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Now that we’ve covered the best camping sleeping bags plus delicious camping food and camping tips from the pros, it’s time to cover the best camping tents! Obviously, you’re going to need something over your head when you sleep, right? But what’s good quality, what will stand up in the rain, and what won’t break the budget?
As part of our ongoing summer camping series, in this article, I’ll cover the best camping tents for all budgets, plus a splurge tent I highly recommend! Do you have questions about camping tents? Let me know in the comments!
The Best Budget Camping Tents
Coleman Instant Cabin
4 or 6 person
Why people love this budget camping tent:
- Fits a queen size mattress
- Easy set up and take down, easy to pack into its bag
- One person can set up
- Instant set up, takes just a minute
- Fair rain resistance when used with a rain fly
Click here to check the price on this tent.
Coleman Sundome 4-Person Tent
Why people love this beginner tent:
- Great value with good quality material for the price
- Good for couples or an additional two children
- Large windows for fresh air and great views
- Good for mild weather conditions
- Fits a queen size mattress
Coleman makes excellent, affordable camping gear, so it’s no surprise they make affordable, well-regarded camping tents. If this is your first camping trip, I highly recommend a Coleman!
Click here to check the price on this camping tent.
The Best Mid-Tier Camping Tents
Eureka Copper Canyon 6 Tent
Why people love this tent:
- Windows on each side offer visibility and ventilation
- High enough for taller people to stand in
- Roomy, enough for family of four
- Fits a queen size mattress
- Good ventilation, even with windows zipped up at night
CORE 6 Person Instant Cabin Tent
Fits 6 People
Why people love this tent:
- Instant set up, takes just a minute
- Large wall organizer for storage
- Very roomy, fits two queen air mattresses or up to six people
- One person can set up
- Good for moderate rain conditions and mild weather
If you’ve decided you love camping but aren’t able to do it that often, these mid-tier camping tents are a great option!
Looking to Upgrade? The Best Expensive Camping Tent
Our favorite camping tent the Core 12-Person Extra Large Straight Wall Cabin tent.
CORE 12 Person Extra Large Straight Wall Cabin Tent
Why people love this tent:
- Very lightweight for the size
- Sleeps up to 12 people
- Fits 4 Queen size mattresses
- High enough for taller people to stand in
- Removable fly to get a panoramic view through the top
- Room divider
- One year warranty
This is perfect for camping with a dog if you have a kennel and need to get it out of the rain.
The setup looks super easy too.
Here’s a time-lapse video of how easy it is to set up the Core 12 too:
Click here to buy the Core 12 tent.
Camping Tent Basics
Keep the following in mind as a camping beginner:
- Be realistic about tent size. If you are very tall, are planning on fitting a lot of people (and/or pets) in your tent, or really like a “roomy feel” when sleeping, spring for a bigger tent!
- You don’t need something super sturdy for your first tent – if you’re doing basic, fair-weather camping, go for size, price and the durability. You can always upgrade if you love camping!
- Rent a tent first! In some states, REI will let you rent a tent (and other gear). This is an excellent, fairly affordable way to test out camping and tents.
Camping can be a fun, enjoyable and budget-friendly activity, but when you’re first getting started, you will need to put a little money into your shelter. Luckily, there are plenty of options for great camping tents – you just might need a little guidance!
If you already have a camping tent, what do you use and do you like it? Let me know in the comments below!
We love our Marmot Halo. It is pricey, but having suffered through a cheap tent, I think it’s worth every penny. It has an expanded vestibule, a huge rain fly, and great ventilation!
My friends use the Eureka Copper Canyon and have been happy with it. It’s so roomy!
I love almost everything Marmot makes, all their stuff is so sturdy and long-lasting! Worth the price 🙂 So glad to hear that about the Eureka – we have a tent similar to that one and we LOVE it – so much space!!