If you are looking to upgrade your family's camping gear or strike out for a first-time family trip to the wilderness, then you've come to the right place.
There are a huge variety of options for family tents. Whether you're looking for something big and luxurious that acts as a home away from home or you're after the bare minimum, we've picked out the six best tents to suit your needs.
Like smaller two-man and three-person tents, family-sized tents range in price, size, and shape. Before you invest in a tent, you'll want to make sure you know the weight and size, as well as whether it's suitable for where you'll be wanting to pitch up. With that being said, be sure to take a look at the specifications we've included for each tent in this list so that your camping trip can be smooth sailing.
Our Shortlist
Robens Eagle Rock TC 6+2XP – Best in test
Vango Osiris Air 500 – Best value
Decathlon Quechua AirSeconds 4.1 Fresh & Black – Best budget inflatable family tent
Tentbox Lite XL – Best rooftop family tent
Outwell Avondale 5PA – Best large family air tent
Coleman Octagon – Best family tent for stargazing
Our picks of the best family tents that have each received an individual award, be it value for money, clever design, or space. If you want to learn more about which tent is right for you, scroll to the bottom of this article to find our buying advice.
We absolutely love big group camping trips, and we hope you will too. Break out the extra large drinks cooler and head for the hills!
The best family tents in detail
1. Robens Eagle Rock TC 6+2XP
Best in Test
Description
Of all the family tents we’ve tested at LFTO, this one ticks the most boxes in terms of the way it
Pros
- Very spacious
- Handy separate bedroom
- Great quality materials
- Feels very durable
Cons
- Takes up a lot of boot space!
2. Vango Osiris Air 500
Best Value
Description
It’s perhaps no surprise to find Vango clutching the Best Value award. Its tent – and gear in
Pros
- Made from recycled bottles
- Fast to pitch
- Excellent bedroom space
- Good waterproof rating
Cons
- Others have better headroom
3. Decathlon Quechua AirSeconds 4.1 Fresh & Black
Best budget inflatable family tent
Description
It takes a lot of people a long time to trust air tents, for obvious reasons. But in all the years
Pros
- Fantastic value
- Pitches very quickly
- Blackout bedroom
- Good quality materials
- Small packed size
Cons
- Pump not included
- Need larger size for bigger kids
4. TentBox Lite XL
Best roof tent for families
Description
Go back in time a few years and hardly anyone had heard of a roof tent, but now all of a sudden
Pros
- Pitches in seconds
- High quality materials
- Memory foam mattress
- Very spacious interior
- Two skylights for stargazing
Cons
- Bulky to store when not in use
- No porch or living area
5. Outwell Avondale 5PA
Best large family air tent
Description
The key thing to remember when buying a family tent is that when a tent is described as 4-person,
Pros
- Spacious family air tent
- Good waterproofing
- Silent bedroom doors
- Darkened bedrooms
- Huge porch area
Cons
- Very heavy and bulky
- Longer setup time for an air tent
6. Coleman Octagon
Best stargazing tent for families
Description
A few years ago we got our hands on the Coleman Octagon, which was great fun for sleeping out with
Pros
- 360 views from inside
- Easy to assemble
- Good internal height
- Clever hinged door
- Very spacious
Cons
- Only one room
- Fairly bulky and heavy
Things to consider when buying a family tent:
Type
To start narrowing down your options, consider what kind of outdoor adventures you're hoping to have, then pick the type of tent that best suits your needs.
Tunnel tents are great for weekend and summer camping as they offer lots of space, are easy to pitch, and use traditional poles. However, they are often heavier than other shapes.
Dome tents are good for hikers and trekkers because small dome tents are quite stable and lightweight. They are also cheap and work well in moderate wind.
Geodesic tents have crisscrossing support poles, making them much more capable of dealing with high winds and harsh weather. Geodesic tents sacrifice space and are a little more complex to pitch than other styles but are great for camping in extreme environments. Less suitable for casual campers and families.
Rating
Next, make sure you're familiar with waterproof ratings:
– 1000mm: Will keep out light rain. We'd call this rating more water-resistant than waterproof.
– 2000mm: Waterproof and will keep out rain.
– 4000mm: Will keep out heavy rain.
– 10,000mm+: These ultra-durable tents deal with driving rain and snow and the extra pressure applied onto tent floors by people and equipment.
Camping Style
Will you be pitching at a campsite or wild camping? Will your tent go up right by your car, or will you have to carry it a distance? These are all good questions to ask yourself before purchasing your tent. The weight and size are important to check as you do not want to be lugging around an excessively large tent if you are walking for a while.
Consider your aims and experience level. If you're a first-time camper, it's worth purchasing a beginner's tent that isn't too pricey just in case the camping life isn't for you.
On the flip side, if you do have some outdoor experience, then be sure to go for a tent that suits the way you and your family like to camp. If you prioritise space, or you're on the hunt for just a little extra luxury, then we would recommend the Robens model. But if you don't mind some closeness (which, if you're camping as a family, is inevitable), go for something like the Coleman Octagon and stargaze together.
Similarly, if you're the type of campers who take the bare essentials, you'll likely want to keep things simple with the Vango model. Or, you might be after a high-tech tent with all the bells and whistles, in which case we'd direct you to the Decathlon Quechua, which is also fantastic value for it's price.
Extra equipment for family tents:
In order to improve your camping experience, there are some valuable extras that you might want to consider so everything will run smoothly.
Description
Sometimes supplied tent pegs get pulled from the ground when the weather conditions get really
8. Hi-Gear Roller 15m Power Socket Supply
Description
Modern campsites come with all the commodities of home life, and with this socket supply, you will