Do you enjoy camping with your family? Camping is a great way to get the whole family outdoors, as well as spend quality time with each other. If you are shopping for a tent for your camping trip, perhaps you would like to invest in a family-sized tent. A family tent allows your entire family to sleep in one tent. This saves you money and packing space for having to bring multiple tents.
Family tents come in many sizes. Some can hold three to four people, while others can hold up to ten people or more. Today, let's take a look at the top best family tent options to consider buying this year. We'll also take a look at some considerations to keep in mind when shopping for the best family tent. Hopefully, this guide will help you choose the best family tent for you. Let's get started!
Comparison The Best Family Tents
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Things To Consider When Shopping For The Best Family Tent
Let's begin by taking a look at the top considerations to keep in mind when shopping for the best family tent. There are many important considerations to ask yourself in order for you to buy the right tent for you. From considering the weight of your tent to the number of people it can hold, these considerations will help you choose a tent that will fit your needs.
1. How Many People Will Be Staying In the Tent?
The first consideration to ask yourself is how many people plan on staying in your tent. Family tents come in a large range of sizes. Some are only designed for three to four people, while others can hold up to ten people. You'll also need to consider who will be sleeping in your tent.
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Will your kids be sleeping in the family tent? If your kids are younger, they may not need as much room for sleeping. Depending on their age, two kids may only take up as much room as one adult. In addition to considering how many people will be staying in the family tent, you'll also want to consider how much equipment you plan on storing.
If you will be packing a lot of equipment, it may be a good idea to invest in a larger tent than your family needs. Therefore, you'll have plenty of room to store your equipment without feeling cramped.
2. What Time Of Year Will You Be Camping In Your Tent?
The next consideration to ask yourself is what time of the year do you plan on using your tent. All tents are rated for different seasons. If you plan on camping during the summer, a 1 or 2-season tent will fit your needs best. These tents are made of less material, making them lightweight and easy to carry.
They are not as durable as other tents, but this won't matter if you only use it during the summer. While 1 and 2-season tents will protect you from the rain, they won't be as strong as other tents designed for extreme weather. Therefore, you shouldn't plan on using these tents during heavy rain. If you plan on camping during the fall in addition to the summer, a 3-season tent may work better for you.
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As the name suggests, a 3-season tent can handle three seasons: spring, summer, and fall. Unlike 1 and 2-season tents, 3-season tents can handle heavy rains and will provide more warmth on cold days. Some 3-season tents have a removable rainfly that you can remove during the summer so that you have more ventilation. Keep in mind, however, that 3-season tents are not designed for heavy snow and cold weather. For winter camping, you'll want a 4-season tent.
If you plan on camping in the late fall, winter, or early spring, a 4-season tent will work best for you. 4-season tents are much more durable and will provide more warmth on cold days. They can withstand strong winds and heavy snow, unlike 3-season tents, which can only handle mild snow and cold weather.
Even though they are made of heavy-duty materials, they are not necessarily heavier than other tent options. However, they do cost more. Also, keep in mind that 4-season tents are not recommended to be used during the summer, as they do not offer as much ventilation. Therefore, don't plan on using a 4-season tent during the summer months.
3. How Much Do You Want Your Family Tent To Weigh?
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Family tents weigh a lot more than regular 1-person or 2-person tents. In fact, some 8- and 10-person tents can weigh up to 40 pounds! If you plan on hiking far with your tent, it is definitely worth investing in a lightweight family tent that is made of lightweight materials. It may also be worth considering to have each person carry their own tent instead of buying one large family tent.
But if you plan on camping in your backyard or walking only a little way to a campsite, the weight of your tent won't matter as much. Consider where you will be camping with your family tent and consider how much weight you can handle carrying.
4. How Would You Like Your Tent To Be Designed?
Family tents are usually designed with an inner sleeping room, as well as a vestibule area inside the door that can be used for storing your camping equipment. However, all family tents are designed differently, which is why it is important to consider how you would like your family tent to be designed.
Why Do I Need A Family Tent?
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You may be wondering why you should pack a family tent when you go on a camping trip. After all, it can be just as easy to pack a tent for each family member instead of one large tent. Well, the first reason a family tent is a great investment is that it offers more space. Whether you need extra space for family members or equipment, a family tent will offer plenty of room.
