There is a lot of discussion and opinions on canopies. The following started out as a PM, but then I thought it might be helpful for everyone:
Perhaps it would help to think about shades/canopies as divided into three groups: The mini shade, the pop-up, and complete enclosure.
It seems to me that most everything falls into one of these three categories.
An example of the mini shade is the Tail Gator. It is VERY light and easy to setup but is not going to be weatherproof at all. I own one of these and take it on road trips where we will be staying just one night in each place. The Tail Gator also looks cool, however, one disadvantage is that the hatch cannot be closed without the Tail Gator collapsing. A good alternative is the REI Alcove, which doesn't look as cool (IMHO), but is free standing and allows the hatch to close. The REI Alcove also has optional side walls and screen walls.
The pop-ups, like the QuickShade, are just as easy to setup but are heavy - not so easy to throw onto the bed or back of the car. Some popups are lighter, but then also less sturdy and weather resistant. The QuickShade is my favorite because it can be stored with the cover attached to the frame. Most other brands can not - notably most EZ-UPs and the Coleman! The QS C100 is very sturdy. Ours survided being blown away in the wind when the previous model did not. We have both the wall and screen panels. The wall kit is 4 separate pieces that attach, where the screen is one continuous piece. Both work equally well, but require about 5 or maybe 10 minutes additional setup time. (I setup my QS by myself most of the time in less than 2 minutes - I can give you a few hints on this if you ever need it.) We used the screen tent (away from the tear - not over the galley), and also the side walls around the galley with a Mr. Buddy heater last winter while skiing. I plan to modify one of the side walls and add zippers to make it fit around the tear.
I don't have a full enclosure tent, but I will probably want to buy the Eureka Northern Breeze at some point. As far as I can tell, it is the very best option for camping in bad weather, and many people have it and love it. If you know the weather will be rotten, and you will be in one place for several days it is the way to go because the entire teardrop can but placed inside of it. While the QS does very well in most bad weather, it only covers the galley area, not the doors to the tear. However, I'm pretty sure the Northern Breeze takes a while to setup, it is after all a tent - not a popup, so probably not the best choice for single nighters. The Norther Breeze also has roll up side with screen walls.
So, I recommend you choose first what type of camping you will be doing: Good Weather Road Trips, Fair Weather Camping, or All Weather Camping.
In summary:
Mini Shade (Tail Gator / REI Alcove): Light, Quick, Good Weather Only, Partial Coverage
Pop-up (QuickShade): Heavy, Quick, Handles most weather, Partial Coverage
Complete Enclosure (Northern Breeze): Light, Longer setup, Handles just about any weather, Complete Coverage
Of course, this is all just my opinions and observations. In the end, you need to use the shade that works for you.
Perhaps it would help to think about shades/canopies as divided into three groups: The mini shade, the pop-up, and complete enclosure.
It seems to me that most everything falls into one of these three categories.
An example of the mini shade is the Tail Gator. It is VERY light and easy to setup but is not going to be weatherproof at all. I own one of these and take it on road trips where we will be staying just one night in each place. The Tail Gator also looks cool, however, one disadvantage is that the hatch cannot be closed without the Tail Gator collapsing. A good alternative is the REI Alcove, which doesn't look as cool (IMHO), but is free standing and allows the hatch to close. The REI Alcove also has optional side walls and screen walls.
The pop-ups, like the QuickShade, are just as easy to setup but are heavy - not so easy to throw onto the bed or back of the car. Some popups are lighter, but then also less sturdy and weather resistant. The QuickShade is my favorite because it can be stored with the cover attached to the frame. Most other brands can not - notably most EZ-UPs and the Coleman! The QS C100 is very sturdy. Ours survided being blown away in the wind when the previous model did not. We have both the wall and screen panels. The wall kit is 4 separate pieces that attach, where the screen is one continuous piece. Both work equally well, but require about 5 or maybe 10 minutes additional setup time. (I setup my QS by myself most of the time in less than 2 minutes - I can give you a few hints on this if you ever need it.) We used the screen tent (away from the tear - not over the galley), and also the side walls around the galley with a Mr. Buddy heater last winter while skiing. I plan to modify one of the side walls and add zippers to make it fit around the tear.
I don't have a full enclosure tent, but I will probably want to buy the Eureka Northern Breeze at some point. As far as I can tell, it is the very best option for camping in bad weather, and many people have it and love it. If you know the weather will be rotten, and you will be in one place for several days it is the way to go because the entire teardrop can but placed inside of it. While the QS does very well in most bad weather, it only covers the galley area, not the doors to the tear. However, I'm pretty sure the Northern Breeze takes a while to setup, it is after all a tent - not a popup, so probably not the best choice for single nighters. The Norther Breeze also has roll up side with screen walls.
So, I recommend you choose first what type of camping you will be doing: Good Weather Road Trips, Fair Weather Camping, or All Weather Camping.
In summary:
Mini Shade (Tail Gator / REI Alcove): Light, Quick, Good Weather Only, Partial Coverage
Pop-up (QuickShade): Heavy, Quick, Handles most weather, Partial Coverage
Complete Enclosure (Northern Breeze): Light, Longer setup, Handles just about any weather, Complete Coverage
Of course, this is all just my opinions and observations. In the end, you need to use the shade that works for you.