PahaQue Cottonwood LT Review

Performance Comparison

Livability

With 100 sq ft of floor space and a max height of 8 feet, the Cottonwood Lt offers the most space out of the other beach tents tested. With enough room for a family of 4-6, this tent can keep your crew out of the sun, as well as protect from the occasional light rain. The sides are all the same height, approximately 5'8", so some members of the family may have to dip their heads in order to get in, but once inside, there's plenty of headspace. The fanned out legs offer a bit more shade, but unless the sun is directly overhead, not all of the 100 square feet will be shaded. PahaQue offers purchasable sidewalls for additional cash, which provide increased sun and wind protection.

Ease of Setup

The most difficult of the beach shelters to set up, it took approximately 8 minutes to set up with two people working on it. While it is possible to set up with one person, it took nearly 20 minutes of frustration to get upright, even after the learning curve. This difficulty would only be exacerbated in windy conditions. The pre-bent poles allow for increased height and floor space but also tend to get twisted and make the aligning of all four legs a struggle. The two primary leg poles are the combination of two separate tent poles, adding to the time and difficulty of set-up. Two people setting this up together, if not more, is definitely our recommendation to cut down on setup time so you can get back to enjoying the day.

Wind Resistance

This tent's wind resistance is drastically increased when all guy-lines are used and connected to sturdy surroundings. The Cottonwood Lt is unique in that each leg has two separate guy-lines, which when secured properly and in combination with the stakes, allow for great stability in windy conditions. We had no issues in the wind with this tent, although nearly any tent is susceptible to severe winds.

Durability

The Cottonwood Lt boasts a 150D polyester oxford fabric, with a heavy-duty waterproof coating (1500mm) and UV coatings with a sun protection factor of 50+, designed to protect from light rain and harmful UV rays. The poles are high performance 100% Aluminum 6061 Series alloy, and shock-corded, so the poles themselves as well as the cording holding them together are durable and should hold up in most weather. At 16lbs, this is the heaviest of the tested beach tents, but it also provides the tent with a more durable and stable frame, providing the tent with the ability to stay up for multiple days.

Portability

At 16 lbs, this is the heaviest beach tent. However, the carrying bag (which packs down to 26 x 8 x 8 inches) comes with a shoulder strap which makes transportation more bearable. Our testers very much appreciate having a shoulder strap on a carrying case, especially when dealing with heavier tents.

Best Applications

The Cottonwood Lt 10x10 is a tent which can be used for family gatherings, as it has an 8-foot peak and 100 square feet of floor space. Its durability and structural integrity allow for multi-day use, and its portability makes it an accessible beach or camping tent. If you need maximum coverage or weather resistance, this is the strongest beach contender for that.

Value

The Cottonwood Lt is a big investment but will benefit large families hoping to get a durable tent capable of keeping them out of the sun and moderate rain.

Conclusion