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Exploring the great outdoors is a lot more fun with a reliable tent. The best family tents are large enough to comfortably fit your crew and all the gear that comes with it. Family-friendly tents come in several styles and price points, but no matter which one looks right for you, make sure it comes with the seasonality rating you need to stay dry and comfortably cool (or warm) depending on your destination.
Size
The first factor in finding the best tent for your family is size. Tents are sold with per-person capacity in mind, though interestingly no industry standard exists that defines per-person tent dimensions. For that reason, it's a good idea to try to find a tent that has the capacity of two over your group size. This will help ensure your tent isn't too cozy, and will be especially helpful if you're traveling with a dog or space-sucking items, like air mattresses. Removable room dividers, which are often included with tents, can add privacy and make tents feel more spacious.
Seasonality
Camping tents are designed to withstand certain outdoor conditions, and choosing the appropriate tent seasonality for your region will keep your family comfortable and safe while camping. A 3-season tent is a popular style that is suitable for most weather conditions you'll encounter throughout spring, summer, and fall, including rain and even light snow. It keeps bugs out, has mesh panels for airflow, and offers privacy. A 4-season tent is sturdier and warmer for shelter from snow in high-elevation areas or exposed areas during inclement weather.
A bonus feature to look for in a tent is a rainfly, a waterproof tent cover to keep you dry, shield against wind, or even add a layer of warmth.
Style
There are two main types of tents: cabin and dome. A cabin-style tent has more headroom thanks to more vertical walls that create a higher peak height so you can more comfortably walk around in a tent without crouching down; the extra room may be especially comfortable for traveling families. However, cabin tents generally cost more. A dome-style tent is tallest in the center with walls that slope downwards; there’s less livable space, but this type of tent is stronger, especially against wind or snow.
In order to make your shopping experience easier, I have sorted the list below into those two categories so you can find the best tent for your next family adventure.
We only recommend products we love and that we think you will, too. We may receive a portion of sales from products purchased from this article, which was written by our Commerce team.
1.The Overall Best Cabin-Style Camping Tent
- Dimensions: 8 by 8 feet; peak height: 7 feet
- Style: Cabin
This family tent is a cabin-style pick with 4-person capacity, and it has a removable divider to create two rooms for added privacy. This 3-season option also features two doorways for families and a rainfly that extends into a front porch awning, keeping your entryway and tent drier during rain. Its floor runs up the sides of the tent for further protection against rain.
Other features to love include a zippered e-port for charging electronics and mesh pockets to store gear high off the ground. A reviewer commented it's "easy to assemble and take down as well." This pick also comes in 6-person and 8-person sizes.
A helpful review: “This is a nice compact design that was easy to install/set up in our back yard. There are some nice storage features on the inside and this feels like a well design tent. The storage roll that everything fits in is nice and small."
The Best Tent With A Screen Room
- Dimensions: 11 by 9 feet; peak height: 6.8 feet; screen room measures 9 by 6 feet
- Style: Cabin
Frequent campers or larger families will appreciate the design of this tent with a screen room. The cabin-style tent has a 6-person capacity and uses dividers to create two rooms, but also features a separate screened-in room; this extra space is floorless and functions like a living room for bug-free lounging.
This 3-season tent comes with a rainfly, storage pockets, and an e-port. Waterproof floors, wind-resistant fabric, and weather-resistant seams protect against the elements. And if your little ones forget to zip up typical tent doors, you'll love the hinged door on this tent that makes it easy to get in and out without inadvertently letting bugs or critters in. The roomy tent even comes in a 10-person option if you need additional space.
A helpful review: "Very well designed, easy to set up with great directions and is spacious and comfortable. The D-door is brilliant and the screen room will get plenty of use. We had fairly heavy rain one night and stayed dry. We have a queen size Coleman airbed and our two grandchildren slept on their mats on the floor and we had room to spare ... We particularly enjoy the fact that we can stand upright throughout the tent and my husband is 6 feet tall. We would recommend this tent for anyone considering buying it."
