Our product picks are editor-tested, expert-approved. We may earn a commission through links on our site. Why Trust Us?
Peak camping season will be here before you know it. Whether you’re a summer camper who loves to hit the hiking trails or a spring jumpstart camper that’s up to explore somewhere you’ve never been, you’ll need the right essentials. Rations, clothing, boot, and of course, the best camping tent for your needs. Your camping tent could make the difference between a memorable adventure or a disaster you’ll wish you forgot. It’s important to know not all camping tents are made the same. And what you end up buying should be directly influenced by the adventure you are undertaking. We asked an expert to weigh in on what to look for when shopping for the best camping tent for your nature getaway from top camping tent brands. After all, it’s never too early to start preparing for the camping season ahead.
How To Find the Best Camping Tent
There is a lot to consider in your search for the best camping tent for your adventure needs. You’ll want to consider the season, type of adventure (backpacking or campground,) and the number of people using it. Obviously, if you have a family, a one or two-person camping tent just isn’t going to cut it. (Leaving the kids to the elements is never a good look.) Opt for a tent that comfortably fits at least four people.
Aside from the size, there are generally three types of camping tents: three-season, three or four-season, and four-season tents. Three-season tents are cooling, lightweight, and act as a shelter in the spring, summer, or fall with mesh vents for easy, breezy airflow. Three-to-four or four-season tents are a lot more heavy-duty, built to withstand heavy rain and snowfall, and are made with heartier materials and more poles than your standard three-season tent. The grade goes up to five and beyond for more professional outdoor enthusiasts.
Seasoned camper and the manager of BackCountry.com’s Gearheads Mikell Bova gave us his expert advice on how to shop for the best camping tent for your outdoor adventure.
“The most important things to consider are weight, packability, durability, and interior space," says Bova. "I tend to choose a backpacking tent that is middle of the ground weight-wise for increased durability. Be sure to align your checklist with the style of camping you'll be doing the most."
Read more: Best Outdoor Gear for Men
Cabin Tent or Dome Tent?
There are two main styles of camping tents to familiarize yourself with: cabin-style and dome-style tents. Cabin tents usually have a higher peak point, with almost vertical walls, offering more space to move. These are ideal for campsite camping. Dome tents tend to be a little stronger, made with more poles and to withstand a storm—but sacrifice some living space. They are usually packable and better for backpacking adventures.
When it comes to deciding between a cabin or dome tent, it all depends on what type of camping you're doing, according to Bova.
"If I’m car camping, I like to live in luxury in the woods, so a cabin style tent is essential so I can spread out," says Bova. "I am more concerned with sheer floor space, peak height, and ease of set up. If I’m backpacking, weight is going to be my biggest concern. Since I’ll have to carry everything on my back, you can’t beat the packability of a dome tent. Also, a good vestibule makes it easy to keep your shoes and backpack dry while allowing you to maximize the precious interior space in the tent.”
Read more: Best Hiking Gear for Men
Bonus features to look out for when shopping for the best camping tents are ample ventilation and multiple doors. Bova explains that two entryways help ventilate the tent, keeping condensation from building on the roof of your tent. Plus, a second door is great for making a quiet exit in the middle of the night when nature calls
With expert advice and lots of time sorting through the variety of tent options on the market, we rounded up the best camping tent to buy this year from tent brands like Coleman and Marmot, all available to buy online now. From the most waterproof tents to the most durable and spacious, there is something for any outdoorsman to make the most of their upcoming adventures.
