Keeping cool under shade is one way to reduce sun damage caused by UV rays. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, babies under 6 months of age should not have prolonged exposure to the sun. However, keeping the baby indoors (and me along with him) is not always possible when I have an active preschooler who loves to be outdoors. I know it's not always easy to find shade at the beach, lake, or park. The solution for me was to bring along my own shade. Last year we discovered awesome outdoor gear to keep us protected from the sun. We toted our Lightspeed® Quick Shelter everywhere: lake, park, local fairs. This year, as our family grew by one, we upgraded to the Canopy. We've taken it out for a test drive and we love it so far.About Lightspeed®
Lightspeed® manufactures tents that are quick to set up and take down. Their tents come in various shapes and sizes and are great for any weather condition. The Lightspeed® product line includes sleepers, shelters, canopies, screen houses, camping and backpacking tents, as well as air mattresses. Most of their tents are made of UPF 50+ material to give extra sun protection and come in their own carrying case.
 |
| Image courtesy of Lightspeed®. |
Where to buy
MY THOUGHTS
We received the Canopy for review. It is huge, definitely a lot bigger than the Quick Shelter we have. It measures 95"w x 95"l x 59"h. I can almost stand straight at the highest point while inside of it. The Canopy only has 1 wall, making access to shade a breeze. It doesn't provide as much privacy as the Quick Shelter, but it also doesn't trap heat. The Canopy has many features that I like, particularly that it is made with UPF 50+ material. It gives me confidence that we are doubly protected, especially the baby's delicate skin.
The Canopy comes with sandbags that are attached to the tarp. I think this is great because I don't have to bring extra accessories or go looking for them when I am done with the tent. In addition, stakes are provided and come in their own pouch. There are also mesh pockets to keep items off the ground that you might want to keep protected and easy to find like keys and such. This is a great place to keep sunscreen so you can reapply when needed.
As with all of Lightspeed's® tents, the set up and break down is a super easy. It takes me less than a minute to completely set this up. Break down in another issue. It is super quick as well, just pop down the hub as you can see from this video. However, it does take me a while to fold the poles and roll the tarp. All in all, it probably takes me about 3-5 minutes, depending on how much sand there is. When I was setting this up outdoors the first time, it was a little windy. I was able to set this up my myself with no problems. However, it did start to tumble around because I did not weigh it down right away. My 4 year old ran after it and dragged the whole thing back to us. It weighs just 7 lbs. so he had no problem pulling it. (It was rather funny watching this big monstrosity of a tent pulled by a 40" tall skinny preschooler.)
I am so glad that I found Lightspeed® tents. With all the things that we have to remember this summer to keep the kids and adults happy, sun protection is one less thing I have to worry about. If you will be spending any time outdoors this summer, I suggest checking out Lightspeed® products. We own 2 and love both of them. We always get asked by friends where we got them. They are available online at Costco and Amazon. However, there is a price differential between Costco and Amazon; with the lowest price at $79.99 (shipping included). I think the price is worth it, not just for the sun protection, but for the ease and convenience of the gear as well.
A special thanks to Lightspeed® for generously offering a Canopy to one of my readers.
The Canopy comes with sandbags that are attached to the tarp. I think this is great because I don't have to bring extra accessories or go looking for them when I am done with the tent. In addition, stakes are provided and come in their own pouch. There are also mesh pockets to keep items off the ground that you might want to keep protected and easy to find like keys and such. This is a great place to keep sunscreen so you can reapply when needed.
As with all of Lightspeed's® tents, the set up and break down is a super easy. It takes me less than a minute to completely set this up. Break down in another issue. It is super quick as well, just pop down the hub as you can see from this video. However, it does take me a while to fold the poles and roll the tarp. All in all, it probably takes me about 3-5 minutes, depending on how much sand there is. When I was setting this up outdoors the first time, it was a little windy. I was able to set this up my myself with no problems. However, it did start to tumble around because I did not weigh it down right away. My 4 year old ran after it and dragged the whole thing back to us. It weighs just 7 lbs. so he had no problem pulling it. (It was rather funny watching this big monstrosity of a tent pulled by a 40" tall skinny preschooler.)
I am so glad that I found Lightspeed® tents. With all the things that we have to remember this summer to keep the kids and adults happy, sun protection is one less thing I have to worry about. If you will be spending any time outdoors this summer, I suggest checking out Lightspeed® products. We own 2 and love both of them. We always get asked by friends where we got them. They are available online at Costco and Amazon. However, there is a price differential between Costco and Amazon; with the lowest price at $79.99 (shipping included). I think the price is worth it, not just for the sun protection, but for the ease and convenience of the gear as well.
A special thanks to Lightspeed® for generously offering a Canopy to one of my readers.
GIVEAWAY - CLOSED
Prize
1 Lightspeed® Canopy.
Timeframe
Giveaway is open from June 7-22, 2012, at 12:01 AM EST.
Rules
1 Lightspeed® Canopy.
Timeframe
Giveaway is open from June 7-22, 2012, at 12:01 AM EST.
Rules
1. Open to US residents, 18 years and older.
2. Enter using the Rafflecopter form below.
3. Winners will be selected via www.random.org (per Rafflecopter) and notified by email. Winners will have 48 hours to reply back before a new winner is selected.
4. Winner's entries will be verified. If I can not verify entries, a new winner will be chosen.
2. Enter using the Rafflecopter form below.
3. Winners will be selected via www.random.org (per Rafflecopter) and notified by email. Winners will have 48 hours to reply back before a new winner is selected.
4. Winner's entries will be verified. If I can not verify entries, a new winner will be chosen.
5. Lightspeed® will be responsible for fulfilling prize award to the winner.
For complete rules on giveaways hosted on this blog, visit Giveaway Rules & Policy.
For complete rules on giveaways hosted on this blog, visit Giveaway Rules & Policy.
Good luck!
References
American Academy of Pediatrics
Disclosure: I received a free product to facilitate my review. No other compensation was provided. All opinions expressed are my own.
References
American Academy of Pediatrics
Disclosure: I received a free product to facilitate my review. No other compensation was provided. All opinions expressed are my own.
