A camping tent quite literally becomes your home away from home while you’re camping. If a camping tent isn’t comfortable or doesn’t offer protection, your time spent in nature can become miserable. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the best camping tents for 2022. We scoured the web, combed through user reviews, and looked at all design features to narrow our list down to the top 11 camping tents.
1. Best Overall: Campros CP 8-Person Camping Tent
For the best overall camping tent, we wanted to select a camping tent that met all our design criteria:
- Budget-friendly
- Is portable when packed
- Easy to set up
- Large enough for a family
- Tall enough to stand up inside
- Minimal complaints from reviews
The Campros CP camping tent met all our design criteria and more! It also features one door, five mesh windows, and a top that is entirely mesh. Afraid that this camping tent won’t stand up to the rain? Fear not! The Campros CP camping tent and rainfly are made of 185T polyester with a waterproof coating. This camping tent is ingenuity at work.
Price: Check price
Portability: Packed size measures 24.6” x 8” x 8” and weighs 18 lbs.
Ease of Setup: 10 minutes
Footprint: 9’ x 14’
Height: 72”
Pros: Budget-friendly, portable, and features e-port for electrical cords
Cons: Complaints about the zipper for the door
2. Budget-Friendliest: Coleman Sundome 4-Person Camping Tent
Looking for a reliable tent that won’t break the bank? Look no further than Coleman’s Sundome camping tent. It’s listed as the best-selling camping tent on Amazon, and its status is supported by over 30,000 five-star reviews! This Coleman tent offers simple, quality design without spending hundreds of dollars.
The Coleman Sundome camping tent is a solid choice for your next camping trip. It’s one of the most portable of all the camping tents with a weight of just 4 lbs. You’ll have no issue storing, packing, or carrying around this tent! The Coleman Sundome also features two mesh windows, an e-port for electrical cords, and a setup time of 10 minutes or less.
The 4-person Coleman Sundome is featured on our list but know that it’s also available in 2-person, 3-person, and 6-person sizes. If you’re wondering which size to buy, we recommend always going up a size. For example, the 4-person Coleman Sundome has a tent footprint that is 7’ x 9’, which will fit one queen air mattress. The dome tent can comfortably fit 2 adults and their luggage. As long as you pick the right-sized tent, you’ll be happy with your purchase.
Price: Check price
Portability: Packed size measures 23” x 6.5” x 6.5” and weighs 7.5 lbs.
Ease of Setup: Less than 10 minutes
Footprint: 84” x 108”
Height: 59” tall at the peak of the dome
Pros: Budget-friendly, portable, and features e-port for electrical cords
Cons: Size is misleading as it is more suited to 2 adults
3. Best Screen Tent: REI Co-Op Wonderland 6-Person Camping Tent
A screen tent uses a liberal dose of mesh paneling. This allows a 360° visual of what’s beyond the tent. You can relax during the day with a clear view of the blue sky, or you can watch the wind rustle through the nearby trees. A screen tent allows you to feel more immersed in nature. In addition, a screen tent doesn’t get as hot and muggy as other types of camping tents. This is because the mesh paneling increases air flow through the tent.
The REI Co-op Wonderland 6 is our pick for the best screen tent. Mesh paneling makes up the entire ceiling and half of the sides. The doors on either end of the camping tent can be unzipped to make 2 gigantic openings. As for size, the REI Co-op Wonderland 6 is advertised as being a 6-person camping tent. However, this capacity is exaggerated. As with most tents, you must rely on the size of the tent footprint to calculate how many people (with luggage!) can reasonably fit inside. The REI Co-Op Wonderland 6 can comfortably fit two full air mattresses and is ideal for 2 adults and 3 children.
The REI Co-op Wonderland 6 is designed as an upgrade to the much beloved REI Co-Op Kingdom 6. There are only two large differences between the two tents. The first difference is that the rainfly for the Wonderland 6 no longer encompasses the entire tent. The second difference is that the mudroom, previously created by the rainfly, is now an accessory that needs to be bought separately.
Price: Check price
Portability: Packed size measures 32” x 13” x 13” and weighs 23 lbs.
Ease of Setup: 10 minutes
Footprint: 100” x 120”
Height: 78”
Pros: Expansive interior; Screens allow 360° view of nature
Cons: Steep price
4. Best Cabin Tent: Coleman 6-Person Cabin Tent with Instant Setup
A cabin tent is a type of camping tent in which the walls are relatively straight, and the ceiling is tall throughout. You can usually walk upright inside a cabin tent, so there’s no need to crawl around to reach your luggage! When you look at a cabin tent from the outside, it resembles its namesake: a cabin. The Coleman cabin tent with instant setup is our pick for the one of the best cabin tents available on the market.
The Coleman cabin tent’s best feature is its instant setup. Within 1 minute, you can have your swag tent up and ready to be staked. Talk about an instant tent! The Coleman cabin tent with instant setup has over 12,000 five-star reviews on Amazon, which confirms it as a solid purchase. Other design features, besides its instant setup, are its 4 mesh windows and 2 ceiling vents. The Coleman cabin tent with instant setup is also available at a reasonable price.
