Under the Weather Tent – Fad or FAB? |product reviews
We don’t do very many product reviews around here. But the other day, perusing internet, we came across the Under the Weather personal pop-up tent, marketed for soccer parents.
And the picture of the mom on the sidelines huddled in her personal individual, roofed and walled tiny hut while the other parents got rained on and froze, made us laugh out loud. In a good way, of course. How genius? How awesome!? (STILL NEED YOUR OWN CHAIR!)
(NOTICE HOW COLD THE LONELY MOM WITHOUT the TENT below APPEARS? Are those other parents laughing at her? ———————————————>
Anyways, we decided to do a little UNOFFICIAL (meaning we aren’t getting paid, and the company doesn’t even know we are doing it) product review. (We don’t even own one because they are sold out everywhere.)
Of course, there are pros and cons to everything. So we will start with the PROS!
1. Great way to get some alone time at softball tournaments and keep people from parking and partying under your tent (especially if you are one of those families or grumpy people who looks for solidarity while at the softball field (yep, we know some of those), or are always the one, no matter WHAT, to get STUCK with the most annoying family at the park camping out with you even though they weren’t invited.
2. Great way to avoid being hit by fly balls from any direction. Also, a great place to put a sleeping sibling or a pair of playing toddlers to ensure they don’t get hit by fly balls. In fact, this may be the perfect thing for the young siblings to play in.
3. If the ‘noise” at the ball park drives you nuts – or God forbid, cowbells are ring a ding dinging, this will probably provide a little bit of a noise barrier. Or at least make it less easy to get up and be involved in some sort of throw down with opposing parents who may be working your last nerve. Especially, we gather, if you zip the whole thing up. And hey, you can also pretty much say whatever the heck you want while inside your personal pop up tent, because no one will be able to hear ya! 
4. Makes for a cozy place to escape so you can remain un-bothered during those days (oh come on, we all have them) when the games are going less than stellar, or you are harboring frustration and would rather be left alone because a pick up player is seeing more action than your paid ‘on the team’ daughter is.Great place to read!
5. Lightweight. Easy to carry. According to the video, easy to assemble. You won’t need help from others to relocate it between games. Appears to be compact and will fit in your car along with all your other stuff, certainly smaller than a full size tent.
6. Claims to be 30 degrees warmer inside than outside. Which can be a good thing in the winter or during cooler months. (During hot days, we suppose you could use it as a personal sauna) It also provides shade and offers sun protection.
7. You can get them (when they are back in stock which according to the website is in MAY) in nearly any color imaginable. Even camo. And you can even personalize them.
8. They do have a two-person version for those that may be claustrophobic or have a bestie they wanna invite inside.
Okay, now on to the CONS…..
1. May make you appear unapproachable (which can be a pro or a con depending on you), or down right snobby. Part of the appeal and fun of long days at the softball tournaments is the PEOPLE, the noise, the going ons, right?
2. You cannot see behind you. (Website says 270 degree visibility) I can imagine all too well a group of well-meaning, between inning ‘just wanna have fun’ girls tipping these things backwards in the same manner as mischievous teens tip cows.
3. Will definitely make it so anyone sitting BEHIND you cannot see the game at all. In fact, a row of these at the fence will certainly make your team the least favorite team at the ball park. The back panels are solid. So depending upon how fields and viewing areas and bleachers are set up, these could aggravate other people who came to enjoy the game.
4. They are expensive. $89.99 for one single tent. And that is on sale. Considering you can get a huge tent, with side panels on sale in between seasons for the same cost.
5. Out of stock (Man, that makes me wish we INVENTED this thing.
So whatcha think? Will these things be popping up a the fastpitch fields this year?
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I agree they would be nice for rainy days or just to keep the wind off of you, but as a potential customer, my biggest concern would be durability!!! I don’t mind shelling out $89.99 (+ S.H. ??) if it is going to last. Is the floor sturdy enough to stand up to a folding chair? Are the seams reinforced so that if a gust of wind above the advertised 38 mph happens to strike you aren’t patching it with duct tape for the next event? And then there would be dealing with the angry mob that is behind you and can’t see the action……….
just got mine. Set it up in my house to check it out. I can’t figure out how to fold it back up completely. It’s partially folded, right now if I took it to a ball field as is, it would look like I’m carrying a surfboard.
I just stumbled upon this review (thank you!). Full disclosure, I am the Director of Marketing for Under the Weather and I wanted to respond to the comments/question… Our tents are extremely durable. They were product tested for nearly a year– and can be used for years. Mine is three years old and is good as new. You can absolutely put a chair in as the floor material is reinforced. As noted in the review, chairs are not included but we will soon offer an easy-to-carry, lightweight two-person bench for purchase, ideal for the XL and SquadPod tents. We do caution against using the tent on asphalt and cement– It’s OK to use on these surfaces but not to drag. The height was designed specifically so that people can easily see standing behind. Most softball teams line them up along the fence line (see pictures on our Facebook page) so that people in the stands can still see unless they sit in row one directly behind. On a soccer/lacrosse, etc. sideline, we often see the moms and children lined up sitting in a tent and the dads standing behind as it is a terrific wind blocker. Note: Real men do sit in our tents, however! Feel free to reach out to us directly at info@under-the-weather with any additional questions and thanks again for the nice, thorough review!
One more comment… go to under-the-weather.com for a great video on how to fold. It is quick and easy once you know how!
I am from Oklahoma & have had my Under The Weather tent for a little over a year & let me tell you these are a lifesaver. The pro’s far outweigh the con’s as the weather hear can change in a matter of minutes. Most of the parents on our team have them & we are all able to visit with each other using the little windows on the sides, not as isolated as they seem. For the most part we line up & watch the game just like in the photos. We also try to be considerate & stay away from the bleachers so not to be in anyone’s way. They are a bit difficult to fold up, however we have watched the how to video several times & are now folding them like a pro.
The only con I can really speak of are the zippers. At times it can be difficult to zip the windows/doors & one of my side windows has gotten off track. I can still use it but one window will not un zip anymore.
All in all I can say these are AWESOME!