A knock-on effect of pandemic-related travel restrictions is that everyone wants to go camping this summer. While we're pleased to see people joining in our enthusiasm for life under canvas, it does mean that there has been a slight lack of tents available to buy. For that reason, we weren't expecting many decent tent offers amongst this year's best Prime Day deals. But we're happy to be proven wrong – there are some strong deals on a range of tents, and we've rounded up the best ones in this article.
If you're just starting your search, your first stop should be our best tent and best backpacking tent guides. The former includes a range of general-use options, from roomy family tents to smaller, easy-pitch options. The latter is more specialised, focusing on lightweight and ultra-packable tents aimed at backpackers. These guides include widgets that will automatically pull in the cheapest prices at a range of trusted retailers, including any Prime deals. All clear? Read on for our top tent deals this Prime Day.
Traditional 3- or 4-person tents
The below are quality 3- or 4-person sleepers ideal for weekends away. Most consist of a larger sleeping area and porch space which is invaluable for stashing gear and keeping things like wet and muddy boots out of the bedroom. Blackout fabric not only keeps the sunshine out, but also helps regulate temperature (so they won't get as cold at night, or as hot during the day). Coleman makes the best BlackOut fabric we've tested. For longer trips, if you have storage space, you might want to invest in something you can stand up and walk around in, but for most other types of trip, this style of tent is ideal.
Coleman The BlackOut tent, 3 person| Now £89.39 | Was £111.79 | Save £48.20 at Amazon UK
The BlackOut is similar in style and features to the Kobuk, also discounted. Again an absolutely excellent choice for camping weekends and festivals. It's from Coleman so you know you're getting a quality product, and the BlackOut fabric is the best we've tested. There's a roomy bedroom area and porch for storage. We have seen this tent for cheaper, but rarely. There's also 25% off the 4-man version.View Deal
EXPIRED Coleman Kobuk Valley 4+ person BlackOut tent | Now £67.79 | Was £179.99 | Save £112.20 at Amazon UK
The best deal we've found is on this Coleman model, now 62% off. Under £70 for a 4-person tent from a quality brand, and Coleman's absolutely excellent BlackOut fabric to keep the bedroom dark and moderate temperatures too? There's a porch to stash your stuff, and the sewn-in groundsheet makes pitching and packing away simpler. It'd be an amazing investment for any number of weekends away, or a festival if those end up happening. There's also 51% off the 2-man version. View Deal
Lightweight backpacking tents for off-road adventures
Campsites booked up? Or planning a multi-day trip on foot or by bike? The best backpacking tents are compact, lightweight and designed to be easy to pitch and put down. There are some strong deals on these dinky tents, from reliable brands like Coleman and Vango. Here's our pick.
Coleman Cobra 2| was £119.99, now £72.79 at Amazon (save £47)
This compact Cobra is Coleman's entry-level backpacking tent – it's super reasonable without a deal, and a downright bargain with. It's spacious enough to sleep you and a friend, with room to spare for your kit in the tent with you. The wedged tunnel design is easy to crawl in and out of, with a wide entry that you can chuck your gear into. There's also 36% off the 3-person version.View Deal
Popup tents for lazy campers
For the ultimate fuss-free camping experience, popup tents take all the stress out of your arrival by simply springing, fully formed, into shape once released from their bag, so you can get on with your holiday. They're not the most robust models on the market, and although you can peg them out to stop them blowing away, traditional poles are typically more wind-resistant. But for speed and ease you really can't beat them – which is one of the reasons why they're so popular with festival-goers. They're often more of a challenge to wrangle back into their bags, but that's a problem for the end of the trip; no need to worry about it now...
Vango Dart popup dome tent| was £110, now £59.99 at Amazon (save £51)
This popup tent pitches in one minute flat. There's a waterproof flysheet and breathable polyester inner with room to sleep three. When you're done, it'll pack down into a flat circular rucksack.View Deal
Yurt-style tents for sociable glampers tents
Coleman's octagonal tents have gained a bit of a following. With one big living space and no porches, you can think of them like a very transportable yurt. While the one big central space won't suit families with small children, for groups where everyone wants to hang out together, they're super-sociable options. Alternatively, you can stick one massive air mattress in the middle for a glamping experience. And the mesh windows and roof pieces give a panoramic view of your camping spot.
EXPIRED Coleman Octago 3-person | Now £89.91 | Was £199.99 | Save £110.08 at Amazon UK
The Octago is the short version of the popular Coleman Octagon range. You've got mesh windows on all eight walls, and on hot days or nights you can remove the fly sheet to reveal a mesh 'roof', for a real outdoors experience. This one's designed for 3 people, and isn't tall enough to stand up in. While it's rarely full price, this is the cheapest we've seen this tent by some way. View Deal
EXPIRED Coleman Octagon Tent, 6 person | Now £269.99 | Was £399.99 | Save £130 at Amazon UK
These unusual designs have mesh windows on each of the eight sides, so you can open them all up for panoramic views of your camping spot. This one's big enough to stand up and walk around it, and sleeps 6, perfect for big group camping trips. There's a third off for Prime Day, and while it has occasionally been cheaper, discounts of this size or more are very rare. View Deal
Amazon Prime Day alternative sales – UK
- Argos.co.uk – cheap Lego, toys, phones and more
- AO.com – huge sale on electrical appliances
- Currys.co.uk – Epic deals! Up to 40% off 100s of items
- Dell.co.uk – big savings on laptops and desktop PCs
- eBay.co.uk – up to 70% off in the eBay Outlet
- Very.co.uk – deals on electricals, fashion and home
- Lovehoney.co.uk – discounted sex toys and lingerie
- Goldsmiths.co.uk – savings on watches and jewellery
- John Lewis – great savings plus the John Lewis guarantee
- Le Creuset – premium cookware gets tasty discounts
- Nike – new sneakers at sneaky low prices
- ASOS – big savings on clothes
- Schuh – save big on shoes, boots and trainers
- The White Company – quality bedding at reduced prices
- Simba – save big on mattresses and sleep bundles
Subscribe to T3 magazine and get an extra 10% off
For Amazon Prime Day, we're offering you a cracking extra deal: if you subscribe to T3 magazine today, you can nab yourself an extra 10% off. Get each issue of T3 delivered to your door for just £2.84 when you use the code SUN10 at checkout. Offer runs until 9:59am (GMT) 2nd August 2021.
