Sports Tents for Parents: Brilliant!
Who hasn’t wished for a magical portable shelter from the elements on an uncomfortable day? This goes for sports parents, as well as photographers, fishermen, beachgoers, tailgaters and more. Under the Weather invented the Pod to make this dream a reality.
Mark Cuban understood the potential of the sports pods when he saw it in action on Shark Tank in 2017. Since that time Under the Weather has expanded their line of products and we are seeing them being used at sporting events, on the beach, and many more places.
The Original Sports Pod Tent – Under the Weather MyPod
The MyPod is the original model presented on Shark Tank by company founder Rick Pescovitz. Rick assembled an intricate display to demonstrate the personal pop up tent performance in the elements, such as rain, wind and sun. Mark Cuban was sold.
Weighing only 7 pounds, the tent folds into a small circle and is easy to carry in the uncluded backpack carry case, which also holds the included stakes. When the weather takes a turn for the worse, the tent pops up in seconds.
The full canopy enclosure allows for 270 degree viewing and sun protection. The stakes and a steel wire frame stand up to wind, within reason for something that weighs 7 pounds.
- The Original WeatherPod: Our patented weatherproof design keeps you comfortable in any weather, up to 35 degrees warmer inside your individual bubble pod when fully zipped
- Ready in Seconds: The super lightweight, one-piece design with memory wire makes it easy to pop open to beat a passing shower or swift drop in temperature; fold down just as quickly when youre ready to pack it in
- 270-Degree View: Highly water, wind and weather resistant, the clear, full-size, double-zip PVC doors on 3 sides provide visibility from the sidelines of any baseball, softball, soccer, lacrosse or football field (chair not included)
Under the Weather MyPodXL – Bigger!
They took a good idea and made it better! The MyPodXL is 40″ x 40″ and 58″ inches tall. These are big enough for a couple chairs, or your backpack and even a small cooler.
It weighs in at 7.7 lbs, a little more than the standard model, but still quite manageable. It sports all the features of the original too. You have the 270° viewing radius due to 3 clear sides, and when you zip everything up on those cold days the temperature inside can be as much as 30° higher than outside conditions.
And you can connect multiple MyPodXL tents together at the sides for a strong line of support for your little allstar.
- The Original WeatherPod: Slightly bigger than our MyPod pop-up personal tent, the MyPod XL patented bubble is big enough to fully cover one adult in a folding camping chair, with plenty of legroom and space for a tote bag or small cooler
- Ready in Seconds: The super lightweight, one-piece design with memory wire makes it easy to pop open to beat a passing shower or swift drop in temperature; fold down just as quickly when you're ready to pack it in
- 270-Degree View: Highly water, wind and weather resistant, 3 clear, full-size, double-zip PVC doors give you a full view from the sideline of any lacrosse, softball, soccer, field hockey or football field so you'll never miss a play
Under the Weather Meshpod
Following the success of the Mypod and PodXL, came the Under the Weather MeshPod specifically designed to shelter you from the sun and biting insects. The lightest of all of them, this baby is only 4lbs. The inside measurements are 34″ length, 34″ depth, and 58″ inches tall.
The front and 2 sides are made from a fine gauge ultra soft mesh, allowing for 270° viewing. We found this to be really comfortable and easy to see what was going on around us. Each of the mesh sides feature full zip doors for easy in and out.
Like all of these sports tents its fast and easy to set up and take down. Overall we love this thing, its great protection on those hot sunny days, and it even provides UPF 50 sun protection.
- Instant Protection: The MyPod Mesh screen tent is made ultra soft, fine gauge mesh screens.
- Ready in Seconds: Our super lightweight, one-piece design with memory wire makes it easy to pop open quickly giving you a relaxing, breezy respite from their nasty bites and stings
- 270-Degree View: This unique model has no PVC plastic panels the 3 full-size, double-zip mesh bug-screen doors allow air to pass through even when closed to block pesky insects, so you can fish, watch your kids play sports or just enjoy the outdoors
Under the Weather Sports XLPod
After the success of the personal canopy tent option, Under the Weather followed with the XL Pod. These pop up pods offer 10 more inches of height and 5 more inches in length and width. This large pop up tent can easily fit a heavy duty folding chair. The website offers their proprietary XL Pod Bench if you want to ensure a perfect fit. Younger kids can also hunker down with you in this spacious personal tent. The spaciousness and versatility of the XL Pod quickly propelled it to a best seller for Under the Weather. As well as being a useful shelter for you, this pop up tent makes a great gift to another sports parent in your life.
