This metric pertains to a shelter’s ability to offer protection from sun, wind, and rain. Some canopies perform well in one or two of these areas, but we gave the highest scores to those that could expertly handle all three functions. We even gave extra points to canopies that also protected against bugs. We also really like the E-Z UP Pyramid, Coleman 10×10 Sun Shelter, and the ABCCANOPY Patio Pop Up. All three models offer the same shade coverage as the Eurmax, but their roller bags don’t offer the same quality. The Coleman 15 × 13 Instant Screenhouse is essentially a larger version of the Coleman 10 × 10 Instant Screened Canopy, and it has similar shortcomings.
All things considered, the REI Screen House Shelter is our favorite portable model. This massive, 10×10 fully enclosed canopy packs down small and only weighs 13 pounds. It’s the ultimate mosquito net that is also lightweight and compact enough to hitch a ride on any adventure trip. We looked for features like double-stitched seams, weather taping, steel, robust fabrics, and fewer moving parts.
After all, you can find plenty of smaller and less-expensive items to help you fight bugs, guard against the sun, and shrug off rain. Our favorite canopy tent is a simply designed, comfortable shelter that offers protection from bugs, sun, and rain. The legs are locked into place with old school metal push button locks, something you won’t see on many modern pop up tents now-a-days.
Overall, this is a fun beach accessory that is great for guarding gear and valuables and offering periodic shelter from the sun. Our shade-loving experts poured over hundreds of the best canopy tents available before choosing 14 for side-by-side testing. We selected products best suited for farmer’s markets, corporate gigs, and beaches. We also chose canopies optimized for camping, spectator sports, and adventure. From there, we tested each product for several months in Utah and California, subjecting them to sun, wind, and rain. All the while, we assessed key performance metrics such as functionality, ease of setup, protection, craftsmanship, and portability.
After weeks of testing, we have thrown a few penalty flags on the field. This product’s excellent wheel system is mostly plastic; we wish it were constructed primarily of metal. Additionally, it packs up large and is heavy, making it difficult to find room for it in the trunk of just any car. It’s also more challenging to lift into and out of a vehicle alone, and although quite solid, the E-Z Up can be a little wobbly at full height. These caveats aside, this is still our number one when heading out to the playing field.
This shelter employs high-grade, collapsible aluminum poles for its frame and comes complete with built-in guy lines and sandbags to help keep it sturdy. The polyester canopy ozark trail screen house effectively dampens the sun’s rays and is double-stitched and weather-taped to keep out the rain. The Clam Quick-Set Escape was by far the toughest canopy tent we tested.
Its heavy steel frame and massive metal stakes easily hold this shelter steady, even during wind gusts, and glaring sun and rain are also no threat. Our experts teamed up to develop a rigorous test plan, which we applied to every canopy tent in this review. We learn a lot about each model by testing in varying environments, including mountains, forests, lakes, beaches, and dunes.
The thicker, darker netting also makes the whole structure shadier, even without the optional side panels. Like the REI model, the L.L.Bean tent has ample interior pockets, a lantern hook, and a roomy carrying bag, though the bag is of the typical drawstring-sack variety. L.L.Bean’s Woodlands Screen House is remarkably similar to our top pick, REI’s Screen House Shelter; the two canopies have an identical footprint and pole structure.
In between trips, we turned a neighbor’s large, flat yard into an ad hoc camping-gazebo testing ground. We erected our shelters just in advance of a 24-hour rain and checked for leaking and rainy-day ambience midstorm. We also timed setup and breakdown times for each shelter, and we repeatedly zipped and unzipped doors and windows, looking for annoying snags. ozark trail chairs Our favorite of the eight canopy tents we tested, the REI Co-op Screen House Shelter ticks all those boxes. However, it isn’t meant as a place to sleep; for that you should choose a regular car-camping tent. If you’d rather have your shelter geared more toward camping, we’ve also reviewed the best camping tents and top backpacking tents on the market.