REASONS TO BUY
Inexpensive
Easy to set up
Portable
Compact
Lightweight
REASONS TO AVOID
Lower craftsmanship
Small
Bad air flow
Doesn't repel rain
Pacific Breeze Easy Up Review
A great landing pad for a respite from the hot sun, but we wouldn't want to sit in it all day
Credit: Jason Wanlass
RELATED: Best Canopy Tents of 2024
Our Verdict
The Pacific Breeze Easy Up is a perfect portable shelter for any shoreline adventure. We love its unique, fun design and how easy it is to set up. It's an ideal shelter to take a break in between swims or store a cooler, phone or other valuables away from direct sunlight. We envision this canopy similar to a locker at your local gym — a great place to put stuff. It's not very robust, and its smaller size reduces its overall functionality, but the Pacific definitely has its own “it” factor. Most people we showed this tent to loved it at first glance. That said, this canopy scored a bit lower in three of our five metrics, regardless of its appeal.
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Pacific Breeze Easy Up is a small, self-contained, half-dome canopy that pops open with the pull of a string. It's a great accessory for a beach trip, but we feel it's more of a conversation piece than a bonafide canopy. In short, it's a small waterfront hub where you can get out of the sun, store your gear and valuables, or use to signal to other beachgoers where you've staked your claim.
Performance Comparison
The manufacturer says it fits up to three people, but we feel two is a more realistic number. This canopy is small, but still relatively comfortable and livable.
Credit: Jason Wanlass
Functionality
The Easy Up is a stylish and fun accessory for any shoreline adventure. It's easy to use and visually appealing, but when it comes to functionality, it didn't receive our highest marks. The manufacturer states it can accommodate up to three people, but trust us — you'd be packed like sardines. We feel it can comfortably house one person with a dog or two adults with a small cooler.
We love the look and overall concept of the Easy Up, but in addition to being small, it isn't very breezy (despite the name), so the inside of the tent gets a bit toasty. It's very similar to entering a backpacking tent on a hot day. Yes, you're out of the direct sun, but that doesn't always mean you're cool and relaxed. We certainly aren't saying this shelter is too hot to sit in — we simply want to convey that its shade isn't as cool and refreshing as larger, more open canopies on the market.
Its shell-shaped design does a great job creating shade as long as your back is to the sun.
Credit: Jason Wanlass
The Pacific is only about 4 feet deep, so in most cases, if you want to shield your feet, ankles, and calves from the sun, you may be required to sit cross-legged. Likewise, typical camp chairs are completely out of the question — you'll need to sit on the ground or use ground-level loungers.
The Pacific doesn't have a lot of coverage, so if you want you legs and feet protected you'll have to fold them in. We didn't think this was a huge annoyance, but we also feel it isn't realistic to sit cross-legged all day either.
Credit: Jason Wanlass
Basically, the Easy Up is an open, dome-style tent with a tarp floor. It offers a floor space about 7 feet wide and 4 feet deep when deployed. We feel its shell-shaped design makes it feel a little on the small side. We like the idea of having a built-in floor; it's a nice divider between you and the ground. However, we are still a little divided on the concept. During our tests, we noticed that the tarp-like fabric absorbs heat, sticks to sweaty legs, and easily collects sand and dirt. Likewise, the flooring material is waterproof. This is excellent if you are on wet grass or a soggy shoreline; however, it's also problematic if a drink is spilled inside the tent or Mother Nature decides it's time for a rain shower. There's really nowhere for liquids to go.
Our feelings were split over the built-in floor. It's a nice feature if you're using your Pacific Breeze on grass; however, it doesn't work as well on sand. We were constantly sweeping the sand out of the the tent and off of our feet.
Credit: Jason Wanlass
The shell-like shape of the Easy Up gives excellent sun protection throughout most of the day, and as the sun moves, the canopy can be easily repositioned. We also like the interior mesh pockets that can store wallets, phones, or keys above the ground.
We like built-in pockets that allow us to store keys, phones and wallets above the ground. This feature is especially nice when your surround by sand and water.
Credit: Jason Wanlass
Despite many caveats, we still think the Easy Up is fun, easy to use, and stylish. We envision this canopy as kind of a beach base camp where you can shield gear or coolers from the sun, and it can provide temporary relief to a tired dog or a sun-baked little one. For larger groups or families, we think it would be fun to have one Easy Up per person and place them in a circle on the beach.
If temps begin to rise, simply roll up the drapes on both sides of the tent. It doesn't create a lot of cross ventilation, but a little bit is better than none.
Credit: Jason Wanlass
Ease of Set Up
The Easy Up received some of its highest marks for its quick and easy set-up process. It arrives pre-assembled and ready to go, utilizing a unique hub system similar to opening an umbrella, but in reverse. Instead of pushing the device open, the frame expands by pulling. Simply pull on the provided cord while pushing down on the hub, and the Easy Up pops open. Our fastest set-up time was less than 30 seconds.
Despite this praise, we held back on giving the Easy Up a higher score for this metric for a few reasons. It requires a bit of muscle to deploy, and we feel some users may have trouble opening it if they have physical limits related to age, strength, or dexterity. Additionally, this tent is visually complicated. Before being opened, it appears to be a bundle of misshapen spider legs. Even after setting it up a few times, we still felt slightly confused about how to place the Easy Up on the ground before pulling the cord. However, once properly situated, it truly is a breeze to set up.
