Top Camping Tents Right Now
- VeteranShack
- Jun 25, 2020
- 6 min read
The right camping tent can make all the difference on your vacation. Most of us can conjure a memory of an experience with a lousy tent. A frustrated dad, poles snapping in the wind, cramped quarters, a long wet night. Sound familiar? Fear not! We’re here to help you find a tent that’s easy to set up, spacious, and comfortable to sleep in.
When you’re in the market for a new tent, you’ll quickly find there are A LOT of options out there. We spent countless hours researching and testing to narrow this list down to the very best of the best.
What’s Most Important to You in a camping tent?
Price - Camping tents can be pretty expensive; some of our favorites cost as much as $500. But don’t fret, your front-country castle doesn’t need to cost an arm and a leg for you to have a great time. Below, we recommend camping tents at a variety of price points to get you out there.
Versatility - Some people like having a tent for each type of activity, others want one tent that can do it all. Tents that fit into this category are great for a range of activities, including backcountry trekking and front-country camping.
Space - You’ll definitely want to have an idea of how many people will typically be sleeping in your tent and if you want the ability to stand up inside. It’s usually a good idea to size up with camping tents (ex: get a 4-person tent to sleep 2-3 people) because manufacturers typically overestimate how many people can comfortably sleep in them.
Ease of Setup - Larger tents tend to have a more complicated set up process than small tents, but many of them are still easy to pitch. It’s always a good idea to practice setting your tent up for the first time at home to avoid confusion and frustration on your trip.
Best Camping Tents of 2020
Eureka Space Camp 4
COMFY TENT WITH NEARLY VERTICAL WALLS & GREAT VENTILATION
MSRP: $349.95
THE SIZE WE TESTED FEELS: Luxurious for 2P, comfortable for 3P, and tight for 4P
MIN. TRAIL WEIGHT: 12 lbs. 10 oz.
DIMENSIONS (L x W x H): 96 x 90 x 68 in.
PROS: Room to stand (under 5’6”), quality poles/materials, 2 large doors/vestibules, smooth zippers, quick/easy setup, includes all guylines & stakes, good ventilation
CONS: Can’t stand up inside (5’7” or taller), won’t do well in heavy wind due to height (though staking out all guylines helps), guylines not pre-attached
BOTTOM LINE: Eureka’s Space Camp 4 is a bright welcoming shelter with nearly vertical walls and a versatile rainfly. With the rainfly zipped down there are two generous vestibules to protect your gear when weather hits. Three high kickstand vents provide good ventilation and a low vent in the door promotes airflow. The main downside of the Space Camp 4 is that it isn’t quite tall enough to stand up in if you’re over 5’6”, but the Space Camp 6P has a peak height of 6’4” if more headroom is what you’re looking for. The Space Camp is among the highest-quality affordable camping tent options.
Coleman Octagon 98 (with Full Fly)
BEST LUXURIOUS BUDGET TENT
MSRP: $279.99
SIZES AVAILABLE: 8P
THE SIZE WE TESTED FEELS: Luxurious for 4P, comfortable for 5P, and tight for 6P
PACKED WEIGHT: 49 lbs. 5 oz.
DIMENSIONS (L x W x H): 156 x 156 x 82 in.
PROS: Affordable, room to stand, durable, 2 doors (1 with a unique screen door hinge), room divider, includes door mats, includes all guylines & stakes
CONS: Heavy, bulky, no vestibules, storage/organization pockets could be better, no access to vents from inside tent, fairly cumbersome setup & breakdown
BOTTOM LINE: The Coleman Octagon 98 (with full fly) is a unique and affordable room-style shelter for sleeping or gathering as a group. It feels like a yurt with a high ceiling, spacious interior, and window zippers that tie back like curtains for 360° views. A “hinged” front door that swings open and closed makes going in and out of the tent convenient as well. The Octagon is quite heavy and more cumbersome to set up than other tents, but it’s not too bad if you have two or more people to help. We wish its hard-bottom carrying case was a bit larger to make packing the tent up easier. The structure of the Octagon is quite solid in the wind if all of its many guy-out points are staked down and secured. All in all, the Octagon is an appealing tent, especially for families or small groups who want to create a luxurious hangout space for a few nights.
MORE: The Octagon 98 is also available in a less expensive basic version with a half-fly and fewer features.
Marmot Limestone 4P
EASY TO SET UP & MADE WITH HIGH-QUALITY MATERIALS
MSRP: $370
THE SIZE WE TESTED FEELS: Luxurious for 2P, comfortable for 3P, and tight for 4P
PACKED WEIGHT: 11 lbs. 11 oz.
