ShadeSock – The World’s 1st Wind-Inflating, Beach Shade – Silent, Non-Flapping Design, 8x10ft Auto-Directing Canopy – Light-Weight and Portable – Easy 2 Minute Set-Up

The media could not be loaded. This is a first-impressions review, as I just got the shade today and have only used it for a couple of hours thus far. I’m sure I’ll update after putting it through an endurance test, but since there are almost no reviews on this product at the moment, I want to go ahead and give my thoughts.I have one of the flag-type sunshades already, and have really liked that wind-powered design, so I’m going to do some comparing here.I wanted to try the Shade Sock because this, frankly, *brilliant* design appears to correct some of the problems with the flag shades:-It doesn’t flap around loudly when the wind is strong. Seriously, the Shade Sock is almost completely silent. I was impressed!-The edges of the shade are also more stable, so you get a better rectangle of coverage.-You get 2 layers of sun blocking, and I did notice that my shade patch was noticeably darker than with my “flag” shade, which is excellent.-The Shade Sock is 2 feet longer than my other shade. That may only be an extra 16 sq ft of coverage, but it’s a very nice extra bit of room! I don’t think we’ll have to squeeze so much, if trying to fit 4 people under it.-Not the lightest-ever shade, or the most compact, but it’s still very lightweight, easy to carry, and won’t take up much room in a closet. It easily slides into the trunk of a compact sedan. Don’t lug a 50-lb canopy to the beach when you can take this baby.-These types of shades are super wind-resistant. Umbrellas and beach shelters could blow away and break, and I suspect your Shade Sock would still be standing strong.-Still works great on low-wind days. The Shade Sock comes with stakes for windless scenarios, but I just tested it in only 5 mph wind (video), and it floated just fine, with only a small bit of sagging at the tail. (FYI: I have barely ever had to use the stakes for my flag shade, and I suspect this design will float even better in low wind, due to its wind sock design.)-I love that is comes with a rope and carabiner, with the suggestion of using the carry sack as a sandbag, in the case of very strong winds…I doubt I would need that, but it’s a handy feature to have for backup.The cons are much the same as with similar wind-powered shades:-In the morning or evening, your shade patch will obviously be further away from your Shade Sock’s pole, and it will move gradually as the sun changes position. This will necessitate moving your chairs/towels/bags, more so than with a metal frame canopy with bendable legs, or a tilt-able beach umbrella.-If you’re on a crowded beach early/late in the day, your shade *might* encroach on someone else’s beach layout. So set up with that in mind.-Sometimes the wind and angle of the sun don’t fully cooperate, and your shade will be a little skinnier. But this isn’t very often, and you’ll still likely have sufficient coverage.-This isn’t a large party tent; I would recommend it for 1-4 people. Or set up 2 side by side!-The “self-adjusting” nature of these types of sunshades means that if the wind is changing directions a bit, your shade patch will wiggle back and forth some (see video). It doesn’t bother me, personally. I would much rather have a sunshade that is incredibly wind-resistant over an umbrella that will break.-The set-up is only a teensy bit more involved than setting up my flag shade, but the trade off of the improved design is so worth the extra 90 seconds, folks.-Getting the auger in deep enough can be challenging if you are on a beach with wet, compacted sand, but that’s a problem with umbrellas, too. (I actually bring a drill with coiled anchor and loosen it up first before inserting the auger, which helps a ton. Save yourself the sweat and effort.)-This isn’t the cheapest shade. It also isn’t the most expensive one, by a long shot. For what you get, and the size of it, I personally feel that the price point is reasonable. But if I only went to the beach twice a year, I might feel differently.I do believe this will probably last us for years. The bag and pieces seem sturdy…time will tell, but I have no immediate concerns about quality at all. The carry bag and plastic pieces are nicer than I was expecting, even. I will probably add a little WD-40 to the outer ends of the support bars, only because I had some brief trouble with the end caps not wanting to come off at first (pull straight out, don’t let sand get in them), but I got it quickly sorted. Set up and take down were still quick and easy. I’m also going to coat the screws in the pole with some waterproof rust inhibitor spray, as I do all my beach gear with metal parts.I spend a lot of time at the beach, and have tried many, many methods and types of shades, and can say that the Shade Sock has actually improved upon what was, until today, my favorite sunshade design. That’s a high bar! The owner even included a little hand-written note, which was surprising and sweet. Don’t be afraid to spend your money on this product; I think you’ll really like it.UPDATE: I have now tested the shade in strong winds, and I’m still keeping my five star rating, but with a caveat. The auger is definitely the weak point of this design, which I understand that the designer is aware of. I haven’t had any problems with mine, but a longer, sturdier auger would definitely be better. As a precaution, on strong wind days, I do go ahead and use the rope and an anchor in the sand just to keep stress off the auger. I’m still really happy with my purchase. I know I was one of the early buyers of the shade, so I’m looking forward to design tweaks that will make it even better and faster to set up.