Four generously sized plastic stakes are included and do an adequate job at staking down the canopy. No guy lines are provided with this tent, but five external sand pouches are directly attached to its bottom. We were pleased with how well they function in keeping the canopy firmly stationed on sandy terrain.
One of our favorite features are the five attached sand bags. They're generous in size, fill up easily, and really help keep this canopy on the ground.
Credit: Jason Wanlass
Protection
The fiberglass frame and dome shape keep the Easy Up very sturdy in the wind. We rarely saw it bend or sway, though it did occasionally lift off the ground and tug at the stakes. This happens much less when the built-in anchor bags are filled to the brim with sand or rocks. Given its cupped design, we do feel that the Easy Up has the potential to become air-born during very strong wind gusts, but it performs very well during normal wind fluctuations.
Relying on this canopy during a healthy rain storm would not be a pleasant experience. We realize the primary purpose of a canopy tent is to shield the sun, but we also feel it's important to test how each canopy performs in the rain. The Easy Up earned low marks in our water-resistance tests. Although nicely double-stitched, the seams are not weather-taped, and the result is you getting wet during a steady rainstorm. Additionally, the tent's open design allows rain to enter instantly, depending on the storm's direction.
Our testing plan called for 5 minutes of constant water. It didn't take more than 2 minutes for the interior of the Pacific to become fairly soaked.
Credit: Jason Wanlass
The drapes on either side of the tent are loosely held in place with small Velcro strips. This allows water to easily pass through the mesh windows and onto the canopy's floor. Furthermore, the flooring is waterproof, so any rainwater that does enter begins to pool quickly, creating an uncomfortable seat.
When it comes to blocking sunshine, the Easy Up performs very well, especially when the sun is behind the tent or directly overhead. As afternoon sun angles change, it's very easy to reposition the Pacific for continuous protection. The tent's polyester fabric has a 50+ SPF rating for extra protection against harmful sun rays.
We are still amazed at how pulling one cord can produce this much canopy.
Credit: Jason Wanlass
Craftsmanship
After weeks of examination, we gave the Easy Up lower scores for its overall craftsmanship. It's not really designed for repeated aggressive use. In fact, we envision it more as a fun accessory, like sand toys or snorkeling gear — things you bring along because they're fun.
Considering its simple appearance, the frame of the Easy Up is quite complicated, consisting of an array of moving parts that are plastic and fiberglass with the potential to wear out. The main support poles are held in place by mesh sleeves instead of full fabric, and we feel the mesh isn't hardy enough for repeated use. The Velcro connections are small, the stitching is average, and the tent material is basic. Nothing about this canopy screams high-end craftsmanship. That said, we haven't noted any wear and tear issues to date, and we feel with proper care and light use, this canopy is worth its price tag.
The one thing we skeptical about are the Pacific's many moving parts. The setup process is easy and fun, but it requires several pieces to move in unison. Many of those pieces are plastic, leaving us wondering how long until something breaks.
Credit: Jason Wanlass
Portability
Weighing in at a little more than 5 pounds, the Easy Up is one of the lightest canopy tents we've studied, and it thusly scores well in this metric. It packs up small and can be shoved into a 3.5-foot drawstring stuff sack.
When stowed, this canopy can be carried with the help of a long shoulder strap, enabling hands-free walking, hiking, paddling, or biking. It fits easily into a trunk or backseat and is lightweight enough to throw into a sailboat, canoe, or side-by-side ATV.
Carrying the Pacific to the beach is nearly effortless. We liked to strap ours on across our chest in order to keep our hands free for carrying coolers, bags, and other gear.
Credit: Jason Wanlass
Should You Buy the Pacific Breeze Easy Up?
If fun, unique accessories are your thing, you'll enjoy the Easy Up. We see it as a quirky conversation piece for the beach. However, we also feel this product has some legitimate applications as well. It isn't as big or rugged as other canopy tents on our list, but it still provides acceptable shelter from the sun. It isn't a canopy we would enjoy sitting under all day, but it is perfect for an occasional respite from the sun, and for keeping gear and valuables shaded. We think you'll love this product if you're simply looking for a small, inexpensive sunshade for the beach. If you're planning a shoreline visit with a group of friends or family, we think it would be fun to purchase one for each person and really make a splash. Additionally, this is a fun gift for a young child or teen.
We took our Easy Up on canoe rides and used it to watch youth sports. We used it on sand, dirt, and grass. In the end, we feel its best application is anywhere with a beach.
Credit: Jason Wanlass
What Other Canopy Tents Should You Consider?
If you need a more reliable and durable canopy tent for your adventures, we highly recommend the Eureka Tagalong Shelter. It's much larger, waterproof, and perfect for any adventure, beach included. Even better, the Tagalong is two to three times larger than the Easy Up but weighs about the same and packs up even smaller — though it is substantially more expensive. If you were hoping to purchase a larger, more rugged canopy to take to the beach one week and a farmers market the next, we think you should look at the Eurmax Standard 10X10. This canopy is a beast and is built to last.
It's fun, stylish and easy to use. It also is made well enough to last a decent amount of time if taken care of. It's not our favorite canopy, but we all agree it does one thing right: It looks pretty sweet.
Credit: Jason Wanlass
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Jason Wanlass
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