Pop up beach tents should be constructed with no tools, and in one action. There are many varieties of these on the market suitable for your family.
Believe it or not, the most important factor when shopping for a pop up is, how easily does it pop back down?
Here at Beach Shelters, we have seen more than our fair share of these varieties that are just too difficult to pop back down and fold away. On many occasions, popping up required only one person, but bring it down required at least two or three people to assist. And even so, some were not able to be packed into the same small size that it came delivered as. So just as a warning, check with your vendor that it is easily taken down, or you might end up in some very embarrassing situations on the beach. Remember that taking it down all starts with a twisting action. It is this same twist that makes the tent spring up.
The second most important factor is to look at its safety. When popping up, it must be a slow action. Anything too quick, and it may cause injury to children who are standing near by. The mechanisms that have a slow action, are usually more sturdy than the ones built with cheap plastic anyway.
It is also worth checking that the stitching is strong along where the poles are inserted into the material. Since so much potential energy stored in the springing poles, very often you will see the material get ripped along the seams, if it is not constructed well.
Although pop up tents are mainly only used for fun and quick half days at the beach, you should still look for one which is strong enough to withstand the wind. This is especially true for pop up shades that are used to only cover half your body. Since they do not have surrounding walls, and look like a kite, they could actually get carried by the wind and fly away like one. Check that your tent comes with a peg that is long enough to go deeper into the sand and keep it firmly secured to the ground.
Finally, look for pop up beach tents which has some added features. Does it come with a strong bag to store it into? Are there pullover canvas which can be used to cover the windows? Or in the case a simple pop up sun shade, does it come with plastic clips to allow you to hang your towels to cover yourself when the sun is strong on one side? These are all extra features which you should look out for. The price difference between a basic model and one with all these features is less than you might expect.