The Best Camping Tent Review

Choosing a camping tent is completely different than trying to find the best backpacking tent. While weight dominates backpacking tent decision making, comfort is the number one criteria for camping. Below you'll see a summary of the tents we felt were the very best choices, and why. Take a look at our Camping Tent Buying Advice article for tips on how to narrow down the choices, and key buying considerations.

Comfort
We valued comfort as the most important rating category in our tests. The best tents had enough standing room for a dance party, while the smaller tents only had room for one person to stand up in the middle of the tent and crouch or bend everywhere else. We crowned the REI Kingdom 8 the comfort winner. It has enough screen windows and shading for your whole family to hang out in on a hot summer day and still be comfy. It also has huge a huge vestibule that allows you to keep a cluster-free environment in your tent by giving you more storage space for you gear. On top of that its barn house shape allows you to stand up throughout the tent and lets people circulate throughout it.

This tent exemplifies the qualities of a comfortable camping tent. Other tents we tested that are similar in comfort were the Eureka Copper Canyon 8 and the Kelty Parthenon 8. Both allowed adults to easily walk around in the tent without crouching and also offered good ventilation.


Storm Resistance
When there is a surprise storm, you want to be ready for it and have a tent that can handle it. The most storm resistant tent we tested was the Big Agnes Flying Diamond 8. It is the only tent we tested we would trust in a snowstorm. The design is very strong and the roof pitch sheds snow better than the competition. It is also a stable tent in high winds, something that few other tents of this comfort level can claim. It has a nice large vestibule to keep your wet and dirty gear out of the main living area. The other top scoring tents for storm resistance were the Kodiak Flex-Bow and the Marmot Limestone 6.

Workmanship
If you plan on using a tent for more than just one season you should really think about how well made and durable it's going to be. Our top scoring workmanship tent is the Kodiak Canvas 6-Person Flex-Bow Canvas Tent that won a Top pick award for this category. This tent will last you a lifetime of camping joy, and we used its high quality as a standard for the other tents we tested.

Packed Size
The Eureka Tetragon 8 and the Marmot Limestone 6 packed down the smallest and lightest. The two tents with the best carrying and organizing sacks were the REI Kingdom and the Big Agnes. Both use well-thought-out bags that allow you to organize the different tent components and pack up quickly.

Ease of Setup
The best tents we tested can be set up by one person without hassle, while the hardest tents take at least two people and a lot of time, especially at night by headlamp. The easiest tent to set up was the Coleman Instant Tent 6; with one person it only takes about two minutes.

The easiest tent to set up in windy conditions was the Kodiak Flex-Bow. It is heavy and less likely to fly away. You also don't have to wrestle on a rain fly as you do with many other tents.

The Winners
Editors' Choice: Rei Kingdom 8
The REI Kingdom 8 is our top rated tent. It scored the highest for comfort due to its high ceiling height, convenient divider. and great rain fly. It also scored very high in Ease of Setup and Workmanship. This tent gets all the details right: the vestibule is spacious and versatile and the carrying case is the best we tested.

Best Buy: Coleman Instant Tent
The Coleman Instant Tent 6 was the least expensive tent we tested and the easiest to set up. For occasional camping trips it is an excellent value and is less than half the cost of many other tents tested.

Top Pick: Big Agnes Flying Diamond
The Big Agnes Flying Diamond 8 gets a Top Pick award because it is the second highest rated tent and the most storm resistant. It is the only camping tent we tested that we would really want to be in during a massive rain or snow storm. Most tents are okay in the rain, but the Flying Diamond is fit for serious wind, sleet, and snow.

Top Pick: Kodiak Flex-Bow
The Kodiak Canvas 6-Person Flex-Bow was the most durable tent we tested. It stood up to serious winds and all-around punishment. We expect this tent to have very good long-term value. When other tents begin to rip or bend poles after years of use, we expect the Flex-Bow to still be going strong. We also just like its nostalgic design – it evokes that timeless camping feel when hanging out next to it and inside.