The Sun Ninja tent is an impressively portable and versatile beach umbrella alternative to shade you from even the harshest rays.
Any outdoor activity can be easily ruined by too much sun and not enough shade, whether it’s a soccer tournament, picnic, camping trip, or a day at the beach. Sun Ninja created a novel solution: a highly durable, versatile, portable, and easy-to-use canopy tent to shade you from the sun’s harmful rays.
If you’ve been to the beach recently, then you’ve probably noticed the proliferation of sun shades other than classic beach umbrellas. If you’ve been paying close attention, then you’ve likely already seen Sun Ninja Tents among the various options.
Unlike other beach umbrellas and shades, the Sun Ninja transitions easily to a wide range of settings and surfaces. If you’re not an avid beachgoer, take it to the park! Setup is simple enough for one person to do on their own, and it’s available in three different sizes to suit varying needs and preferences.
At just over 7 pounds with a small packed size, it’s incredibly portable, so you can bring it anywhere. Made of tough elastic spandex material, the Sun Ninja boasts a UPF 50+ rating, is water-resistant, and is designed to hold up to breezy conditions. It takes up a bit of real estate but can be set up in a variety of ways depending on the conditions or your needs. It doesn’t come cheap, but it feels built to last and comes backed by a 1-year warranty
In short: The Sun Ninja tent is a great option for a family or group of friends spending days at the beach or anywhere else in the great outdoors. This portable tent canopy is easy to bring along on your adventures, can be set up just about anywhere, and performs better in the wind than your flimsy old beach umbrella. If you’re typically rolling solo, it might not be the best choice, but if you’re bringing the kids or friends along, the Sun Ninja has you covered.
Sun Ninja Tent Review
The Sun Ninja Tent – 4-Person ($130) is a unique tent canopy that creates the perfect shady spot for lounging by the water, at the park, or at your kids’ sporting events. The stretchy canopy stands on four poles (or two if you prefer) and uses sandbags or the included stakes to anchor the corners at the beach or in the grass.
Sun Ninja Tents are made of a super-durable, water-resistant elastic spandex material that is UPF 50+ rated and blocks 98% of harmful UV rays. I tested the four-person size, but it comes in two other sizes, so you can choose the option that suits you best.
The four-person Sun Ninja Tent gets propped up with 5-foot 6-inch poles and has canopy dimensions of 7 x 7.5 feet to create a fairly large square shaded area. The eight-person size ($160) is significantly larger with a 10 x 10-foot canopy and longer 6-foot 6-inch poles. Sun Ninja also makes the Nano ($50), which sits 2.6 feet off the ground and has a 4 x 2.6-foot canopy size. The Nano seems best suited for shading kids, pets, or one to two people lying underneath.
Setup
While it isn’t quite as simple as popping open an umbrella and shoving it in the sand, setting up the Sun Ninja is surprisingly easy. On the first day of testing, it was a breezy day at the beach, and I expected it might be a bit of a hassle. Fortunately, the instructions are easy to follow, and I was able to get it set up in just a few minutes. It’s not unreasonable to set it up yourself, but it is definitely easier with the assistance of another person.
To erect the Sun Ninja tent, stretch the canopy out on the ground and fill the corner sandbag anchors with as much sand as possible. It even comes with a handy scoop for shoveling sand. Not at the beach? Use the included stakes to secure the corners in the grass or ground wherever you are.
With the corners staked or weighted down with sand, unfold the aluminum poles and prop up the corners of the canopy with the rounded ball ends of the poles at the top. The included adjustable bungee cords can be used to secure the tops of the poles and tent material together.
I found that I typically had to readjust the poles a couple of times while setting it up, but it was quite straightforward overall. Simply reverse the steps to take it down.
One nice aspect of the Sun Ninja’s design is that you can choose to use all four poles or just two — unlike the Neso 1 Beach Tent, which only comes with two poles. So, you can opt for a flat-topped canopy with four poles or just use two for more of an angled, wing-style shade that may block the sun more effectively when it is lower in the sky.
Regardless of how many poles you use, you’ll want to account for the overall footprint of the tent. With the anchor corners stretched out, it requires quite a bit of extra space.
Portability
Unlike more traditional pop-up canopies that are bulky, heavy, and difficult to transport or carry to your beach spot, the Sun Ninja tent is impressively portable. In fact, it’s much smaller than most traditional beach umbrellas. It weighs just over 7 pounds and packs down neatly into its carry bag with dimensions of just 16 x 7 inches.
