Camping with the whole family is a classic past-time that never seems to get old, and piling into the family camping tent is one of the best ways to bond as a family.
Whether you’re a fan of really roughing it and wish to teach your children about nature, or you prefer settling into a camping park with a few more amenities, camping is truly a lovely experience.
And the first thing you’ll need above all else is a high-quality and affordable family camping tent.
There are a ton of family camping tents on the market today, but not all of them are equally good. We put together a list of the best of the best to save you some shopping time.
Before we dive into the list, let’s check out some additional information you’ll need.
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What Size Tent Do I Need for Family Camping?
This is an easy question to answer. There are just a few guidelines to consider when looking for the appropriately sized family camping tents.
As a general rule, follow these guidelines:
- For one camper: Between 20 and 40 square feet.
- For 2-3 campers: Between 40 and 120 square feet.
- For 4+ campers: Between 80 and 160 square feet. You’ll need large family camping tents or possibly family camping tents with rooms.
If you have small children and don’t think you’ll need so much space, keep in mind that your kids will grow with each camping trip.
What are the Best Family Camping Tents?
There are a number of top-tier brands to look out for:
- CORE
- Coleman
- NTK
- Kodiak
- Big Agnes
- Kelty
- REI
- Hilleberg
- The North Face
It would be wise to avoid unfamiliar brand names or tents that are suspiciously cheap. Saving money is always a good thing, but sometimes you’ll need to sacrifice cost for quality to keep your family safe, dry, and comfortable on your camping trip.
What Should I Look for When Buying a Tent?
Keep in mind that you’ll need to look for camping tents that are ideal for multiple people, so their features will differ from a single-person camping tent:
- Enough square footage.
- Rooms, if you have a lot of people.
- Aluminum poles. They are lightweight and durable, compared to fiberglass poles that easily break.
- Tents from brands that sell replacement poles.
- A high-quality rainfly if you camp in a humid or rainy area.
- Folded seams to avoid leaks.
- Double stitching to avoid leaks and improve durability.
- A tub floor that goes a few inches along the sides.
- Decent guy lines to keep the tent taught.
- Heavy-duty stake loops
- Noseeum meshing for keeping out insects.
- Roof rents for more airflow.
- High-quality zippers for the doors and windows.
Related guide: Best Bell Tents for Family Camping
Top 5 Camping Tends for Your Family Trips
CORE 9 Person Instant Cabin Tent – 14′ x 9′
CORE’s instant cabin can be set up in one minute. This makes it great for families who need to set up camp quickly and efficiently.
This tent can fit two queen-size mattresses and stands at 78 inches. It also features a room divider and lots of wall storage for all of your camping items.
It even has an electrical cord access port that is closable when you don’t need it, so feel free to pack the generator!
The only downfall to this tent is that sometimes, according to reviews, customers have received duds and have had trouble contacting customer service.
Coleman 8-Person Tent for Camping
Coleman’s affordable eight-person tent has quite a spacious feel to it.
It is approximately 17 by 10 feet and stands at 6 feet. If you really need privacy between campers, this tent also has three different room dividers.
If you want a hotel feel, opt for this tent!
It is also made using the WeatherTec system with welded floors and inverted seams for wet weather.
The only downside to this tent is that the windows attached to the doors are made of mesh and cannot be closed shut. If you plan on camping in the cold, it may be wise to look elsewhere.
Coleman 6-Person Dark Room Sundome Tent
Another great Coleman tent is this multi-sectioned sundome cabin.
Designed for six people, this tent as a separate screen room for lounging without having to get bitten up by mosquitoes. The screen room also doubles as an additional sleeping compartment.
At 10 by 9 feet, there is plenty of room for a family.
This tent also boasts awnings, a high-quality rainfly, and durable Polyguard material base that can make it through any weather.
Unfortunately, one con to this tent is that it can take ten minutes to set up properly. This may not be an issue for most people, but if you need something that is quick to set up, this may not be the one.
NTK Arizona GT 9 to 10 Person 17.4 by 8 Foot Sport Camping Tent
This unique NTK tent is a big one designed for extra-large families, up to twelve in total. It boasts two rooms, two doors, three windows, and stands at over six feet.
If you plan on camping in unpredictable weather, this is a good choice.
It has double-layered 190T polyester laminated materials with polyurethane water columns, UV protection, mesh vents, and D-style doors with mosquito netting.
The floor also has anti-fungus polyethylene with silver-coated layers for the dampest weather conditions. Out of all the tents on our list, this tent is one of the toughest!
A downfall to this tent is that it has fiberglass rods, which tend to be more breakable than aluminum.
NTK Super Arizona GT 12 Person Sport Family XL Camping Tent
If you loved the bells and whistles of the previous tent, you’ll be swept away by this upgraded version!
This twelve-person tent offers full rainfly coverage, double-layer material, and extra ventilation for varying weather conditions.
This tent stands tall at 7 feet for the tallest household members.
Like the previous tent, this one has fiberglass rods, which can be less durable than aluminum rods.