Best inflatable tents 2024: air up your camping game

The best inflatable tents have become incredibly popular, often the go-to choice for families and couples due to their convenience in storage and setup. With air poles replacing traditional ones, setting up camp has never been easier.

Today's inflatable tents are not only easy to erect but also remarkably durable, making them ideal for camping newbies. However, their robustness comes with added weight, making them heavier options.

When choosing an inflatable tent, consider factors such as size, capacity, and ventilation to ensure it meets your camping needs. Look for models with high-quality materials and reliable air poles for durability. Also, check for features like multiple entry points, storage pockets, and weather resistance for added convenience and comfort.

Despite their higher price point compared to traditional tents, their ease of use and quick-pitching capabilities make them worth considering. Read on for more tips on choosing the right inflatable tent, or check out our best tents guide for alternatives.

Best inflatable tents to buy right now

Best overall

The Vango Skye II is at the smaller end of inflatable tents. Sleeping four comfortably and weighing a respectable 9.6kg, it is a quick option for shorter weekend breaks and the like. Fast to pitch thanks to the Vango airbeam structure and included double-action pump, as well as the integrated groundsheet under the porch, it will provide spacious but weatherproof shelter in a trice.

Although only small children will be able to stand up in it, this does mean that the Skye II will shrug off stronger winds and weather with ease (especially with the three-point tension band system) while still having headroom for seating after a long day on your feet. Finally, a blackout sleeping area and privacy curtains give you personal space and a good, long snooze uninterrupted by dawn. 

Best for families

The Coleman Weathermaster XL is hard to beat if you're looking for an inflatable tent for family camping. The air poles are individual hoops that hold the tunnel of this tent open and need pumping up to 7psi with the included pump. Because of those air poles, however, this can be pitched by just one person and comes in a wheeled carry bag for easy-campsite-portability.

As well as being fully weatherproofed, the bedrooms are all blackout-treated, letting you get a good long snooze without being woken by dawn. There's also plenty of headroom, a helpful side entrance, great ventilation, and a roomy porch area that's handy for BBQs and dumping muddy boots and bikes.

This goes right up to the size of a small flat, should you need it, too: the 8XL Air is a beast of a tent, sleeping eight in four separate bedroom pods, racking up a total of 32m2 in space and weighing in at 44.4kg, this is the kind of tent you can see from space. Even at that size, this tent remains strangely manageable thanks to the air poles, making it a great option for large families or longer trips where a proper indoor seating area is essential.   

Read our full Coleman Weathermaster XL Air review.

Best premium

The Outwell Airville 6SA is not a tent for the shy and retiring, or a quick wild-camping spree in the Highlands. Weighing in at a downright heavy 41.3kg, it unfurls into a vast ballroom of a tent, six individual air tubes, over five metres across and seven and a half metres long, and just over two metres high – large enough to fit a full-size snooker table inside with nearly enough room to play. 

More practically there are two bedroom pods out back, a substantial living area, and a beefy porch, giving you and five friends as much space as a small AirB&B flat to relax in – undercover if the elements conspire against you. This is no cheap rental flat either, the bedrooms are blackout (of course), there's the potential to add a 'veranda', as well as a fitted carpet option.  Then there's the electric hookup entry point, and a 'HookTrack' system to help with stringing up lighting – this is the kind of tent that has a sofa in one corner. This is essentially a tent for folk who really don't want to miss a single home comfort, while still enjoying the pleasures of the countryside. Which when you put it like that, doesn't sound like such a silly idea – sign us up!

Most durable

Whether attending a festival or going on a hiking trip, the Vango Odyssey is designed with a strong and sturdy structure that can be pumped up in around 10 minutes. It can sleep five people (although it might be a little bit of a squeeze). It has a room divider for some mild privacy but the full mesh doors ensure you’ll still get fluid airflow throughout the tent. It is stand-up height so there will be no worries about getting in and out and it is said to hold up well in windy weather.

Best insulated

The Vango Taiga 600XL is a tent that you can really get comfy in, so if you’re planning on a long camping trip, users recommend this tent for its all-round ease of use. It features three bedrooms, so you can easily create a space for the kids and a living area for the whole family, and the interior has darker material that is designed to block out bright light so you can expect to have a good night’s sleep and a lie in if you fancy it! The only thing users do mention is that this tent can get quite hot when at full capacity. 

How to choose the best inflatable tent for you

When choosing the right inflatable tent for you, you have similar considerations to that of buying a pole tent: how many people it sleeps, whether you can stand up inside, and whether it has mosquito netting, for example. 

Ventilation isn’t so much of a problem with a traditional tent, but inflatable tents have been found to be a little more restrictive. Make sure the tent has a suitable air vent to allow generous air flow through the tent, enough for the number of people it's capable of sleeping, especially if camping during the summer. 

If you’re concerned about bad weather sweeping your tent off into the hills, you needn’t be. In actual fact, inflatable tents tend to hold up better in rough conditions, as you won’t have to worry about poles collapsing on you. The tent will still be fixed down with pegs and guy ropes, just like a traditional tent. 

We’ve picked out some of the best inflatable tents for all types of camping adventures, so whether you’re off on a backpacking adventure or just heading to your favourite music festival this summer, make your life easier with one of our recommended products (just don’t forget to take the pump with you!). 

How we test the best inflatable tents

We begin testing inflatable tents by setting them up according to the manufacturer's instructions, paying attention to the inflation process and stability. We assess the interior space for sleeping and storage, and evaluate the ventilation system for adequate airflow.

Next, we test the tent's weather resistance by spraying water on the surface to check for leaks and exposing it to wind to assess stability. We examine the materials and construction for durability, including reinforced seams and sturdy zippers.

After testing, we deflate the tent and assess how easy it is to pack back into its carrying bag. We also consider setup time, comfort, and usability to determine if the tent meets the average camper's expectations and requirements.

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