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One of the most important aspects to any camping trip is of course choosing the right tent for your needs.
That’s why it’s important to do your research to find one of the best tents for you to suit your wants and requirements. Even I a veteran camper have too found myself overwhelmed by all of the options available out there when choosing a tent so I am sure many other people have this issue.
So here I have decided to narrow down my best tents into my favorite 5 so that it makes it easier for you to make your decision. I will also talk about things you should be looking for in particular tents depending on various factors such an amount of campers, expected weather and well as a host of other things. Now let’s get to it!
Something To Keep In Mind
Not all tents are created for the same type of person or people. There are many kinds of tents all of which have their own advantages and disadvantages. It is just important you know what you need for your camping experience to really get the perfect tent that is tailored for your best experience possible.
The Best 5 Options
There are so many great tents available on the market so I have decided to include one from each size category to find the best tent from that area. So let’s get started.
#1 Best Tent For 1-2 People
Coleman Sundome 2 Person Tent
This is one of the best backpacking tents available on the market. This tent is ideal for someone who wants to travel around a lot as the tent is very lightweight and easy to transport. Its quick setup time is also a great feature for any camper that is always on the move.
The weather protection is great with this tent it provides excellent protection against the rain with the included rainfly and the tent holds up well against the strong winds, its overall design particularly helps with this. There is 2 windows in the tent, they provide good ventilation and also the ability to look up into the sky and just admire the stars at night. I really love this feature. Finally this tent has a 1 year warranty which is nice for reassurance that if you did have any issues with it you will be covered.
#2 Best 4 Person Tent
EUREKA! Copper Canyon 4 – 4 Person Tent
First of with this tent I love the upright structure of this tent. You can nearly stand anywhere completely upright in this tent which really greats a lots of space and roominess inside. There is enough room inside for a twin mattress as well. There are pockets inside for additional storage, things like keys and wallets would be ideal to store here.
Windows on each side of the tent provide the tent with great airflow throughout. The set up and take down will only take you 10 minutes max including the rain fly as well. The setup is overall very simple and easy to perform. Whenever I used this tent I got caught in a 2 hour long rain storm, it was thunderous and not one drop of rain or moisture inside, very impressive. The wind protection with the tent is 2nd to none. In my experience there was wind around 20-30mph and the tent held strong and seemed sturdy and ridged throughout. Don’t forget to check my round up of best 4 person tent.
#3 Best Family Tent (6-8 person tent)
COLUMBIA 8 Person Dome Tent, Red/Grey
This tent is the perfect size for that of an average sized family of 4-6 people ideally but if need be it can hold up to 8 people. Let me start by talking
about this family tents set up. The set is a breeze; it can be set up within 10-15 minutes, and can easily be done solo with no problems. The instructions are very clear and the tent will go up very easily within much effort at all. The same can be said for the take down of this tent. It is equally as simple and fast to do. One thing I would recommend is to after take down of the tent don’t put on in the packing straight away. Always let it air on a dry surface for some hours before ideally. This will help prevent mildew and dampness from staying in the tent.
This tent is sturdy and well build. I have experienced some strong winds in this tent 30-40mph and the tent didn’t break a sweat. It was strong and didn’t have any issues whatsoever. Inside this tent is super spacious as you may have imagined. It can easily hold 2 queen sized air mattresses inside. It’s very easy to move around in due to its upright stature which is perfect if you have children always running around because the spaciousness should allow them to do it freely.
There is also a protection on this tent called the Omni-shield which essentially promises protection from the rain and will even stay light when it’s wet. This prevents the rain from soaking the lining and making the tent sort of fall in on its self which sometimes happens on lesser quality tents. The promise holds true and I can confirm is really does keep you dry as it intends. This material that they use also greatly helps when drying out once you are finished camping which particularly helps when taking the tent down and drying it out afterwards. Check out my best 6 person tents here.
#4 Best Large Tent (10 person tent +)
CORE 12-Person Instant Cabin Tent
This tent is crazy massive inside. I can’t get over how much room is inside, this tent is truly a home away from homes. The dimensions on this beast are 18″x 10″ x 80″, you can fit 3 queen size air mattresses inside yes you read that right 3 queen air size mattresses. Hopefully I have got my point across as to how much space this tent actually provides.
As you may have presumed from tent name its setup is insanely fast, I really mean it, 2 minutes and this tent is up. This is perfect if you are in a hurry or just really want to spend your precious time enjoying the other pleasures that camping has to offer! For my full round up of the best large tents click here: best large tents.
