I’ve never been impressed with beach umbrellas. They offer minimal coverage and inevitably end up blowing away. On the opposite side of the spectrum are tents. The problem? They’re HOT (if I wanted to sweat, I’d go to a sauna) and a huge hassle to put together. Skincom’s solartent is the best of both worlds. Yes, it’s a tent, but it’s ridiculously easy to set up. It comes with steel pegs and bags that you can fill with sand to anchor the sides, so even though it’s lightweight, it’ll stay put. All packed up the tent is very compact – great for traveling. I would even use it in my backyard, though! You can take the back down for extra ventilation on really steamy days or keep it up to shield from the wind. Our favorite park has limited shade, and with this we wouldn’t have to worry about finding a big tree to sit under. The tent can house two chairs and still leave room for tots to play. It’s great for the beach since kids want to be able to play in the sand. There are different color options and a backless alternative for less ($29.99). Skincom even makes a solartent for your patio ($396.99) – you can stay cool everywhere! Available on Amazon for $49.99.
