Coleman 13x13ft Instant Canopy Sun Shelter

I loved this gazebo so much this is my second one. It’s super sturdy, very easy to put up with 2 people. The dome at the top helps circulate air and in turn makes it great with bad weather impact. Definitely recommend

We went camping, very hot and not much shade, so we brought our own. After MUCH research and review reading this is what we purchased. Very easy to set up, follow the directions and you should have zero problems. 2 persons are better than 1 for this job but could be done with one and a bit of patience in the extension of the 4 legs. Just do a bit here then move to the next corner for a few inches of extension and repeat till fully extended but 2 minimum persons for raising the unit should be a must but could be accomplished by one following the suggestions above.

I also purchased a screen room, not for this model but from thorough research the frame is the same on the 10 ft (roof) unit as the 13 ft unit which provides much better shade coverage and rain protection. Due to the fact that you have more available floorspace with the 13′ roof just because you can place tables etc a bit further back from the center. Will not be able to do this with the screen attached. Also the roof itself is a bit lower around the perimeter which helped keep the wind driven rains off of us! a big plus. Mr. is 6’2″ and had NO trouble at all coming and going.

The screens will fit this unit, BUT, there will be a bit of a gap between the roof itself and the top of the screens. This is usually covered on the 10 ft model due to the fact that the 10 ft unit has a “skirt” of several inches that goes straight down the sides of the frame from the top, thus creating a gap free application.

We are hoping this gives us years of sun protection and will definitely help keep the sun off of our coolers as well as us and gives a very cozy feeling. We also set up the small BBQ pit for breakfast toward the outer edge to allow for a very rainy am pot of coffee and breakfast with no problem with the roof being too near the heat thus suffering no damage at all.

OK now for the guy line stakes, surprisingly a bit and I mean a bit more substantial than the included tent stakes of a recent Coleman tent purchase, these were useless. The thicker stakes for the legs were very good. However, as I said in my tent review, purchase the coleman tent stakes separately and use these for everything. They are inexpensive and will last a lifetime. One big gust of wind made us actually hold it down for a couple of minutes and from now on the Mr. WILL stake this down, AND use the guy lines for each use, rain forecasted or not. LOL

Not that we tried this but the roof can be lowered about 3 ft, allowing for closer proximity to the ground and would most likely survive, intact, a gusty storm. My thoughts are that if storms are expected and you will be away from campsite or for overnight storms just lower the whole roof and it would not be nearly as susceptible to wind gusts and offer a bit more protection for whatever is stored under a bit better as well.

We knowingly purchased screens anyway and are not sorry that we did. Even though we only gave them a test run to check for fit, the gap is nothing. After all you are camping and even if it fit snugly at the roofline bugs will get inside as we all get tired of constant zipping and usually let the screen doors flap anyway. When screens are attached there is a 1 1/2′ extension beyond the actual screening on all 4 sides that provide a great deal of extra coverage and rain protection and even supply enough cover for some supplies set just outside the 10′ frame perimeter. Where we camp it is a crapshoot as to whether we will be bothered by insects or not. If they are there and in biting mode they are relentless and painful so screens can be a necessity at times, but only a couple of times per year just impossible to predict when they will be in attack mode this is why we really wanted screens, for occasional use. The gap should be of no consequence with this unit.

Without the screens, 4 adults with chairs, a 6 ft table, coolers underneath, 2 end tables, dog bed and bowls, and other misc. items would NOT feel cramped at all or trip over each other. With screens, all would still fit but not as much floor space making walking around each other and stuff a bit more like an obstacle course.

As for other reviews as to its durability I foresee no issues as this is very well made but it is NOT for permanent use and the reviews on its durability that seem to be negative seems to have been due to applications where they were using this on an everyday semi-permanent basis. Just as one would not use a tent daily nor is this designed for that purpose.

As an addition to your camp gear this cannot be beat. The whole thing went very smoothly back into a very well designed storage bag. Thank you coleman for a great storage bag; if only your tents had the same thought and care put into their storage bag designs. HINT

UPDATE

We were lucky enough to go camping one last time this year and rain was a threat for much of the trip. It did rain some, a storm at night, we had discovered upon setting up this for the second time that there are 3 height settings for about a 1 ft. difference. the holes are about 6 inches apart and decided to lower this the night the storm was expected to lower its wind resistance. Mostly for peace of mind while sleeping. He did have to slightly duck his head to the side entering and exiting canopy area. So based on the forecast we set up the tent, then the canopy placing the canopy about 6″ over the tent entrance, YES we stayed dry going to and fro in the morning WONDERFUL! We will most likely use this set up permanently. Although the tent got some to a lot of excess water run off from the roof all was good. Coleman Evanston 6 Screened Tent Also as noted on other reviews we thought we would need to purchase or invent some type of additional weights for the legs and found that my excess of girl stuff hanging from my pole-r-bear Umbrella Hook for Towels/Camera/Bagsumbrella hooks seemed to do the trick.

