The best pop-up tents 2023: backpacking and camping tents for speedy setup

The best pop-up tents provide easy and speedy pitching for fuss-free summer camping. Popular with festival goers and first time campers, they're obviously not as sturdy and reliable as dedicated backpacking tents but advances in design during recent years means that the best pop-up tents can hold their own in some pretty challenging conditions.

We've put this to the test, camping out in a range of the best pop-up tents. As well as traditional campgrounds, we've taken these fast-pitching wonders into the backcountry, to see how they cope when things get a little wilder.

For serious backpackers, these tents don't rival the very best camping tents available. However, if you're new to camping, heading to a festival, or are looking for a shelter for the kids to play in, these options are great and they tend to be decent value too. It's worth looking for a pop-up tent with a lifetime warranty, like the Teton Sports Vista Quick, to avoid having to buy twice.

We also love the Night Cat Backpacking Tent, which works well as a summer backpacking tent.

The quick list

Here's our quick list, a brief look at the very best pop-up tents. For more on each shelter, navigate to the detailed reviews further down this guide.

Sian Lewis
Sian Lewis

Sian is an avid camper who loves nothing more than getting back to nature, whether on a wild camp or a glamping retreat. Life as a camping, wild-swimming and hiking adventure writer has taken her around the world and she's pitching up in all kinds of wild and wonderful places. Her blog, The Girl Outdoors, champions accessible adventures.

The best pop-up tents we recommend in 2023

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The best pop-up tent overall

Night Cat Backpacking Tent

A single-skin lightweight adventure tent, ready to take on the prowl (Image credit: Night Cat)

1. Night Cat Backpacking Tent

The best pop-up tent for backpacking

Specifications

Capacity: 1 or 2 people
Weight: 2kg/4.4lb
Pack size: 42 x12 x 12cm / 16.5 x 4.7 x 4.7in
Dimensions: 220cm x 120cm / 86.5 x 47cm
Max headroom: 122cm/48in
Doors & vestibules: 1 door, 0 vestibules
Compatibility: 3 season

Reasons to buy

+
Lightweight
+
Durable fiberglass poles
+
Compact size

Reasons to avoid

-
Small capacity
-
No vestibule for wet weather cooking

Set-up in a minute or less, we found the Night Cat is a sturdy, stable, single-layer shelter that's light and easy enough to take out on the trails, and big enough (just) to take two people. It is primarily designed for solo backpackers and the floor plan is roomy enough for a single air mattress. Fiberglass poles deliver strength, durability and stand-up to windy breezes, but remain light to carry. Waterproof fabrics and waterproof tape on all seams keeps the water out and comfort in. Small storage bags kept our poles, stakes and guy lines untangled and organized. 

If you’re not backpacking, the Nightcat can still come in very handy at festivals and garden sleepovers. An inexpensive model, the Night Cat could be the perfect den away from home for recalcitrant teenagers who no longer want to share a shelter with their parents of their siblings.

The best solo pop-up tent

Teton Sports Vista Quick pop-up tent

Quick and comfortable solo shelter, light enough to take backpacking  (Image credit: TETON Sports)

2. Teton Sports Vista Quick

Best solo pop-up tent

Specifications

Capacity: 1 person
Weight: 4.6lb / 1900g
Pack size: 27 x 7 x 7in / 69 x 18 x 18cm
Dimensions: 80 x 34in / 203 x 86cm
Max headroom: 37in/94cm
Compatibility: 3 season
Colors: Brown / Green / Yellow

Reasons to buy

+
Lightweight
+
Gear loft
+
Two-way zippers
+
Locking hub system
+
Lifetime warranty

Reasons to avoid

-
Full coverage rainfly sold separately

After a long day on the trails, when you’re hungry, thirsty and tired, the last thing you want to deal with is complicated, time-consuming tent set-up operation. Welcome to the Vista Quick, a rarebreed pop-up tent that’s lightweight enough to take backpacking. Using a locking hub and pole system, we found that the Vista Quick lives up to its name. 

Ready in seconds, the pop-up tent has two-way zippers to offer fine adjustments for ventilation and entry. Slide in a Teton Sports Camp Cot, get comfortable and ponder the blue skies through mesh ceiling panels. A gear loft kept our headlamp, smartphone and keys in a safe place. When the weather turned, the rainfly kept us dry. An optional rainfly offers more coverage if you want more protection.

The best value pop-up tent

Coleman 2-Person Skydome pop-up tent

Tall, robust shelter, set-up in seconds  (Image credit: Coleman)

3. Coleman 2-Person Skydome

Best value pop-up tent

Specifications

Capacity: 2 people
Weight: 6.4lb / 2835g
Dimensions: 7 x 5ft / 213 x 152.5cm
Max headroom: 4ft/122cm
Compatibility: 3 season

Reasons to buy

+
Quick set-up
+
Inexpensive
+
Mesh ventilation

Reasons to avoid

-
Floor material durability
-
No windows
-
No vestibule

When you hike a trail before dawn to experience an epic sunrise, an afternoon nap is a worthy reward. Coleman’s Pop-Up tent uses a pre-assembled pole system that took us just 10 seconds to set-up. We also found that the footprint is big enough for two camping pads and features a wide door, so that we could get things (including large inflatable mattresses) in easily. 

