The main structure isn’t the worst, with the entire tent made of 150D polyester and all seams sealed. However, the zippers and the mesh netting are poorly made, and the bag will not last more than a season before it rips or springs a leak. The poles are made from aluminum, but many moving plastic pieces hold them together. The Cabin has three large windows, easy access vents in the ceiling (these are accessible from inside the tent thanks to zippers in the ceiling), and two storage pockets. The only ding on the windows is that they have no ties or way to secure them once opened, so they are left to simply dangle.
The Coleman Instant Cabin makes getting camp set up quicker and easier than ever. This instant tent has pre-attached poles that make setting up camp as simple as unfolding, extending, and securing. You can assemble the tent in about a minute and then get started on your adventure. This camping tent is designed with the WeatherTec system that features patented welded floors and inverted seams to help ensure you stay dry if it starts to rain. An integrated vented rainfly offers added protection from the rain and improves airflow without the need for extra assembly.
While it may take you more than a minute the first time, we found that setup time to be right on target. It had a ton of great online reviews and video bloggers hailed it as one of the best family tents for the price. If there is an easier family camping tent out there, we haven’t seen it.
As mentioned above, there are two variants of this tent, the top picture above shows the version which comes with a waterproof porch. Your tent won’t be air-conditioned, and things can get stuffy once you pack it full of people. Newer tents build in vents and roofs that you can open up to promote airflow, along with the mesh windows that will let in air when you choose. Some tents are also built to keep out the sun’s rays, making them great for those who like midday naps on vacation. Chances are, though, you won’t want to spend half your trip setting up your tent.
Whether you’re a group of weekend warriors that are short on time, or you’re a family that wants to simplify your camp set up, these winning tents will make camping with kids a whole lot more satisfying. The Instant Tent 6 is also lacking a couple of other features that would help it compete with several similar tents. There’s also no room divider, but this was less of a priority given the lack of entryways.
The tent body simply clips onto a set of aluminum poles that dock into grommets at four corners of the tent. These now-common clip-style setups are generally intuitive and can be accomplished in minutes—certainly this was true of the Mineral King 3, as under good conditions one person pitched the tent in under five minutes. In high winds, it took us a maximum of 10 minutes to pitch and fully secure the tent fly with extra lines and stakes.
You should always look for features like large floor plans and stand-up height ceilings if you want to get the maximum enjoyment out of your tent. Since the Coleman cabin tent has enough space for two queen-size air beds and comes with an optional room divider, it’s become a hit with families with young kids. The steep walls make cabin tents great for campers who want a tall ceiling to prevent them from hitting their heads off the roof. One customer’s Coleman 6 person instant tent was the only tent that leaked in a group of the same tents. Another person, a solo camper with the tent in the backyard, had leaky seams. There’s an equal amount of customer feedback praising the tent and complaining about leaks.
Like the Night Cat, this tent can’t stand on its own without the integrated rainfly. The rainfly is attached to the telescoping fiberglass poles, and you can remove the internal tent for a sun tent or a minimal camping cover. The problem is that in tent mode, the Toogh doesn’t have nearly the same level of ventilation as the other tents we tried.
Using darkroom technology, Coleman has taken the game to another level. The tent offers exceptional comfort and an easy setup process. If you buy a low-quality tent, you will end up having sleepless coleman cabin tent nights and it may fall apart. Without having a night of proper sleep, you can’t enjoy your time. With 56 square feet, the inside is big enough for a queen air mattress or two twins.
After setup, we assessed the size of each tent by inflating two camping pads that, when pushed together, create a queen-sized mattress. Most car campers want comfort, so if we couldn’t fit a queen-size mattress in the tent, it lost a point. If it wasn’t able to fit four sleeping bags side-by-side, it was coleman sleeping bags docked further. While there are lots of excellent family tents on the market, instant camping tents have been gaining popularity, so we decided to focus our testing exclusively on tents that claimed to be set up in 5 minutes or less. These family-style instant tents will transform your family campouts.