The Best Camping Tents
Verified by
Ryan V. Editor-in-Chief
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Outdoor Life, CleverHiker, Treeline Review and Better Trail all rank The North Face Wawona 6 first, and no other tent shows up in all eight guides we analyzed. OutdoorGearLab gave it an Editors' Choice award after a 16-tent test, and NBC Select names it the best tent for car camping. Switchback Travel ranks it a close second to the NEMO Aurora Highrise and credits it with better livability.
You buy a Wawona for room. The floor covers about 86 square feet under a 76-inch peak, so most adults can stand up to change, and Outdoor Life's Laura Lancaster rated both its space and headroom Great. CleverHiker, Switchback Travel and Better Trail all single out the front vestibule. It works like a covered porch for boots, coolers and camp chairs, and Better Trail wrote that its utility "knows no bounds." CleverHiker scored the Wawona 4.8 out of 5, the highest rating in its camping tent guide.
It holds up in bad weather too. OutdoorGearLab ran sprinkler and wind tests and called it "great in the wind and rain." Treeline Review's Micah Leinbach kept one pitched through sustained gusts in the Columbia River Gorge. It lists at $585, close to REI's Base Camp 6 at $569 and Westward 6 at $549.
What It Won't Do
Expect a slow first pitch. CleverHiker calls it slower than average to set up and Switchback Travel calls it time-consuming. OutdoorGearLab adds that the updated detached fly makes the process unintuitive, so plan on two people for your first few pitches. The rainfly also stops short of the back wall. Treeline Review and Switchback both flag the exposed rear mesh, and Better Trail found the big mesh panels drafty on chilly nights. At 19 lb 7 oz packed, it is strictly a tent you carry from the car to the site.
The Coleman Skydome is the budget tent our sources return to most often. CleverHiker, Better Trail and NBC Select all name the 4-person version as their budget pick. Switchback Travel chose the 6-person Skydome as its best budget camping tent, and OutdoorGearLab scored the bigger XL 8 model 75 out of 100, level with the $550 Snow Peak Alpha Breeze.
Setup is quick. Coleman quotes a 5-minute pitch because the poles come pre-attached and the rainfly corner is color-coded. CleverHiker's testers say the integrated pole design makes pitching simple, and Switchback found the Skydome fast to put up. Better Trail was surprised by the extras at this price, including a front vestibule and a gear loft.
Price is the strongest argument. The Skydome 4P lists at $189.99, and NBC Select found it on sale for $132.99. That is about a third of the Wawona's $585 list price. If you camp a few summer weekends a year at established campgrounds, that difference buys sleeping pads, a cooler and a stove.
What It Won't Do
Coleman saved money on the hardware. Better Trail warns that the fiberglass poles and cheaper fabrics won't hold up as well over time or in rough weather. CleverHiker found the plastic fly clips flimsy and rated the tent 3.9 out of 5, the lowest score on its list, and Switchback says the fiberglass poles aren't very durable. The 4-person version peaks at about 55 inches, so adults will be kneeling to change clothes. Coleman rates the frame for 35 mph winds, but save it for sheltered campgrounds and fair-weather trips.
Who Should Buy Which
The North Face Wawona 6
Four first-place rankings across eight expert guides, and a front porch that fits a row of camp chairs
- Families of four to six who car camp several weekends a year
- You want to stand up inside and keep camp chairs dry under a covered porch
- You pitch in rain and gusty wind, not just calm summer nights
- You have a second adult to help with setup
- You want one tent that will last for years of trips
Coleman Skydome 4-Person Tent with Full-Fly Vestibule
The budget tent most of our sources recommend, quick to pitch and a fraction of the price of premium family tents
- First-time campers trying the hobby before spending more
- Couples or small families who camp a few summer weekends a year
- You want a tent one person can pitch quickly at a campground
- Your budget would rather go to sleeping pads and bags
- Backyard campouts, scout trips and festival weekends