However, two adults may be cramped in this canopy. If your spouse or the grandparents are joining you at the games, you may want to consider the Under the Weather MyPods. This new pop up sports tent features straight sides so that friends and family can sit next to each other. Each person sits in their own MyPod, but the front and sides can zip down completely. This allows for conversation without losing warmth. And finally, for our warm weather fans down south, meet the MeshPod. This pod has just been patented and is for sale through May. Mesh walls instead of plastic allow for a breeze to pass through, but still keeps out bugs and direct sunlight. An optional Sun-Fly attachment fits over the top to provide extra shade.
- XLPod pop-up personal shelter fits 1 person, a large chair and provides more space for coolers and gear. The wider base and tapered sides blunt wind gusts. This weather tent has two side windows and is enclosed for warmth and comfort.
- Perfect for outdoor events, and more, this sports tent is portable and lightweight. It pops up and folds in seconds thanks to its original, patented memory wire design. Requires zero adjustment. No poles, pieces or parts and no assembly required
- Patented weatherproof design features tested cold-treated polyester, premium zippers and zipper pulls, double-stitched seams, UPF 50 maximum sun protection and a heavy-duty, fine-gauge floor that is highly water, wind and weather resistant
Other Folding Personal Sports Tents on Amazon
Under the Weather has certainly revolutionized the idea of a personal pop up tent. This product beats the rest as far as full personal enclosures go. However, some similar canopies offer shelter differently for great value. Perhaps you want to sit with a few friends or family under one pop up shelter.
Pacific Breeze Easy Up Beach Tent
You may be interested in a different canopy tent, like the Pacific Breeze Easy Up Beach Tent XL. The open front spans about 8 feet, allowing a few people to sit side-by-side out of the sun, wind, or rain.
At 47”, the Easy Up tent stands a little shorter than the Under the Weather XL. The large windows and open front, along with the solid canopy along the back, make the Pacific Breeze the more compelling warm weather option. The instant canopy easily folds to a carrying weight of less than 7 pounds. The waterproof floor also makes this tent ideal for a family day at the beach or a festival.
- Specially designed hub system showcases industry leading design. Allows for fast and easy setup
- The Deluxe XL version is lightweight and compact, weighing just over 6 pounds and folding down to a travel size of 38 L x 6 W x 6 H. The beach tent provides protection from the sun, rain and wind for all outdoor activities, UPF 50+ sun protection and 3 X-large windows for ventilation. The beach tent is made from breathable polyester and is water repellent
- The tent is 95 L x 52 H x 51 D, providing a spacious interior shelter that comfortably fits 3-4 people. The beach tent has internal pockets to store personal items and hooks for hanging. It is made of a durable and lightweight fiberglass frame and water resistant PE floor makes our Beach Tent a great outdoor accessory
Otentik Sun Shade
To maximize breeze and capacity, a sun shade may be your best bet. Sun shades spread a high quality fabric atop of four poles.
One top sun shade on Amazon is the Otentik Sun Shade. This popular option comes in three different sizes and includes sands bags to weigh down the canopy. The poles and sand bags allow this design of pop up canopy to be erected on any type of surface, from concrete to shallow water.
This tent style is perfect if you have a lot of kids to shade, or a lot of traffic in and out, like a track meet or tailgate. Also, people love bringing their sun shade to the beach or park for its instant set up and ease.
- LIGHTWEIGHT ~ only 4 to 5 lbs, depending on size.
- UPF 50 ~ made from eco-friendly, industry-leading Italian sport fabric "Eurojersey Sensitive".
- SIMPLICITY & VERSATILITY ~ setup at the beach, while tailgating, in your backyard, camping or on any outdoor adventure! Setup takes mere minutes, and can be done by one person.
Why to Buy a Personal Sports Tent
We have presented Mr. Pescovitz’s intriguing new invention, and introduced a few of the other options available on Amazon. There is truly a cheap pop up tent for every shopper and situation. With these great options, you will have no trouble braving the elements this season, from frigid cold to scorching hot.
Also check out our review of waterproof outdoor blankets for additional shelter and comfort, or save your back and your rear with one of the best bleacher chairs available.
Having the right equipment makes it a lot easier to convince siblings and grandparents to come support your junior all-star from the sideline. Like we always say, the best sporting parent is a prepared sporting parent.
