We decided to try this after struggling with a Shibumi. The beach we typically go to in NC can sometimes not have enough wind keep a tent like that afloat or the wind is so intense that the tent whips you in the face the whole time!

SO - I got on Amazon while sitting on the beach with that dumb thing slapping me in the face and quickly found this tent and ordered the small one, determined to find a better solution that would provide adequate sun coverage for me and my wife, be easy/quick to setup, and would hold up against the Carolina beach winds. I noticed a lot of people also purchased the extra poles for more support so I got those too and they all arrived quickly and in time for our next beach excursion .

First time with it was aggravating to say the least. The poles kept collapsing because I couldn't get the tent to stay taut. I thought that maybe these winds here were just too much for this thing and gave up. I planned to send it back but we had one more beach day coming up a soon and I thought, you know what, there's no way this thing has so many great reveries and it be so worthless. I need to figure this out.

I read some more reviews"¦

I did what they all suggested"¦

FILL THE BAGS WITH SAND (preferably wet sand) and then bury the whole bag down into the sand. Make sure all for corners are pulled out and are nice and taut. Then pop the poles in and enjoy.

GET THE EXTRA POLES! Worth it"¦

This is thing is awesome and once you get the hang of it, it's sets up in 5 minutes. EASY!

Our usual beach trip includes 3 or 4 families (about 20 people) and a big pop up canopy. This year our trip was limited to my husband and I, our four adult boys, one daughter in law, and one small granddaughter. We did not have room to take the usual pop up canopy, so I searched for something more compact so that we could have a little shade, especially for our granddaughter. I came across this portable beach tent and purchased it mostly for it's packing size and price.

We did not open it and set it up until the first day we were on the beach. I loved that the instructions were right on the outside of the carry bag and were easy to follow. The tent was very easy to set up.

The first day 4 of us set it up in a matter of 4-5 minutes. We did have to readjust the poles a couple times throughout the day - I think because we did not stretch the tent enough and have the sand anchors in enough of an "X".

The second day 3 of us set it up so quickly (in about 2-3 minutes) that we had 6-8 adults in the next canopy over standing there staring and pointing at us. On this day and every day after we made sure to pull the tent a little more than the first day and we never had to touch the poles again until it was time to take it down.

I do suggest setting the front towards the wind and having a small shovel to aid in filling the sand anchors. We did not get the tent back in the bag as nicely the first day, but after that we figured out how to get it all packing in nicely. There was plenty of shade for our granddaughter to get out of the sun. We had as many as four beach chairs with adults sitting in them under the tent, comfortably. The shaded area does move as the sun moves, but that is the case with any canopy and can be solved by moving your chair. Easy to carry from the car / condo to the beach with the shoulder bag even when your hand are full with other stuff.

This would be a great tent to line up multiple ones side by side for larger families or multiple families traveling together. The only draw back that I could see is that I would like a different way to anchor this for everyday use in grass and not just in the sand. I will definitely purchase this item again, maybe even for my son and his family to have their own next year. I would definitely recommend this tent to others looking for a little shade to take a break in. Small enough to pack in a suitcase if you are flying instead of driving.

I was born and raised in a beach town, so I'm used to a windy, beach environment and the challenges it brings. I have been taking an annual trip with the kids for a week at the beach in the Florida panhandle for the last 15 years. I got tired of the cost of chair and umbrella rentals, so I was looking for an option that was easy to haul from a beach house several blocks away and easy to set up. We initially bought the 7' X 7', Neso tent and a year later added the Neso Grande as we needed an additional shelter for our group. We used both on our last trip. The positives: Both come in a compact carrying bag and are easily carried over shoulder. Very lightweight. The set up is simple. You lay out the tent, fill the sandbags, position it as you need it and then put the poles in place. The poles are very simple. I recommend burying the sandbags in addition to filling them. They never moved on us. I didn't need shovels and simply dug into the sand with my hands, filling and burying the bags. I read reviews that stated that setting it up in windy beach conditions was difficult. All I can say is that this wasn't my experience. As the wind changes during the day, you may have to adjust the poles, but it worked well. We considered buying an additional two poles, but I honestly don't think you need them. The wind tends to fill out the tent an elevate it. The only negative is that I felt it was a little expensive, but if you get multiple years use out of it, it is a good deal vs. beach rentals. Unknowns: Some reviews have addressed the quality of the tent. We have now used the Neso 7'x7' for two years (14 beach days) and the Neso Grande for one year (7 beach days). They are both in great shape thus far after having been used in windy conditions. Nothing is coming apart, stitches are fine, poles are fine. I don't often do reviews, but this product has been a good buy for us and I recommend it. I'll be posting this same review under the Neso Grande.

