Best Large Family Tents of 2020 | Expert Advice
If you quickly want to find out which is the best large family tent, I’d recommend the Wenzel 8 Person Klondike Tent.
Car camping with family is a good summer pastime for many of us.
Tents have a big effect on your pack weight, as well as your budget, so the tent you choose is one of the important camping gear decisions.
Whether it’s just a base camp for nearby activities, or a camp in the wild, this article will help you find the best family tent.
Our Top 5 Large Family Tents in 2020
Product | Capacity | Highlights | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
#1 Wenzel 8 Person Klondike Tent | 8P | - Spacious - Has a full mesh roof option - Easy assembly and setup | |
#2 Coleman Dome Tent for Camping | 6P | - Waterproof with the Weathertec system - Easy setup in under 10 minutes - Comes with e port and mesh storage pockets | |
#3 Coleman 8-Person Tent for Camping | 8P | - Lightweight & best for backpacking - Great value for money - Good cross ventilation | |
#4 Coleman Dome Tent with Screen Room | 6/8P | - Separate screen room can be used as lounge - Spacious interiors & good center height - Sturdy pole setup – stands strong in the winds | |
#5 Big Agnes Flying Diamond 6P tent | 6P | - Heavy duty 4 season tent - Has a front vestibule & mesh storage pockets inside - Spacious and well constructed |
Things to look for in a Family Tent
Tent capacity
When choosing a large family tent, keep in mind that most 4 person tents, do not tend to accommodate 4 adults comfortably. So, check for the floor dimensions, the head room and vestibules.
Particularly if you are going to be sharing the tent with large people, or people who are claustrophobic or those who toss & turn around frequently, upsize your tent by one or two.
Also, the shape of the tent is not to be ignored, as they contribute to comfort. Rectangular tents are more comfortable than any others.
Tent Seasonality
3 Season Tents
3 Season family tents are for springs, summers and fall. They are lightweight and are made up of ample mesh panels for ventilation. They can withstand rains but not harsh storms or violent weathers.
4 Season Tents
These tents are designed to withstand fierce weathers, downpours or heavy snowing. They are made with heavier poles and heavy fabrics.
They aren’t as well ventilated as the 3 season tents but when there’s an unwelcoming weather, it assures you safety. The large cabin tents that are 4-season are generally a great investment for family camping.
Tent features
Rainfly
Think of it as an additional layer to keep away snow, rains and dust. It cuts down on leakage and the condensation inside the tent. There are two types of rainfly
Full coverage rainfly – for people who adventure in high winds and heavy downpours, they stop almost 90% of the wind from entering the tent and the rains from leaking in.
Half coverage rainfly – they cover the important parts of a family tent like the sleeping floor, and ensure you stay dry.
Tent doors
Family tents with 2 entry doors are ideal, more than that it’s an overkill. With two, you can comfortably get in or out from either sides without disturbing the others in the tent. It is the case even with extra large camping tents.
Tent Poles
Most of the family tents these days are freestanding. They are easy to setup and can be moved around easily, but have the downside is they are heavy.
The pole structure, and the lesser number of poles determines its ease to setup. Aluminium poles are lightweight, durable and stronger than fiberglass ones.
Tent material
Most tents these days are made of Polyester or Nylon. Higher denier fabrics tend to be more thick, sturdy & durable.
Vestibules
Vestibules are that extra storage space you get to keep your boots or additional camping gear out of the rain. Look for it in family tents for camping if you have bulky gear.
Ventilation
Ventilation is particularly important if you are camping in mild weathers. Most of the tents use meshes for the ceiling, windows and doors that allows for cross ventilation and views.
Inner storage pockets
Storage pockets inside your tent help you keep small things more organized, and the lantern loops help you hang a lantern or a light. These come extra handy when you are going family camping and have to keep important stuff from getting lost.
Hydrostatic head measurement
It simply tells the water resistance of your tent material.
Tents with a higher hydrostatic head value, are more waterproof, withstand themselves from leakage more.
If you are looking for good water resistance, look for a tent with 2500..+ mm coating.
Also, keep in mind that this is only one of the factors that determine the water resistance of the tent. The design of the tent, the materials used, the stitch,… everything matters.
Optional tent add-ons
Footprint / Tarp
Even though your tent floor might be double coated and welded, it tends to wear away with time and continuous exposure to flooding water. With any large family tent, go for a footprint or tarp to extend its life.
Gear Loft
Some tents don’t come with storage pockets in them, and it’s sad because they come quite handy. So you might want to purchase a gear loft separately to just store some gear overhead or hang in your lanterns, keys and stuff.