#5 Best Cabin Tent
CORE 9-Person Instant Cabin Tent
This tents set up is extremely fast it’s only going to take you 1-2 minutes to set this up. I wish more tents had set up times like these CORE tents do. CORE are one of the best brands in the outdoor camping space.
This tent comes with a room divider with is great for added privacy inside. Also inside this tent there are storage pockets which are useful for storing things like your keys or flashlights. Everything is included with the tent including the stakes, rainfly and transport bag. You mightn’t think this is a big deal but sometimes companies will charge you an additional amount for items like the rain fly for example, so it’s nice to see everything you need is included with this tent.
For me personally the cabin tent is my personal favorite design of tent. They offer the most upright structure which provides a lot of spaciousness compared to any other tent so that’s why I feel it’s an important tent category to consider when making your decision of what tent to buy. If you want more details on cabin tents check out our best cabin tents article for more information on this variety of tent.
The 10 Most Important Factors To Consider When Choosing Your Next Tent
1: What’s the main reason for buying your tent?
Firstly you should think on a general basis of what you want and expect from the tent. Things like amount of people should be considered as well as the weather conditions that you expect when you are going to be camping.
2: What size of tent is best for you?
Tents are often graded and referred to like 6 person tent or 6 man tent. This refers to the amount of people that can sleep inside. A very important thing is that if for example you are planning to go camping with the family and your family is 6 people I would not recommend you go for a 6 person tent. Sleeping inside would be cramped and the camping wouldn’t be a good experience. I always recommend you go for a size 2 above what you actually “need”. So if you have a family of 4 I would recommend you look for a 6 person tent . This is because if you are taking gear with you, your gear should be accounted for 1 person if not more in some circumstances. Also having pets can use up additional space which should be considered.
3: What kind of tent material is best suited to your needs?
If you are the type of camper that only likes to go camping in the summer and the weather is usually dry I would recommend a tent like the Kodiak Canvas Flex-Bow Deluxe 8-Person Tent. This tent is made of a canvas material which really is the perfect material for warm and dry weather. It allows for great ventilation and stops things like condensation inside of your tent even when it gets super-hot and humid outside. If you are planning to go camping sometime when rain is expected I would recommend going for a tent made from a polyester material. It is common if you go to your local store and buy one of their tents is going to be a cheaper counterpart versus buying a tent that is made from polyester that is significantly more reliable when keeping the rain out.
The Kodiak Canvas Flex-Bow Deluxe 8-Person Tent
4: When will you be using your tent?
Again it’s important to consider when you will be using you tent. There are usually to sets of offering when it comes to choosing a tent. The 2 types of offering a 3 season tent and a 4 season tent. As you may have guessed a 4 season tent is capable to be used all year round and can handle any weather condition thrown at it. Whereas a 3 season tent is intended to be used in the spring, summer and autumn months. 4 season tents are for use it the winter and snow conditions. 3 season tents are the best kind for a novice camper, it allows for the best amount of flexibility.
5: How often will you be using the tent?
If you are using the tent often or only for 1 week a year its worth considering what kind of tent you want. If you are the kind of camper you would use the tent a significant amount I would definitely recommend spending some more and choosing a tent with better materials and a higher build quality for most longevity.
6: Where will you be using your tent?
Think about where you are using the tent. Let’s say for example you would be using the tent on a beach. Then it would be worth considering tents that can hold on well to the wind when making your decision.
7: What style of tent do you want/need?
Whether you are searching for the best family tent or the best tent for backpacking it important to consider the tents design. Things like an upright design are usually better for families because of the additional space and ability to stand up inside and move around. Where a hiker would need a tent that is lower to the ground to protect himself or herself from the elements. Other styles worth mentioning are the style like the Wenzel Evergreen Tent – 6 Person which is my personal favorite best dome tent design and the Dream House Outdoor All Season Heavy Duty Shade Pinnacle which offers a more luxurious upright style.
8: What warranty is included with your tent?
If you are going to be camping often I would recommend searching for a tent with a lifetime warranty like the PahaQue Wilderness – Promontory XD 8 Person Family Tent. Though it is pretty rare to find tents with such a long warranty. Of course the longer the warranty the better but any tent with warranty with a year or over is a great start.
9: What price do you want to pay?
I usually recommend people always to at least consider paying a little more for a quality product that is going to make your camping experience a lot better and will significantly lower your chances of having issues in the future.
10: How reliable is the tent?
Let’s say we are looking at Coleman WeatherMaster 10 Tent and we are concerned with the reliability of this tent. I always suggest taking a look at the Amazon reviews for the product to see what other people’s opinions are of the product and the overall consensus of the product. That is a great way to decipher the reliability based of other people thoughts and opinions.