The media could not be loaded. Well thought out design and constructed with long lasting materials. Works great even in strong winds

The media could not be loaded. We took the ShadeSock to two different beaches this past weekend and it worked wonderfully! It was light and weighed less than our beach bag. The first-time set up was easy. The included instructions were easy to follow and only needed to be referenced one time. The ShadeSock worked well even in low winds on Hunting Island Beach and in the high winds on Hilton Head Island Beach. There had to be 100+ noisy / flapping Shibumi's, but our ShadeSock was noiseless and just floated over us like a quiet kite on the wind. The shade it produced was plentiful and more than enough for two people. I believe it would be sufficient for a family of four. I am completely satisfied with this purchase. As the day moved on, the ShadeSock self-adjusted to the winds without any help from us. I noticed that those who were using a Shibumi had to physically readjust it by moving the poles when the winds dramatically shifted. I would highly recommend this to anyone who is looking to upgrade from the usual beach umbrella or tired of the flapping noise of a Shibumi. Several people were curious and appeared interested. I assume that next summer there will be much more of these on the beach!

We have tried about every beach umbrella, and have had trouble with every single one we bought. We had seen the Shibumi last year, and thought it was good and as going to order one. Boy am I glad I waited!!! This is such a better product!! First, it comes in a great carrying case with everything you need and is lightweight. 2nd, VERY easy to set up. Screw first end into sand, Simply slide in the 4 rods, attach middle and end brackets, attach top rod, screw into bottom, wind does the rest! You can put the included sandbag and tie down on one side if very windy, or attach bungee cords to other side if you want more shade for a child. Set up in just a few minutes! As the sun goes across the sky, adjust your chairs for maximum shade (which has a SPF 50!). Finally and the best selling feature is that it is silent!!!! It was VERY windy today and whilst the most everyone with conventional umbrellas gave up, this one silently did its job.Edit: the last day we were at the beach the wind direction kept changing, and it was hard to keep moving the chairs to sit in the shade. We finally used the conventional umbrella we had also brought along. But the people with the Shimbumi were having the same problems as we were.

I don't often write reviews unless it's a warning to other consumers or when a company's product and customer service intersect to the point of superior quality, the latter of which is this product, by far.Dealing with the company. I asked a question and received more than I expected with regard to ordering the product. The answer was prompt and exceeded my expectations. I have nothing but good things to say.Product receipt: Item came as expected and in time.The Shadesock: First off, the ease of setting this up cannot be overstated. However, like anything wind can tend to cause a little distraction so more than one person to help is recommended, although not necessarily needed.Operation: Once set up, the Shadesock follows the wind and you only have to adjust when the position of sun in the sky moves. It blocks the sun really well and is quiet, unlike the other tents and shades on the beach.Overall I would highly recommend this for sunny days at the beach. Although I would say being a tall man (6'4") it would be nice if it was a little taller once secured in the sand.Great product. Enjoy!!!