There is something about summer in Australia that just drives us all outdoors and to the beaches, lakes or rivers to enjoy the amazing weather.
But we all know that Australia has some of the highest UV index levels in the world and our sun can be damaging to your skin, not to mention that it’s also roasting hot.
After your slip, slop and slap routine, a decent beach shelter is an obvious way forward to protect yourself and your family from the harsh Aussie sun. Whether it's a larger shelter for a group or a small one for yourself, read on and discover summer's best beach tents and shelters.
| OZtrail Deluxe 3.0 Gazebo with Hydro Flow | OZtrail Personal Pop Up | CoolCabanas Beach Shelter 2m | Coleman Event 14 Sun Shelter + Sunwall | Caribee Long Reef Beach Shade | Kmart Pop Up Beach Shelter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Our Pick  | Best 1p shelter  |  |  |  |  | |
300 x 300 cm | 210 x 120 cm | 200 x 200 cm | 426 x 426 cm | 330 x 180 cm | 196 x 108 cm | |
UVTex® polyester, steel | UVTex® Sun Tough fly fabric | Cotton poly-canvas | Polyester, steel | Polyester, aluminium | Polyester, steel | |
193, 208, 223 cm settings | 90 cm | 180 cm | 233 cm | 175 cm | 48 cm | |
No | No | Resistant | Resistant | No | No | |
23 kg | 1.2 kg | 5.3 kg | 17.6 kg | 3.3 kg | 1.0 kg | |
1 year | 1 year | 1 year | 1 year | 1 year | None |
Best Beach Tents & Shelters Australia
OZtrail Deluxe 3.0 Gazebo with Hydro Flow
Best For Windy Conditions
It’s common to head down to the beach on what appears to be a calm day, only to find out that it’s quite a bit windier once you get there.This can be a challenge for many beach tents, but not for the OZtrail Deluxe 3.0 Gazebo.
This family-sized beach shelter has been refined over time and is now in its third version and has a range of features to reduce the wind's effects so it will stay stable and keep providing shade even when those offshores pick up.
With four poles and pegs to help tie it down, this shelter is high enough for adults to stand and walk around with ease, looks stylish in its Navy blue colouration and provides a wide space to sit in the shade.
Customer reviews are all highly positive as these tents are good value and excellent at what they do. There are a couple of very minor negatives such as the canvas using velcro instead of clips to be secured that some users didn't like and it's also quite heavy at over 20kg.
It does have a wheelie bag for transportation, but that doesn't cut it on the sand. If you’re looking for a decent sized beach tent that you’re happy to set up at the back of the beach, this will work for you. This is the best beach shelter for a group on this list.
OZtrail Personal Pop Up
Best Personal Sun Shelter
Sometimes it’s just you and that’s all good. Plenty of us have whiled away the day reading or hanging on a beach and this little personal pop up by OZtrail is a great little shelter for one. It's light and easy to carry, set up and pack down. It has a heavy-duty base for durability and pegs to keep it in place.
With this tent, your profile on the beach is much lower than the other higher shelters on this list. So you can sit anywhere without blocking the sea view for others and they come in a range of colours so you can find yours again after a swim.
Most people love their little OZtrail pop-up, but for some, it's not high enough to sit fully upright and the mesh windows can let the sun in at certain angles. Still, highly rated and well made, this is a great little personal sun shelter. You can’t argue with the price, either!
CoolCabanas Beach Shelter 2m
Best For Lake Or Backyard