The Best Tents for Campers, Backpackers, and Families

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  Photograph: Coleman

  Best Overall

  Coleman Dome with Screen Room (6-Person)

  Take stroll through any campground in America and you'll see plenty of these no-frills Coleman tents, for good reason. They're cheap, available just about anywhere, and they get the job done. They're all you need, especially if you're only camping out for a week or two a year.

  This is our top pick for newcomers and the experienced alike. It's easy to set up, provides good rain protection and 3-season comfort, and the price doesn't break the bank. If you forgo the extra vestibule with the bug screen, the Coleman Sundome Tent ($70) is even cheaper. But living in the southern United States, I really appreciate the extra bug barrier (and the extra room to stash stuff).

• Photograph: REI

  Best Family Tent

  REI Kingdom 6

  The Kingdom 6 is hands down the best family camping tent I've ever owned. It's huge, has more options to extend and augment it than a Swiss Army knife, and the nearly vertical walls mean I can not just stand up, but walk around in it (I'm 5'11").

  The Kingdom 6 offers 83 square feet of living space, with an optional divider in the middle. It's a tight squeeze, but we fit a queen size air mattress in one side for the kids, zip up the divider and it's almost like they have their own room. If you need more space you can grab the mud room ($100) which adds a 50-square-foot vestibule, or the Kingdom porch ($199), which adds a 55-square-foot screened-in "porch" for overly buggy or sunny destinations.

  The downside is that this thing is heavy—26 pounds, though it comes with its own backpack that makes packing it up a snap. It's also expensive, but if you keep an eye on REI's sales you can often score a Kingdom 6 for under $350. If you don't need that much space there's also the Kingdom 4, and for those with larger families, the Kingdom 8.

  $500 at REI
• Photograph: REI

  Best Two-Person Tent

  REI Half Dome SL 2+ (2-Person)

  REI's Half Dome tent series has been a popular choice with backpackers for many years. It's rugged, easy to set up, and offers generous living space for two with gear. The mesh design, when coupled with the rain fly and good staking, will stand up to storms and not roast you when camping in the mid-summer heat. The dual doors with dual vestibules ensure you aren't climbing over your partner in the middle of the night. That said, the vestibules are on the small side—big enough for boots and an empty pack, but not much else.

  The Half Dome isn't the lightest tent in this list (see the Copper Spur below), but at just under 4 pounds, it's not too heavy when split between two people. I also like that the rain fly is symmetrical—there's no "front" and "back", the vestibules are identical—which makes setup easier.

  $279 at REI

• Photograph: MSR

  An Upgraded Family Tent

  MSR Habitude (6-Person)

  If you're camping with a family, let senior associate reviews editor Adrienne So make an argument for backcountry camping. Paddling out to a distant shore might be preferable to figuring out how to keep a rambunctious dog or toddler from annoying everyone around them in a campground. 

  The Habitude is just as sturdy, but less than half the weight of the Kingdom 6. It fits easily on a canoe or paddleboard and is easy to set up—the design is simpler and the poles are color-coded. There's plenty of floor space for two adults, two toddlers, and a large-ish dog. It also has storage pockets, places to hang lights, and a vestibule. The only major downside is that there's not quite as much airflow as our other picks. But otherwise, this is a good option if your family is ready to move past car camping, but not quite ready to snap the handles off everyone's toothbrushes and go full-on ultralight. 

• Photograph: MSR

  Best Lightweight Family Tent

  MSR Zoic (4-Person)

  The MSR Zoic 4 tent isn't quite as pricey as the Big Agnes Copper Spur, but it's not much heavier. I used this with my three kids and there was plenty of interior space. That said, three adults will be more comfortable than four. The mostly-mesh design provides great ventilation on warm summer nights (and leaving off the rain fly gave my kids and I a great view of the stars at night). It has double vestibules with enough room to keep boots and other gear out of the weather.

  One thing to note about this tent, MSR does not factory seam seal its lightweight tents, so you'll need to get some seam seal and do it yourself. It's not hard, though be sure to do it and let it thoroughly dry before you head out. REI has a good guide to seam sealing.

• Photograph: Big Agnes

  Best Ultralight Backpacking Tent

  Big Agnes Copper Spur (2-Person)

  When weight matters, but you still want a free-standing tent, Big Agnes's Copper Spur series is tough to beat. I've used both the 2-person and the 4-person models over the years and Big Agnes has continually refined the design to the point that I have nothing left to complain about. If you can afford it, this is one of the best tents on the market. It's lightweight, easy to set up, stable even in strong winds. The Copper Spur is also very livable, with interior mesh pockets and an ingenious "awning" design that makes getting in and out a snap. 

  My only criticism is that it can be a tight squeeze. For a long trip where your partner isn't your significant other, you might want to do with the next size up. For example, the 3-person will be a spacious comfortable living space for two people with all their gear, and still be lighter than most 2-person tents available.\

• Photograph: Decathalon

  Best Pop-Up Tent

  Decathlon Quechua (2-Person)

  We're not saying Decathlon is lying, but if you can get this tent up in two seconds, you're doing better than we are. That said, it sets up plenty fast, far faster than anything else in this guide. It's freestanding, although for maximum ventilation you'll want to use the side guy ropes, which help open up some space for air to flow.

  Aside from the quick and easy setup, what makes the Quechua special is the black fabric, which gets you pretty close to darkness even in broad daylight. That makes the Quechua a good choice for festivals, or a day at the beach, or anywhere you want to take a nap, or just get out of the sun for a while.

  $200 at Decathlon

• Photograph: Getty Images

  How to Pick The Perfect Tent

  Tent Buying Guide

  There are hundreds of tents out there. If none of our top picks quite work for you, here are a few things to keep in mind while doing your own research.

  Keep the weather in mind. A 3-season or 4-season tent usually refers to how much ventilation (that is, mesh) the tent has. A 3-season tent will offer better ventilation, but will have a harder time retaining heat. For most people, a 3-season tent is fine. But if you're planning to snowshoe into the backcountry, or if you live in northern climes and want some protection against the occasional early or late winter squall, then a 4-season tent might be appropriate. 

  What specs are important? 

  • Floor space: We look at all the dimensions, rather than the 4-person or 6-person designations. Those tend to assume that all campers are pint-sized people. Remember that you will probably want to keep spare clothes or a backpack in the tent itself and that you need it to be long enough to stretch out comfortably for your height.
  • Headroom: Can you stand up in the tent? How steep are the walls? The steeper the better, since that gives you more space to move around in.
  • Vestibule: Does it have one? Is it big enough to store boots and other gear that you want to stay dry, but don't want to have in the tent with you? If you're backpacking, is it big enough to safely cook under?
  • Materials: These days, most tents these days are made from nylon that's coated in polyurethane, silicone, or acrylic to help them shed water. Most, but not all, tents come seam-sealed so water doesn't leak in, but if yours isn't, REI has a great guide to doing it yourself. 

  Less weight means more money. This isn't always true, but unfortunately, it usually is. If you want to go ultralight, you're going to have to spend more. But before you fork out the big dollars, ask yourself: do I really care about saving 6 ounces? Are you going to notice those 6 ounces at the end of a 20 mile day? If the answer is yes, then rejoice. There is an internet sub-culture of people who obsess over saving ounces. The r/ultralight Reddit is a good place to start your research.