The Best Camping Tents
- Best One-Person Camping Tent: ALPS Mountaineering Lynx Tent
- Best Two-Person Camping Tent: Marmot Limelight Camping Tent
- Best Cabin Tent: Coleman Instant Cabin
- Best Four-Person Tent: Big Agnes Big House 4 Tent
- Largest Camping Tent: Ozark Trail Cabin Tent
- Easiest to Assemble: Decathlon Quechua Two-Second Tent
- Best Three-Person Camping Tent: Marmot Tungsten UL Tent
- Best Affordable Camping Tent: Coleman Sundome
- Best Camping Tent for Star Gazing: Stoic Driftwood Two-Person Tent
- Best Camping Tent for the Beach: Kelty Cabana Shade Tent
- Best Family Tent: Eureka Copper Canyon LX Tent
- Best Tent for Cold-Weather Camping: Airframes Alaska Arctic Oven 12
- Best Camping Tent for Bringing Your Dog: Wenzel Klondike Tent
Best One-Person Camping Tent
ALPS Mountaineering Lynx Tent
Pros
Cons
• Dome tent
• 1-person capacity
• 4.1 pounds
• Three-season
ALPS Mountaineering is the ideal camping partner when you’re on a solo trip because simplicity is the name of the game. First, it’s easy to set up—the freestanding design easily attaches to two aluminum poles. It only has one door and one vestibule, and keeps you cool in the summer heat with mesh walls, letting the breeze go in. With factory seals on the fly and floor seams, any water is kept out.
Everything is made even easier with big zippers and plenty of storage pockets, plus a dedicated gear loft that holds your wares when you’re in the wild. This camping tent breaks down to only 4.1 pounds—easy enough to carry by your side or on your back. You can even run along a trail with it without noticing it’s there.
During a solo trip, simplicity and practicality are key—and the ALPS Mountaineering's Lynx camping tent delivers.
Read more: Best Camping Gear for Men
Best Two-Person Camping Tent
Marmot Limelight Camping Tent
Best Two-Person Camping Tent
Marmot Limelight Camping Tent
• Dome tent
• 2-person capacity
• Three-season
• 5.2 pounds
Planning a simple getaway? You should. Camping trips can build an even stronger bond with you and your partner, and this three-season camping tent—for spring, summer, or fall—is an ideal third. The Marmot Limelight 2P has a surprising amount of room for a tent that packs down so small: around 33 square feet of floor space. It’s optimized to comfortably house two people—and a little extra room.
A durable, polyester rainfly keeps the elements out of your camping tent for a relaxing evening, and powerful aluminum poles keep your tent from blowing over when it gets windy. A mesh canopy keeps bugs away while keeping you cool, and the set-up is made simple with color-coded clips and poles. Plus, so you don’t run into each other when you need to leave or get your gear out, there’s a large double door and a rear door.
Like we said, a camping adventure can really cement a relationship. (If you can stand each other in the wild, you can stand each other anywhere.) The Marmot Limelight 2P camping tent is the ideal way to make it as fun and relaxing as possible.
Read more: Best Backpacking Tents
• Cabin tent
• 4-person capacity
• All-season
• 9.81 pounds
When you’ve got two kids or another couple in tow, you want your camping tent set up to be as simple and effective as possible. The Coleman 4-Person Instant Cabin is, well, just that: a small cabin that takes just an instant to set up. Tear-down is just as easy—unfold it and put it in the expandable carrying bag when you’re on your way.
It comes with pre-attached poles, so all you have to do is unfold, extend, and secure it to set up the tent. It’ll take you maybe a minute. On the inside, you get more than enough room for a queen-sized air bed and tons of integrated pockets for storage.
The tent is made from a polyester-based, double-thick fabric to stand up to the elements—so it’s good for at least the three best camping seasons. The vented rainfly gives you some air while protecting from the rain, and welded floors help you stay dry should it start to drizzle.
Whether you’re housing your own family or just another couple, make your camping setup quick, reliable, and secure with the Coleman 4-Person Instant Cabin.
Advertisem*nt - Continue Reading Below
Best Four-Person Tent
Big Agnes Big House 4 Tent
Best Four-Person Tent
Big Agnes Big House 4 Tent
• Cabin tent
• 4-person capacity
• Three-season
• 10.3 pounds
If you’re in need of extra space, look no further. This three-season, four-person deluxe tent maximizes its living space with completely vertical walls and a rectangular floor. The steep wall structures allow you to stand up tall with ease.
There are two large doors for the camping tent and a spacious vestibule to store your shoes. Mesh paneling on the tent and its doors keep the bugs out and the air flowing. To keep your family organized, there are 10 interior zip pockets to declutter your space from all your camping gadgets.
And even with these spacious features, it’ll break down well enough into a carrying bag, just over 10 pounds.
