Our most portable models are the Sun Ninja, Neso 1, and Eureka Tagalong Shelter. These models are all thinner, fold-down styles that weigh far less than the larger canopies on our list. Some, like the Tagalong, are lighter because of the high-end ozark trail instant cabin materials used in their construction. Others, like the Sun Ninja, are lighter because they employ less expensive materials. So it is important to distinguish that not all lightweight and portable products are equally high in quality.
Our hands-down winner in this category is the Eurmax Standard 10×10. It offers impeccable craftsmanship and is even graded as “Entry Commercial” by the manufacturer. This canopy’s stitching and heavy-wear stress points are reinforced. Additionally, its 600-denier canopy fabric is the thickest we’ve seen. Likewise, the roller bag is made from commercial-grade components and fabrics, and the frame is thicker and heavier than other canopies. Heavier cathedral-style canopy tents can often be challenging because of their weight; however, most are fairly simple to deploy.
Its one-pull setup requires more muscle than anticipated, but overall, it is hassle-free and takes only seconds to erect. At 5.4 pounds, it’s the lightest canopy in our lineup, making it very portable. We like the built-in sidewall pockets, attached floor, and roll-away side ozark trail canopy tent drapes. However, the tarp-style floor becomes a little hot in the sun and tends to collect dirt, sand, and water. 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.
The sloping walls make the interior space feel much smaller than the generous footprint might lead you to expect. The mesh doesn’t seem particularly durable, and given the cap-like roof, the shade provided is much more limited than with our top-pick tents. Like the REI model, the L.L.Bean tent has ample interior pockets, a lantern hook, and a roomy carrying bag, though the bag is of the typical drawstring-sack variety. Fellow campers and sun-baked spectators consistently gravitated toward the REI shelter over the L.L.Bean. Though the two tents have the same footprint, the REI’s roof is 6 inches taller; we found that the higher ceiling made the REI shelter feel significantly roomier inside. The legs are locked into place with old school metal push button locks, something you won’t see on many modern pop up tents now-a-days.
The polyester canopy effectively dampens the sun’s rays and is double-stitched and weather-taped to keep out the rain. The canopy tent has mesh walls on all four sides and an edge of polyester fabric (also DWR treated) at the ground that deters mosquitos and other critters from invading from below. Like many tents of this type, the REI Screen House Shelter has a fabric hook in the center of the ceiling that accommodates a small lantern or other light. The Clam Quick-Set Escape was by far the toughest canopy tent we tested.
Some canopies perform well in one or two of these areas, but we gave the highest scores to those that could expertly handle all three functions. We even gave extra points to canopies that also protected against bugs. The whole thing is remarkably easy to set up, even for one person; the family at the next campsite was amazed at my tent prowess when I set it up solo.
No other chair in our testing pool—except perhaps the extremely pricey Yeti Trailhead—came close to matching the King Kong’s build quality. Our testers consistently said the King Kong chair was the most heavy-duty-feeling model of all the chairs we tested. The E-Z Up Pyramid is our favorite canopy for outdoor sports enthusiasts. From youth football and soccer fields to motocross tracks and cross-country meets, this canopy fits the bill. If you spend much time on the sidelines, we think the E-Z Up is the perfect way to catch some shade while you cheer on your athlete or team.
If you’re unsure which camping chair to buy, you can’t go wrong with the classic Coleman Cooler Quad Chair. If you want a lighter, more portable camp-style shelter, we highly recommend checking out the REI Co-op Screen House Shelter. The Eureka Tagalong Shelter is also a decent option but is not fully enclosed. Likewise, the Pacific Breeze Easy Up is very portable but limited in size. Kalee Thompson is an editor covering health, fitness, baby, and kid gear.
To uncover the best canopy tent, we use comprehensive test metrics and cover all manner of use cases and essential details. We also looked closely at the quality of each canopy tent for our craftsmanship metric and measured each tent when packed up to provide details on portability. We weighted each metric according to its importance before grading and ranking each shelter, side by side, on a scale of 1-10. Below, we discuss the metrics we used to score each model and highlight impressive models in each performance area. On hot, sunny days, we don’t think we could remain inside the Easy Up for long periods.