Best Baby Tents For Beach and Camping Buying Guide

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Whether it’s a beach day or a trip to the park, taking your kids to the beach or camping will be more enjoyable with the right gear.  If you’re looking to keep your baby clean, shaded, and safe, plan on taking one of the best baby tents on your next camping or beach trip!

baby tent with a child peeping out

Kids will be happier and have more fun if you set them up with a little home base that provides ample shade and space to play. Here a baby shade tent comes to the rescue, so you and your baby enjoy a day at the beach or hang out at a campsite. without having to constantly worry about what they’re getting into.

When choosing a baby camping tent for your outdoor adventures, it is essential to ensure that the baby tent has sufficient ventilation and room for your baby to move around comfortably. 

Finding a baby beach or camp tent can be challenging, as there are many options available on the market, and you want to find something that is going to work for your family without breaking the bank AND still keeping baby safe.

We’ve done the research work for you, so keep reading to see the best baby tent features and everything you need to choose the best baby tent!

Where To Use A Baby Tent?

The purpose of the baby tent is to keep the baby cool and shaded from the sun at the beach, camping, and park. Also, it provides a contained place for the child to play and protection from bugs and pests.

Baby camping tent set up outdoors

Features To Look For In A Baby Tent

Floor

We all know that babies are tiny humans and they LOVE to put just about anything they can grab in their mouth. A baby play tent with a floor offers the best solution to keep unknown objects, rocks and sticks, out of babies mouth. A floor also helps to protect them from bugs, uneven ground, and rocks.

Full Mesh Netting

If you’re planning to head outdoors with your kids, there is nothing more important than finding a high-quality Baby shade tent with full mesh netting for adequate airflow and to keep the bugs out. Most bug sprays are not ideal for sensitive baby skin, so having a mesh enclosure to keep bugs away from baby is one of the best forms of infant insect protection you can get for camping.

Fully Enclosed

Parents want to make sure their baby is as safe as possible while playing outside and want to make sure they have their eyes on them at all times. One of the best solutions is a fully enclosed baby play tent with a zippered design that offers a safe space for babies to play or nap. Make sure to put zipper tabs up high so that babies can’t play with them an accidentally unzip the tent and get outside.

a smiling baby in a tent

Size

Choosing the right size beach and camping tent for your baby according to your needs is vital to ensure you get the most out of your baby’s tenting experience and, ultimately, their happiness.  Decide if you want a tent that’s just for sleeping or if you need a baby tent for outdoor play too. If you need a tent just for sleeping, choose a smaller one. If you want a tent that’s for play as well, pick a tent that’s bigger and will give your baby plenty of outdoor play space.

Why Take A Baby Tent Camping?

Baby camping tents are designed to have a safe and comfortable area for a baby to play outside while parents are busy collecting woods or other work. 

Mother and baby inside a blue baby tent

Think of a camping tent for babies as “baby’s first outdoor playpen” because it allows little ones to crawl and walk around without getting into too much trouble outdoors.

NOTE: do not let baby sleep overnight in a baby camping tent on their own – these are just for supervised play or nap times during the day (unless they’re inside of your family tent with you).

Why Take A Baby Tent To The Beach?

A pink and white baby tent set up by the beach

The beach tent for the baby is the perfect accessory to have when you go on a family trip to the beach. It provides your bundle of joy shade, a safe place to play, and protection from the UV rays.

Beach baby shade tents often have double zips, extra insulating padding, mesh ventilation, and a very soft interior lining to help create the most comfortable sleeping or play area possible at the beach. Best of all, they keep your baby out of the SAND, which often feels like an impossible task.

Best Baby Tents For Beach and Camping

 Veer Basecamp Tent

For all your family vacation needs, whether you need a baby mosquito tent or a baby tent for the beach for your kids to play and relax on your beach trip, the Veer Basecamp is the best choice for your family.

Portable and easy to set up, The Veer Basecamp Tent is a must-have for mom and dad to enjoy the beach or any other outdoor activity without worrying about sun exposure for their kids, as its  UV-protection fabric keeps your baby cool and comfortable all day long. 

The Beach Tent’s ample room, a durable frame, and handy carry bag make it a versatile shelter for anywhere you travel. 

This beach tent for babies comes fully featured with a net pocket that hangs from the top of the tent to hold toys and products. The rainfly will keep your baby dry in case of sudden rains, and the floor has a waterproof layer to make it easy to clean up any messes you may encounter along the way.

Other Great Baby Tents

KidCo Peapod Camp

KidCo has created the perfect camp and beach baby shade tent for babies to play in both in and out. Designed to provide a safe and secure environment while encouraging creativity, PeaPod is a cozy Infant shade tent with breathable mesh panels with a roll-away cover and sun shades perfect for naptime or playtime. 

