If you’re looking for shade at a baseball or softball tournament, you could be out of luck unless you bring your own. Sometimes you have three or four games in one day, and you’re probably going to need a shady place for you and the kids to relax. I live in California, which is obviously very sunny almost every day and can get extremely hot in the summer. A shade tent or canopy, also known as an “EZ up”, “Easy up”, or “Pop up shade canopy”, is an essential tournament accessory. These tents can also keep you out of the rain at other types of sporting events such as football, soccer, lacrosse, etc.
Below are some good-quality shade canopies that are not only easy to transport, but easy to set up and move around. I’ve included shade tents that have free delivery or site-to-store delivery for close pickup.
This heavy duty 10 x 10 foot shade canopy comes with a gray polyester fabric top that won’t look dirty after using it for a while. It also includes a rolling carrying case and a tie down kit. This Ozark Trail model gets great reviews and includes free shipping, or you can have it delivered to your nearest Walmart store. The price is really good. This is the size canopy that we use and I find that it’s perfect to provide shade for 4 – 8 people depending on the sun angle, and it’s very easy for two people to set up. I’ve set it up alone a couple of times, but I don’t recommend it. A separate shade wall for this gazebo is available at Amazon.com.
Same canopy as the one shown above, but also includes 4 heavy-duty folding chairs with cup holders. This set also ships free (depending on location) and has everything you need to be ready for the next game.
If you don’t mind spending a little more, this commercial-grade canopy has a reinforced steel frame and the top has Aluminex-backed fabric for 99% UV protection and cooler shade. All of the joints are connected with corrosion-resistant hardware so you won’t have to worry about rust. This tent has an added drop down shade for added shade or privacy. Comes with a rolling carrying case and sturdy ground stakes. Check out the video that demonstrates how easy it is to set up. Also available at Amazon.com.
Sometimes all you need is a smaller shade tent for two to four people and this one is perfect. It comes with a half-wall of extra shade, and includes a backpack for easy carrying. This nice little shade tent gets good reviews and also includes free shipping or site-to-store pickup.
I looked around and did some research on large shade tents for big families or parties and I found this Outsunny that gets great reviews. The problem with many of the bigger tents is that they are so heavy that the pieces break easily or the wheels on the rolling case break off, but this one has many reviews reporting its superior quality. According to the reviews, it’s much easier to set up with four people. The reviews also state that it comes with a storage bag and this one also comes with free shipping.
There are many more styles, shapes, and qualities of canopy tents available, and this is just a small list to give you an idea of how to pick the best pop up shade canopy, based on customer reviews and my experience with using them.
check out http://www.thesunbearco.com
easiest sun shade to carry and set up.
Those look really cool for the beach! 🙂
But how do you set it up at a baseball game?How do you weigh down the pockets? Do you have to bring your own sand?
Hi there. I think for baseball games you probably would set up in the grass and use stakes. I can’t see bringing out sand.