The Best Camping Tents: Tested

Whether you’re a family car camper, an overlander or somewhere in between, settle in—your search for your next nylon abode begins here. This year’s crop of tents for car camping proves that there’s a perfect home away from home for everyone who wants to venture out.Here’s the skinny: When you’re car camping, you don’t need to worry about the bulk or weight of your gear. That means you can enjoy shelters that are roomier and more feature-packed than backpacking tents. Such shelters are also often easier to set up than their backpacking cousins, and more affordable, too. That all can make sleeping on the ground a wholly enjoyable experience.We tested the best tents you can find at REI and distilled all of that feedback into what you’ll find in this guide. So get the car packed; whether you’re gearing up for your next trip or planning for a future getaway, you’re sure to find the perfect car-camping tent for you right here.Buying AdviceCar-camping tents are generally larger, more spacious and more feature-packed than backpacking tents, but also heavier. That would be a problem if you had to haul your setup everywhere—but that’s the beauty of car camping. When you drive to your campsite, weight isn’t an issue. The tents in this guide are roomy, feature-rich and affordable. They’re not the most portable, but there are some crossover tents that are light enough to backpack with and would still be incredibly comfortable in a front-country campground.In order to select the best shelter for you, consider the following factors.CapacityEvery tent model features a number in its name that corresponds, roughly, to how many people can fit inside, lying down shoulder to shoulder. There isn’t an industry standard for how much room each person gets, so think of it as a maximum; four sleepers can fit in a four-person tent, but you’ll be more comfortable in a six-person shelter.Also take a look at tent specs before buying. The floor area can help you think about where the sleeping pads would be positioned to maximize space, and peak height can tell you how much headroom you’ll have.Vestibules and DoorsThe space inside the main body of the tent isn’t the only space that matters. Especially if you’re dealing with weather or otherwise spending extended time inside your tent, you’ll want to get extra stuff out of the thing. That’s where vestibules come in. These indoor-outdoor spaces on the other side of the door are covered and accessible from the inside of the tent, but don’t eat into the floor space. They’re great for storing extra gear and wet clothes.If there are more than a couple of sleepers in your tent, having multiple doors is nice. It allows folks to enter and exit without stepping over one another or getting in anyone’s way.FeaturesIt’s also worth considering things like organization, ventilation and even color. Extra features tend to add cost to the shelter, but can be worth it. Interior pockets, gear lofts and gear loops let you get your sundries off the floor and out of the way, preserving floor space for sleeping. It’s nice to be able to designate one pocket for every sleeper, but not essential.Being able to remove the rainfly completely in good weather can improve the feeling of being outside. If you have multiple people sleeping in a tent or are camping in rain or humidity, you might want the ability to open vents in the tent to increase airflow and minimize condensation.A bright-colored tent may make the inside feel more comfortable and pleasant when it’s gray and murky outside. It’s also more visible from afar. A neutral-colored tent, on the other hand, will blend in with its surroundings more.MethodologyBeginning in the summer and fall 2019, we’ve sent more than 20 members (and their friends, families and pups) from across the country out into car campgrounds and parcels of wide-open public land to evaluate the best shelters you can find at REI. They’ve dealt with blazing sunshine, unrelenting rain and gale-force winds, scrutinizing everything from leaks to privacy windows.Ultimately, after each testing season every tester rates each shelter on its spaciousness, weather protection, durability, features, price and usability. We averaged those scores to give each tent a combined score out of 100; these seven tents are proven to provide the best night’s sleep. The REI Co-op Wonderland 6 and REI Co-op Skyward 4 performed supremely well in most categories; the Gazelle T4 Hub, Kelty Discovery Basecamp 6 and Coleman Skydome 4-Person Tent with Full-Fly Vestibule performed well in at least one—but not all—categories.