Best tent 2024 to get closer to nature

On the hunt for the best tent for your camping adventure? We're here to help. A tent can easily make or break a camping trip, so before you invest, take a little time to choose carefully. There is a vast array of options on the market, ranging from surprisingly cheap to astonishingly expensive and teeny-tiny and ultra-packable to downright palatial. 

Perhaps you're on the hunt for the best 3-man or 4-person tent? Or something more luxurious that'll happily house the whole family, even if it rains solidly for the entire trip? Our guide includes a wide range of options at price points to suit everyone; however, we'll focus more on family and casual group trip tents here. For specialised adventuring options, head to our best backpacking tent or the best pop-up tents guide instead.

Best tents to buy right now

Best overall

Coleman’s Castle Pines 4L BlackOut Tent stands out as our top tent choice, offering a spacious and comfortable home-away-from-home, especially suited for a young family's camping adventures.

Boasting two generously sized bedrooms equipped with blackout drapes, along with a sizable living area and a convenient vestibule for cooking during rainy spells, it caters to all your camping needs. Constructed with five sturdy fibreglass poles that create a sturdy tunnel structure, the tent ensures ample headroom in every section.

The bedrooms feature blackout material walls, which can be easily combined into one large sleeping area, providing flexibility for families or groups. Moreover, the communal room offers additional space, complemented by multiple transparent windows that can be adjusted to control light levels.

With a spacious semi-covered vestibule area at the front, campers can comfortably cook regardless of the weather conditions, ensuring a hassle-free camping experience.

Read our full Coleman’s Castle Pines 4L BlackOut Tent review.

Best for 4-people

If camping appeals to you, but you'd quite like to have a bit of space, Outwell's Pinedale 6DA could be what you're after. It's a six-person inflatable tent that's easy to pitch (you should be able to manage it in under 20 minutes) and provides plenty of room in the form of a big 'blackout' bedroom that can be divided into two, a spacious living area and a small porch area at the front, with big clear windows providing excellent views.

It's well weatherproofed with an outer flysheet that's waterproofed to 4,000mm (which means it can cope with heavy rainfall), and to stop things getting stuffy in fine weather, there are wide vents all through the tent to improve airflow. The Outwell Pinedale 6DA is far from lightweight, and you'll need plenty of space for it in the boot of your car. But at least it's versatile, with plenty of room for a family of four and lots of nice touches such as luminous guy ropes and slightly tinted windows to give you a bit of extra privacy.

Read our full Outwell Pinedale 6PA review.

Best for headroom

If you’re looking for a well-designed and exceedingly spacious weekend tent for two or three, the Vango Beta 550XL CLR is a top choice, despite the rigmarole of fitting the inner groundsheet and bedroom compartment separately. 

At just 10.4kg/ 22.9 lbs, you can carry this tent a fair distance without your arm falling off, and you will really appreciate the oversized bag that makes it very easy to repack. But above all, it’s the spaciousness within and the generous two-metre headroom that make this model a veritable shoo-in for any short two-season camping adventure.

Read our full Vango Beta 550XL CLR review.

Best beginner-friendly

In 2023, Sea to Summit added to their range of adventurous camping equipment with two tents aimed at car campers and beginner backpackers. These models are simply new takes on the ever-popular cross-pole dome tent design – the ‘TR’ in the tents’ name stands for ‘Tension Ridge’ – with an added third inverted pole that offers extra head height and breathability to the final structure.

Part of this new range is the Sea to Summit Ikos TR3, which ticks lots of boxes – it's easy to pitch and use, very comfortable to sleep in, is weatherproof and bugproof and isn't prohibitively bulky when you're on the go. It's a pity it's a shade too heavy to be a true backpacking tent, but if you already own a small featherweight backpacking tent and want something roomier to share with a buddy on more relaxed camps, this would be an excellent choice. 

Read our full Sea to Summit Ikos TR 3 review.

Best fast-pitch

If you're looking for a quick-pitch option, the Quechua 2 Seconds Easy Fresh & Black (2-person) is perhaps the most faff-free tent we've tested. It sits right at the top of our pop-up tent guide (linked in the intro), and with good reason. Pitching is a simple matter of pegging out the four corners, then pulling on two red drawcords until they click into place, and thanks to some kind of interior witchcraft, you're pretty much done.

If you want, you can add two more pegs to create little porches on either side of the sleeping compartment (great for keeping muddy boots away from your sleeping bag), and if it's windy, you can also pop on some guy ropes for security. There are two layers, which means no morning condensation issues, but it's all connected together, so you can easily put it up in the rain without the interior getting wet. Blackout fabric means you don't have to wake up with the dawn, and it's great value too.

Read our full Quechua 2 Seconds Easy Fresh & Black (2-person) review.

Best for glamping

Looking for something a little more spacious than the average backpacking tent but don't want to go all-in on an extravagant glamping option? The unusual-looking Robens Yukon Shelter might just hit that sweet spot for you. Inspired by simple wood refuges found around the Scandinavian countryside, its boxy design stands out from the usual glamping tents you might come across, and it gives you plenty of room with standing height in part of the bedroom and a decent-sized porch.

