Neso 1 Review

Performance Comparison

The Neso canopy set up on the beach for a sunny afternoon in Tahoe.

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.

The Neso uses two poles to hold its structure.

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.

This model utilizes large sand pockets instead of stakes for securing the canopy.

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.

The canopy corners are reinforced to prevent tearing.

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.

The Neso is extremely portable and lightweight compared to many other beach canopies.

Value

This is an affordable shelter if what you're looking for is a portable beach tent for fair-weather days.

Enough shade for two adults to be seated comfortably.

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.