You won't have to worry about feeling cramped with a family tent. You'll have plenty of room to move around, in addition to plenty of room for sleeping and storing gear. Another reason why a family tent is worth buying is that your family can be together for the whole camping trip. One of the reasons why many families choose to go camping is that they can bond with each other and spend time together.
A family tent allows your family to spend time together throughout the whole day, whether you're inside the tent eating breakfast, playing games, or reading a story together before going to sleep. Parents won't have to worry about their children being alone in their own tent, as your children will be sleeping right next to you.
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Also, if you want to travel with your pets, a family tent allows you to have plenty of room for yourself, your gear, and your pets. The vestibule area of the tent is a great place for your pets to relax during the day and dry off their paws if it is muddy out. Then at night, if you want, you can allow your pets in the back room to sleep with you. If you like camping with your pets, a family tent is definitely a great option.
Features Of A Family Tent
Family tents have many unique features. They often have more features than 1-person tents since they are designed with extra room for people to sleep in. For example, instead of being a one-room tent, many family tents have vestibules or a second room for families to hang out in. Below, let's take a look at the top features of a family tent.
1. Rainfly
A rainfly is a waterproof cover designed to fit over the roof of your tent. This cover helps protect you from the rain and sometimes even light snow. Even though your first roof may help keep rain out of your tent, the rainfly helps seal your tent completely. You won't have to worry about leaks or cold coming into your tent. Once it stops raining, you can remove the rainfly to get some ventilation or to stargaze.
2. Vestibules And Awnings
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Many family tents have vestibules and awnings. These features provide a place for you to store your gear and hang out with your family. Awnings are basically a cover that extends out from your tent above the tent door. Therefore, when you step out of your tent, you won't be stepping into a big puddle of water. They provide a place for you to store your shoes and any gear that you don't want inside the tent.
3. Doors
All tents have doors, but how many doors they have is variable. Some tents have two doors, while some only have one. Usually, family tents have more doors since more people will be entering and exiting the tent. Two doors are nice because you can come in one way and walk out another. Most doors have the option of you putting a screen or flap over them. A screen allows fresh air to come in without the door being fully open, while a flap prevents cold air and wind from entering your tent.
4. Tent Poles
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The tent poles are a very important feature because they are what keep the tent standing. These days, however, a lot of tents do not need stakes in the ground in order to stay in place. These tents are called freestanding tents. The advantage of freestanding tents is that you can easily move them around. However, tent poles can make your tent be more sturdy in the wind.
5. Guyout Loops
Many high-quality tents will include loops on the outside of the tent body for attaching guy lines (tensioned cable designed to add stability to a free-standing tent). Guylines are a nice feature if you are expecting wind on your camping trip. Even if you have a freestanding tent, your tent should be fairly sturdy with guy lines attached.
6. Pockets
Some family tents have the feature of interior pockets. This feature allows you to store small items like your phone, keys, snacks, flashlight, pocket knife, compass, phone charger, and camera inside the tent.
7. Interior Loops
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Some family tents also have interior loops in addition to interior pockets. Interior loops allow you to hang objects like a lantern. A lantern loop is usually located on the top of the tent ceiling. Some tents will also have loops on the tent walls for installing shelves. Shelves (called a gear loft) can be used for keeping small gear off of the floor.
8. Ventilation
Another important feature of family tents is ventilation. Most tents have mesh panels in the ceiling, doors, and windows. If you plan on camping in a hot, humid climate, you'll want to get a tent that has large mesh panels. Not only do the mesh panels provide ventilation, but they also allow you to have a view of outside. Mesh panels that are located at the top of the tent allow you to stargaze at night.
Best Family Tent Options To Buy This Year
Now that we have taken a look at the considerations and features of family tents, it is now time to start shopping! There are many family tents to consider purchasing. Some of them can hold four to six people, while others can hold up to ten people. Remember to keep the considerations that I mentioned earlier in mind as you scroll through these family tents below. Let's start shopping!
1. Coleman WeatherMaster 10-Person Outdoor Tent
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This Coleman outdoor tent can hold up to 10 people. This product is a cabin-style tent, meaning it has nearly-vertical walls and some awnings that extend out from the tent roof. In this tent, there is enough room for three queen size air beds. It features a WeatherTec system with patented welded floors and inverted seams to keep you dry. It has a hinged front door for easy entry and a room divider for extra privacy.
