You've been warned.

This tent is perfect for those long days on the beach when you need shelter from the sun, but still want to feel the ocean breeze. It keeps my girls sunburn free and provides a great place for them to lay down and rest between running in the waves.

I read the reviews, there were many positive reviews so I went ahead and bought the item. First I want to say, for folks who say they can get it cheaper in Costco, this item apparently has 2 sizes, lower price is smaller shelter.

Anyway got the item for 2011 summer. Used item 4 times. It was as stated quick to open up and to close. Unfortunately also quick to break. Lasted 1 month, literally took it outdoors perhaps 4 times . The plastic on one of the main joints just broke when I was opening it up. This is one time I regret purchasing from Amazon and should have bought from Costco where I could have returned it.

Was kinda skeptical...took no time to set up and that gave us more time to do other things... fun things...thanks for an awesome product that makes getting outdoors that much more enjoyable!