Prerequisites/precautions
Camp Setup at Home
Don’t wait to setup the tent on the camping day. First, if you are newbie you’ll find it a bit difficult to know your way around things, second you don’t know which part is missing or defective.
It’s always a good idea to do a test setup of your family tent at the comforts of your home, a week before the trip.
Stakes
Always carry additional stakes, just in case. Without the sufficient number of stakes, a tent might not be as sturdy. Also, if your tent comes with plastic stakes, with no second thought replace them with with aluminium ones. You can always purchase them separately.
Padding the floor
If you predict heavy downpours, get a footprint or a tarp for extending the durability of the floor. Most 3 season tents withstand normal rains, but not continuous rigorous downpours.
Tent care tips
Always ensure that the fabric is dry before storage. When dried wet, not only does the tent catch a funky odor, the polyurethane coatings also get damaged because of the moisture.
Keep your tent in a cool, dry place.
Handle your zippers and poles with extra care.
Clean your tent and fly periodically.
Top 5 Best Large Family Tents
Pros
Cons
Short Review
This tent measures 16 x 6.5 x 11 feet, and has a partition in between – the main sleeping area and the screen porch to the front. That can be used as a second sleeping room or as a storage area to keep your backpacks and camping gear outside of the sleeping room.
It has an excellent head room of 6’5 and has a full mesh roof option that’s a great option for people who love stargazing. It comes with a half coverage rainfly, covering the top of the tent.
Though it keeps dry during the rains, many users feel that it may not be the best option in high winds.
Chosen for price, excellent weather protection, and room space. Easily our top pick in this article. A good quality product perfect for stargazing.
Pros
Cons
Short Review
This tent comes in 2 variants – one with the LED light system, and the one with the Dark room technology. The latter is preferred by users who would like to block the sunlight entering the tents and enjoy the morning’s sleep even after the sun is out.
It comes with the Weathertec system with welded floors for protection from the rains. It has a half coverage rainfly and has a floor vent and mesh windows for ventilation.
However, users have found this to become cold on colder nights and advise you to compensate it with good quality sleeping bags/pads, etc.
A basic camping tent at a reasonable price that withstands normal rains & windy days.
Pros
Cons
Short Review
The Coleman 8 person tent, is one of the most popular choices for family tents. It measures 27.5 x 9.2 x 9 inches that can hold upto 3 queen size beds, and has a 6’2 center height tall enough for people to walk comfortably inside the tent.
It has a hinged D door that’s at the middle of the long side of the rectangular tent, that offers easy access to the tent, even for multiple people. It also has an extended door awning that can be used for keeping shoes and gear.
The mesh roof allows for adequate ventilation.
It comes with Weathertec system & welded floors for waterproofing.
A solid 3 season tent that’s best suited for outdoor camping. There may be better tents out there, but not at this price.
Pros
Cons
Short Review
A dome shaped tent, easily fits in 2 queen size beds inside it. It also has a spacious porch at the front. You can fit in 2 chairs easily in it and enjoy the wild, or simply use it for keeping the dirt & bugs out.
It has multiple mesh windows at the top for stargazing, and at the sides that guarantee very good ventilation. It has a 5’8 center height that might a problem for taller people.
As with most of the Coleman tents, it comes with the Weathertec system implanted for waterproofing.
It may not withstand heavy rainstorms but it works just fine for camping in good weather conditions.
An economical option with near to perfect features. The screened porch at the front stands out.
Pros
Cons
Short Review
The Big Agnes tents, are a little pricey but are well designed & stand as solid investments for years.
It’s an easy-to-setup freestanding tent, with aluminium poles for sturdiness. It has 2 D shaped doors, one at the front and the other at the rear. It also comes with generous mesh windows on the sides and in the roof for ventilation.
It has a full coverage rainfly with an awning to the front for keeping your shoes out. The materials used in the tent are high quality ripstop nylon fabric for the tent body and polyester with polyurethane coating for the floors.
Some customers have reported issues with the zippers, and find that the mesh windows are placed a little high in the tent, for air flow into the tent in the summers or humid environments.
Chosen for people who are looking to invest in a heavy duty product. A 4 season tent for best design, performance and durability.
Conclusion
If you need a heavy duty tent that’s spacious for your family, our pick for the best large family tent would be the Wenzel 8 Person Klondike Tent. It has an excellent floor space, head room and has partitioned rooms that can be used as a storage space or as an additional sleeping room.
One attractive feature that makes this one a top pick is the mesh roof that can be a dream for people who like stargazing.