This tent should easily set up in 20 minutes. It comes with two color-coded poles and continuous pole sleeves, shock-corded fiberglass poles, an exclusive pin-and-ring design, and InstaClip attachments. The instructions are sewn into the carry bag. Separate stake and pole bags are also included.
It measures 17 x 9 feet with a 6-foot 8-inch center height. This family tent has angled windows. Because the windows are angled, you can keep them open in the rain. This tent has mesh storage pockets that are easy to reach and great for storing small items.
2. Wenzel 8 Person Klondike Tent
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The Wenzel 8 Person Klondike Tent features two separate rooms. It has an 8-person family dome tent, as well as an attached screen room. The screen room can be used for storing your gear, be a place for your family to play games and spend time together, or even to just store your shoes and boots before heading into the main sleeping room.
It can also be used as a second sleeping room. This tent is made of weather-repellent polyester with polyurethane coating. It comes with double-staked corners for stability. This 8-person tent measures 16 x 6.5 x 11 feet (W x H x D) and weighs 27.3 pounds. This tent features a full mesh roof and two mesh windows. There is also a rear mesh vent that creates a ground breeze.
This family tent has double-stitched, lap-felled seams throughout the body of the tent. All the threads, zippers, and webbing are treated with water repellency applications so that they don't get damaged in the rain. This family tent has a fiberglass frame. Included with this tent are two hanging pockets, a storage duffel, and a 10-year warranty against defects.
3. CORE 9P Instant Cabin Tent
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This next family tent features telescoping poles that come pre-attached to the structure. Because of this, the CORE 9P Instant Cabin Tent is easy to set up. This tent will fit nine people or two queen air mattresses. It features an adjustable ground vent so that you'll get ventilation at the bottom of the tent. This tent has a room divider and wall storage pockets.
Another nice feature is the electrical cord access port. When not in use, you can fully close the port. The electrical cord access port is a nice feature, as you can have electricity while camping. This family tent comes with a rainfly for you to cover your tent with if it starts to rain. When it isn't raining, you can remove the rainfly from your tent so that you can view the stars at night.
The rainfly features extra wide, thick tape that is heat sealed to the rainfly fabric. This prevents wind and rain from entering your tent. This tent has a detachable room divider to add privacy when needed or it can be removed for an open living area. All in all, this is a great option if you're shopping for the best family tent.
4. NTK Laredo GT 8 To 9 Person 10 By 15 Foot Sport Camping Tent
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This next family tent can hold eight to nine people, including both kids and adults. It features one door and three windows. It has color-coded poles, making this tent very easy and quick to assemble. Featuring a full-cover rainfly, this tent is made with double layer 190T polyester laminated with polyurethane 2500 mm water column. It has largely covered mesh vents that provide extra ventilation.
This tent features a large D-style door with mosquito mesh for ventilation. It also features roomy utility pockets and a gear loft for gear storage. The frame is made of 100% virgin NANO-FLEX shock-corded fiberglass rods with improved diameter and double gold plated ferrules. The inner tent is fully breathable, as it is made with ultra-thin polyester. Not only does this material provide ventilation, but it also prevents insects from coming inside your tent.
The floor is made with heavy-duty anti-fungus seamless polyethylene with an inner silver coated layer that keeps you dry and protected. It has a unique element barrier bathtub-style construction so that puddles won't form. This family tent meets CPAI-84 flammability requirements. It comes with a heavy-duty carry bag with compression straps and ID label to personalize your tent.
5. Coleman 8-Person Tent
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This 8-person tent has enough room for two queen size air beds. It only takes three easy steps to set up this tent. All you have to do is unfold it, extend the poles, and secure it. The Coleman 8-Person Tent features a WeatherTec system with patented welded floors and inverted seams to keep you dry. It has large screened windows and doors that keep insects out of your tent.
This family tent measures 14 x 10 feet with a 6-foot 5-inch center height. This tent has mesh storage pockets for storing small items like your phone, keys, flashlight, and pocket knife. The Coleman 8-Person Tent features a zippered divider. You can decide if you'd like to use this divider or not.
