Skip to main content

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

Going Camping? These are the Best Family Tents to Buy on Amazon

One of the most important pieces of your camping kit is a good tent, and having to suffer with a lousy one can make wilderness adventures a lot less fun – doubly so if you’ve got kids in tow. A quality tent does more than provide shelter from the elements: It provides you with a small home away from home when you’re on the trail, giving you a cozy place to rest and relax when you’re not busy enjoying the great outdoors.

To accomplish this, a well-designed tent must be durable, reasonably easy to set up, and able to provide suitable comfort and protection from any type of weather you’re likely to encounter (your tent is shelter first and foremost, after all). It’s worth it to do a bit of research before you buy one, and we’ve already done the heavy lifting for you: Below is an up-to-date guide on the best family tents on Amazon right now, with picks that cover a nice range of needs and budgets.

Best Overall: Coleman Montana 8-Person Tent

best family tents
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Coleman is a brand that hardly needs an introduction (you’ll be seeing it more than once on this roundup), and there’s a good chance you already have some outdoor gear bearing this name. The Coleman Montana is well designed, reasonably weather-resistant with an entrance awning and removable rainfly, and roomy enough for eight sleepers or about three queen-sized air mattresses.

Perhaps most impressively, the Coleman Montana family tent is extremely affordable: You can grab this reliable and budget-friendly family tent for as little as $110 from Amazon right now, making it the best choice for anyone who wants a no-frills, no-nonsense shelter for their next camping trip.

Also Great: Core Instant Cabin 9-Person Tent

best family tents
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Another great choice that’s similar to the Coleman Montana, but that offers a bit more headroom, is the Instant Cabin family tent from Core. This was a runner-up for our top pick (beat out by the Coleman only due to the fact that the Instant Cabin is twice the price) thanks to a generous, roomy interior that easily allows adults to stand up and walk around comfortably.

The Core Instant Cabin is also very well-ventilated, particularly when the detachable rainfly is removed, which opens up the entire roof of the tent, and features a handy room divider (useful for changing clothes or when camping with older kids who may want some privacy). The nine-person Core Instant Cabin family tent is on sale from Amazon for $220, while the three-compartment 12-person Instant Cabin tent is available for just $50 more if you need even more space.

Best for an Upgrade: NTK Arizona GT 9- to 10-Person Tent

best family tents
Image used with permission by copyright holder

If your motto is “buy once, cry once,” then you’ll want to consider upgrading to the Arizona GT from NTK. This family tent can comfortably pack in nine to 10 people (depending on the age and size of the occupants) with enough room for three queen air mattresses plus two single mattresses. The Arizona GT also boasts a suite of great design touches including having two doors instead of one, three ventilated windows, color-coded poles for easy setup, and an anti-fungal heat-deflecting floor.

The tent’s coated rainfly also stretches all the way to the ground – meaning it’ll completely shed water away from any and all openings no matter how hard it’s pouring outside. The NTK Arizona GT is a bigger and more premium family tent than our other picks and carries a price tag to match, with the nine- to 10-person model ringing in at $370. Amazon has the larger 12-person Super Arizona GT for $430 as well.

Best for Smaller Families: Coleman Sundome 6-Person Tent

best family tents
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Sundome is another solid offering from Coleman and is by far one of its most popular tent offerings. Like the Montana, the Sundome features a straightforward but reliable design that’s easy to set up (one person can do it alone) and has a simple domed interior with room enough for six people – ideal for smaller families or even as a separate kids’ tent. Bear in mind that it only has two fiberglass poles for support, though, so it’s not the best pick for heavy wind and rain.

The Coleman Sundome is available in a range of sizes, with the six-person family tent on sale for as little as $90. The four-person Sundome is a bit cheaper at $60, but even if your group only has three or four campers, we recommend sizing up to the six-person model — accounting for bags, shoes, gear, dogs, and wiggle room, you’re better off erring on the larger side.

Best for Wet Weather: Coleman Weathermaster 10-Person Tent

best family tents
Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you’re specifically looking for something that can stand up to high winds and heavy rainfall better than most other tents, the Coleman Weathermaster is a good alternative. This 10-person family tent is made from coated polyester and features Coleman’s WeatherTec system with welded floors and inverted seams that keep water out, as well as a rainfly that doubles as an above-door awning. The door, instead of being a loose flap, is also framed and hinged for easy opening and closing when it’s windy.