From nap time to play, give your child an immersive camp experience with this PeaPod Camp. This tent can be easily set up on sandy beaches, grassy fields, or in a backyard.

The PeaPod pop up camping tent for a baby, is the perfect travel companion for your adventurous baby. At under 2 pounds, this practical tent provides protection from the sun and bugs for babies, toddlers, and infants on the go.

But the easy-to-use and carry camping tent for babies is not suitable for bigger kids aged above seven.

KidCo Peapod Plus

Introduce your toddler to the world of travel and the outdoors with KidCo PeaPod Plus, featured with UV protection and anchor straps. We had one of these for years and it was our absolute favorite baby tent. Our kids could comfortably nap in it until they were about 5 years old and used it for play until about age 2.5.

The KidCo PeaPod pop up tent is a versatile, lightweight mesh tent that allows your child to sleep comfortably outside in the sun or shade, whether at a friend’s house, on the beach, or even while camping. This baby pop up tent sets up in under 10 seconds and has ample room to keep your baby safe and protected.

This is also a great travel bed for babies and toddlers, and easily fits into a suitcase (though not a carryon).

The PeaPod also comes with a packable and detachable Micro-Lite sleeping pad attached to the floor by snaps. But the baby tent for the beach is not big enough for older siblings to be in as it’s suitable and designed for kids aged between 1-5.

Bend River Baby Playpen

If your family loves beachfront or wood camping with toddlers, this camping tent for babies is for you. From easy setup to roomy interior, the Bend River Baby Playpen is everything you need for a fun day on the trip.

Take your baby to the beach or camping with this UPF 50+ baby tent that features a mesh roof and sun protection to keep them from the sun. 

When exploring the beach and beyond with your toddler, it can be hard to find an adequate space to keep them safe. This baby play tent provides a simple solution to help give you a break from watching over them and allows them to play safely.

Let your baby fall in love with the outdoors and experience a new way to play with their friends. The baby tent for camping can be used as a playpen, beach tent for baby, and Baby mosquito tent that includes a zippered door, plus two mesh windows on each side to easily see your baby sleeping peacefully in their tent safely inside or have them play happily outside.

The Bend River Baby Playpen beach tent for babies self-assembles in seconds and packs flat into its carrying case, but its relatively heavy weight of 5.8lb makes it challenging to carry around.

Pacific Breeze Easy Setup Beach Shade Tent

The Pacific Breeze infant sun shade tent is perfect for families with multiple kids who want a spacious shelter option that’s just for shade. With an SPF 50+ top, this baby beach tent is up and ready to go in under a minute, with no assembly required.

Stakes are not required to set up this baby beach tent, but four plastic stakes are included with the tent for extra stability in windy conditions, which we highly recommend using. In addition, five external pockets allow for sunscreen storage, towels, and toys inside the tent or can be filled with sand for additional support during windy days.

This easy-to-set-up baby beach tent provides extra sun shade and comfort for you, your baby, and your beach gear. The water-resistant floor will keep things dry, while the open-front design lets in plenty of light during your beach day.

The only flaw with this baby beach tent is that its front of this baby sun shade cannot be closed, so this is really just a baby beach shade and is ideal for nonmobile babies or hanging out with active toddlers who want to be in and out of the shade all day long.

 Bblüv  Sunkitö Pop Up Baby Play Tent

Sunkitö is the ultimate beach and camping tent for a baby; with a quick pop-up setup, it also has a zip-shut mosquito mesh and UV protection; you can rest assured that your child is safe from dangerous UV rays and sand to ensure the perfect time spent at the beach.

This roomy and highly durable Baby mosquito tent is perfect for providing your little one enclosed space to play, nap, or hide away from sunlight. Its large size and mesh windows will give your baby the full experience of being outside without all the fuss. 

Fold up and take with you on the go; this baby play tent is the best way to give kids a safe, enclosed place to explore at the beach or campsite.

But there are a few issues parents have with this baby tent for camping, including no anchors, which can be problematic on windy days. However, the tent comes with a built-in pocket that can be filled to keep it in place.

To Wrap It Up

Whether you’re planning a camping trip with your family or a relaxing day at the beach with friends and family, having a baby beach tent for your little ones is a great way to let them get out in nature. These tents will give them a place of their own to relax, play, or read without worrying about being in anyone’s way.

The best baby play tent with high-quality, sturdy materials and easy to assemble will be the most effective when it counts. Whether your little one wants to sleep in it or use their little hangout, a quality product will do the trick. Happy trip!

About Jessica Averett

Hi, I’m Jessica, a mom of 5 kids and married to my favorite adventure partner. I love to bike, ski, camp and hike. We've visited over 40 countries with our kids, but are equally happy on the road as we are exploring our home state of Utah.

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