With summer season knocking at the door, we all can feel the excitement in the air. We all be able to get out in the sun, wearing summer clothes and having fun at the beaches. Everything about summers is great, except the fact that the skin is exposed to harmful UV rays, especially when spending time at the beach. However, this particular drawback of the summer season can be obliterated if you enter the beach with a beach umbrella.
There are dedicated umbrellas available on the market, which you can consider taking to the beaches. The shape, size, and design of beach umbrellas may vary from brand to brand, but the motive remains the same, i.e., protection against harmful UV rays. If you are scouring the web to find the best beach umbrella, then you will really like the list I’ve created in which I’ve reviewed five best beach umbrella consumer reports. You just need to go through the below-mentioned reviews to identify the best beach umbrella.
Reviewing 5 Best Beach Umbrellas
1. BEACHBUB All-In-One Beach Umbrella System
When your aim is to get a beach umbrella that stays put when normal winds are blowing and has a good-sized top as well, then you can look at BEACHBUB Beach Umbrella. You don’t have to spend hours digging and fiddling with weird anchors with this beach umbrella, as it sports a unique anchoring system, which is easy to set up and is quite effective as well. Therefore, you can quickly set up the umbrella and then move onto setting up of your portable gas grill so that delicious, smoked food can be prepared.
ALA (American Lifeguard Association) has even endorsed the umbrella, which shows how good it is. This umbrella will not fly away when heavy winds are blowing, thus reducing the risk of flying umbrella injuries. Regardless of being deemed a durable umbrella, it doesn’t feel heavy at all, therefore, you can easily transport it in your car to the beach. The company offers a 3-year protection plan on the umbrella that covers all sorts of damages and even loss of umbrella.
2. Sport-Brella Portable All-Weather Umbrella
Sport-Brella has developed an all-weather umbrella, which sets it apart from normal umbrellas that we see on the market. The umbrella sports a unique design, which ensures comprehensive protection to the user against harmful UV rays emitted by the sun.
The beach umbrella comes with side flaps, which extend to the sand. As a result, you get an umbrella-tent hybrid. A window on each side of the umbrella comes with relief vents, which ensures that the umbrella doesn’t get too hot underneath.
The design may seem a bit complicated, but believe me; it is quite easy to set up and can offer sun protection for a family of four. The umbrella is made using water-repellent material, so you don’t have to worry about water coming inside the umbrella if it starts to rain.
3. Tommy Bahama Sand Anchor 7 feet Beach Umbrella
This is a 7-ft beach umbrella, which means, it covers a large area, thus keeping your entire body under the shade. You might think that the large size of the umbrella makes it harder to transport, but that’s not the case because this umbrella is made of aluminum and fiberglass ribs, making the umbrella lightweight yet sturdy.
The umbrella comprises of two parts, so you can disassemble the umbrella, put it in the case and easily transport it. The setting up process of the umbrella can be made even easier, courtesy of a built-in anchor. You will also love the silver coating given on the umbrella that adds protection against harmful UV rays, thus preventing sunburns.
4. Sport-Brella Versa-Brella All Position Umbrella
There is no need to put your money into an umbrella that is big and heavy, especially when you’ve got kids to take care of. You can buy an all position umbrella by Sport-Brella, which is large but isn’t heavy at all. It weighs around 2 lbs, so you can imagine how light it is. Moreover, the umbrella latches to the chair, making set up as well as the transportation effortless.
Don’t take its lightweight for flimsiness, as this umbrella is fully effective in protecting your skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays. A silver coating added on the umbrella prevents sunburns and damages to the eyes.
I really liked the clamp that comes along with the umbrella, as it can be fixed with all types of chairs. Transporting this umbrella is quite easy, as you can easily fold it to fit inside a compact carrying case. If you are looking for a highly versatile beach umbrella, then you should definitely consider this one by Sport-Brella.
5. EasyGoUmbrella Giant Beach Umbrella
If you are looking for a spacious beach umbrella because you want to spend some quality time with your family or friends, then you can opt for EasyGoUmbrella Giant Beach Umbrella. It comes with 8-ft fabric canopy and a heavy-duty pole system, which stays anchored until you decide to go back home. The pole is so durable that you can even trust it on a windy day. The umbrella comprises of 16 fiberglass ribs, which will flex under pressure but won’t break.
