We think the Mac Sports wagon is fine for occasional beach use, especially if your gear is more bulky than heavy and you don’t have to travel too far to your spot. But if you’re looking for a folding wagon to primarily use at the beach, we recommend paying more for the Mac Sports Heavy Duty Collapsible Folding All Terrain Utility Cart. The sturdy yet simple Mac Sports Collapsible Folding Outdoor Utility Wagon is what most people ozark trail outdoor equipment are probably looking for in a folding wagon—a versatile, easy-to-use, lighter wagon at a reasonable price. The Mac Sports Wagon weighs 22½ pounds and can hold up to 150 pounds of gear. Based on its listed interior dimensions, we calculated the storage to be about 3½ cubic feet. It has a solid frame, which remained durable throughout a battery of tests, including rolling the wagon down a hill while it was filled with equipment.
Wirecutter is the product recommendation service from The New York Times. Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing so you can make quick and confident buying decisions. Whether it’s finding great products or discovering helpful advice, we’ll help you get it right (the first time). If you intend to use your wagon primarily at the beach, we recommend the Mac Sports Heavy Duty Collapsible Folding All Terrain Utility Cart. And if you’re looking for a wagon designed to tote kids around in, see our guide to stroller wagons.
But even though it had nice wheels and construction, this wagon was a headache to fold and unfold. It took two people—and several minutes—to put the L.L.Bean wagon away after use. We had to wrestle the cover onto the bulky rectangle and tug it down to get it on.
It packs down small into a drawstring stuff sack for portability, and it’s one of the best lightweight models of canopy tents on the market. It doesn’t get any easier than the pop-up canopy tent design of the Pacific Breeze Easy Setup Beach Tent. But don’t think that the tent isn’t a durable canopy just because it’s easy to set up. Although it features no poles or weights, the tent stays in place with stakes. We were able to fix the problem, but a year of use has also led to scratches on the wheels and the plastic looking pretty shorn.
Of all the wagons we tested, the Mac Sports Collapsible Folding Outdoor Utility Wagon best hits the sweet spot of price, versatility, weight, and ease of use. It’s one of the simplest wagons to unfold and use, and it rolls smoothly enough to keep its contents intact over mud, grass, bumps, and curbs. At 22½ pounds, it’s one of the lighter models we tested and a cinch to lift into cars. It’s also one of the lowest-priced wagons we considered, but it performed as well as or better than wagons that cost twice as much.