The 6-person Coleman cabin tent is featured on our list but know that it’s also available in 4-person and 10-person sizes. As with all tents, the capacity is exaggerated. The 6-person Coleman tent has a tent footprint that is 9’ x 10’, which will fit two queen air mattresses. In our opinion, it can comfortably fit 4 adults or 2 adults and 3 children with plenty of room leftover for luggage.
Price: Check price
Portability: Packed size measures 47” x 8.6” x 8.6” and weighs 25 lbs.
Ease of Setup: 1 minute
Footprint: 108” x 120”
Height: 72”
Pros: Budget-friendly, instant setup Cons: Not good for portability and you must buy the rainfly separately
5. Best Tent for Large Groups: Core 12 Lighted Instant Cabin Tent
Do you camp with several children and your pets? Or do you camp with another family? If you do, you can understand that space in a camping tent is important. It can be frustrating to try to find a tent big enough for your large group. The Core 12 instant cabin tent is featured on our list as the best camping tent for large groups.
As stated throughout this article, tents tend to exaggerate their capacity. The Core 12 is no exception. There is no way the Core 12 camping tent could reasonably fit twelve people. Either they’d all have to be children, or they’d have to be packed like sardines! In our opinion, the Core 12 camping tent is only roomy enough to be considered an 8-person tent.
The Core 12 camping tent is a large tent that is rated for 3 seasons. With instant setup, it can be unpacked and ready to go within 2 minutes. Another modern feature on the Core 12 camping tent is its built-in LED lights. The LED lights can be set to “high,” “low,” or “night light” modes. No more fumbling around with your lantern during those late-night visits to the bathroom. The Core 12 also comes with numerous mesh windows, a mesh ceiling, and floor ventilation to maximize air flow through the tent.
Price: Check price
Portability: Packed size measures 49” x 16” x 11.5” and weighs 48 lbs.
Ease of Setup: 2 minutes
Footprint: 10’ x 18’
Height: 80”
Pros: Instant setup, built-in LED lights, floor ventilation
Cons: Not good for portability
6. Best Pop-Up Tent: Gazelle T4 4-Person Pop-Up Tent
One of the many difficulties in finding a perfect camping tent is trying to find one that’s easy to set up. It can be a headache to try to erect a large tent by yourself, especially when there are lots of long poles to slide through various pockets. Thankfully, the designers of the Gazelle T4 pop-up tent are here to help us. The Gazelle T4 pop-up tent does exactly what you think. The camping tent literally pops up with a few pushes and pulls. Wah-lah! An instant tent!
Surprisingly, the spacious Gazelle T4 is a 4-person camping tent that can actually fit 4 people! A round of applause for the Gazelle T4 and its accurate specifications. Not only is the pop-up tent nice and roomy, but it also features 6 windows, two doors, and a mesh ceiling. You can blissfully stare at the stars when laying in this tent. The pop-up tent is also built with 6 large pockets sewn along the inner walls, so there is plenty of room to store your things. Lastly, the Gazelle T4 comes with its own footprint and rainfly, so there’s no need to buy extra accessories.
Price: Check price
Portability: Packed size measures 67.5” x 8” x 8” and weighs 32 lbs.
Ease of Setup: 90 seconds
Footprint: 94” x 94”
Height: 78”
Pros: 4 season tent that sets up in less than 2 minutes
Cons: Hefty price tag and not good for portability
7. Best Beach Camping Tent: Cabela’s West Wind 6-Person Dome Tent
Beach weather can be a challenge for even the best of tents. When on the beach, a camping tent needs to hold up against the constant wind and sporadic rainfall. The tent also needs to have plenty of mesh paneling to stay cool during the daytime heat.
Cabela’s West Wind 6-person dome tent does all these things. Additionally, check out my write-up on Beach Camping Guide for more details on beach camping.
Cabela’s West Wind camping tent can withstand strong winds due its sturdy, dome-shaped design. It can also withstand heavy rains due to its full-coverage rainfly. An added plus to the full-coverage rainfly is that it forms an outdoor vestibule. This sheltered vestibule is a great place to store coolers and other camping gear. When the rainfly is taken off, you can view the tent’s large mesh windows. The mesh windows are perfect for letting the ocean breeze blow through the tent on hot days.
Cabela’s West Wind 6-person dome tent is featured on our list but know that it’s also available in 4-person and 8-person sizes. As mentioned previously, the capacity of a camping tent is always exaggerated. Cabela’s 6-person dome tent has a hexagonal footprint that is 115” x 144”, which will fit two queen air mattresses. In our opinion, it can comfortably fit 4 adults or 2 adults and 3 children. Luggage can be kept off the floor by using the hanging gear loft.
Price: Check price
Portability: Weighs 22 lbs.