The Best Tent For Really Large Families (Or Glamping!)
- Dimensions: 18 by 10 feet; peak height: 6.7 feet
- Style: Cabin
The best 12-person tent provides plenty of room for families as the largest tent on this list with a peak height that allows virtually anyone to comfortably stand up straight while inside. The tent includes two room dividers for creating three separate areas with entrances on both sides of the tent. Even though this is a 3-season tent, several reviewers commented about how well in held up in cold and inclement weather.
This cabin-style tent has large vented windows, a water-repellent rainfly, and an ultra-convenient lantern hook.
A helpful review: "After more uses than we can count and traveling across the country camping with this tent we thought we would update our review. WE STILL LOVE THIS TENT!! We just returned from a winter camping trip. Not only did we have cold weather but we also had 10 mph winds with gusts up to 15 mph. Our tent did not even quiver. It has never leaked. It has always had an easy set up and an easy tear down. We have arrived at our camp site with only a few minutes before nightfall and still were able to put our tent up with time to spare. It was worth every penny we spent on it."
The Best Budget-Friendly Dome Tent
- Dimensions: 9 by 7 feet; peak height: 6 feet
- Style: Dome
If you're searching for an affordable option, this budget family tent has a 4-person capacity and provides shelter in spring, summer, or fall for under $100. This cult favorite from Coleman is highly rated with more than 11,000 reviews, and the dome-style tent comes in blue or green as well as 2-, 3- or 6-person sizes.
This 3-season tent comes with a rainfly, a waterproof floor, and welded corners with inverted seams to protect against rain. Large mesh windows keep the tent cool on warm nights, and it has a convenient e-port for devices.
A helpful review: “Great tent for casual camping in moderate to warm weather. It is especially good for warm weather, since it is very ventilated, great for warm summer nights. Easy setup. Will fit two double inflating mattresses (140x190cm), with some room for gear, so it is probably good enough for 4 adults or two adults and 2-3 small kids. Good value for money.”
The Best Easy-To-Set-Up Tent
- Dimensions: 7.6 by 8.6 feet; peak height: 4.3 feet
- Style: Dome
Looking for an especially easy-to-set-up tent? This dome-style, freestanding tent assembles quickly with just a couple poles and clips, and dozens of reviewers reported this was a favorite feature.
This 3-season camping tent sleeps four, and it has two doors and two vestibules that make getting in and out easy but also protects gear and your tent from rain. Reviewers also report this tent stays remarkably dry inside during heavy rain, which is in part thanks to a coated floor to protect against water and sealed seams on both the rainfly and floor as added barriers. This tent also has a gear loft and mesh storage pocket to protect phones and other small items.
A helpful review: [...] This tent is so easy to set up. My 7-yr old can set it up with only a little assistance getting the poles set. One feature that I love the most is the tent hooks onto the poles entirely with clips. There’s no threading poles through the tent. This makes our setup hassle free. We’ve camped through many rains and have not had any problem staying dry. I also love that the rain fly is built to create a little vestibule on either side of the tent. We put all our gear under here to keep dry. [...]"
The Best All-Season Tent
- Dimensions: 10 by 12 feet; peak height: 7.9 feet
- Style: Dome
Families seeking an all season tent may quickly realize it's tricky finding one big enough and sturdy enough; this adorable pick with colorful tent flags fits the bill.
This 4-season tent is waterproof and windproof, and its exaggerated dome style — that looks more like a cone — keeps rain and snow from gathering on top of the tent. The tent has a 5-person capacity, with mesh doors and a mesh roof that provide ventilation for a comfortable sleep on a warm night. The entryway canopy can also function as a rainfly, and the tent has a convenient lantern hook inside.
A helpful review: "I set this tent up [in] my backyard to see if it would keep the rain out overnight. It was bone dry in the morning. And being the busy man that I am, I still haven’t taken it down. In the last week, the tent stayed up through winds in excess of 40 mph, many rainy nights, and an inch of heavy wet snow. Still dry inside. I am pleased with this tent. [...]"
