Larger inside than I even expected - easily room for two adults to be comfortable without chairs, and room enough to fit two very wide low-sitting chairs perfectly. My set up test indoors was a breeze. Very quick set up and take down. Extremely easy actually. Just used it on the beach multiple times and I'm very impressed! Set up only takes a couple minutes - which is pretty incredible.
So quick and convenient. The quality is decent - not going to last 100 years or anything, but it will at least last 1-2 seasons I am assuming.
The tarp that folds down on the ground in the front gets in the way at times, but we've learned to just cover the edges with sand at the beach, which keeps it from flopping around in the wind (note: never used any stakes or anything to hold it down - we've just used sand in the bags on the sides and that's worked fine). I'd suggest that they should make it so that you can take it off or leave it on - perhaps use a zipper so that you can remove it? However, it was nice to be able to fold it up and close it for privacy, in order to change out of my bathing suit right on the beach. :)
Ideally, they could also make the structure a little more SPF-proof! While it provides good shade, there's still some sun that comes through the fabric. After all, if someone is buying this I assume they want shade, so why not make it 100-SPF rather than just 50 SPF? There is one tiny part where the "spray on" of the SPF on the inside is starting to come off already (just out of the box), so that's why I say that it won't last forever.
Nonetheless, I'm very impressed with it overall. It was very easy to dump sand into the attached little pouches on the sides, which helped keep it in place without any problems with 5-15-plus MPH winds. When the winds got really strong we left the beach the other day. The structure was folding (being blown sideways because of the strong winds), and while I was able to prop up the side with a beach chair it was uncomfortable because of all the blowing sand with so much wind anyway. I think it was actually protecting us much more than those with simple umbrellas - as the sand was kept mostly outside. My take is that it can do fine even with strong winds, but you might need to support it with something like I did. However, when the winds are too strong who wants to be outside anyway?! We didn't, and gave up after 20 minutes and left the beach (along with many others who were simply using umbrellas).
We're kicking ourselves for not finding this cabana sooner! We'll definitely be taking it with us on any beach adventures and plan to take it when we travel too. Easy to carry size. However, they really need a better pouch to keep it in - it's too difficult to get back into the bag once it's out - particularly on a beach when you're trying to tear down your gear and head back to the car it's certainly not a one-person job to get it into the bag, but it should be!
Here I am complaining, but that's because it's not 100-percent perfect. The thing is, it's ALMOST perfect! It was certainly worth the money, and if this one breaks down for some reason one day I'll likely be back to buy another one!
UPDATE: This one did finally break down after years of (intermittent) use. The double-jointed legs gave out and finally would not stand up without support. Thus, we did buy a new one. The new version does not have strings to pull on the top, which is probably a good change - instead just you just pull the two disks together to put it up or apart to fold. They also got rid of the double-jointed legs near the opening and instead have longer single-folding legs. I assume this means they will be less apt to break. They are a little easier to fold (that was the only complaint with the old version). The color on the outside moved from all blue to grey and blue, but otherwise it seems very similar to the old version - I think they added another pocket inside, which is nice. Only complaint about the new one is that it does not easily close to allow for complete privacy (as the older model did). It does not have hooks inside to latch onto with the front flap. However, you can take the flap and tie it up to the poles, it's just not easy, pretty or completely private (as there are still small gaps on the sides when you pull up the flap). Thus, it's still not 100 percent perfect but it's the best things around that we've seen! They also made the bag larger, so it's much easier to get back into the bag after you've used it - a good change. Already used it multiple times and it's working well.
| Brand | Lightspeed Outdoors |
|---|---|
| Material | Fiberglass |
| Color | Blue |
| Item Weight | 7 Pounds |
| Recommended Uses For Product | Recreation, Sideline Sports |
| Ultraviolet Light Protection | UPF 50+ |
| Frame Material | Fiberglass, Plastic |
| Water Resistance Level | Water Resistant |
| Pole Material Type | Fiberglass |
| Item Package Dimensions L x W x H | 40.94 x 5.91 x 5.51 inches |
| Package Weight | 3.22 Kilograms |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 53.94 x 96.06 x 48.03 inches |
| Brand Name | Lightspeed Outdoors |
| Warranty Description | 1 year limited |
| Model Name | Lightspeed Outdoors Quick Cabana Beach Tent Sun Shelter, Blue |
| Suggested Users | unisex-adult |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Manufacturer | Lightspeed Outdoors |
| Part Number | 26795-BV |
| Style | Durable |
| Included Components | Sand Pockets, Carrying Case, Shoulder Strap, Lightspeed Outdoors Quick Cabana Beach Tent Sun Shelter, Stakes And Guylines |
| Size | 1 size |