Largest Camping Tent
Ozark Trail Cabin Tent
Largest Camping Tent
Ozark Trail Cabin Tent
• Cabin-style
• All-season
• 20-person
• 50 pounds
Forget your family—the woods is the perfect place to have a raging bachelor or bachelorette party. And the Ozark Trail camping tent is your hub. This utterly ginormous and incredibly well-designed tent—at a bargain price—covers 283 square feet, giving up to 20 people room to sleep.
It acts as a home away from home. There’s an ePort that allows you to run an extension cord throughout the tent and two gear hammocks to store all your gadgets and gear—plus, plenty of interior pockets for whatever else you may have on you.
Even when all 20 of you are in a single tent, there’s still plenty of privacy: There are three removable room dividers and three doors to separate areas of the tent, making it a true, four-room cabin. But don’t worry about it getting too hot and cramped. There are a total of eight mesh windows, letting the breeze in.
Setup is with simple guy ropes and pre-attached corner molds, making pitching and taking down your ginormous tent a whole lot easier. Get ready for a workout when traveling—this sucker is over 50 pounds torn down.
Easiest to Assemble
Decathlon Quechua Two-Second Tent
Easiest to Assemble
Decathlon Quechua Two-Second Tent
• Dome-tent
• 2-person capacity
• Three-season
• 10 pounds
It's called the Tw0-Second Tent for good reason. It's the quickest and easiest tent setup on this entire list of the best camping tents. You can literally get the task completed in one minute or less, and move its location once the pop-up is complete. It takes the same amount of time to set it up as it does to break it down. It's the perfect tent for those adventurers that loathe any kind of setup.
It's also extremely durable, heat resistant, waterproof, and comes with a full blackout feature (for when you want to nap in broad daylight).
Advertisem*nt - Continue Reading Below
Best Three-Person Camping Tent
Marmot Tungsten UL Tent
Best Three-Person Camping Tent
Marmot Tungsten UL Tent
• Dome tent
• 3-person capacity
• Three-season
• 4.5 pounds
Even if you go on a backpacking adventure with a group, you don't have all sleep in solo tents. Divide up what your crew carries, with one taking on this ultra-lightweight three-person backpacking tent.
Even with three people, it will still be roomy enough to relax, taking a load off after a tough hiking day. Marmot makes it easy with a color-coded set up so it can be up and running (and packed) in a breeze.
With mesh sidewalls for added ventilation and a two-door system, it's a near-perfect camping tent for your next mini-group backpacking adventure.
Best Affordable Camping Tent
Coleman Sundome
Best Affordable Camping Tent
Coleman Sundome
• Dome tent
• 4-person capacity
• Three-season
You don’t have to break the bank to get the good stuff when it comes to camping. Coleman’s Sundome camping tent is tailored to easy set-up in barely 10 minutes with only four durable fiberglass poles. But don’t let the price or simplicity fool you. It packs some awesome features.
The camping tent was designed with extra-large windows and ground ventilation to keep you cool in the summer heat. It incorporates WeatherTec-welded flooring and inverted seams that help you stay dry in a downpour. And those poles? Beyond durable. They can withstand winds up to 35 (or more) miles per hour. Plus, the double-thick fabric stands up to virtually all the elements. When pitched, this tent is about four feet high, giving you a little room to move around.
Perfect for entry-level campers, the Coleman Sundome offers more than you could ask for at a bargain price. Honestly, at this price, one of these camping tents should be in every guy’s garage.
Best Camping Tent For Star Gazing
Stoic Driftwood Two-Person Tent
Best Camping Tent For Star Gazing
Stoic Driftwood Two-Person Tent
• Dome tent
• 2-person capacity
• Three-season
• 5.11 pounds
Ventilation is everything in Stoic's Driftwood camping tent. It has a mesh ceiling and walls (that can be covered if you'd like) for optimal star and nature gazing. It's the perfect two-person tent for a romantic getaway with your partner. And if they aren't sold on the whole "outdoorsy" thing yet, this tent might just convince them.
It's super lightweight, quick and easy to set up, has two doors and vestibules, and can withhold strong winds.