It's well-made with plenty of attention to detail, including reflective guy lines, insect-repelling mesh screens and solid toggles for tying up the main door. Putting it up for the first time could be a challenge, thanks to frankly inadequate instructions (we ended up watching an online video to figure it out). Once it's up, it's a roomy and breathable shelter that's ideal for summer camping holidays or for putting up in your back garden as a sun shade or playhouse.

Read our full Robens Yukon Shelter review.

Best inflatable

As a low-fuss tent suitable for a family of four's summer camping holiday, Vango Rome II Air 550XL is a tough one to beat. Just the right size for two adults and a pair of kids, this air tent has plenty of living space, it's easy to pitch thanks to its inflatable poles, and as it's made of recycled fabrics, it's an eco-friendly option, too.

Unlike most large inflatable family tents, this Vango genuinely is quite easy to pitch; once you've found your spot, it's a matter of pegging out the corners, inflating the poles with the included pump, and then pegging the main and side tent into place. Vango reckons it takes 12 minutes; expect it to take a bit longer, especially on your first try.

There's lots of room inside, including two blackout bedrooms with standing room, plus a well-sized living area and porch with room for a dining table and loungers. However, we found that the storage space was just a little on the small side; don't count on being able to use it as a spare bedroom.

Read our full Vango Rome II Air 550XL review.

Best premium

The Coleman Weathermaster Air 4XL is an outstanding family tent. The living space is roomy, light and airy, with a spacious porch area and mesh door layers you can close up at night if you want airflow without the bugs. The all-important blackout bedrooms are very effective: not only do they block out the evening and early morning light, but they also help regulate the temperature inside the sleeping compartment. 

An all-in-one design and air poles mean this tent is extremely quick and easy to put up, so you can get on with your holiday as quickly as possible (let's face it, wrangling with a tricky tent after hours in the car can be fraught at the best of times, let alone with grumpy kids in tow). At a push, one person could even do it on their own – let's say if the younger family members aren't cooperating at the time. In short, the best family tent for comfortable and relaxed family camping, whatever the weather's doing. 

Read our full Coleman Weathermaster Air review.

Best eco-friendly

If you've ever had trouble finding your tent at a festival, that's not a problem you're likely to run into with the Decathlon Forclaz Trekking Dome Tent. It comes in one colour option – a dazzling white – which should make it easy to find at any time, although the downside is that after a few outings, it's likely to have settled into a grubby grey with hints of grass stains.

There's a good reason for this eye-catching look: it avoids the use of dyes, which reduces CO2 emissions and avoids water pollution in manufacturing, making it a much more eco-friendly tent. It's easy to put up and has plenty of room for two people, as well as two porches for keeping your gear dry and four pockets for storing gear; it also packs away nicely. We found it to be good and waterproof even in heavy rain, and its low profile means it'll stand up to high winds too.

Read our full Decathlon Forclaz Trekking Dome Tent – Minimal Editions review.

To save on the cost, make sure you check our Decathlon discount codes. 

How to choose the best tent for you

Choosing the perfect tent for your outdoor adventures is a bit like picking the ultimate camping buddy – you want someone who fits just right and can handle whatever Mother Nature throws your way.

First up, think about your camping crew size. Are you rolling solo or bringing the whole squad? Remember, it's not just about bodies but also gear space – nobody likes a cramped tent.

Next, consider your camping style. Are you cruising in with your car, setting up shop next to it, and calling it a day? Or are you planning a backpacking odyssey where every ounce counts? Your tent choice will definitely reflect your adventure vibe.

Then, there's the weather to think about. Will you be battling rain, wind, or blazing sun? Look for a tent that can handle the elements like a pro – nobody wants a soggy sleep or a windblown shelter.

Setup should be a breeze, not a battle. Opt for a tent that's as easy to pitch as a beach umbrella – because ain't nobody got time for wrestling with tent poles when you could be roasting marshmallows.

Features are the cherry on top of your tent sundae. Think room dividers for a little privacy, gear vestibules for stashing your stuff, and windows for catching those scenic views.

Durability is key – you want a tent that can take a beating and still come out swinging. Look for tough materials that can handle rough-and-tumble camping adventures.

Last but not least, don't forget your budget. You don't need to break the bank to find a great tent, but remember, you get what you pay for in the camping world.

With these tips in mind, you'll be snuggled up in your perfect tent in no time, ready to conquer the great outdoors with style and comfort. Happy camping!

How we test the best tents

Testing a tent is like trying on a pair of walking shoes – you've got to make sure it fits just right! First off, we give it a good visual inspection. We check for any tears, loose seams, or broken zippers. Then, it's time to set it up. We pay attention to how easy or complicated it is to assemble. Nobody wants to wrestle with a tent in the middle of a storm!

Once it's up, we hop inside and give it a shake. We channel our inner wild bear and see if it holds up to a little roughhousing. We also assess how spacious it feels. Can you stretch out comfortably or are you rubbing elbows with your camping buddy?

Then there is ventilation – nobody likes waking up in a sweat lodge! Finally, we spend a few nights in it to ensure the tent is suitable as an outdoor shelter. If it passes all these tests with flying colours, we add them to our tent guide!

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