Neso 1 Review
Cons: Only for the beach, little head room, not impressive in windy conditions
Manufacturer: Neso Tents
Our Verdict
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Neso 1 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  |  |  | ||
| Price | $94.99 at Amazon | $408 List | $219.00 at Amazon | $99.95 at REI | $74.99 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
|||||
| Star Rating | |||||
| Pros | Lightweight, easy to setup, easy to transport, maneuverable sun-protection | Durable, quality materials, fast set-up, excellent travel bag | Easy to use quick release system, 3-year warranty, high ceiling | Light, easy to set up, familiar design | Inexpensive, easy to use, fast set up, portable, compact, lightweight |
| Cons | Only for the beach, little head room, not impressive in windy conditions | Expensive | Heavy, wobbly wheels | Fixed floor bases, not very stable, no guy-lines | Lower quality materials, small footprint, walls block breeze |
| Bottom Line | While not very versatile, this shelter is super portable for beach missions with a few friends | This shelter excels in every category, but you do have to pay for it. If you use it often, it rewards you | This shelter is easy to transport and set up while remaining reliable, sturdy, and modestly priced | The design allows for a fast and easy set-up at the cost of durability and stability | The easiest, lightest, and most affordable beach tent we tested |
| Rating Categories | Neso 1 | Eurmax Premium 10x10 Pop Up | E-Z Up Pyramid | REI Co-op Screen House | Pacific Breeze Easy Setup |
| Livability (25%) | |||||
| Ease Of Setup (25%) | |||||
| Wind Resistance (20%) | |||||
| Durability (15%) | |||||
| Portability (15%) | |||||
| Specs | Neso 1 | Eurmax Premium... | E-Z Up Pyramid | REI Co-op Screen... | Pacific Breeze... |
| Measured Weight (lbs) | 6.9 lbs | 64.3 lbs | 54.1 lbs | 12.3 lbs | 5.0 lbs |
| Peak Height (feet) | 6.8 ft | 11.0 ft | 10.4 ft | 7.0 ft | 3.9 ft |
| Pole Material | Aluminum | Steel | Steel | Aluminum | Fiberglass |
| Number of Poles | 2 | 4 | 4 | 6 | Poles integrated into tent material |
| Floor Dimensions | 80" x 84" | 120" x 120" | 120" x 120" | 120" x 120" | 87" x 49", half-dome shape |
| Packed Size | 20" x 5" x 4" | 64.2" x 11.7" x 11.5" | 62" x 8" x 8" | 9" x 29" | 40" x 5" x 5" |
| Main Material | 4-way stretch nylon/Lycra | 300D polyester | Polyester | Ripstop nylon | Polyester |
| Design Type | Free-standing | Pop-Up | Pop-Up | Free-standing | Pop-Up |
Our Analysis and Test Results
Performance Comparison
Livability
Primarily designed to lie or sit under, the Neso does not provide an area for standing. This tent does provide exceptional shade protection because it can be angled in a way that provides maximum shelter from the sun. Two adults can fit comfortably under the canopy.
The footprint of the tent is not extremely large when comparing canopy tents, but the four sandbags do create a tripping hazard. This set up calls for a larger than the desired area on the beach, which is sometimes hard to find on a crowded beach.
Ease of Setup
With only two poles and four pockets for anchors, this is one of the easiest tents to set up. Once the anchor points are filled with sand and stretched out as far as possible, you hoist the canopy with the two poles about one foot from the front corners. The poles are held in place by the tension created by the four corner pockets. Be sure to fill the pockets are much as possible. Instructions are conveniently written out on the carrying case.
While the initial set up is easy, moving it after is nearly impossible as the poles fall over without tension on them from the sand pockets. It works much better with two people helping to adjust it in the wind.
Wind Resistance
This shelter performed poorly when it came to windy conditions. Due to its unique design, there is little structural support, which allows it to billow when the wind hits it. The sandbags keep the shelter from completely flying away, but you will be hard-pressed to keep the two poles anchored when the fabric is wrenching free. A tip to increase stability is to bury the bottoms of the poles in the sand. This will lessen the chance of them being knocked loose in the wind but will decrease the headroom and livability of the canopy. Our testers reserved this shelter for fair-weather beach days.
Durability
The Neso uses a blend of Lycra and Nylon which makes the fabric both durable and elastic as well as water-resistant and UPF 50+. The two poles are made of aluminum which makes the lightweight and they are thick enough that they are durable and don't seem susceptible to bending. Each corner is reinforced to grant extra protection from tearing, however after the second use in the wind, a small tear was noticeable where this reinforced corner meets the fabric.
Portability
At a low weight (6 lbs 14 oz) and a small packed size, the Neso is as portable as canopies get. The carrying case also has two thin straps that can be used on the shoulder or as a backpack set up. They are quite long, so we used a carabiner to clip them together to make it feel more secure while biking to the beach. The carrying bag has two compartments on the inside - one side for the poles and the other for the canopy. This makes packing up very easy when stuffing it into the bag. The low weight and bag construction make it easy to carry if you have to bike, skate, or walk to your desired destination.
Value
This is an affordable shelter if what you're looking for is a portable beach tent for fair-weather days.
Conclusion
As a beach tent, the Neso 1 is a unique concept that under the right conditions (little wind and not crowded beaches) performs admirably. Thanks to the steep slope, this tent offers ample sun protection. It's also one of the lightest and easiest to set up. It doesn't, however, provide standing room and performs poorly in wind, so its best use is for one or two people lying on the beach hoping for a respite from the sun on a calm day.
— Michael Wood and Michelle Galinak