Orders submitted before 1pm will ship same day. We use FedEx, or USPS when PO boxes are provided. Most orders arrive within 4-6 business days with our flat rate shipping. We offer express 3-Day, 2-Day and Overnight shipping options if you need it more quickly! Shipping to APO/FPO or P.O boxes may take longer.

Absolutely! It was designed to work with the wind, and inspired by parachutes as the designer and creator was a professional skydiver. It works best in a light to moderate wind, somewhere between a constant 5mph up to 15mph wind. With winds over 20mph it will still hold up well, but your setup needs to be done correctly (with heavy sand bags and full stretch of the fabric). We’ve seen people have their medium set up in 35mph winds, and it held strong – although I don’t really want to be pelted by sand at the beach when the wind is that strong! The medium will withstand higher winds than a large, as it’s less fabric being lifted up and creating pull on the sand bags. 

The standard setup of two poles is sufficient for most cases. In areas where there’s little or no wind, a third pole may be beneficial. In most cases, though, you won’t need it! When the wind is lighter, just angle the downward side of the fabric towards the sun. You’ll have more of a lean to tent scenario, but it’ll cast a huge shade.

If you’re not happy with your purchase, we’ll do our best to make the return process as seamless as possible! Please read our return policy for instructions on how to get that ball rolling, and we’ll take care of all the rest.

We take your privacy very seriously, and respect the info. you provide us with by never selling it to third parties. We do not store your payment information in any way, nor solicit you for anything unwanted. We only use your information to communicate with you regarding your order.

Once you place your order, you’ll receive an order confirmation email. Only when we process the order will you receive an email with a FedEx tracking number, so you can start stalking your order! =) All orders placed before 1pm will ship same day (M-F). All others will be processed and shipped the following business day.

As for washing, we would normally only recommend washing the sunshade once a year or if it gets something on it. Usually a quick rinse with fresh water and air dry will suffice. When you wash the whole shade, detach the ropes and put them in a garment bag.  It is important to wash the sunshade without any soaps or detergents. Using these sorts of products will affect the durability and quality of the sunshade fabric. After use, the easiest and best practice for keeping the sunshade clean is to hand wash the sunshade in cool water and then let the fabric air dry.

We think that the nano sunshade is great for 1-2 people (or dogs)! With the 4.5 ft poles, you get great shade coverage. The medium sunshade suits well for 2-4 people, depending on how much space you want and how large your beach chairs are. You can sit on the ground, or in low chairs under the medium. If not ducking, and being able to stand under your sunshade is important to you, then the large may be best. The large Otentik sunshade is great for groups of 4-8 people, and the 6.5 ft poles provide ample standing room. For max height, and during light wind conditions, get the large Otentik sunshade with an additional two poles (4 poles total). 

We’re so glad you asked! No, literally. Every time I see one on the beach setup poorly, I battle the desire to help but also not offer help where it maybe isn’t wanted. Usually when the sunshade is falling down, it is because two vital parts of the setup instructions were not followed correctly (or, they didn’t see the setup card in the box and tossed it accidentally). A quick tip or two can provide a stable sunshade setup, even in strong winds. If you need an Otentik Sunshade setup card, send us an email (sales@outsidersusa.com).

So, here are the two things you must do to keep your sunshade from falling down. First, the sand bags need to be sufficiently filled. They are the weights that keep the sunshade from flying away in the wind. Of course, the stronger the wind, the heavier the bags must be! For most conditions, I tell people the bags should be about the size of a basketball or maybe 15-20 lbs in weight. Second, the fabric of the sunshade should be fully stretched out. Once you’ve filled the bags, pull the four bags out in all 4 directions until the fabric is taut. Place the poles on the windward side, and double check the distance of your bags. If the fabric is flapping around a lot you may need to pull one or more bags further out to create tension on the fabric downwards. That’s what hold the poles in place. And no – do not bury, push down or angle your poles! That’s just a sure fire way to break them. 

We don’t think the otentik sunshade is difficult to setup, but that doesn’t mean we’ve never had difficulty doing so. When the winds are switching directions a lot, gusting unpredictably or very strongly (~20mph plus) setting up the sunshade can be a little tricky and take some adjustments. We wrote an entire blog post on setting up an Otentik sunshade in strong winds. This how to will get your Otentik sunshade setup stable and stress free, so you can get back to what’s really important. Enjoying your day at the beach. =)

Don’t hesitate to give us a call or send an email if you have a question that hasn’t been answered here! We are in the office 9AM – 4PM EST during the weekdays (excluding major holidays). See our information on the “Contact” page!