By far....the BEST sun shade I've ever owned. I've owned umbrellas and pop up canopies. But, hands down, this wins all around best choice. The concept is so simple, yet so effective. The fact that you can use beach sand for the anchor method, means you're not toting extra weight or additional supplies to secure this on the beach. It's easy to carry, super lightweight......I'll say that again, SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT. No more sweating your balls off carrying some big, cumbersome, heavy sun shade. Literally, my 5 year old could carry this in one hand. Don't think the low total weight makes this a cheap product. The poles didn't bend or feel weak or cheap. The material is stretchy and seams are well made. The wind was whipping and this thing held up fine. However, if you're an idiot, don't buy this. You want to set the "front" towards the wind (even though most of the time I was at about a 45 degree angle from the wind. Set it up facing the wind (for the most part) and it'll stay up all day. Guys umbrellas were blowing over, people's pop-ups were caving in on the sides, but ours held fast. Set up and take down is soooooo quick. Again, best sun shade by far in this category as well. Aside from all this, it looks bad ass. As soon as we'd set it up, people would start looking and pointing at it. You'd see them grabbing their smartphones to google the web address that's printed on the side. Think about it....you see a family walk on the beach and in a matter of a minute, they've got a sun shade up and functional. Worth the money. Best experience I've had ever with this. You won't be sorry.

Let me further elaborate on some specifics:
Set up: Spread canopy on the ground (I found aligning/stretching out the front two anchors generally was all I needed to begin). Fill these two anchors with sand. Make front taught, but also realize you want to leave a slight angle on each anchor for best support (not straight out to sides, not straight in front). Then, with the front semi-set in place, do the same for the two back anchors. Then, lock up your two poles and place one under each of the two front corners. I found about 10-12" in was ideal (tee hee). From here, it simply takes some minor positioning of the anchors and poles, but by no means should send you into a 10 minute positioning rage. In a mid to heavy wind, it helps if you bury the anchors in the sand. If you take a break from sipping your beer, you may notice that the anchor bag shows signs of dragging in the sand, this would be an indicator that burying the bag is needed. But remember, dig the hole where the bag was, not where it is or behind it, as this will loosen your setup. Again, common sense, dig hole, drop bag, cover.

I did notice throughout the day that I had to make a minor tweak to a pole position or two, but I simply very slightly angled the pole AGAINST the direction it looked like it was going to fall, and voila....instant magic - a stable structure. Some reviews are blowing this up - but again, I am willing to make a no-brainer adjustment if necessary in between beers or building sandcastles. This "trade-off" of tweaking doesn't even register on my radar as it happens so infrequently and it's so minor.......compared to watching the plastic washers and spacers bust or crack off the old-style canopies in a heavy wind, killling small children as a rogue wind lifted a four-legged metal spider off the ground, or have the metal bars on the old-style just bend altogether. How many messed up, broken canopies to you see next to the trash cans on the beach? It's like a freakin' cemetery sometimes.

Also, if you have a few beach chairs or little kids, this is a great little setup. It is the perfect height to fit your chairs underneath, a cooler, wagon, and small beach mat. If you're expecting to mingle while standing, or have a rave keeping your hands in the air like you just don't care, then go to a club. I also found the way the anchors spread out, creates a buffer for "your area". And, the fact that the anchor lines are black (contrasts most beach sands or other backgrounds), plus the overall really unique design that draws your eyes down to the anchor points, I have a hard time believing this will ever be a tripping hazard, unless you're drunk, trying to tan in the moonlight, or a teenager texting while walking, or a combination of the three. People on the beach also apparently feel you want to "see all that", so this anchor system at least puts them at some sort of distance where you can't see their pulse through their clothes.

Take down is a breeze. Take down the poles (10 sec), dump the bags (20 sec), give it a shake, shove it in the bag. I found it was also really easy to rinse off after use.

Seriously, just leaving this review makes me want to go use my Neso again.

Side by side comparison vs the Ozark Trail version. Same size, different quality. The Nesso is better in footprint size (smaller) pole quality and fabric quality. Ozark trail does the SAME thing that the Nesso does, at HALF THE PRICE! I'm keeping the Ozark Trail one, but the Nesso is quite nice. If it costed 60-70$ I'd keep it, but for 104$ it's way too high.