Choosing The Best Family Tent
Camping with a large group of either friends and family is usually always a fun time. This is when memories are made, and you can take some time to get away from the everyday stresses of life and enjoy nature as it was intended to be enjoyed. If you are planning on going on a camping trip you want to make sure everyone has all of the equipment they need to protect themselves while camping, from things like, bad weather, bugs and everything else that nature can throw at us.
One of the most important decisions that you will make when you decide to go camping is choosing a tent that is best suited for your particular situation. It is definitely a decision that should be carefully thought out so you can make sure you are getting exactly what you want and need. Below there are some reviews and comparisons that can help you in choosing the best family tent.
Product | Weight | Dimensions | Price Rating | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
4-Person Family Tents | ||||
7 lbs. 9 oz. | 5.9 x 6.5 x 23.9 inches | $ | ||
18 Pounds | 9.5 x 18 x 38 inches | $ | ||
6-Person Family Tents | ||||
16.31 Pounds | 5.98 x 10 x 10 inches | $ | ||
32 Pounds | 10 x 10 x 41 inches | $$ | ||
8-Person Family Tents | ||||
27.3 | 78 x 132 x 192 inches | $$ | ||
26.38 Pounds | 9.75 x 11 x 27.75 inches | $$ | ||
22.4 Pounds | 10.2 x 11 x 25.6 inches | $ | ||
10-Person Family Tents | ||||
29.7 Pounds | 11.6 x 12 x 27.5 inches | $ | ||
31 Pounds | 10.23 x 10.23 x 30.31 inches | $$ | ||
21.1 Pounds | 76 x 216 x 120 inches | $ | ||
The Top 10 Best Family Camping Tents
4-Person Family Tents
ALPS Mountaineering Lynx 4-Person
TheALPS Mountaineering tentis a 3 season dome style that is a great choice if you are going on a family camping trip. It weighs 8.4 pounds and is equipped with 2 doors to ensure easy entering and exiting. With a floor area of 64 square feet and a maximum height of 60 inches, all 4 people can comfortably fit within this tent. This is a tent lightweight enough to backpack while being big enough for a nice family tent.
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Coleman 4-Person Instant Tent
The Coleman 4-Person Instant Cabin Tent is an 18 pound instant family tent. Super spacious and having a floor area of 562 and a height of 4.17 feet you can be sure that you and your family will have plenty of space. Even being as spacious as it is the Pre-attached poles ensures for a quick setup (60 seconds) making it one of the best large family cabin tents available.
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6-Person Family Tents
Sundome 6-Person
The Sundome 6-Person dome tent is uniquely made with quality and durability in mind. You’ll have no problem being comfortable as this tent is equipped with mesh vents that provide excellent ventilation while also having an ample amount of space to accommodate six people with ease. This tent is 16.3 pounds, fairly light for its capacity and comes with a durable rainfly to help protect against bad weather. A great option if you are looking for something spacious, with features, that is also affordable.
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Coleman Weathermaster 6-Person Screened Tent
The Coleman Weathermaster 6-Person Screened Tent is a 32 pound, 2 door dome style tent that comes equipped with 19-millimeter steel poles, a 1,000 denier polyethylene floor and 75- denier polyester taffeta fly. Standing over 6 feet tall and floor area of 1,532 you can be sure that this is a great choice if you are looking for a tent for a family of 6.
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8-Person Family Tents
Wenzel 8-Person Klondike
The Wenzel 8-Person Klondike Tent is a weather repellent 29 pound, dome style tent with 98 square feet of interior space and a center height of 78 inches. This is also one of the few family tents with a screened porch, making this tent a great choice if you are looking for a doable weight, and a great amount of space.
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Coleman Evanston Screened Tent
The Coleman Evanston Screened Tent is a dome style tent that weighs 26.38 pounds and is spacious with a floor area of 1,442. The maximum height is 72 inches and is designed for you to be able to easily set-up .
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Coleman 8-Person Red Canyon
TheColeman 8-Person Red Canyon Tentis another dome style tent that measures 17 feet x 10 feet and has a maximum height of 72 inches. For the capacity of this tent, the weight is great, weighing only 22.4 pounds making it very easy for you to be mobile with your tent.
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10-Person Family Tents
Ozark Trail 10-Person 3-Room XL Family Cabin
TheOzark Trail 10-Person 3-Room XL Cabin Tentis 30 pounds and comes with 1 center door and 2 other side doors for privacy. For an extra layer of privacy this tent also comes with room dividers making this an optional 3 room family tent, perfect fit if you are looking for family camping tents with rooms, and with the dimensions of the tent being 20 feet x 10 feet and standing at 78 inches tall, this is a huge family tent and you can be sure there will be enough room for the entire family.
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Coleman WeatherMaster 10-Person Hinged Door
The Coleman Weathermaster 10-Person Hinged Door Tent is 31 pounds and is equipped with 2 doors for easy entry and exit. This tent has a maximum height of 80 inches and a floor area of 1,532, a great amount of space for anyone looking to do some family camping.
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Mountain Trails Grand Pass
The Mountain Trails Grand Pass Tentis made from nylon and comes with fiberglass poles. The floor area is 170, stands at 76 inches tall and is a fairly lightweight family tent weighing only 21.1 pounds. It also comes equipped 2 doors, ensuring everyone can come and go without any inconvenience.
