Tents Reviews

We found the best review of camping tents at Backpacker Magazine, where editors report on field tests of 35 tents and name two as 2008 Editors' Choice award winners. The review also identifies the best all-around tents in three size ranges, as well as the best mountaineering or winter tent -- and picks the best values as well. BackpackingLight.com provides more thorough tent reviews, rating and ranking tents based on objective tests, but the website covers fewer tents and is not as current. REI.com is one of the best places to read owner-written tent ratings and reviews. You can find reports on family tents there, as well reports on small, lightweight tents for backpacking. Amazon.com also publishes owner-written reviews of dozens of family tents. Consumer Reports hasn’t tested tents since 2005, so we didn't find much useful information there.

Some classic A-frame and wall tents are still on the market with good reviews, but newer dome tents and modified A-frame tents are spacious and lightweight, and represent that latest trend in camping gear. Newer tents use strategically placed mesh to improve comfort in hot weather and minimize condensation -- a perennial problem with tents. Color coding makes setup faster, and manufacturers continue to find ways to design tents for sturdy wind resistance while lightening the weight. One of the latest technologies uses variable-diameter poles to put strength only where it’s needed most. Silicon waterproofing is also lightweight (though it tends to attract insects).

The latest trend in family camping tents is to provide electricity for fans and lights with outlets and an included battery pack. Some tents just have a zippered flap to let an electrical cord in while keeping out insects. Others provide remote-control lighting or even 12-volt outlets inside the tent. However, tent reviews say that other features -- such as a full-coverage rainfly to keep out driving rain -- are a lot more important. For example, the Eureka N!ergy family of camping tents is getting a lot of attention because these tents build in 12-volt electrical wiring that’s powered by a rechargeable lead-acid battery pack. The tents are too new to have accumulated many owner-written reviews, but it’s clear that the system is designed just for small devices like a fan or light. One owner reviewing the electrical system at Amazon.com says it will run a laptop computer for about an hour, and a small television set for 30 or 40 minutes.

Quite a few tent manufacturers and retailers offer lifetime guarantees. Still, the guarantee isn’t much comfort if you’re out in the woods with a leaky tent or a stuck zipper. Quite a few owners complain about leaks and tears in tents sold under the REI brand, though REI provides refunds or exchanges for any products sold there. We found a few complaints about rips even in very expensive tents made by Paha Que. Not surprisingly, though, owners complain most about leaks, tears and snagging zippers in the least expensive family tents with shorter warranties, made by budget brands such as Coleman, Ozark Trail and Wenzel.

Tent reviews note that when manufacturers rate a tent for a certain number of people, they’re packing narrow mummy-style sleeping bags together like sardines in a can. For real camping comfort, reviews suggest buying a tent rated for at least one more person. A couple will be comfortable in a three-person camping tent, while four adults usually need a six-person family tent.  ... Continued

Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
All The Reviews Reviewed chart.

Though we found some consensus among reviews of backpacking tents, most family tents are only covered in one or two reviews at most. Because of that, the ConsumerSearch Fast Answers selections are heavily influenced by the recommendations of reviewers we rate highly or by the combined feedback from lots of owners who have used the tents in the field or on the trail. That's why we included the Big Agnes Copper Spur UL3 and the Eureka Timberline 2 in Fast Answers some older tents that appear as picks in less recent reviews. We found little consensus for family camping tents, so in choosing L.L.Bean and The North Face family tents in our Fast Answers, we again relied on the most thorough and recently written reviews as tie breakers. Additional options are covered in our Full Story.