Photo by Coleman
Camping tents are as plentiful and inexpensive today as a pair of quality shoes. If you don’t believe me, just google camping tents and you will find pages and pages of tents to choose from. So, you would think with all these options to choose from it would be easy to choose a great camping tent. Not so much. It is overwhelming to decide in face of so many camping tents to choose from.
I narrowed the decision down to buy a great camping tent by only considering a camping tent with at least 1000 reviews. 1000 reviews tell me is that the company making the camping tent has been around long enough to sell 1000 of the tents and that there are at least 1000 people who own the tent. That provides very helpful feedback to make a more informed purchase decision.
I create a datasheet below with the top 14 camping tents with 1000 reviews or more. And a few additional thoughts on each tent following the database.
Coleman 4-man Pop Up Tent
Coleman 4-man Tent pops up within seconds and has sealed floor seams to prevent ground moisture. The Coleman 4-person Pop Up Tent only weighs 4.41 lbs. and comes with a multi-position rainfly that has vents for airflow even when it's raining.
I still recommend you stake down a tarp under its 9 feet by 6 feet footprint. It’s a little low for me on the height at 3 feet 4 inches. With a 4.4-star rating and 4,245 reviews no wonder, it is used by so many campers. The $61.70 price is also hard to beat.
Even though it’s a roomy 4-person tent, I would use it only for 3 people because you will load it with gear when it rains.
Coleman Instant Screen House
Even though it was created for tailgate parties, shade for kids when camping and a place to stay away from the bugs, the Coleman Instant Screen House is still a popup 3-person tent. I like its 7-foot height and 15 by 13 footprint. It weighs 18.25 lbs.
It does not come with a rainfly so it’s a fair-weather screened tent. It has two doors for easy entry that zip from bottom to top. It has 5,290 reviews a 4.6-star rating and costs $153.66.
2-person Coleman Sundome
This is NOT a tent for camping in winter! The 2-person Coleman Sundome pops up in seconds. It has a staggering 31,496 reviews with a 4.7-star rating. Its warm weather design is to help keep heat out of the tent with ground vents that pull cooler air from the bottom and force the hotter air up and out.
The Coleman patented welded floors not only keep groundwater away but is highly puncture resistant. It comes with a rainfly awning which is great for sitting under to take your shoes off before getting into the 7 ft. by 5 ft. tent. You can fit 2 medium size adults in. The 4 ft. ceiling height is a little low for me but you can’t beat the price at $63.99.
Coleman Hooligan Backpacking tent
Coleman Hooligan Backpacking tent is unique because it’s basically a screen tent with a removal rainfly. This feature allows you to stare at the stars at night will not get eaten up by mosquitoes. The 11.5 lbs. it’s a little heavy for backpacking. But the 8 ft. by 7 ft. footprint is why 1,568 folks have given it a 4.4-star rating. The Hooligans is 4 ft 9 -inch heigh cost $91.54.
Ten folks who barely know each other may not want to share the same tent (think snoring) so the Coleman Instant Setup Cabin is made for a family affair. This big tent is set up in 3-minutes and weighs in at whooping 42-lbs (not a tent for a long walking distance to your campsite).
I like the 6-foot 7-inch height, 5 windows, and vented top. It has a two-room design which is very nice, but once you stuff into it a queen-size air mattress it goes from a 10-person tent down to a 4-person tent. It is still a favorite with a 4.5-rating and a boatload of reviews (12,963). It's not cheap at $339. I guess they throw in the rainfly for free. By the way, this is not a cold-weather tent and you will freeze your tootsies off you use it in winter.
Coleman Weathermaster
The Coleman Weathermaster® has a screened porch. How cool is that? Might be my next tent (I'm tent-poor). After studying this tent for a long time, I realize why it has 3,440 reviews.
You get a lot for $263. Like a port for bringing an electrical cord inside, 9 x 6 ft. screened porch, great for cold weather, angled windows to keep the rain out, 11 x 9 ft. interior room with a 6 ft. 8-inch ceiling and hinged doors.
A lot of thought went into the 6-person Coleman Weathermaster®. It's heavy at 32 lbs. and takes a good 30 minutes to set up so get to your campsite early. And yes, they throw in a rainfly.
Moon Lence Camping
I’ve heard that the Moon Lence Camping tent leaks when there’s blowing rain, but I’ve never had a tent that didn’t leak a little in a heavy rainstorm. That’s why they call it camping. If you check your weather and there’s a strong storm, stay home.
For $79, this very lightweight tent (9 lbs.) has been a good choice by 2,793 folks. It sleeps 6 (four comfortably) with an 8 ft. by 6 ft. room at a 5 ft. height. If you need a big tent on a budget, go for it. By the way, there are a lot of things you can do to prevent your tent from leaking. Here's my article, How to clean, repair and waterproof a tent.
