Best Beach Tents & Sun Shelters for Kids & Families, Australia 2025
If you are heading to the beach this summer, you will no doubt looking for the best beach tent or beach shade to protect you and your family from the sun. We have tried and tested many and are putting together a list of the best sun shades for kids, best umbrellas and best beach tents for kids and families that you can find in Australia.
Best Beach Tents Australia for Families
With the weather warming up around the country, families are looking forward to getting out and about with the kids. As with a good kids sunscreen and sun safe swimwear, a good quality beach tent or sunshade is important to protect yourselves from the sun during those hot days.
Whether you are looking for the best pop up beach tent, or the best beach shade shelters on offer, we are going to show you our favourites, many of them we have tried and tested ourselves and others have been recommended to us.
Here is our list of the best beach tents for kids and sunshades for families.
1. Sun Play Pop Up Beach Tent (Best Pop Up Beach Tent)
Our favourite pop-up beach tent for families, especially those with babies and young kids.
Easily one of the best pop-up beach tents for kids, the Sun Play pop-up beach tent also looks fantastic. The unique colours and designs make you stand out on the beach.
It is light weight and easy to carry with it’s own travel bag. It has 2 zip-up doors and 2 windows on the side. It also has lots of internal pockets to store your belongings.
Features:
- Simple Set up: easy to put up, easy to take down, no tools required
- UPF50+: Sun protection for those warm days.
- Full coverage:
- Lightweight with carry bag: packs away to store easily for travel
- Pockets: Internal pockets to store your belongings
Read our full review here>>>
Use the code MUMEXP and get $10 off.
2. Airlie Sun Shelter (Best sunshade for kids)
Our favourite beach sunshades for kids and families. The Airlie Sun Shelter is a light weight sunshade that is super easy to set up and pack down. It has a vented canopy which allows air to circulate. It also comes with it’s own travel bag too.
The Airlie Sun Shelter secures easily with sand pockets and has no bottom, so the kids are free to play in the sand in the shade. If you do want a mat for the bottom, there is a matching adventure mat you can purchase separately along with comfy beach chairs too.
Features
- Simple Set up: easy to put up, easy to take down, no tools required
- UPF50+: Sun protection for those warm days.
- Lightweight with carry bag: packs away to store easily for travel
- Breeze proof: secure with sand pockets. Sand pegs also included
- No flooring: the kids can play with the sand in the shade
- Vented canopy: allows for air circulation
- Pockets: Internal pockets to store your belongings
3. Family Breezy Shade (Best large sunshade)
A great beach shade for families if you are looking for shade, without using a tent. The Breezy Shade is really simple to set up and is great in all weather at the beach or even at the park or in the garden.
Set up your beach towel or blanket under the shade, or let the kids play in the sand underneath. There are three different sizes depending on the size of your family.
- Simple Set up:
- UPF50+: Sun protection for those warm days.
- Lightweight with carry bag: packs away to store easily for travel
- Breeze proof: secure with sand pockets. Sand pegs also included
- No flooring: the kids can play with the sand in the shade
- Vented canopy: allows for air circulation
4. Life Boracay Beach Tent (Best budget beach tent)
The Life Boracay 2.0 Beach Shelter is one of the best beach tents australia on a budget. It is easy to set up and pack down. It has a pocket inside conveniently store your beach belongings and excellent cross ventilation via the mesh window that helps keep you cool.
Made from UPF 50+ protected polyester, this beach shelter has both front and back openings, with one that zips ups. It includes pegs and sand pockets to keep stable and secure in the sand to ensure you enjoy your summer days spent at the beach
- Simple Set up: easy to put up, easy to take down, no tools required
- UPF50+: Sun protection for those warm days.
- Lightweight with carry bag: packs away to store easily for travel
- Excellent ventilation
- Handy pocket to store your belongings out of the sand
- Sand pockets and pegs: to keep the shelter safe and secure in the sand
4. Cool Cabana Beach Shade for Families
- Simple Set up: easy to put up, easy to take down, no tools required
- UPF50+: Sun protection for those warm days.
- Folds down to 97 cm
- Sand pockets provide 16kg to keep you on the beach
- No flooring: the kids can play with the sand in the shade
- Provides 4 square meter of shade
Beach Tents & Beach Shades are your Family Beach Essentials
A beach tent or a beach shade is a summer beach essential for families in order to protect little ones from the sun, but also to keep your picnic goodies out of the heat too.
Hope this list of the best beach tents for families and the best beach shades will help you make an informed choice. We will review more options in the coming months and add them to the list!
You may be interested in more of our summer content:
Follow Mum’s Little Explorers on FACEBOOK for kids activities and family events in Melbourne! Look at our Melbourne for Kids page with tones of other ideas!
