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" Along with applying a sunscreen with an SPF (Sun Protection Factor) of 15 or higher \u2014 a shot glass&amp;#039;s worth on your whole body every two hours \u2014 it&amp;#039;s a good idea to bring a beach umbrella on seaside escapes to deflect direct sunlight and help reduce your risk of sunburn. We hauled the eight newest portable shades out to the beach and evaluated them for stability, durability, and how easy they were to open, set up, close, and lug around. In the Good Housekeeping Research Institute labs, we tested the umbrellas&amp;#039; fabric for fade- and water-resistance, plus drying time (should you get caught in a summer storm). In addition, we looked at a couple of noteworthy accessories for increasing your umbrella&amp;#039;s coverage and making it easier to install. Coolibar Titanium Beach Umbrella  The 5-foot-wide, 7-foot-tall Coolibar is the best beach umbrella out there. Although it&amp;#039;s the most expensive umbrella we tested, it proved its worth with superb performance scores. From simple installation to portability, this umbrella received a perfect rating for ease of use. It also received the top score for stability (the pole pieces snap together with an interlocking button for added strength, especially when the canopy is tilted) and fade resistance \u2014 it will stay put in the sand and not show its age season after season. When packed up, it folds down to 45 inches in length and weighs 4 pounds. If you&amp;#039;re willing to spend a few extra bucks and want lasting shade for years of beach getaways to come, the Coolibar is your umbrella. In silver or green. ($70; coolibar.com) Solartek Windbrella  With a similar look to the winning Coolibar, the 6-foot silver Solartek Windbrella is another super choice. It tied for first place in the overall performance test and is one of the most fade- and water-repellent umbrellas tested. It also received a top score for portability, folding down to about 45 inches and weighing 5 pounds. It came in second by a hair because of the pole construction: The winning Coolibar&amp;#039;s pole snaps into place using an interlocking button for security and stability, while Solartek&amp;#039;s pole lacks the locking pin, making it more susceptible to tipover.  ($50; shadeusa.com) PortaBrella  The foldable PortaBrella can be disassembled into three parts, packing away to a mere 24 inches \u2014 very convenient if you&amp;#039;re already toting a slew of stuff with you. Plus, it opens to 6 feet tall and offers a 76-inch arc of sun protection. It also received a top score in drying time (under 5 minutes) \u2014 great if you get caught in the rain. However, because of its collapsibility, this umbrella did have many pinch points, so be careful when folding and unfolding not to get your fingers caught.  ($40; shadeusa.com) Pole-in-One  This is your basic easy-to-assemble, easy-to-carry, reasonably priced beach umbrella. Its clever construction allows you to slip the bottom half of the pole into the top when packed up. This makes it smaller than many (40 inches long and 4 pounds) and easier to carry on the treks to and from the car. When open, it has a large 78-inch diameter canopy. Watch your fingers when setting it up \u2014 the many pinch points can be a painful negative if you&amp;#039;re not careful. It received a top score in appearance, coming in fun designs like sailboats, stripes, and seahorses. ($26; beetee.biz) Rio Sun Blocker  This 6-foot Rio Sun Blocker is the least expensive umbrella we tested. The fabric received a top score in drying time, which means that if you&amp;#039;re caught in a drizzle, it&amp;#039;ll be ready to be packed up in under five minutes (and folds down to 46 inches in length and 4 pounds). It also received a top score in ease of opening \u2014 key if you&amp;#039;re multitasking while creating your beachside oasis. The stability and water repellency are not great, and it has more than its share of pinch points, but if you&amp;#039;re not looking to spend much money and you hit the shore only once a year, this is a fine purchase. In navy blue, red, and royal blue. ($15; shadeusa.com) The Beach Hut  If your average beach umbrella is not quite up to your sun protection (or privacy) standards, you may want to consider the Beach Hut, a 7-foot diameter umbrella that comes with side panels to create a three-sided &amp;quot;cabana.&amp;quot; Given its tentlike construction, our consumer testers found it much trickier to open and set up than a regular umbrella. And while its diameter is slightly larger than other umbrellas, the enclosing side panels make for a smaller area of shade than an unenclosed umbrella may cast. The side panels do provide much more privacy, particularly nice if your favorite beach lacks changing rooms. To note: If it&amp;#039;s used in a breezy locale, you can expect noticeable swaying. The canopy is quite eye-catching with its bright rainbow panels, but our testers weren&amp;#039;t fans of the circus look, giving it low scores for appearance. It folds down to 50 inches and weighs about 6 pounds.  ($70; shadeusa.com) Beach Pockets 6-Foot Umbrella  Here&amp;#039;s a fresh twist on the old-fashioned beach umbrella: Instead of a pointy end you jab into the ground, you just fill the pockets at the base of the 6-foot-wide Beach Pockets Umbrella with sand (or shoes or other belongings) to weigh it down and keep the umbrella upright. It received an above-average score for stability (meaning the pockets do the trick after all), but on blustery days, be sure you fully load each pocket with sand to keep the umbrella from blowing away. This umbrella scored high for appearance and is available in an array of colors and patterns. It folds down to 41.5 inches for carrying. ($30; beachpockets.com) Beach Umbrella Add-Ons Add-a-Shade If you already have a beach umbrella but sometimes think the coverage is lacking, take a look at the Add-a-Shade. This durable fabric panel easily attaches to an existing umbrella and pins into the ground to provide both additional sun blockage and privacy. It comes in two cool colors (royal blue and orange) but, as shown in our UV tests, expect those hues to noticeably fade over time. Bottom line: For extra shade and protection without purchasing a whole new beach umbrella, this is a great beach accessory to tote.  ($16; beach-usa.com)  Sandgrabber  Tired of your umbrella blowing away? Here&amp;#039;s the product that can help. Screw the Sandgrabber base into the ground, place your umbrella into it, and twist a bit more to tighten everything in place. The tool received top scores in ease of use, durability, and performance: There was no movement from umbrellas perched in the Sandgrabber when it was inserted into the sand at a depth of 6 inches and caught in 12 to 15 mph winds. So if you want to stabilize your umbrella cheaply and easily, take along a Sandgrabber.  ($15; beetee.biz) "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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