Red Suricata Family Beach Tent & Canopy, UPF50 Sun Shade, 4 Aluminum Poles, Sand Shovel, Large Portable Sun Shelter

After searching for sunshades that were different from the standard beach umbrella, I came across Red Suricata. After reading thru the reviews and questions, I decided to purchase. After using it on the beach for a week, I am happy to report that my purchase was well worth the money spent! I went with the 7’x7’ size.In The Bag:The sunshade comes in a nice sized carrying bag which is large enough that I was able to include a compact shovel with plenty of room to spare. It’s nice not to have to struggle putting the components of the sunshade back into the bag! I also threw in a beach umbrella anchor. So much room! The sunshade is very lightweight and compact.The Set Up:After reading reviews and watching setup videos, I felt prepared for my first effort at setup. With the help of my partner, we had the Red Suricata up within about 15 minutes. I could have easily set it up alone but with a 2nd person it made it a bit easier and faster, especially since the wind was blowing at about 12-15 mph. I did not need to use the pole anchors as the poles stuck into the soft sand easily and were secure. The cinch bags/sand bags were easy to fill.Tips:* Fill the sand bags to max capacity. Wet/moist sand will make them heavier if needed for windy conditions. Place the filled bags in dug out holes on at least the two bags on the up-wind side of the shade for increased stability.* Place the poles near each of the four corners and secure with the bungee loops. Readjust the sandbags as needed to make the shade taught on all four corners so that the edges of the shade fabric are stretched tight. Adjust poles (straight up/down or angled) to help counter windy conditions and wind direction.* Beach weather/wind conditions change and so might the need to make adjustments to the sunshade poles and or sandbags. My experience was that the sandbags never needed to be moved. I did adjust pole angles a time or two as winds shifted. Not a big deal.* As we gained experience with assembly, the time, ease and coordination to setup the sunshade got faster and more efficient after each day. By the 2nd or 3rd day we were seasoned veterans!Take Down:* Super simple. Sand emptied out of the sand bags easily albeit dry sand. The sunshade was easily folded and stowed in the carrying bag with all the other components. Take down time was under 7 minutes.The Takeaway:* The reviewers stating that the Red Suricata is a waste of money and that the design doesn’t work are from a different planet. This is a well designed product and will easily withstand 20-25 mph winds if put up correctly and adjustments made accordingly.* The sunshade does provide shade but UV rays do penetrate the fabric. Using sunscreen on sensitive skin is advisable.* The 7’x7’ size was perfect for the two of us plus our beach gear* The materials that come with this sunshade are of good quality. The pole anchors do seem a bit frail and cheap but I didn’t need to use them so not an issue. I can see needing them on compacted beach sand surfaces.* Be sure to check beach rules to insure this style sunshade is permitted and if so, where on the beach it can be staged. We were in SC and these type sunshades had to be in a certain line of site in relation to the dunes, beach patrol paths and high tide surf.This is a great beach shade product. If you have half a brain, can pay attention to written and video instruction, can figure out how to make adjustments to a situation that might require readjusting then don’t hesitate to buy this Red Suricata Sunshade. I’m so glad I did my due diligence and purchased this product. I loved my experience on the beach using this well designed product and I highly recommend it!

So being the guy who is usually responsible for setting up all of the “beach stuff” before everyone actually goes out to start the day, I have finally found an answer to getting time to enjoy the beach myself. Years of hauling bulky and heavy “pop up tents” (that always break) always gave me trouble trying to set up and on top of that having to haul tent leg weights down to the beach to keep the tent from blowing away was always a pain as well. This summer I wanted to change up the dreaded beach setup routine. And change it I did. I found this product and although it looks a little too simple to be real sturdy, it held up perfectly and was the easiest setup I’ve ever done. The first day it took me 10-15 minutes to figure out the best way to set it up and remain sturdy, then from that day on it took me 5 minutes to set it up every day after. Breakdown is a breeze as well. The shade provided was perfect as it can fit 4-6 beach chairs easy. It also had its share of wind running through it. I wouldn’t recommend on a severely windy day, bit was impressed howWell it did with a good 15-20 mph ocean breeze. Since we had a large group I actually purchased 2 and we set them up sided by side. I had a whole bunch of people walk by and could here them say, “oh that’s a nice setup.” Yes it was... no more struggling with metal tent frames that ALWAYS bend and break. The tear down at the end of a tireing day was a snap! Just one word of advice, after several days of use check the plastic balls on the top of the aluminum support poles, as they are screwed on and can loosen, I had one fall off (luckily I found it in the sand) but tightening these every few days is not a bad idea. If you happen to lose the plastic balls the support pole will rip through your canopy fabric if you don’t realize it fell off. (Problem can also be solved with a drop of blue locktite). Thank you for the owner of the company reaching out to me personally to see how I enjoyed the product, it is truly a great idea and fabricated well.

Great product. The shade provided was big enough to fit 6 adults in chairs and a few kids playing in the sand - all within the shaded area, whether in the morning or middle of the afternoon.This is so much lighter and easier to bring to the beach than other large shade canopies.Set up was very easy. I could do it alone with no problem - simply fill the sand bags, stretch it out, then place the poles in the corner.Having 4 poles was great - only using 2 poles would have allowed the covering to move in the wind more, which would have reduced space for sitting comfortably.It held up without any problem in the wind, while one of our cheap beach umbrellas kept blowing away.We used it every day, almost all day long, for a week on the beach and it looks like it will last several more beach trips without a problem.There were only a few minor drawbacks. I wish it were taller, but this is about as tall as any similar products available. The material does allow some sun through - enough that you can still see shadows - so it limits, but does not block, the sun exposure. The balls on the poles are rather small and cause a lot of stretch in the material at the points where the poles are placed. It didn't seem to be in danger of tearing, but I still may place a foam ball or tennis ball over the plastic ball to help spread the pressure.