Camping is one of the best ways to spend time together as a family. Stepping away from the house and into the outdoors lets you leave the usual stresses and strains of life behind and gives everyone the freedom to relax and enjoy themselves. But you do need a good tent. It’s the base for your entire trip and you won’t have a successful time if it’s difficult to set up, lets in rain or doesn’t have enough room for your party and their stuff.
Size is obviously important and it’s worth remembering that the person rating on many tents doesn’t allow for lots of gear. That might be fine if you are camping next to your vehicle or have very young children. But a good rule of thumb is to add two to your family size to get the right amount of room. Protecting everyone from the elements is vital for an enjoyable time so look for a good level of water resistance as well as the ability to withstand strong wind. The sun can take its toll too. As well as UV resistance, good ventilation options will ensure everyone gets a full night’s sleep and doesn’t wake when the tent heats up in the early morning sun. When family camping, we also prize easy setup as after a long journey to where you are camping, patience can be frayed further when it takes a long time to get the tent up. Here are the tents we would recommend.
Coleman Sundome Tent
All-rounder that sleeps four
Coleman has designed this dome tent to be great for families. It’s easy to set up in 10 minutes but provides extra weather protection with a rainfly plus welded corners and inverted seams to keep water out. The strong frame will withstand 35+ MPH winds and in calmer conditions, the enhanced ventilation will keep everyone cool.
Core 11 Person Family Cabin Tent with Screen Room
Huge tent with a gear loft
For big or extended families, this tent can take up to 11 people with a height in the centre of 86”. The front screen room has closable window panels and full tent floor coverage. Water’s kept out with Core’s H2O Block technology. It’s easy to keep organised thanks to a gear loft with pockets and a lantern hook. You can even get an electrical cord in through a closable access port.
MOON LENCE Pop Up Tent Family Camping Tent
Instant setup and plentiful protection
Family tents don’t get much quicker to set up - it only takes a minute. Once assembled, you’ll have a roomy four-person tent. Two large doors with dual zips and ground vents provide good ventilation. Your family will be protected from rain and sun - the 190T PU material and 210D Oxford Ground Sheet provide 2000mm water resistance and UV resistance and it can withstand high winds too.
HIKERGARDEN Tent 8 Person Camping Tents
Spacious with easy setup
A roomy tent that’s 14' x 9' x 6' when set up, enough to take three queen air mattresses and eight sleeping bags. Made from 185T polyester with the 1000mm polyurethane hydrostatic-rated coating, the tent guarantees PU1000mm water-resistance. It can be put up in five minutes by two people once you’ve got it out of the included carrying bag.
Bottom line
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The best tents are more than just a place for your family to sleep, they could provide your clan with some of the most memorable vacations they will have too. You need to pick a tent that provides enough room and shelter so you can enjoy yourself in the great outdoors. The family tent we would recommend for the average-sized family is the Coleman Sundome Tent. This dome tent is easy to put up, has enough space (and height) to keep everyone happy and will resist the elements. It’s from a classic brand at a good price.
For big families, the Core 11 Person Family Cabin Tent with Screen Room is a home from home. The screen room gives you somewhere to relax and take in the surroundings and it does a good job of organising you with the gear loft.