For enhanced sun protection, a UV coating has been done on the canopy, so enjoy the sunny day at the beach without worrying about harmful UV rays or sunburns. You can easily fold down the entire structure, put it in a carrying case and transport it anywhere, as it just weighs 7 lbs.
Types of Beach Umbrellas
To get your hands on the best beach umbrella, you must first understand as to how many types of beach umbrellas are there on the market. Let’s dive into the types of beach umbrellas and what they have in the offing.
Market umbrellas
Arguably the most popular beach umbrellas, these are used to shade large tables, which is why you will see market umbrellas used on the patio of restaurants and café bars. A market umbrella will have an octagonal shape and vented top.
Cantilever Umbrellas
In these umbrellas, the pole doesn’t come in between the area being shaded. Moreover, these umbrellas have a standalone base, so you don’t need to use the patio table hole to keep the umbrella in an upright position. These umbrellas are large and thus, provide more shading than any other umbrella.
Pagoda umbrellas
A pagoda umbrella is a specially designed umbrella, whose design has been taken from Asian-style umbrellas that are built in a pagoda style. These umbrellas usually don floral designs, which blends well with the surrounding décor. You will find pagoda umbrellas in lavish places such as poolside of hotels or restaurants.
Sunshades
These look similar to a disc on a pole. Sunshades are usually small, so they cover only one person. This is the reason that sunshades are used in a bunch to cover a large area in order to accommodate more people under the shade.
Commercial Umbrellas
These umbrellas are mostly used for advertising purposes, and you will find these umbrellas being used in pubs and cafés. These are medium-sized umbrellas, thus offering decent shade.
Factors To Consider When Buying A Beach Umbrella
You can’t just buy a beach umbrella until you’re certain about below-mentioned factors:
UPF Protection: The most important role of a beach umbrella is to protect you from harmful rays of the sun, which include UVA and UVB rays. If it is not able to do that, then no need to buy such an umbrella, as it is of no use.
Many beach umbrellas are now coming with silver or aluminum coating that offers enhanced protection from sunburns and harmful UV rays. If you have applied the best sunscreen on your body, then you don't have to worry about UV rays or sunburns because you have created a thick protective layer against those.
Setup: You will not like spending hours setting up the umbrella, will you? Therefore, you need to buy an umbrella that can be erected in a couple of minutes, so that you can move onto the fun part without wasting any time.
If you buy an umbrella that makes you dig holes, then, believe me, the majority of your time will be wasted in setting up an umbrella and that is what you don’t want, right? So, get an umbrella that sets up quickly.
Venting: The role of air vents is to keep the air inside the umbrella circulating and preventing the umbrella from flying away. In the absence of air vents, the breezes and gusts will go up, causing umbrella to fly and hitting someone else relaxing at the beach. You must ensure that the umbrella you’ve shortlisted has at least one air vent to allow an escape path for the incoming air.
Durability: Since beach umbrellas are exposed to sunlight and tiny abrasive particles, the life of umbrellas is reduced for sure, which is why you need to invest in a beach umbrella that is made up of high-quality material. The pole, ribs and the cover of the umbrella have to be made out of a durable and functional material.
Transportation: A beach umbrella shouldn’t be too heavy that you can’t even transport it on your own. Today, you will find many beach umbrellas, which are large, but not heavy. Reason being, the material used in those umbrellas are aluminum and fiberglass.
Moreover, the umbrellas are assembled these days, so you just have to carry a small case with umbrella parts inside of it, which you will have to assemble at the beach.
Wrapping Up
With so many different types of beach umbrellas, it is definitely going to be a tough task finding the best one. Beach umbrellas come in different shapes and sizes, so if you are looking for a beach umbrella that provides shade to you and all those accompanying you, then you should opt for a tent-umbrella hybrid. If you want a versatile beach umbrella that offers shade to 2 - 4 persons at a time, then make sure the size of the umbrella should be between 7-10 feet, and I’ve discussed beach umbrellas of this size range.
Most importantly, consider all the aforementioned factors while selecting a beach umbrella because then, you will definitely be able to get your hands on the best product. The sole motive of this best beach umbrella consumer reports is to present the top products in front of you to make your selection process easier.