DIMENSIONS (L x W x H): 100 x 86 x 61 in.
PROS: High-quality poles/materials, 2 large doors/vestibules, smooth zippers, quick/easy setup, compact
CONS: Can’t stand up inside, slightly limited ventilation, not enough stakes/guylines included
BOTTOM LINE: The Marmot Limestone 4P is a solid storm-ready shelter made with quality materials and extra-thick aluminum poles that are color-coded for fast and easy pitching. The Limestone has large doors on either side and a mesh ceiling for great views and ventilation when the rainfly is off. Airflow is a bit limited with the rainfly on since the two kickstand vents are pretty small relative to the size of the tent. The Limestone 4P and the Eureka Space Camp 4 have very similar designs, but we slightly prefer the Space Camp since it’s 7 inches taller, has more vents, and is cheaper.
MORE: The Limestone 6P is 15 inches taller for those who want more room to stand up, but the 6P is quite a bit more expensive.
Ozark Trail 8-Person Family Cabin Tent w/ Screen Porch
FAMILY CAMPING PALACE THAT REQUIRES MULTIPLE PEOPLE TO SET UP
MSRP: $199.97
SIZES AVAILABLE: 8P
THE SIZE WE TESTED FEELS: luxurious for 4P, comfortable for 5P, and tight for 6P
PACKED WEIGHT: 45 lbs. 14 oz.
DIMENSIONS (L x W x H): 132 x 144 x 84 in.
PROS: Affordable, room to stand, screened porch, corner gear shelf
CONS: Heavy, bulky, doesn’t do as well in wind and heavy rain, single-wall (condensation), lower-quality materials, not fully seam-taped, single door, more involved set up/breakdown
BOTTOM LINE: The Ozark Trail 8-Person Family Cabin Tent is great for small groups (4-6) whose priority is maximum space for minimum price. The Cabin is very spacious, has a super high gabled ceiling, and a welcoming screen porch to hang out in when bugs are bad. Since the Cabin is heavy, bulky, and a bit complicated to set up, we only recommend it for those who have 2 or more people to help pitch it and break it down. The poles are a bit wobbly and the seams aren’t taped, so this tent is better suited for sunny days. But for those who mostly camp in favorable weather, the Cabin is a fun and spacious option.
Coleman Sundome 4
SIMPLE TENT WITH A PARTIAL RAINFLY
MSRP: $99.99
SIZES AVAILABLE: 2P, 3P, 4P & 6P
THE SIZE WE TESTED FEELS: Comfortable for 2P and tight for 3P or more
PACKED WEIGHT: 10 lbs. 3 oz.
DIMENSIONS (L x W x H): 108 x 84 x 59 in.
PROS: Affordable, quick/easy set up, relatively lightweight & compact, includes all guylines, stakes & a door mat
CONS: Low-quality poles/materials, not fully seam-taped, can’t stand up inside, limited ventilation, single door, zipper snags at times, no vestibule, weak carrying case
BOTTOM LINE: The Coleman Sundome 4 is a very affordable tent that’s relatively light and compact, and comes in a variety of sizes. It’s popular because it’s so inexpensive (and almost always on sale), but it’s poles and materials are much lower quality than the other tents on this list. If you just need a simple and cheap tent for a few nights of fair weather camping here or there, the Sundome will do a fine job.
Ozark Trail 10-Person 3-Room Vacation Tent
FAIR WEATHER TENT FOR LARGE FAMILIES & GROUPS
MSRP: $139.99
SIZES AVAILABLE: 10P
THE SIZE WE TESTED FEELS: Comfortable for 6P and tight for 8P or more (some being kids/pets)
PACKED WEIGHT: 30 lbs.
DIMENSIONS (L x W x H): 240 x 132 x 78 in.
PROS: Affordable, room to stand inside, room dividers, good ventilation, front awning option, includes all guylines & stakes
CONS: Low-quality materials, not fully seam-taped, more involved set up, heavy, bulky, single wall, won’t do well in heavy wind due to height (though staking out all guylines helps), no vestibule, single door
BOTTOM LINE: The Ozark Trail (10-Person 3-Room) Vacation Tent is an affordable shelter for large families or groups who only plan to go on camping trips in fair weather. The Vacation Tent can be separated into 3 rooms with dividers, but there is no convenient way to get past them (must un-clip and re-clip). Additionally, you’ll need to seam seal this tent to keep rain out, which is a pretty big task for a tent of this size.
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