Ease of Setup: 10 minutes
Footprint: 115” x 144”
Height: 75” tall at the peak of the dome
Pros: Full-coverage rainfly, outer vestibule, roomy interior, and gear loft
Cons: Does not come with sand stakes
8. Best Bell Tent: Whiteduck Regatta Canvas Bell Tent (6-Person)
Glamping is a style of camping for those who are used to luxurious surroundings. When you think of glamping, you may picture a large tent littered with extravagant rugs and pillows. The bed is covered with a soft, white comforter, and a rocking chair is set off to the side. One of the many structures used for glamping vacations is a bell tent. A bell tent is a heavy-duty, canvas tent that is built around a large central pole. A bell tent may look like a yurt tent, but it’s much lighter and easier to set up. Our pick for the best bell tent to take on a glamping vacation is Whiteduck’s Regatta canvas bell tent.
With Whiteduck’s Regatta canvas bell tent, you may end up thinking that you’re camping in a palace! The bell tent is made of waterproof canvas and features four ceiling vents, three mesh windows, and one humongous door. If the weather becomes chilly, you can simply place a wood stove inside the tent. The canvas is designed with a built-in opening for the stove jack. Honestly, you could practically live in the Regatta bell tent if you decided to!
Price: Check price
Portability: Weighs 51 lbs.
Ease of Setup: Difficult
Footprint: 13’ diameter
Height: 31” wall height; 89” tall at center of tent
Pros: Extremely durable for all 4 seasons and offers huge interior
Cons: Is expensive and setup may require multiple people
9. Best Backpacking Tent: Big Agnus Copper Spur 2
When choosing a backpacking tent, it’s important to choose a tent that’s spacious, durable, and lightweight. A camping tent is usually the heaviest item in a hiker’s backpack, so it’s important to keep the weight small. You don’t want to tire yourself out from lugging a heavy tent around the great outdoors. A backpacking tent, if treated carefully, should last for hundreds of miles of gorgeous trails.
The Big Agnus Copper Spur 2 is a camping tent that meets all a backpacker’s needs. It’s big enough for any solo hiker, comes with a full-coverage rainfly, and only weighs 3 lbs. The interior also boasts plenty of storage space for accessories. It should be noted that this backpacking tent is available in a larger size, the Big Agnus Copper Spur 3, which only weighs 12 ounces more.
Price: Check price
Portability: Packed size measures 19.5” x 6” and weighs 3 lbs.
Ease of Setup: 5 minutes
Footprint: ”88 x 42” at the bottom / 52” at the top
Height: 40” tall at the peak of the dome
Pros: Spacious and lightweight
Cons: Hefty price tag and you must buy the footprint separately
10. Best Truck Tent: Napier BackroadZ Truck Tent
Did you know that not all camping tents have to be staked to the ground? If you have a truck tent, you can explore endless camping opportunities without needing stakes. Just drive anywhere you want to visit and set up the tent in the bed of your truck! The best truck tent on our list, as decided by multiple online rankings and hundreds of user reviews, is the Napier BackroadZ truck tent.
The Napier BackroadZ truck tent features a large door that can be unzipped and turned into a huge opening. Each side of the tent features a large mesh window, and inside the tent, there is a small gear loft and lantern holder. As with most truck tents, the Napier BackroadZ truck tent can easily fit one to two adults.
Price: Check price
Portability: Weighs 16 lbs.
Ease of Setup: 15 minutes
Footprint: Dependent on truck model
Height: 56” – 62”
Pros: Color-coded poles for easy setup, tall ceiling
Cons: No rear window to access truck
11. Best Shower Tent: KingCamp Double Room Shower Tent
When camping in a primitive campground, one thing is for certain: vault toilets are a hazard to be avoided. Another hazard to avoid when camping primitive-style is showering in the open where anyone can see you. That’s why a shower tent is so useful. The shower tent offers privacy for campers to not only shower but also change clothes and use the toilet.
The KingCamp double room shower tent is both spacious and versatile. The tent is designed with two rooms, allowing it to be used by two people at the same time. This is a huge win for families with children! No waiting in line to use the toilet while someone else is busy taking a shower. Other design features include mesh windows and ceiling, interior pockets for toiletries, inner ropes for hanging clothes, and removable mesh flooring.
Price: Check price
Portability: Packed size measures 23” x 7.8” x 7.8” and weighs 16.9 lbs.
Ease of Setup: Less than 10 minutes
Footprint: 42” x 83”
Height: 83”
Pros: 2 rooms, large interior, mesh paneling allows ventilation
Cons: Comes with a lot of poles (6) to manage
Conclusion
Well, there you go! that’s our deep-dive of the Best Camping Tents for 2022. Now, if we were to pick just one option out of these, it would be the Campros CP 8-Person Camping Tent. This camping tent met all our design criteria and more! It also features one door, five mesh windows, and a top that entirely meshes. If you enjoyed reading this article we loved to hear from you, click here to get in touch