The 6 Best Canopy Tents of 2023 Tested by GearLab

ozark trail shower tentThe canopy top itself comes with a handy mesh pocket for storing your smaller items. Its 112-inch center height gives you plenty of room to create an entertainment space for your outdoor furniture and guests. Whether you are hosting a barbecue, attending a sporting event, or spending a day at the beach, you will be able to take your 10-foot by 10-foot Ozark Trail Instant Canopy anywhere. The Pacific Breeze Easy Up is a beach tent with a half-dome design and enough space to shade one or two adults. Its one-pull setup requires more muscle than we anticipated, but overall it is hassle-free and takes only seconds to erect.

The Easy Up is a self-contained product with no assembly required, making it easy to set up, take down, and store in your garage, coat closet, or car trunk. It also is quite sturdy and resists wind well if it is staked down. Five large weight bags attach and can be filled with sand to keep everything in place. Overall, this is a fun beach accessory that is great for guarding gear and valuables and offering periodic shelter from the sun.

These tents can quickly become pricey, so focusing on quality versus cost is a great idea. Typically, the lower-priced options in this category will work for the short term. They usually weigh less, which is handy when lugging them around, but it generally means they are not as durable in inclement weather. The higher-priced models often weigh more or offer better construction technology.

The Easy Up is actually the lightest in our list of top scorers, but it has a longer packed size, which affected its overall score. I actually think I may have purchased another type of pop-up shelter once upon a time. I will investigate the garage and report back if I find anything worthwhile. The feet areas of the legs are also something to mention, as they are shaped like pads instead of a simple pole.

ozark trail instant cabinAnd compared to some of the tents in the EZ-Up lineup, it sells for almost a 70% discount. One could, in theory, purchase a new Ozark canopy every year (which they might need to!) and still come out ahead over the years vs. purchasing a more expensive alternative. In windy conditions high stress is applied to each side and the frame begins to break down at the unreinforced joint connectors.