Advertisem*nt - Continue Reading Below
Best Camping Tent For The Beach
Kelty Cabana Shade Tent
Best Camping Tent For The Beach
Kelty Cabana Shade Tent
• Dome tent
• 2-3 person capacity
• Two-season
• About 6 pounds
Think about it: The beach is the perfect place to camp. Watching the sunset on the water? How romantic is that? Just make sure you have the right shelter. For our money, it’s the Kelty Cabana Shelter Tent. Half tent, half cabana, it’s the perfect way to unwind on the surf.
The design is beyond simple, so it’s easy to set up. Cabana-style means the tent has basically three walls with an opening in the front. (Don’t worry—if you need it, the front is closable.) The large-mesh weave helps you take in all the ocean breeze, and the fiberglass poles are plenty sturdy, but shift gently with the wind. Talk about an authentic experience.
It all packs down into a very transportable, 6-and-change-pound package—easy enough to fit in the car or a bike or just on your back. If you’re hitting the beach soon, hit it in style. After all, you know you’ve always wanted to say that you own a cabana.
Best Family Tent
Eureka Copper Canyon LX Tent
Best Family Tent
Eureka Copper Canyon LX Tent
• Cabin tent
• 8-person capacity
• Three-season
• 31.2 pounds
The last thing you want on your family adventure is to be caught wet in a downpour. Luckily, there’s a solution for that: a big-ass, highly waterproof tent. And the Eureka Copper Canyon is the perfect option.
It suitably houses up to eight people in its two dedicated rooms, and it has a detachable divider curtain should you need any privacy. Zippered windows let you enjoy the breeze when the mood strikes, and it has multiple storage pockets and gear lofts to stow all your stuff.
But the best part? It can withstand all of the elements. The whole tent is coated in waterproof material—from the floors to the walls—so not a drop gets in, and it comes with a rain fly that keeps you dry even during the heaviest summer downpours.
No matter where you and your family (or friends) are camping, Eureka’s Copper Canyon is an ideal camping tent. After all, you never know what to expect.
Best Tent For Cold-Weather Camping
Airframes Alaska Arctic Oven 12 With Vestibule
Best Tent For Cold-Weather Camping
Airframes Alaska Arctic Oven 12 With Vestibule
• Cabin tent
• Five-season
• 8-person capacity (depending on gear)
If you’re a serious camper or hunter, you’re not just going outdoors when it’s nice out. Some of the most fun is to be had when it gets a little chillier—it definitely makes a campfire that much more enjoyable. So be prepared for your next cold-weather excursion with the ArcticOven 12 camping tent with vestibule.
It’s all in the name: The ArcticOven is a warm hub for your adventure—or a great survival shelter, depending on how you look at it. The body of the tent is made from a breathable-but-water-repellant material called Vapex (sounds hardcore, right?) and the tent fly is made out of heavy-duty, four-ounce urethane-coated nylon, keeping you warm and cozy under any condition. It all comes together with thick aluminum tubing, providing 152 square feet of living space. Plus, a peak height of 7-feet-2-inches lets you fully stand in this large camping tent, unless you play in the NBA. And can we say, amenities? There’s also a fabric stove jack for on-the-go hot meals.
While the price definitely packs a punch, it’s hard to beat the features and ruggedness of this tent if you’re thinking of dipping into cold-weather camping.
Read more: Best Backpacking Tents
Advertisem*nt - Continue Reading Below
Best Camping Tent For Bringing Your Dog
Wenzel Klondike Tent
• Cabin tent
• 8-person capacity
• Three-season
• 28.3 pounds
Question: Who likes adventure more than your furry friend? Answer: Literally no one. So don’t forget about them on your next camping trip—and make sure they feel good about it with the Wenzel Klondike camping tent.
It has more than enough room for the whole family with space for two Queen airbeds and 6.5 feet of headroom. But it’s the large front screen awning that attracts our attention because it’s the perfect area for a pet to park in—and trust us, with all the new woodland places to run in, they’ll want their own space to chill out.
It has everything else you’d need in a big family tent: a full mesh roof and two mesh windows to keep the bugs out and the breeze flowing, double-stitched seams to protect against any water damage, and even a vent in the back to get even more air in when everyone’s crowded inside. After all, that panting from the dog is going to get annoying after a while.