The divider provides more privacy and can make your tent be separated into two different rooms. There are two doors on this 8-person tent. One is a “T” door and the other is a “D” door. The one door is located in the front, and the other is located in the back of the tent. Overall, this is a great tent to consider purchasing.
6. Coleman 8-Person Tent For Camping | Red Canyon Car Camping Tent
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The Coleman Red Canyon Camping Tent can fit up to eight people. It measures 17 by 10 feet with a 72-inch center height. The included room dividers allow you to create three separate rooms. This is nice, as most of the family tents in this article can only be divided into two rooms. Featuring shock-corded poles and easy-to-follow assembly instructions, this camping tent is very easy to set up.
This family tent features an adjustable venting system that allows you to adjust the airflow in your tent. This tent is protected from the weather, thanks to its many WeatherTec features. It has inverted seams, a zipper cuff made of weather-resistant fabric, and strong material that can withstand high winds and rain. All in all, this is a great tent to consider buying for camping with your family.
7. ALPS Mountaineering Lynx 4-Person Tent
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If your family is small, a 4-person tent may work well for you. 4-person tents can hold four adults, but depending on the age of your children, it may fit more people. The ALPS Mountaineering Lynx 4-Person Tent is a great option if you are shopping for a 4-person tent. It is free-standing and features an aluminum two-pole design, which makes this tent easy to set up.
Because it is free-standing, this tent is easy to move around. You won't have to waste time pulling stakes up from the ground and then driving them back in. But just because this tent is freestanding doesn't mean that it isn't sturdy. It comes with guy ropes for you to use, as well as some stakes just in case you need them.
The polyester tent fly resists water and UV damage while adding two vestibules for extra storage space. It has large zippers on the doors and windows that are easy to use. The poly taffeta floor has a 2000mm coating. The base size of this tent is 7'6 x 8'6 and the center height is 52″. Overall, if you are shopping for a 4-person tent, this tent is a great option.
8. Big Agnes Flying Diamond 6 Tent
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This next family tent is designed to fit six people. The canopy is made out of polyester, polyester taffeta, and nylon mesh, while the fly is made out of polyester ripstop with a 1,500mm waterproof PU coating. The floor is made out of polyester with a 1,500mm waterproof PU coating. This family tent is seam-taped with waterproof, solvent-free polyurethane. It is free of PVC and VOCs.
This tent features two doors and two vestibules. You can divide the tent into two rooms with the included fabric wall, or you can fold it away when you don't need to use it. The doors of this family tent have two closure options. The first option is to use the mesh for ventilation. However, if the weather is not warm out, you can cover the door with the polyester for complete protection from the wind and rain.
The vestibule zippers include storm flaps. If desired, the vestibule can be staked out as a shade. A nice feature of this tent is the reflective guylines and webbing added to tent corners, which offer visibility in low-light conditions. It is very easy to assemble this tent. All in all, this is a great tent option to consider purchasing.
9. Coleman 8-Person Tent For Camping | Elite Montana Tent With Easy Setup
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This 8-person tent has enough room for three queen size air beds. It features a WeatherTec system with patented corner welds and inverted seams that help keep water out of your tent. The extended door awning provides a place to keep your shoes and gear dry.
The door is very easy to open, as it is a hinged door. This family tent measures 16 x 7 feet with a 6-foot 2-inch center height. It only takes about 15 minutes to set up this tent, and the included carry bag makes it easy to carry this tent around.
10. Mountain Trails Grand Pass 10 Person Tent
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This inexpensive family tent can fit up to ten people. It features a shock-corded fiberglass frame with a pin-and-ring system for easy setup. The large mesh roof vents and windows provide great ventilation, as well as a nice view for stargazing at night.
This tent features two large D-style doors and a patented hooped fly frame that provides rain protection. Overall, this is a great tent option if you want something that is inexpensive and easy to set up.
Final Thoughts On The Best Family Tent
I hope this article has helped you find the best family tent that will fit your needs. Camping with your family is a great way to bond with each other, as well as spend time out in nature.
In order for your camping trip to be a success, however, you must purchase the right equipment. Your tent is one of the most important equipment that you'll need for camping. Hopefully, this article has helped you choose a family tent that will fit your needs. Happy shopping!
Featured image by Roman Pohorecki via Pexels.