Not only does this keep all of its components tidy and organized, but it can also fit easily into a backpack or beach wagon or simply be slung over your shoulder for the walk to the beach. The weight and packed size are truly impressive and make it easy to bring the Sun Ninja just about anywhere. Similarly, it takes up very little space when transporting it in your vehicle or storing it between uses.
Performance
Once you’ve got the Sun Ninja set up, it’s time to relax. The 7 x 7.5-foot canopy casts a good amount of shade, enough for two to four people to sit comfortably beneath, and the UPF 50+ material blocks nearly all UV rays from passing through. The 5-foot 6-inch poles prop the canopy up high enough for folks to sit or lie down directly on the sand and are adequately tall for people to sit beneath in most beach chairs.
Unfortunately, the canopy height of the four-person size isn’t quite tall enough for most people to stand up underneath, so it’s best suited for sitting and lounging. And, I didn’t love the fact that I needed to crouch when entering and exiting the canopy area. If you like to stand up beneath your shade, I’d recommend going with the eight-person size, which has taller 6-foot 6-inch poles.
The stretchy spandex canopy material has plenty of give. It handles light, variable winds quite well and is much quieter than most umbrellas, which can be notoriously noisy in the wind. Light to moderate breezes are no problem, especially if you’ve packed the sandbag anchors with as much sand as possible. It can stand up to some wind gusts as well, but I found that it seemed a bit wobbly at times, and it didn’t provide the confidence that it wouldn’t topple over on really windy days.
The stretch in the material allows it to shift around a bit, and when it is a bit breezy, you’ll just need to accept the fact that it wobbles a bit. Still, it handles wind better than flimsy, lightweight beach umbrellas, and, unlike those umbrellas, it won’t go flying off down the beach. If the wind topples the Sun Ninja, the poles will basically just fall over, and the canopy will collapse down on the sand (or on top of you), not go sailing away in the wind.
Adjustments can easily be made to the tension of the corner anchors to account for changing conditions. Likewise, you can ditch two of the poles if needed to block the sun at lower angles. That’s a good thing because I was initially a little underwhelmed by the shaded space when it was set up with all four.
The sun comes in from the side, and you need to follow the shade around to stay out of the sun as it moves throughout the day. Given the fact that it comes with stakes, the Sun Ninja can also be used in non-beach settings like the backyard, park, or campsite for quick, easy, and portable shade wherever you need it.
Drawbacks
While the Sun Ninja Tent is a cool alternative to traditional beach umbrellas, it does have a few drawbacks that are worth mentioning. First is the size and the height of the four-person version we tested. The fact that it has a maximum canopy height of 5 feet 6 inches means that many adults, myself included, can’t fully stand up underneath it.
Plus, it’s a little awkward getting in and out from under the tent. I would rather have a shade that is at least as tall as I am. The shaded area also isn’t that big, and when used with all four poles, the sun comes in from the sides as it gets lower in the sky.
For these reasons, I think most people would be better off spending 30 bucks more and going with the eight-person size, which provides 10 x 10 feet of shade and a taller height that most people will be able to stand up underneath.
The Sun Ninja also has a fairly large footprint for the amount of shade it provides. When the corners are fully stretched out, they reach far beyond the footprint created by the poles and the shaded area. If it isn’t crowded, this isn’t really a big deal, but if it’s a busy day at the beach, it could be a challenge to find enough real estate.
Sun Ninja advertises the canopy material as being water-resistant. I didn’t have the chance to test it in any rainy conditions, but it definitely doesn’t seem like it would work well in a rain storm — nor do I think that it’s intended to. It does, however, feel up to the task of repelling light mist or ocean spray that’s more commonly encountered during beach outings.
Lastly, at $130 for the four-person and $160 for the eight-person size, Sun Ninja tents are on the more expensive end of the beach shade spectrum. That said, they are competitively priced compared to bulkier pop-up canopies while also being significantly more portable, storable, and easier to deal with.
Conclusion
The Sun Ninja Tent is a unique beach shade that stands out for its portability, versatility, ease of setup, and quality materials. The four-person size is ideal for those who enjoy lying down on the sand or sitting on low chairs at the beach or at a park. While the smaller size I tested works well for a couple or small group, I think most people will probably be better served by the eight-person size and its larger canopy and increased height.
Regardless of the size you choose, it blocks sun effectively, provides versatility in how and where it can be set up, and is compact and light enough to take with you just about anywhere. It is slightly pricier than many other beach umbrellas and shades, but I feel its durability and versatility make it a solid investment that will serve you well from the beach to the campground for years to come.