Are you a keen camper? If so, you’ll know how important it is to have a sturdy and dependable camping windbreaker. A windbreak can protect you all that the elements might throw at you while camping – from horizontal rain that soaks your tent to icy gusts that put out your campfire.

There are windbreaks out there for every budget and occasion. The type of camping windbreaker you need depends on your set-up. For a large-scale family trip, with multiple tents, cars or caravans, it’s likely worth investing in a pricier, heavy duty windbreaker for camping. Or, if you’re planning a romantic couple’s camping trip for two, you could probably make do with a smaller, cheaper option.

With so many great options on the market these days, finding the best camping windbreak can be a challenge. But, whatever your camping needs, we have you covered with our pick of the very best windbreakers for camping in 2022.

What is a windbreaker good for?

Windbreakers for camping are a necessity for a comfortable and enjoyable experience. Camping windbreakers not only offer protection from bad weather, offering superior shelter from the elements, but they make your campsite feel much more homely. Ultimately, a camping windbreak can be the difference between a successful camping trip and a wet, windy, miserable holiday.

Windbreaks are also great for providing some extra privacy if you’re staying on a public camping site. With a camping windbreak, you can easily mark your territory so other campers know which space if yours. Or, perhaps you just want a windbreak to keep your dogs enclosed or to shelter from the burning sun in the warmer months.

Where do you put a windbreak?

To get the best protection from your camping windbreak, you should place it fairly close to your tent, car or caravan. If you put your windbreaker too far away from your camping pitch, the wind will simply bypass it and streamline the gusts straight at you and your fire.

How much does a windbreak cost?

Camping windbreakers can range significantly in cost depending on their size, durability and effectiveness. Today, you will find a huge collection of windbreaks to suit any budget. Whether you’re a first-time camper looking to purchase the bare minimum or a complete pro who will only settle for the best, you will find a windbreaker for camping in our list below.

How do I choose a windbreaker?

When choosing the best camping windbreak for you, there are a number of factors you should consider:

• Purpose – think about what you need a windbreak for. Is it to shelter from the wind or the sun? To mark your territory or keep dogs enclosed?
• Size – how many people does your windbreak need to cover? If it’s only two people, then a smaller windbreak should do. If it needs to cover a whole family, you might need to go bigger.
• Weight – do you have the ability to carry a windbreak that’s big and heavy? If you don’t have much packing space, you should look for a compact, lightweight windbreak.
• Durability – finally, think about how long your windbreak will be up for and in what kind of weather. If you’re going camping for a whole week in the late season, then you’ll need a heavy duty camping windbreak to withstand the elements.

What is the Best Windbreak for Camping?

Best Windbreaker for Families | Andes Large Camping Windbreaker | £29.99

A lightweight windscreen with excellent coverage, this tall fence-like windshield is also a great way to mark the edge of your site (good for wandering kids) and gives you have a bit of extra privacy. It’s easy to put up and take down and perfectly fine for moderate weather, although it isn’t designed for full-on gale-force winds. At 5m long, it’s enough protection for your camp kitchen or to screen the wind from your fire pit.

We think this Lixada windbreak could be the cherry on the cake for family camping trips everywhere. Its Oxford fabric panels provide excellent protection, and at over 4m in length, plenty of people can fit behind it along with perhaps a table and chairs. What’s more, it has transparent PVC windows so you can admire the surrounding nature – and keep an eye on the kids if required.

The windbreak comes with pegs and guy ropes, so there’s no need to buy any required accessories separately. A neat feature we love is the inclusion of 12 hangers inside the windbreak on which you can hang up your clothes and equipment, helping to keep your camping space neat and tidy.

Best Beach Windbreaker | Hut Wooden Beach Windbreak | £13.99 – £31.99

Eye-catching, gorgeously vintage and easy to set up and take down, Olpro does our favourite colourful, cheerful camping windbreaks. Think English seaside: the fabric, a strong polyester, is stretched across wooden, steel tipped poles to create a classic but effective windscreen. It isn’t designed for super strong wind, but it is perfectly sturdy for seasonal camping. At almost 5m in length, it will shield even the biggest family campsite.

A simple, lightweight and inexpensive windbreak, this is perfect for camping trips that might involve an afternoon at the seaside. The three-panel screen (in brilliantly retro red, white and blue stripes) is good for gentle gusts, a little bit of privacy around your site, or a bit of extra protection for your camp kitchen. It packs down to a carry-able size and is incredibly easy to put up or take down, making it ideal for day trips where it can double as a shade or changing area.

This windbreak from Vinsani is a great option if you want something for casual use at the beach. It has the kind of classic, colourful design that’s synonymous with seaside holidays but it’s not all style over substance, as the tarp fabric provides ample cover from sea breezes and the sturdy wooden poles will have no problem sticking in the sand.

What’s more, the windbreak comes in seven different sizes of varying height and length, the longest of which is 610cm, so you can set up an expansive area of cover if you so wish. We wouldn’t recommend it for Himalayan trekking by any means – it’s not quite that robust – but if you want some privacy and peace on the beach, then Vinsani has you covered.

