Pop up sun shade 'tents' for the beach

[Natalie9]

Just seen there is a family sized version, anyone recommend them or are they a waste of time?

We took the smaller version to France a few weeks ago. We used it twice - once on the beach and once in the garden of the house we rented. DD (6 months) seemed quite happy in it, but I would imagine it be hard to get an older child to stay inside. Pros - makes it possible to sit outside (next to the tent) and be near the baby. Cons - easy to erect, but we never did manage to fold it back small enough to fit in the bag. If you would like the small version, Argos do one for about 18 pounds.