The generously sized 10-person Coleman Weathermaster family tent is marked down to $165 at the moment, making it a little more expensive than the Montana but a better pick for climates prone to inclement weather. A six-person model is also available and features a sort of screened-in “porch” compartment, but it’s more expensive than the 10-person Weathermaster.

Best for All Seasons: Springbar Highline Canvas Tent

best family tents
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Most tents today are made out of modern materials like nylon and polyester which strike a balance between lightness and durability. If weight is not your concern and you care most about ruggedness, however, then it doesn’t get much more long-lasting than a canvas tent-like the American-made Springbar Highline. This tent, crafted from thick and sturdy 100% cotton duck with steel (not fiberglass) poles, looks like something your grandpa might have used, and it’s just as tough.

This cotton canvas is watertight but breathable (as it’s a natural material), and the tent has a large awning covering the door which doubles as a rainfly. The big drawbacks with old-school tents like this are weight – canvas is heavy – and expense, but if you want an old-school U.S.-made tent that can last a lifetime, this is it: The six-person Springbar Highline comes to $599, or you can upgrade to the eight-person Highline for $749.

Editors' Recommendations

Lucas Coll
Lucas Coll is a freelance commerce and affiliate writer for The Manual and our tech-focused brother site, Digital Trends…
Make your next camping cookout epic with the best mobile kitchens
Organize, prep, and cook in the wild just like at home with these compact, camp-friendly cook stations
Friends sharing a meal while camping by a lake

A fresh, hot meal is usually out of the question when it comes to camping or hiking in the wilderness. Most people usually munch on trail mix, sandwiches, or beef jerky for sustained, carb-fueled energy. But what if we told you that foods like fire-roasted hot dogs, seared smoky steaks, and even spaghetti with meatballs are all possible to cook in the great outdoors? Well, thanks to the magic of camp cooking gear, you're able to cook almost any type of food just about anywhere these days. These are our top picks for the best mobile camp kitchens that all guarantee the potential for a gourmet meal for your next camping adventure.

Read more
Cold-weather camping tips: How to stay warm in your tent through fall and winter
Get geared up and ready for fall and winter camping
Man drinking coffee in his tent in the cold

The serious outdoorsman knows that camping doesn't have to stop just because the nights are getting colder. A little frost on the ground or clear fall nights — where temperatures dip to 32 degrees Fahrenheit or lower — aren't going to be enough to stop you. And they don't have to be. Cold-weather camping can take some getting used to, but camping in what most people consider the "off-season" gives you access to nature at a time when most people are curled up on their sofa instead.

Camping in the cold requires planning — there's no escaping that. Your summer camping gear might not quite cut it during fall and winter, but there are often ways that you can prolong the seasonal span of your gear and not have to shell out for another expensive setup. Then there are those nights where the cold weather catches you out — the first frost of the season, that clear fall night you weren't anticipating. On those nights, when you're suddenly thrown in at the deep end of unseasonal camping, these tips can help you to stay warm in your tent.

Read more
Thule Outset tent is a rooftop-style tent for camping on the ground, and it’s low-key genius
Thule Outset is bound to make camping easier for everyone
Thule Outset Hitch-Mounted Tent

When it comes to outdoor adventures, the right equipment can make all the difference between a memorable experience and a challenging ordeal. Luckily, Thule, a renowned name in outdoor gear, is set to revolutionize camping with its latest innovation: the Thule Outset Hitch-Mounted Tent. This cutting-edge camping tent is set to come out sometime in the next two years. To learn more, we'll explore the announced features of the Thule Outset and highlight the convenience it offers over traditional tents.

Features of the Thule Outset rooftop-style tent
One of the best things about this tent will be the hassle-free setup. The last thing you want to do after a long day of hiking is to pitch a tent, so Thule has put a ton of thought into its new design. The Thule Outset changes the game by attaching directly to your car's hitch. It's got a built-in platform that folds up and down into a box, so you don't need to level a spot on the ground. The Outset's independently adjustable legs ensure a comfortable sleeping surface wherever you park.

Read more