Rio Sports Sun Shelter

by Rio Brands

Product Features

• Lightweight, portable sun shelter for fair-weather outdoor activities
• SPF50 sun protection rating for up to eight hours in the sun
• Spacious seven-foot seating area accommodates two full-sized chairs
• Collapses down to a convenient carrying bag with shoulder strap
• Includes limited one-year manufacturer's warranty

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Give yourself a rest from the sun with the Rio Beach Sun Shelter, great for the beach, the backyard, or bringing along on car camping trips. It features an SPF50 sun protection for up to 8 hours in the sun. The spacious 7-foot seating area accommodates two full-size sun chairs. It features a lightweight, washable 75D polyester fabric, two interior and two exterior pockets, and a carry bag with shoulder strap.

Product Description

Sun Shelter. Great for camping, sporting events, beach or backyard

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B000AYF9LQ
• Item model number: BH201-05
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #64,978 in Sports & Outdoors (See Top 100 in Sports & Outdoors)
  • #61 in Sports & Outdoors > Outdoor Recreation > Camping & Hiking > Camping Shelters

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Okay. Not for gusty days, June 11, 2007

By 

MH in Ca "MH in CA" (CA USA) - See all my reviews

Considered this tent vs ABO Gear Instent. Decided to try the Rio because of low price, SPF50 and lightweight. Instent costs ~2x, weights about 2x, and is only SPF35. Although I would have liked the Instent's fuller coverage and easy set up feature, I didn't want its extra weight since I was going to use it on beach trips and wanted to cut down on weight I had to carry in/out.

Took this to NJ shore beaches. Set up was relatively straightforward. Two shorter and one longer tent poles. Longer one goes across the long axis (side to side). Shorter ones go vertically along two back spines. If you work with the wind, the tent will spread out and help you thread the poles through. If you are not familiar, practice once first.

Once the poles are in place, you need to put the stakes in. Also tie the nylon ties at the pole junctions for additional stability. You definitely need to use the four metal stakes in sand or grass in any kind of wind because the structure is light as a kite. In calm to moderate draft, it stands relatively well. But in an occasional to sustained gusty wind, typical at many beaches on a nice breezy summer day, the wind blowing from behind could buckle the poles and temporarily collapse the dome, which is not dangerous but annoying. The stakes did a good job holding down the tent (make sure you drive the stakes into the ground at an angle). I would not recommend facing the opening into the wind. Also even without the wind, sitting on a beach chair inside the dome, your head may rub the tent, depending on how deep inside you sit, because of the low dome shape. Not the worst thing but can be annoying sometimes.

Sun coverage depends on the angle of the sun and the direction it's facing. Because it is basically a half dome, you need to consider the combination of wind direction and sun's angle to see if you should even use it on any particular day. If the wind is blowing towards the sun then it's pretty much useless. If both sun and wind are from the same direction, then it's probably worth using. In between, you'll have to gauge.

My 3 yo son enjoyed playing around it, putting sand inside on the floor and in the two inside pockets and windows. But then kids will enjoy playing with almost any kind of tent structure. Don't expect mobile kids to stay put inside. This, and other tents like it, are best for babies and nursing mothers and people who want partial shade and wind break.

Material (nylon) feels a bit thin and the seams are single stitched so I expect them to rip after a while. Not for rugged use. The carrying bag/stuff sack will likely burst after a while unless you compress the tent and roll it tightly in a neat package. I can see the threads in the bag's seam as it is being stuffed.

But for ~$30-35, it's not a bad deal, as long as you don't have strong or kite-flying wind. Overall, I like it for its light weight and SPF50 and reasonable cost.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great once you get through the setup, January 3, 2007

By 

Candice Marquette "lost in pages" (chicago il United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This is wonderful at the beach, but the setup is rather hard. It's so light that on windy days it can be quite challening to have it built while wrestling it from the wind. Which makes for a great show for others to watch as you struggle to create this shelter.

Once it's setup-it's awesome. Great for small kids to get out of the sun and to provide shelter for nap time and lunch breaks. The little windows are fun for kids to peek out of.

I highly recomend practice setups at home before taking to the beach

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not a quick set up or clean up, but provides good shade in use, August 16, 2007

By 

O. Phan (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rio Sports Sun Shelter (Sports)

Ordered this for a trip to the Bahamas. Surprisingly light, but packing it back up was difficult was we were afraid to rip the think plastic sack. Directions were easy to follow and the inside pockets are good for keeping ipods and cameras off the sand. 1 of my stakes kept flying free when the wind blew the tent, and when I forcefully shoved it back in the ground, it bent. Putting lots of heavy things inside (like sunchairs, books, and people) and opening the windows helps keep it from blowing away. Shades 2 people on low loungechairs or 3 people sitting on the ground. Messy cleanup when there's sand everywhere and wind whipping the parts around. If you only plan to spend less than 2 hrs in the sun, probably not worth the time setting up and breaking down.