I have to admit that I plan pretty much every vacation around the beach. I live in the cold and rainy PNW, so any chance we get, we’re off to visit the sun and waves.
Because of that, I have tried my fair share of portable baby beach tents, and it’s safe to say that I have some favorites.
Whether you live somewhere much sunnier than I do, or you are planning a beach vacation with a baby, you don’t need to miss out on the fun of spending a day at the beach just because you have a little one with you!
You just need a beach tent for your baby, so your baby can be safe under a protective shade while you enjoy the summer breeze and sandy shores.
Why do you need a baby beach tent?
A baby beach tent is made specifically for your little one so they can relax, sleep and play around without getting sunburned. It is a special shady place for your baby to enjoy while your family is at the beach.
As it turns out, babies and kids need more sun protection than adults. And if you have a baby under six months, pediatricians recommend they stay completely out of direct sunlight, rather than wear sunscreen. That means you need something portable, that you can trust will block out all of the UV rays.
Beyond the beach vacation, beach tents are great to have around home in the summer, for playing in the backyard or going on picnics at the park. You can use it all summer long in areas where your baby might be exposed to the sun, bugs, or dust.
What to look for in a beach tent for babies?
With an overwhelming choice of baby beach tents available, you might be wondering what exactly you should be looking for in a beach tent?
There are plenty of beach tents available, all claiming to be perfect, but you need the best protection and features when you’re investing in a beach tent for your little bundle of joy.
So, here are some essential features that you should look out for when buying a beach tent!
UV protection
When buying a baby beach tent, you should make sure the tent is specifically designed with UV protection coating to keep your baby safe. Baby beach tents with UV protection protect the baby’s skin from the sun’s harmful UVA and UVB rays.
Airflow and ventilation
The best baby beach tents have a proper ventilation design that ensures good airflow and keeps the tent space from getting too hot under the sun. Tents come with roll-up or mesh windows or ventilation flaps that let the cool breeze in without any sand or mosquitos, thus keeping your baby safe and secure.
Quick and easy setup
You know what’s fun? Setting up a complicated tent with poles while holding a squirmy, sweaty baby.
Just kidding; it’s miserable.
You want a baby beach tent with a quick and easy setup design. Easy setup baby tents have a pop-up system that makes folding and unfolding them hassle-free so that you can set up your baby’s beach tent instantly.
Portable and lightweight
Baby beach tents need to be carried to the beach, the park, or anywhere you plan to take your baby and spend time with them outdoors. Therefore, it is important that the baby beach tent you decide to invest in are lightweight and portable. Lightweight options have a quick folding and compact design that can be transported and carried easily.
For our family, this is one of the most important things. Because we always travel carry-on only (yep, even with a baby and a toddler), and we legitimately bring a beach tent with us (it’s that important), we care about portability more than someone who lives in a beach town and can throw it in their trunk.
Well-constructed and wind resistant
Another important feature to look out for in a baby beach tent is the construction. You should see whether the beach tent is sturdy enough and wind-resistant to keep your baby secure in case strong winds blow. Some baby beach tents are secured down with either sand pockets or stakes that keep them in place.
As with all things in life, you get what you pay for. I have seen (and mention below) the difference between a $30 tent that lasts a few trips, and a $140 tent that survives for years.
Serves multiple purposes
My favorite thing about my personal preferred beach tent (the Joovy Gloo) is that it doubles as a travel crib. It is a certified safe sleep surface for babies. That is huge for the way we travel, because it’s one less thing to carry, and it is familiar for my baby whether we are at the beach or in the hotel room sleeping.
Not all families need the function of a travel crib, but we have also found it super helpful for camping trips, naps in the backyard, picnics, and other outdoor events.
Some beach tents also double up as a playpen for your baby that you can use indoors as well, in more of a pack-and-play style that might work better for many families.
Do baby beach tents get hot?
Yes, some baby beach tents get hot. Therefore it is crucial to look for tents with proper ventilation and lots of airflow. Moreover, always keep an eye on a napping baby in a tent to make sure they are relaxed and comfortable, especially if the tent is in direct sunlight itself.
You can always consider adding a portable fan to help with airflow if it’s really hot out.