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Attributes To Look For When Searching For The Best Family Camping Tent
Size – This may be one of the most important factors to consider. There’s nothing worse than planning out a camping trip, spending the money for what you think is going to be the perfect tent, just to have your tent arrive and not be able to fit everyone comfortably. Always be sure to look at the dimensions. This includes square footage and height. In some cases it may even be better to get a size bigger. So if you plan on camping with a family of 4, you may want to get a 6 person tent, just to be sure everyone can fit, to have extra space for the family dog or extra storage space.
Vestibules and Porches – Vestibules and porches are important because it really helps when it comes to having extra space and with keeping out mud and dirt. Having a lightweight mat may help to as you can place your muddy or sandy shoes on it. Some of the best tents you will find will include vestibules and porches.
Freestanding – Freestanding tents are usually super convenient for families, especially when you have kids and that is because they do not need guy lines to effectively hold it up. Guy lines can be an inconvenience because your kids may trip over them while playing. Also when you are dealing with guy lines you need to make sure you have reflective ones so you can see them at night. This may require you to spend more money adding more additional costs to the overall price of your tent.
Sleeping Capacity – Usually when searching for a tent you will be able to see the sleeping capacity. Keep in mind that the sleeping capacity is just that, this does not include extra storage space you may need. If you feel have a lot of storage with you, it may be best to choose a sleeping capacity higher than the amount of people that will be with you, just to be sure that you will have that extra space you need.
Material – Not all tents are made of high quality material and not all materials are capable of doing the same things. Polyester will give you more of a water repellent type of effect as where nylon is stronger and lightweight. The best way to choose the material is to think about what materials offer what advantages and then to choose according to what is most important to you.
Doors – Depending on how many people you are camping with, sometimes it may be best to have two doors. This allows a little extra convenience for everyone. Having more than one door can also be good if you are camping during the summer months and you are looking for that extra airflow. Another benefit of having more than one door is not bothering anyone that is sleeping by having to crawl or step over them.
The Benefits Of Large Family Tents
There are some extra added benefits that a family tent has over other tents.
- Durability – large family camping tents tend to be more durable mainly because of the strong material they are made from. Having a durable tent is invaluable and saves you a lot of money over the course of time and one of the biggest benefits is that it can be used in multiple weather conditions from summer family camping to winter family camping. Preferably you would want to have aluminum poles rather than fiberglass because of the increased durability but this also depends on what time of year you plan on camping. What type of poles you choose may not be as important in the summer as it is in the fall or winter, mainly because of harsher weather conditions.
- Storage – On every camping trip you will take, you will always need your essentials but when you are camping with family, those essentials can start taking up a lot of space in your tent. Companies know this and that is why they build family tents with extra features that regular tents do not have such as porches and larger vestibule spaces. Interior pockets can be used for things like toothbrushes, cell phones, flashlights and other small belongings.
- Ventilation – The quality of a tent is not just based on, how many people can fit into it, and how resistant it is to rainy or windy weather but it is also determined by how well it can perform when it is hot. There is probably almost nothing more uncomfortable than being muggy while trying to relax or sleep. Finding a tent with mesh windows helps with this issue. Mesh windows does effect how much privacy you have but if that is an issue you can use a rain-fly. A Rain-fly actually decreases ventilation so if you are using one it may be good to find a tent with vents to help with the circulation of air.
- Construction – The construction of family tents are in most cases better than your average tent. You can check the floor seams and see that most tents of this type have double stitched seams and a bathtub floor style construction to them. Not all family tents do so, so it is definitely good to check.
- Price – With family tents you tend to get more for your money. Where you would pay $200 for a high quality 2-person backpacking tent, you can pay the same price for high quality 6-Person family tent. It is not difficult to find cheap family tents that will be great for your camping trip.
The Different Type Of Family Camping Tents
3 Season
3 season family tents are the most popular choice among families. These tents are designed for the temperature conditions of the spring, summer and fall. The best conditions to use 3 season tents under are heat, rain downpours and some light snow, these tents are not recommended for heavy snow, extreme winds or very heavy rain.
4 Season
4 Season family tents are made to withstand heavy snow, very high winds and keep your family warm in cold weather, but a disadvantage is that they can feel a bit more stuffy than 3 season tents because they are made to keep you warm which means they have less windows, which could mean less ventilation. They usually have rounded designs that can sustain heavy winds and helps snow roll off the top of the tent.
Family Cabin Tents
Cabin tents are excellent for families that are planning on camping. The benefit of cabin tents are their vertical walls, which helps contribute towards their tell center heights and these tents typically tend to fit bigger air beds and cots then other style tents. These tents typically do take longer to set-up because they are so big.
Dome Tents
Dome family tents are the most popular in terms of style. They are compact and great for backpacking, while also keeping you protected from rain and winds, they also provide excellent ventilation. The disadvantage with dome tents are usually they require stakes and guy lines, which requires extra work to set-up and can be a hassle sometimes.
Conclusion
Choosing the best family tent may take a bit of time but it is always important to make sure you have everything that you need, whether that be an added porch, room dividers for more privacy or maybe just some extra vestibule room for storage space. With enough thorough research, you can find the perfect tent for you and your family, no matter the requirements.
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