Best Windbreaker for Cooking | H&S Foldable Camping Windbreak | £8.99

Don’t rule out packing a windshield if you’re a lightweight camper: a small, foldable screen like this one can rescue your dinner or your morning cup of coffee. Small enough to fit in the pocket of your rucksack, it’s still tall enough to shield a medium-height gas stove and is a lifesaver in strong winds. It’s much tougher and more durable than the foil shields many stoves come with, and it weighs less than 2kg. Brilliant for hiking or bike packing in bad weather or if you’re spendinb the night somewhere exposed.

Sometimes, it’s not just friends and family that need shelter from the elements; our all-important stoves and campfires need protection too. That’s where this foldable outdoor windshield from H&S comes in. It’s made of ten lightweight aluminium panels that are hinged together, so the windbreak can be shaped to fit around stoves and fires of a variety of shapes and sizes. The windbreak will help to keep your fire shielded from pesky gusts of wind, allowing you to heat dinner or boil the kettle with ease.

Even if the weather is perfect and your cooker or fire doesn’t need cover to stay lit, the windscreen will still come in handy by speeding up the cooking process. It does this by focusing the fire’s heat, thereby making the cooker much more efficient.

Best Inflatable Windbreak | Vango Modular Windbreak | £288.99

A lovely, lightweight but sturdy screen that’s ideal forsmaller campsites. The three tall panels – with a strip of mesh window on each – are really easy to mould to your site, allowing you to create a horseshoe shape or a long fence, depending on your needs and the weather. We found this was perfect for two tents and a central cooking/living area, or one larger car/caravan pitch – but if you want a little more sheltered space, you can buy extra panels to clip on.

If you’re looking to invest in premium protection from the elements, then you should definitely consider this inflatable Vango Sentinel AirBeam modular windbreak. Vango has been making reliable, high-quality outdoor equipment for decades, and the Sentinel is yet another fine example. It may be on the pricey side, but you get what you pay for: solid protection from strong winds and rain and a hassle-free assembly. With the AirBeam frames, the windbreak inflates in minutes and the need for poles is completely negated.

The Sentinel has large, clear windows in every panel, so although it will shield you from the weather, you’ll still be able to admire the surrounding area and shouldn’t feel too separated from nature’s beauty. Unfortunately, an air pump is not included; you can buy a Vango pump here.

Best Windbreak for Portability | Sport-Brella Windbreak | £66.99

If you want a windbreak but don’t fancy lugging around a big bag (perhaps you’re a keen biker or an adventurous hiker) then this Sport-Brella Umbrella might be for you. It packs down into a small, lightweight bag and can easily slide into a rucksack, saving you space for important gear. What’s more, with a simple umbrella mechanism, it couldn’t be easier to assemble and disassemble, which is ideal if you need to set it up in a rush or intend on setting up camp in various locations throughout the day.

It may be light to carry, but don’t be fooled, the Sport-Brella’s polyester cover still provides a respectable amount of shelter. What’s more, with UPF50+ UV protection, it gives solid protection against the sun as well as the wind.

If you want a windbreak but don’t fancy lugging around a big bag (perhaps you’re a keen biker or an adventurous hiker) then this Sport-Brella Umbrella might be for you. It packs down into a small, lightweight bag and can easily slide into a rucksack, saving you space for important gear. What’s more, with a simple umbrella mechanism, it couldn’t be easier to assemble and disassemble, which is ideal if you need to set it up in a rush or intend on setting up camp in various locations throughout the day.

It may be light to carry, but don’t be fooled, the Sport-Brella’s polyester cover still provides a respectable amount of shelter. What’s more, with UPF50+ UV protection, it gives solid protection against the sun as well as the wind.

Best Framed Windbreak | Quest Framed Windbreak | £199

Firstly it is modular, so it can be extended to any size. You can cannot as many main units together, or add single additional panels to your main unit. You can also add a door (or as many doors as you want) to the system, you can even add a canopy to the system and the latest addition are dog bars that can be added to your system to increase the strength of your windbreak, but also to add a solid bar across the bottom of your Windshield to help stop dogs from getting underneath them. Thanks to it’s patented frame system it is also stronger and more stable than standard windbreaks and it doesn’t use any guylines at all.

Best Heavy Duty Windbreak | Eurohike Windstop | £28.86

This huge, sturdy windbreak can shield your cooking area, lounging area and fire pit in one go. It’s incredibly easy to set up thanks to the air poles (you’ll need a pump for these), although – at 8m long – it’s a two-person job. It withstood moderate wind with ease in our testing. The guy lines are hefty straps and could handle much worse conditions than the usual late summer British weather. Because you can pitch it in a semi-circular shape, a bit like a roof-less yurt, it provides wrap-around protection from bad weather and real warmth. Our favourite feature was the mesh window: if conditions turn sour, at least you can still enjoy a bit of a view. Perfect for large groups and families, caravans and car campers.

Best Shelter Windbreak | Eurohike Shelter | £123.25

This unassuming tarp has saved many of our camping trips from becoming disasters. Decathlon says it can give you up to 8sqm of sheltered space: strung to an awning or tent, we’ve managed more than that. If you want to create a whole shelter, it comes with poles and straps, but the most effective way to use it as a windscreen is to fasten it vertically like a shield, attached to something sturdy (like your car or a strong tent). Best of all it is light and small (about 1kg without the poles), so you can bring it along for emergencies without sacrificing a lot of space.