Nylon is also more susceptible to UV damage, which, as Howe pointed out, is a top tent killer. (Howe suggested setting a tent up in the shade to prolong its life.) Polyester is stiffer and heavier but not as susceptible to UV damage, and it doesn’t absorb water like nylon does, Howe told us. The takeaway here is that polyester is arguably the better fabric for car campers, who often pitch their tents in a sunny spot. Easy to set up and pack away, the Mineral King 3 is a lightweight, two-door tent with a generous footprint and a sturdy dome shape. It’s the perfect choice for three-season multipurpose camping.
In contrast, the majority of the tents in our test group came with basic L-shaped stakes, which tended to spin around in the soil and slip a line. The shepherd’s hook design, in contrast, held lines and tabs secure in all conditions and required no extra equipment for handling. For the first incarnations of this guide, we tested the smaller tents and the larger, family-size tents in two separate groups. To evaluate the small tents in real-world situations, we took them first to Greggs Hideout, on the Arizona side of Lake Mead. During our tests in this area, temperatures reached upwards of 110 degrees Fahrenheit, and at night, as the sands cooled, whipping windstorms kicked up around us.
The Core Instant Tent comes in sizes all the way from 4-person to 12-person. Yes, with 79 inches of headroom, the majority of adults can stand up in the tent. No, It is probably best used uniquely for the recommended 3 seasons only. To share feedback or ask a question about this article, send a note to our Reviews team at
With that being said, we do recommend you take note of your Coleman tent’s longest measurement when packed, especially if you’ll be transporting it in a compact car rather than a truck or SUV. Now that doesn’t mean that Coleman tents aren’t durable, or that there aren’t thousands upon thousands coleman sleeping bags of satisfied customers that have been using a Coleman tent for years. The last Coleman tent we had made it through five years of regular use and abuse before it started leaking, and we probably could have gotten even more life out of it with a proper refresh of its waterproofing.
An integrated rainfly further contributes to the ease of setup—particularly for the entry-level camper. Our main issue with the integrated rainfly is that we lose all ventilation (and views of the outside) when there’s risk of rain, but there is a slight solution to this. For an additional $28, Coleman offers a secondary rainfly accessory made of Polyguard 2X that straps to the top and allows you to have open vents without getting your stuff soaked. Although it’s less than ideal to add a 20% upcharge to unlock this feature, it’s still much easier on your wallet than the majority of the tents in our review. However, this rainfly really only serves to add extra protection to the roof; it does not extend out far enough to provide sufficient protection for the doors and windows. After our longtime top-pick tent for two people ran into some stock issues in 2021, we decided it was a good time for an update to this guide.
Coleman has been manufacturing tents for decades, and generally speaking they’ve got the whole “quick and easy set-up” thing down to a science. Instant-tent models are particularly easy to pitch, especially those with integrated rainfly designs that don’t require any additional preparation for weatherproofing. We love the simplicity of the instant tent design with its pre-attached poles, which allow you to get this tent set up in well under five minutes with or without a helping hand.
Weight-wise, with its 23 lb (10.4 kg) this is a heavy structure, and as mentioned above this is not to be carried anywhere. Note that the packed size is quite good 26 x 10.5 inches (66 x 27 cm) and you can transport it on a bicycle. The inner door is also huge and this is again a double-layer type, with mesh and with panels. This is The Wise Adventurer’s roundup of the best Coleman tents on the market. Coleman tents are great because they’re both affordable and accessible, yet come from a reputable brand that’s been around longer than any of us have been alive.
It blocks up to 90 percent of the sun, allowing you to sleep easily. As compared to traditional Coleman tents, it offers 20 percent more headroom. Credit goes to nearly vertical walls; you have more space to stand and move in the cabin freely. While buying a tent, the first thing that comes to your mind is the setup process. A tent that takes a lot of time to open and close is not suitable. Thankfully, it takes a maximum of five minutes to set up the tent and start resting.
We’ll be looking at the 4 best products in the category, and compare them to each other based on 6 features + pros & cons. However, if you need more space and need an electric cord access port, you can go with the Core Dome tent. If you want to know how to set up the tent and use it effectively, here is a video that will explain the setup process. Did you know the first night football game was lit by Coleman lanterns in 1905? Moreover, Coleman created a camping stove for WWII soldiers in 1942.