If you can drive to your campsite you need to buy a Kamp-Rite Oversized Tent Cot. And here’s why. You sleep 11 inches off the ground in a 36” wide by 90” long cot so no critters nibbling at your toes. Once you throw a 4-inch foam pad and a sleeping bag in it, you are set for a great night’s sleep.
They weigh 36 lbs. which is why you need to park close to your site. It's perfect if you arrive late at your campsite because you can set it up in 5 minutes and be on your way to la-la land. With 1,242 reviews and a 4.7-star rating, a lot of campers like the Kamp-Rite Oversized Tent Cot.
It only sleeps one person and costs $208, and they throw in the rainfly which is great if you want to sleep in. You may want to compare it to, The Amazing Pop-Up Bed Tent. It’s an article I wrote about a blackout tent for sleep.
ALPS Mountaineering Lynx
I just found out that the ALPS Mountaineering Lynx is no longer available. That’s terrible because this is one lightweight tent at 3.9 lbs. and why 2,838 backpackers have chosen the ALPS Mountaineering Lynx. When it’s packed up it's 17.5 inches long and 6 inches around, which attaches easily to your backpack. But it covers 90 inches by 32 inches when it’s set up. That’s a lot of room for a one-person tent.
Its extra-large zipper makes it easier to find in the dark. The seams have been factory sealed to prevent leakage. It’s basically a screen tent with a rainfly. So, when it’s not raining you can feel the mountain breeze at night is why I like this little tent. It’s a little pricey at $119 for a one-man tent but is worth it for the lightweight and large footprint.
Moon Lence Family Dome tent
As big as it is you would think it would have two doors, but it has only one, but it does have 4 large mesh windows and a vented roof. I usually recommend taking a tarp to place under all tents, but the clever manufacturers have built one in the bottom of the tent which helps keep out groundwater and the double layer is more puncture resistant.
What I like about the Moon Lence Family Dome tent is, it’s a lot of tent for $79.00. Being a 6-person tent, which weighs only 5.95 lbs. is crazy. To set up you take it out of the carry bag, spread it out and lift the top then click the bottom joints into place. Takes about 3-minutes
The footprint is 8-ft 10-inches long by 6-ft 10-inches wide and it is 5-feet tall. Pretty roomy. Even though it is recommended for six people, I would plan for 5 people. This gives you room for more gear inside.
Since the price is so reasonable, I recommend you purchase two of these tents. One for the kids and one for mom and dad or use the second one for a dining room so you can dine without the bugs. I like this tent a lot and so did 2,818 other people who bought it.
Coleman 8-Person Elite Montana™ Cabin Camping Tent
Coleman does it again. Over 7500 people have bought the Coleman 8-Person Elite Montana™ Cabin Camping Tent. One of the big features of this tent is the LED Lighting System. Which is great for kids or reading a book at night.
It has an illuminated wall switch with high, low, and nightlight settings. The LED Lighting system is power by either 4 D-batteries or Coleman CPX® Compatible rechargeable pack. These are not included when you purchase the tent. The high setting is equal to a 15-watt light bulb and lasts 26 hours and 65 hours on low.
It’s a big tent with other great features like a door awning to take off wet shoes, a hinged entry door (something new for tents), a 6-ft ceiling high (my favorite), and a huge 16-ft by 7-ft room inside. This tent is so big it would have been great if they had cut the room in half with a separation.
Core® Equipment 9-Person Extended Dome Tent
It is NOT A POP-UP tent even though it’s a dome tent. It is very spacious and just a little bit bigger than the Coleman Montana, the Core® Equipment 9-Person Extended Dome Tent is 2 feet wider at 16-feet by 9-feet and 6-feet high. It fits 3 air mattresses. 2,841 folks have bought this tent and given it a 4.6-star rating.
It uses fiberglass poles and takes 15-minutes to set up with 2-people. It includes lantern hooks, mesh pocket organizers, and mesh loft for small flashlights and matches for your fire if you are not handy with flint. It has an electrical which is great for fans or viewing and charging portable devices. Its' not too heavy, less than 20 lbs. and cost $130.
Coleman 8-Person Red Canyon™ Dome Camping Tent
To give you some perspective as to how large this tent is, it's 42% bigger than the average bedroom in your house (usually 10-feet by 12-feet). Three queen-sized airbeds can fit in the Coleman 8-Person Red Canyon™ Dome Camping Tent which is 10-foot by 17-foot …that’s crazy big. This is the main reason 4,023 people purchased this tent. You get a lot of space for $170. Not much more I need to say about this tent except, if you bring a big family camping you need this tent.
Also check out these articles, Top 10 Pop Up Tents for 2021 (the one you should buy) and Top 15 Backpack Tents Datasheet and My Top Pick.
And in case your are wondering this is how I choose a camping tent.
Thanks for reading.
Do yourself a favor, take a kid camping!
Alex Anderson