Summary
A week with your kids in a sports camp learning soccer is a great idea for family bonding. And, what better way to be together than under the Sport-Brella Umbrella manufactured by the SKLZ company. This is not just an oversized umbrella, although it may look like one. It is a multifunctional outdoor accessory—it is more of a protective canopy against the elements. The Sport-Brella can be easily set up in a few seconds and provide shelter comfortably for the whole family or even an entire team! It is great at the sports field, at the beach or anywhere where you want to be able to escape the elements.
When set up, the Sport-Brella gives its users protection from all sides since it has side flaps. The canopy material used is also treated with a UPF 50+ coating that provides ample protection from UVA and UVB rays. For extra warm days, this huge umbrella has wind vents at the top and windows with zippers for air circulation. Aside from giving protection from sun, rain, and wind, it has storage pockets for your outdoor stuff, such as sports gear, personal valuables and the like. When done with the Sport-Brella, it could easily be stored in its carrying bag, along with the ground stakes and tethers for stability.
Product Snapshot
Amazon Price: $49.86
Amazon Ranking: 
Sample Customer Reviews
Some quotes from 88 reviews of the Sport-Brella Umbrella on Amazon:
“Good quality, functional.”
“Great portable umbrella.”
“Trouble with wind on a beach, but otherwise AWESOME product!”
Features
• A multifunctional protective canopy that could double as a tent, beach umbrella, sun shade, or rain shelter.
• Provides instant portable protection and sets up easily and quickly in a matter of seconds, anywhere, anytime.
• It has side flaps, acting as cover from rain and wind.
• Umbrella material has UPF 50+ sun protection against 99.5 percent of UVA and UVB rays.
• It is 8 feet across and has a measurement of 54 x 4 x 4 inches (W x H x D) when folded.
• The Sport-Brella is packaged with a handy carry bag with a strap, eight steel ground stakes (four standard stakes and four heavy duty ones), and three 8-feet long cords for tying it down.
• It also has a pointed telescoping pole for stability, which could be anchored to the ground with a camping hammer.
• Comes in blue, green or red.
Pricing
If you are planning to buy online, a great place to start is Amazon.com. It’s hard to find a cheaper price than they offer themselves or through one of their partner retailers. You’ll certainly be able to find the Sport-brella for a cheaper price than you can get from the manufacturer directly.
Amazon Best: $49.86
Manufacturer Direct: $59.99
Assessment
Pros
One of the best features of Sport-Brella is its SPF50+ canopy material that shields its occupants from harmful sun rays. It is perfect to bring to the beach or to sports events with the kids.
Another plus for the Sport-Brella is its canopy design which includes side flaps for added protection from the elements, as well as vents or windows that could be unzipped for air ventilation during hot summer days. On the other hand, these could be easily zipped to protect the inside from rain.
The Sport-Brella is big enough to house a couple of folding chairs. There is tons of room for people to sit in the shade of the Sport-Brella.
It also comes with standard and heavy duty stakes to anchor it to the ground for more stability. And, when it’s time to pack it up, it has its own carrying bag for easy storage.
Cons
The Sport-Brella has a good design and a big enough canopy for comfortable use. It is also easy to set it up. However, the end of the spokes can be easily broken, because it is only made of plastic so extra care should be given in handling it.
Compared to similar models of other brands, the Sport-Brella needs some help to firmly insert its stakes to the ground with the help of a rubber mallet. So, in this case, you have to bring the one provided with the package. Minor adjustments could make this product a bit sturdier.
Alternatives
Sport-Brella X-Large Umbrella
If you like the Sport-Brella but find that it is not quite big enough, then there is the Sport-Brella X-Large Umbrella. This model costs about $20 more than the regular sized model and opens up to 9 feet across. It comes in green, steel blue, red, olive green or woodland.
Rio Beach Portable Sun Shelter
A good alternative to the Sport-Brella is the Rio Beach Portable Sun Shelter that comes in navy and orange shades. It’s also good for the beach, camping trips, and backyard barbecue. You can comfortably put two sun chairs inside its 7-foot canopy. For sun protection, it has an SPF50 protection that could last up to eight hours of exposure. The Rio Beach Portable Sun Shelter is lightweight and it includes a portable bag with a shoulder strap for easy carrying.
Lightspeed Quick Shelter
Another alternative to consider is the Lightspeed Quick Shelter. As the name suggests, this product can also be set up in seconds because it is equipped with an innovative drawstring hub system. It is conveniently lightweight and compact so you can take it practically anywhere, to the beach and to sporting events. It has a unique feature called sand pockets because you could fill these with sand for more stability, without having the hassle of bringing stakes and mallets.
Conclusion
The Sport-Brella is indeed a great all-around protection from the elements, whether from pouring rain, gusts of wind, or the hot sun. To top it off, it has a UPF 50+ sun protection, which models of other brands do not usually have. It is an easy set up and can comfortably fit a family inside its canopy, which spans to 7-feet wide.