Baby beach tents vs. family beach tents
For the purpose of this article, I specifically chose baby-sized tents, not tents that are designed for adults to fit in with the baby. Baby tents are just a safe, shaded spot for babies… not for the whole family.
Family beach tents are awesome too, but not something that I would ever bring traveling on a beach vacation. And honestly, I have no experience with them, so I can’t make recommendations.
Baby beach tents allow more flexibility. We tend to love beaches with lounge chairs, umbrellas, and drinks… and usually those do not have room or allow for an entire family tent to pop up.
But there is always room to set up a small baby tent right in our little lounge chair area – maybe even partially under the main umbrella for better heat protection – so my baby has her own safe (and controlled) area to play or sleep.
So, what are the best baby beach tents?
After knowing what exactly you should look out for when buying a baby beach tent, let’s get to the recommendations.
I will start with the one that works best for our family, but then share my thoughts about several other great options.
Here are the best baby beach tents to buy that will keep your baby cool under the summer sun!
My favorite baby beach tent: Joovy Gloo
The Joovy Gloo is a one-of-a-kind portable pop-up beach tent that you can take anywhere so your kids can nap comfortably and stay inside, safe from the external environment. With a self-inflating portable baby bed, your baby can sleep comfortably while you enjoy your day outdoors. It also doubles as a perfect travel crib.
The baby beach tent features dew-resistant fabric, UPF 50 sun protection, bug-proof ultra-fine mesh windows, and a roll-down fabric shade opening that keeps your baby secure.
It doesn’t come cheap, but it is a high-quality product that will last if you intend to use it over and over again.
If you want to read a much more in-depth review that goes further into the benefits as a travel crib, see all about why I love the Joovy Gloo for travel here.
Best beach tent for brand new babies: Fisher-Price On-the-Go Baby Dome
This On-the-Go Baby Dome by Fisher-Price is a must-have for new parents who need a comfortable napping spot for their babies while they enjoy their day out in the sun. It also has removable hanging toys, which your little one can grasp and explore to strengthen their motor skills.
The baby dome helps keep the sunrays and bugs away from your baby with its protective overhead canopy. Featuring a grab-and-go design, the baby dome can be folded flat for easy portability. Moreover, it also features handles, so you can carry the tent anywhere without any trouble.
The downside to this is that it will only last until your baby is about 6 months, and it’s not quite as easy to travel with because while it does fold down flat, it is still fairly large (compared to some other options on this list). But if you are looking for an awesome beach tent for a newborn, this is it.
Best beach tent with built-in pool: Monobeach Pop up Baby Beach Tent
MonoBeach Pop Up Beach Tent for babies has a unique built-in mini pool design, so they can have fun in the water conveniently. Instead of taking your baby to the seaside and exposing them to the harsh rays of the sun, you can just let them play inside the mini pool, while you enjoy your time at the beach.
It has a shaded canopy with UV protection that protects your baby’s sensitive skin from the sun rays, sand, and strong wind. With an automatic pop-up beach tent design, you can instantly set it up, and tear it down when it’s time to go.
I really love the idea of these cute pool beach tents. There are lots of them on Amazon, but this one consistently gets the best reviews (versus many of the knock-off brands). Of course, this requires constant very close supervision, and is not a good choice for napping.
But for a family that just wants a super fun, shaded option for you baby while you stay right next to them, this is an awesome find.
Maximum UV protection with zero frills: Babymoov® Anti-UV Sun Shade
For maximum safety of your baby from the sun, while you’re out at the beach, you should definitely try the Babymoov Anti-UV Sun Shade. This beach tent provides protective space for your little one to enjoy at the beach, park, or anywhere outdoors.
The beach tent has a 50+UPF coating that protects your baby from direct sunlight and can be used for children less than five years old. It keeps your baby safe from up to 99% UVA/UVB sun rays, sand, and even strong winds.
Keep in mind that this tent will not keep sand out as well as some that have higher sides, and it will do nothing to contain a determined baby. But for supervised playtime, or for toddlers who just need a spot to hang out that provides great UV protection, this is a fabulous choice.
