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How to choose the best family tent?

The tent is the most important camping equipment, which you need to consider when planning a family camping trip. Having the best family tent will ensure not only your family’s comfort but also their safety.

Family tents come in all different shapes, types and sizes with lot of various features. Finding the best family tent is a big hassle and your money may not spent more or less intelligently.

Sometime ago, I decided to buy a family tent for our summer camping holiday. Being a kind of person, who once has decided to buy something, I like to search all the best ones in the market. I spent so many hours on the internet, looking in camping stores, talking to people, looking through catalogs, reading books in search of useful information about what is the best family tent. I have included the most important information in this article, and I hope to be helpful if you are also looking for a good family tent and other camping gear.

I want to emphasize that the above matrix use just number of important attributes about family tents. Choosing the proper family tent takes a lot factor that differs from person to person according to size of tent you need, budget, brand preferences, special features and other needs.

Family Tent Comparison Guide and Key

Included in the matrix are 6 columns:

·         Family Tent pictures , Brand name/model, Price

·         Size – Number of people fitting

·         Description – Main features

·         Centre Height Type – in feet , inches

·         Sleeping Area –in  feet , inches

What to consider when looking for the best family tent

1. Size

One of the key factors to consider will be how many people can fit in a tent. It is a good idea to choose a tent that has a larger capacity than you are actually looking for. That means, if you are only going on holiday as a family of four, find a tent that has a capacity of five to six at least. This will give you plenty of room and comfort space. Having some extra room allows everyone to spread out a little and also provides some space for your gear.

2. Budget

Family tents come in different price scales:  You can pick up a cheap budget tent for under $100. If you are looking for something decent, it’s easy to spend $300-$500. And if you really want to look at an expedition kit you could surely end up paying up to $1000 or more.

·         If you’re with is to go on an occasional summer weekend camping, you will be fine with a budget tent.

·         if your plan is to do a long camping trip, camp out of season or where the weather may be unexpected or thinking of camping often in holidays then consider paying more to get something more durable , weatherproof and robust.

·         If you think you are a serious camper, its ok to go for the most expensive kit you can afford. The overall quality of construction, zips, poles, materials, pegs, ventilation and also the insect mesh will be much better. This means fewer problems in the camping field.

3. Materiel

There are a number of materials used to make tents but you will probably be looking at nylon or polyester one. These tents are considerably lighter, but can be hotter. So make sure your tent has good sufficient ventilation. Tent material is important to ensure it stays dry, particularly if you plan to tent in the off-season.

Tents made out of canvas are durable. However, they are heavier and do need to be dry before you fold them, otherwise you risk damage to the tent. They are normally watertight and, if the seal is ever compromised it is easy to re-seal using silicone based water repellent.

4. Setup Effort

If you don’t have previous experience in pitching tents then it is extremely important that you consider how easy setting up the tent is going to be. Many of the family tents can be easily put up these days. For most tents, allow at least 30 minutes although if you want it a bit quicker, some of the best family tents can be put up for less time than that. Some ‘pop up’ tents and instant tents literally take seconds to pitch, and some regard them as the best family tents. Most simple dome and tunnel tents can be pitched in five to ten minutes, once you’re familiar with the technique.

5. Strength and durability

The best family tent will be something that is strong and durable both against bad weather and the stresses and strains of energetic kids and adults. These cheap construction probably fail easily when kids are running, bouncing around inside, zipping and unzipping, or when pitching or removing the tent.

6. Waterproofing and ventilation

Staying dry is everyone’s wish when it comes to camping in tents. When shopping for a family tent make sure you get a tent that is waterproof, not only just water resistant or shower proof. Most tents are not built with this in mind; I have seen that some are little more than sunshades.

Ventilation is an important feature to look for when shopping for a tent. It’s no fun being cramped in a bad ventilated tent on a summer night. Luckily enough, most tents are now offering lot of no-see-um netting for ventilation and also protection from bugs. When a tent is tightly sealed up, there can be problems arising with condensation inside the tent. But when you have a good ventilated tent you will avoid these problems. However if you are planning camping in only cold weather, this feature won’t be a must.

All these qualities needed for the best family tent on the market are essential to make your family holiday as relaxing and as fun as possible!

Four Best family tent Reviews

1.    Coleman Sundome 4 

Based on overall rating, and reputation of the maker, the Coleman Sundome is one of the best family tents for 4 persons that anyone could own.  A generous 9’ x 7’ interior gives campers 63 square feet of space. The dome-style roof allows 59 inches of height, giving an excellent amount of headroom even for tall people.

Coleman Sundome 4 tent is thoughtfully designed and like most Coleman tents, it is priced to appeal to a wide variety of campers.

Coleman are known for their quality of design and workmanship.  Coleman Company is founded in 1900s and been in camping business since that time.  The tent currently has received 4.5 star ratings from those that have reviewed it on Amazon.  So, if you are looking for the quality 4 person best family tent, don’t just take our word. 

2.  Coleman WeatherMaster Screened 6 

Coleman Weatehr Master Screened 6 is ideal for family car campers & for long term camping excursions. In this Tent 6 people can sleep comfortably in two rooms; it has a footprint of 17′x9′ and a centre height of 6’10″.

With the WeatherTec system, your tent is made of different types and concentration polyester as well as a unique interweaving mesh system so you can be sure that rain won’t be any problem as long as you’re all inside the WeatherMaster 6 Tent. Even after a week of non-stop rain and strong winds, this tent didn’t crumble, seep, or leak. It really lives up to its name as the WeatherMaster.

3. Mountain Trails Grand Pass

Mountain Trails Grand Pass is a 9 Person family tent with a more attractive price tag.  At around $ 129 on Amazon, this is a solid tent that just about anyone can afford for the next family camping trip.

The Mountain Trails Grand Pass is a good choice for larger families.  The 76 inch center height will allow most people the ability to stand up, which isn’t always an option with dome tents. Setup, take down, and storage are a breeze with the “Stow ‘n Go” duffel system.

Mountain trail Grand Pass is the best value for money if you are looking for a tent that comfortable sleeps 7 people.

4. Coleman Instant tent 8 

This spacious 8-person, 2-room tent is designed for quick assembly. In less than a minute you can set this up and take it down also on the fly!  With base measures 14 by 10 feet; centre height of 6 feet 5 inches. The ventilation is a great deal, the wide windows on 2 sides, on the back part and on the front are very comfortable, and enable you to get a lot fresh air inside.