It’s an easy tent to keep well organised, with two storage pockets to store small gear off the ground. A multi-position rainfly lets you customize access, protection and ventilation to match the weather. If it rains, taped floor seams will keep you dry. When it’s time to return home, the tent packs flat for storage.

The best pop-up tent for versatility

EuroHike Pop 400 DS pop-up tent

The weatherproof Pop 400 is a roomy home for three, and versatile enough to work for all kinds of camps (Image credit: EuroHike)

4. EuroHike Pop 400 DS

Best pop-up tent for versatility

Specifications

Capacity: 4 people
Weight: 5kg/11lbs 0.4oz
Packed size: : 83 x 83 x 5cm/32.67 x 32.67 x 2in
Compatibility: Perfect for variable weather conditions, with an inner tent for summer use and a flysheet for rainy conditions

Reasons to buy

+
Versatile 
+
Great value for money
+
Great kit storage

Reasons to avoid

-
Not entirely a pop-up…
-
Not really roomy enough for four

The Pop 400 should rightly be called a half-pop-up – it’s made up of two sections, an instantly-erected main tent, which can be used alone on dry nights but which isn’t waterproof, and a separate flysheet waterproofed to 3,000mm, which is pegged over the top, and that would also work alone as a camping tarp for bivvying or hammock camping. 

For a few minutes of extra pitching, you essentially get a weatherproof twin-skin tent, making this a versatile choice if you camp in varying locations and conditions over the year. Inside, we found that there was loads of room for two or three plus our gear (but four people would find it too snug), and two doors make it even easier to share with others. Plus, when we pegged the flysheet out, it also creates a useful porch for storing extra kit, which most pop-ups lack. There are other nice touches including reflective guy ropes and a lantern hook. It’s a cinch to pop open and fold close the main tent, using the classic figure-of-eight fold to store in a circular carry bag. 

The best blackout pop-up tent

Decathlon 2 Seconds Easy Freshblack pop-up tent

This clever tent uses a drawstring to pop open into a comfy two-man complete with blackout bedroom (Image credit: Quechua)

5. Decathlon 2 Seconds Easy Freshblack

Best blackout pop-up tent

Specifications

Capacity: 2 people
Weight: 4.7kg/10lbs 5.8oz
Packed size: 58.4 x 20.3 x 20.3cm / 23 x 8 x 8in
Waterproofing: 2,000mm
Compatibility: A nice size for a couple, and the rectangular pack makes it easier to take off the beaten track

Reasons to buy

+
Pleasingly easy and innovative to pitch
+
Effective blackout bedroom
+
Portable enough to carry in a pack

Reasons to avoid

-
On the pricier side for a pop-up

Despite testing it out on a weekend in the wild, we still don’t really understand how this clever tent erects – it’s a bit of a magic trick. Pull the 2 Seconds Easy Freshblack (it has a bit of a mouthful of a name) out of its bag, pull two cords tight and it springs into shape, then you just peg it down and you’re ready to camp. To dismantle, you click a release button and then gather the tent into its bag, which is also the work of minutes. 

Inside, there’s a bedroom suitable for two plus backpacks and lined with effective blackout material, plus handy pockets and a lantern hook. Although this tent can’t be classed as lightweight, it’s still just small and portable enough to be useable for wild camping and backpacking at a pinch, as it folds down into a compact rectangle rather than a bulkier circle, and fits in a backpack. 

The best pop-up tent for festivals

Quechua 2 Seconds Blackout pop-up tent

Roomy blackout tent that guarantees a good night’s sleep – perfect for two people (Image credit: Quechua)

6. Quechua 2 Seconds Blackout

Best pop-up tent for festivals

Specifications

Capacity: 3 people
Weight: 4.2kg/9lbs 4oz
Packed size: 74 x 9cm / 29.13 x 3.54in
Waterproofing: 2,000mm
Compatibility: Ideal for two people in low winds, and withstands rain well

Reasons to buy

+
Blackout bedroom
+
Good quality
+
Good height

Reasons to avoid

-
Fiddly to pack down
-
Large pack size

Decathlon are always a good one-stop shop for affordable outdoor gear, and we reckon they stock the widest range of pop-up tents on the market, starting from pocket-friendly prices. Our pick of the pack is the roomy 2 Seconds Blackout. We found that this well-made pop-up has plenty of space for two people and would fit in three adults if you don’t mind getting cosy. It also offers good height, and we’ve used it with two low camping beds in it without any problem. The blackout material that lines the bedroom works brilliantly – this is a great options for festivals or family weekends where you need your beauty sleep. 

The 2 Seconds is a doddle to erect – you just have to unclip three colour-coded clips and it springs to life. Once erect, it feels solid and can be further secured with good guy ropes. Now for the downside – we’ve used this tent on over a dozen occasions and always found it frustrating to pack down. That said, this is still a very good quality tent that’s built to last.

The best solo pop-up tent for festivals

Regatta Malawi 2 pop-up tent

A simple, easy to erect model is one of the best pop-up tents for solo campers at festivals  (Image credit: Regatta)