Light-weight, Packable Field of Shade

Over decades of living and visiting North America’s sunniest and hottest places, I grew tired of flimsy packable shades and versions that were anything but portable. I had given up, no longer willing to toss sunshades in the trash after a summer or deal with heavy behemoths that took up too much space in my vehicle.

Helinox had seemingly dodged the shortcomings of every other shade-providing product I had tried. Helinox’s Royal Box (MSRP $275) promised shade for two in a truly portable and light structure. But would it hold up?

I used the Helinox Royal Box on beaches in Texas over the course of two summers. The sun pounded the Royal Box relentlessly in locations that seemed closer to the sun. It experienced moderate winds in its job to protect my daughter, dog, and me from sunburn and heat exhaustion.

In short: The Helinox Royal Box has replaced all my portable sun shelters. Packed up, it is only 10 x 4.5 inches and weighs 5.3 pounds. Assembled it offers ample space for relaxing in the shade. I won’t go car camping anywhere in the summer without it. It is the only truly portable and packable model that has worked well most of the time. And it requires much less moving to keep providing shade throughout the day.

Helinox Royal Box Setup

Like other Helinox products, I needed the instructions the first time I set up the Royal Box. The shock-corded, color-coded, and anodized DAC aluminum poles and architecture are super-similar to free-standing tents. So, I was very familiar with the typical setup.

But the 600D ripstop polyester fly was a headscratcher at first. The detached sections and webbing along the bottom of the shelter could get tangled if it didn’t exercise some care putting it away. Once the fly was in the correct orientation and the bottom ends of the pole were in the webbing perimeter, the remainder of the setup was straightforward.

Once erected, the Helinox Royal box measured 88 inches wide, 57 inches deep, and 60.5 inches tall.

The Royal Box has three walls and a wide opening. So, it was crucial to aim the opening downwind and anchor it. Even a moderate breeze could pick up and move the Royal Box if it wasn’t pinned in place. On the beach, I anchored the corners with bags full of sand. The bags used by photographers to anchor tripods were perfect for the job.

Large snow stakes at the corners provided more security when conditions dictated. Helinox includes standard J-stakes, but they were useless in the sand. At times, I extended the sides and anchored them out with the sand stakes and included guy lines, which expanded the shaded area laterally.

The three-wall design that made the Helinox Royal Box a wind-catcher also made it such an excellent shade provider. With some forethought, I could orient the opening to address both the direction of the wind and the movement of the sun across the sky.

When using my campervan, which is based on a tall Ford Transit, I could set it up to avoid moving it all day with careful solar engineering. As the sun dipped west, the van traded places with the Royal Box roof to continue to block the rays.

Wind Resistance

Like other portable sun shelters, the Helinox Royal Box could only withstand so much wind. With proper setup (the opening facing downwind) and anchoring, the Royal Box held up fine in the 10-12mph wind that was usually present on the Texas coast. However, when winds approached 15+ mph, I elected to take it down to prevent permanent damage.

This was also true of every other truly portable shade structure I’ve tried. Other sun shelters that could withstand 20mph winds were too bulky to keep in my van or car, and many of them broke in these winds anyway. Many failed from frame fatigue from a summer’s worth of setting up and striking down.

It’s upsetting how many E-Z Up-type canopies I’ve tossed in the dumpster. At 50+ pounds, they were difficult to transport even short distances from the vehicle.

After two summers of use in the stated winds, the poles are still in great shape. And the 50+ UPF fly shows no fading or other visible damage from the sun.

A Few Caveats

The three-wall design could feel super hot on calm days during the humid summer in Texas. Since I aimed the opening downwind, and the walls blocked breezes, it could feel stifling inside in late afternoons.

The side panels could be rolled up and secured or guyed out, which definitely allowed much more airflow. But as the sun angle changed, it became necessary to reorient the Royal Box more often to chase the shade.

Lastly, I understand the fly’s light coloring doesn’t absorb nearly as much heat as darker fabrics. But it was also more easily soiled. This was only cosmetic and never interfered with function, but I felt compelled to try to keep it clean.

Conclusions on the Helinox Royal Box

I proclaim Texas one of the most sun-baked states in the Union. I refuse to curtail my activities due to the oven-like conditions on the third coast. This means providing artificial shade for my daughter, dog, and aging skin.

Like any portable and lightweight sun shelter, the Helinox Royal Box can only withstand breezes between 10 and 15 mph when it’s properly anchored. Heavier and bulkier canopies might have fared better in stronger winds, but they weren’t in the ballpark portability of the 5-pound, 5-ounce, 10″ x 4.5″ packed Helinox Royal Box. I have yet to find another equally packable shade that can reliably withstand more wind.

The three-sided design offered more consistent shade than simple canopies. And the area was plenty big for two Helinox chairs, a Helinox table, a dog, and two humans.

The poles and fly showed no signs of wear, and I predict a long life when used in appropriate conditions. I have not had a portable shade survive two summer seasons. However, I just packed the Helinox Royal Box in the van for another beach trip in its third year.

Living in Texas, I have always looked for light and packable sun shelters. But there has been no reason to continue since acquiring the Helinox Royal Box.