Another all-around good option for slightly older babies: Bblüv Sunkitö Pop Up Play Tent
Another great pop-up beach tent for babies by Bbluv is the Sunkito Pop Up Play Tent that features a canopy sun shelter making it perfect for the beach, park, or any playroom. Its automatic pop-up system makes it easy to assemble, and the lightweight design makes it easy to carry anywhere.
The beach tent protects your baby from the sun rays with SPF 50+ protection, mosquitoes with mesh windows, and also wind as it has roll-down net curtains to keep your baby safe while during play or nap time.
Much like the Babymoov, this tent is ideal for supervised sun breaks or as a spot for an older baby to “come and go” as they please during play time.
Something a little larger (plus major cool factor): Veer Basecamp
I am obsessed with Veer. I love the quality craftsmanship and seriously cool styling of all of their products. I love bringing my Veer Cruiser on beach vacations!
I have been eyeing the Basecamp for a while now, as well as following the experiences of friends who have it. And as I would expect, it is a high quality, smart product.
It might not be the ideal choice for travel, but if you live near a beach or do a lot of camping, it is very much worth considering! It pops up insanely easily and quickly, in a single motion.
Veer Basecamp is more like a traditional pack n play, but designed for the elements. The UPF50 removable sun ray / rain cover keeps your baby playing, no matter the weather. The insides will remain dry and cool.
With the moving parts necessary for the pop up action, you might worry about pinched fingers. But they have ensured that there are no pinch points internal zippers, and the Veer is ASTM compliant and JPMA certified as a safe play space. Other than that, you can even add an Air Pad for maximum comfort on all types of terrains.
I also love that it is only 7 pounds and big enough to fit 2 kids inside!
Best beach tent for older toddlers: California Beach Co. Pop n Go Playpen
The largest beach tent on my list, but still one of the most portable, is the California Beach Co. Pop n Go Playpen. The name Pop n Go reflects its special pop-up design that makes it easy to set up for your toddler to play in, much like the Veer. It is also super lightweight at just over 7 pounds.
The play tent can be used indoors and outdoors at the beach, campsite, the park, or even your backyard. Moreover, the Pop n Go play features a UV shade cover to block the harmful rays of the sun when used outdoors, and it also comes with a travel bag for easy portability.
In a lot of ways, the Pop n Go is similar to the Veer, but larger and designed more for everyday use, and less for extreme weather. It is a beautiful playpen, and renowned for its superior quality construction.
Hopefully, if you have made it this far, you have found at least one great option that will fit the needs of your family. Remember that whatever you choose, you want to ensure that it has thorough UV protection. Not all fabrics can keep out those harmful rays, and not all beach tents actually provide that. Let’s keep all those little ones safe!
Looking for sunscreen for those moments when your baby is outside of the beach tent? I have strong feelings about the best kind. Learn about my favorite baby sunscreen, too.
to pin for later:
Originally published December, 2021. Updated January, 2025.
12 thoughts on “Best Beach Tents for Babies”
Omgoodness, I love all of these beach tents. I wish I knew about these when I brought my babies to the beach. I have seen some of these more recently at the beach and I thought to myself how smart it was to bring one of those. I love the variety of beach tents in this post.
Thank you! They are a game-changer, for sure!
These are so cool! I wish they’d been around when my kids were that age. I just had to slather them in sunscreen and cross my fingers. LOL
These are such great picks. We didn’t have these when my kids were babies, but my sister’s youngest is in one every time they go to the beach.
A baby beach tent is such a new concept to me, but it’s brilliant!!! New parent can still go on beach trips and have all the fun they want!
I’m so getting one of these tents for my sister who not long add a baby. One who do great in the hot Jamaican weather when we go to the beach
Congrats to your sister on her new baby! Beach tents make the beach so much more comfortable with a new baby, for sure.
Thanks for doing all the research on baby beach tents. I have a one year old and need to buy one before summer.
Looks like a great option. I don’t have little ones anymore but I think that I’d be adding these to my list for our beach trips!
Thanks for sharing with us what type of beach tent to get. I reckon this will be a good gift for my nephews!
Wow, this is so cool! Saving this for when we go out next time. Thank you for sharing!
Awesome collection of playtents. My favourite is the pop n go largest playtent in your list. That’s beautiful.