The space required under canopy for the tent entrance was minimal and not terribly obstructive at all with 2 persons, gear, 6 ft. table chairs and a dog. However if 4 wanted to use the dry space it would have been crowded.

Two full camping seasons and still going amazing. Would definitely purchase again and highly recommend.

Update May 2021: After two years and only a dozen uses or so, the canopy succumbed to an overnight beach storm. I had it very well secured, but with sandbags foolishly only on the ocean facing legs. I think a storm came from the back side and must have yanked the whole back half out of the sand and crumpled it all into a sad pile of sheared aluminum and torn fabric. Sad trombone. I still maintain that it’s a high quality unit, and it’s tough to find one with the size and features, so I just bought another one. That’s a solid endorsement, right?

—–
Man, this is the canopy to get. I almost purchased another one that seemed much more lightweight, which I thought was a good thing. Fortunately for me, that other item ended up being out of stock, so I chose this one for our upcoming beach trip.

It comes in a great bag, with thick material, expandable zippers, multiple handles, and rolling wheels. I easily managed the package myself and got it into the truck, but it is heavy.

When we got to the beach, it was windy. As beaches often are. 10-20mph breeze constantly throughout the trip. The first time, it took two of us about 20 minutes to get the canopy set up. Most of that was spent securing the legs and stakes because of the aforementioned wind. It was easy enough to get the frame expanded, the canopy tops installed, and the whole thing lifted to an appropriate height.

We had a second canopy with us that a friend brought. Much lighter and quicker to get up, but just not nearly as robust in every way.

At the end of the day, we decided to disassemble the cheaper canopy, but we left this Coleman up overnight. It was a holiday weekend, and the beach was super crowded, so we opted to leave it up unattended to save our spot for the morning. Quite the risk when you see the beach dumpsters littered with broken folding canopy skeletons each day.

Well, when we returned the next morning, the wind was still blowing, but the canopy stood tall, without any evidence of its overnight ordeal. The tide had come up over the feet at night, but it held fast. I attribute that to the long straight stakes that are included specifically to secure the feet of the frame to the ground. I also bought some reusable velcro sandbags that I wrapped around the canopy legs as well. That served to hold the whole thing down securely. Oh, and I got some beefier screw type stakes for the guy lines. So yeah. That thing didn’t move an inch.

You might wonder what 24+ hours of flexing and flapping in a strong breeze might do to the canvas top. We’ll, I can report that it did nothing. The top is reinforced everywhere that it touches and rubs on the frame. The lines are attached securely through a metal ring, which not only eases the pressure at the attachment points, but serves as a handy place to hang a small flashlight or rubber mallet.

The frame itself is thick, heavy plastic. So, no concerns for rust or corrosion. Though, if I had one critique, it would be in the design of the fasteners that extend the legs up and down. You squeeze to release and then they pop into a hole when you let go. I suspect there’s a metal spring in there, which I worry about with saltwater exposure. But also, it’s easy to get sand in the mechanism, which then prevents the button from popping out and locking into place. I had to flush them out once or twice to adjust, and I just wonder about longevity with that design. But yeah, with plastic everywhere else and aluminum rivets at the accordion joints, I expect the frame to generally last through many trips.

Sun protection was excellent, without being totally opaque and dark beneath it. And I think the vented top helps not only with the heat but also with the airflow and probably the stability in the wind.

Then, when we reached the end of our trip, this canopy was easy to take down and pack back up into its rolling carrying case. I later took it out, washing everything with fresh water, and packed it all back up by myself. It was especially nice to have that case that really only fits everything nicely once from the factory. It has plenty of room for everything, even if you’re lazy about folding the canopy top and you just stuff it all in there, extra stakes and sandbags and all.

All in all, you might have guessed that I’m very pleased with this purchase. I won’t use it often, so the next test will be to see how it holds up in storage. Will report back if there are problems down the road at all.

Best ever shelter, takes a bit to set up, but after several times it very fast and easy!