One of the most rewarding family activities you can do without spending a large amount of money is camping. Not only does it afford you time to build your family relationships, it is also a great way to explore and to learn more about our natural surroundings and different areas. However, one thing that could ruin an otherwise perfect camping trip is having a tent that is either of poor quality or does not have the appropriate amount of space for the whole family.
| Family Tents | Price | Our Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kodiak Canvas Flex-Bow Deluxe |  | Amazon | A+ |
| Coleman 6-Person Instant Cabin Tent |  | Amazon | B |
| ​Browning Camping Big Horn Family Tent |  | Amazon | A+ |
| ​Coleman Hampton Family Camping Cabin Tent |  | Amazon | A |
| ​Bushnell Shield Series Instant Cabin Tent |  | Amazon | B |
​Therefore, we have searched the web in search for the best family camping tent. What we found was that there are plenty of quality tents available on the market. So, in order to provide you with the most accurate information for making sure you find a family tent that meets your needs, we have listed the top five family camping tents available. Let’s get started by looking at these big family tents.
​What to Look for in A Family Tent
​There is more involved with finding the best family tent for your family than you may think. Does it have the appropriate amount of space for your family size? Does it have the necessary features to ensure everyone is comfortable? Does it have features that make it suitable for the environment in which you spend most of your time camping? These factors have to be taken into consideration before you make any purchase.
Size​
​The size of your tent should be appropriate for the size of your family. This may sound like a no-brainer, but there are many people who will sacrifice size for value. In other words, they are cramming a family of six in a tent built for four simply because it may have been a cheaper option.
Your tent should be large enough for all of the members of your family and your gear. Having plenty of room to stretch out at night and get a comfortable night’s sleep can be the difference in a pleasant camping excursion and miserable experience.
​Features
​By features, we are not referring to the ability to hang a 40-inch T.V. or a built-in kitchen. We are are referring to features such as ports for power cords, dividers, storage compartments, and vents for air circulation. Features that are necessary to make your camping trip an enjoyable experience.
​Weather Considerations
​Camping in the Rockies is a completely different experience than camping on a beach in Florida. The climates are different, the surroundings are different, and the weather most certainly is different. If you and your family tend to spend a lot of your camping in a specific environment, make sure the tent you select is able to accommodate those environmental conditions.
Now that we have observed some factors to keep in mind when selecting your tent, let’s take a look at the ones we have selected as being some of the best family size tents currently available and which one stands out as being the best.
The Top Five
Kodiak Canvas Flex-Bow Deluxe
Kodiak has become known for creating durable family tents that can take a beating and their Flex-Bow Deluxe is no exception. Large, durable, and packed with features, it is easy to see why this tent made our list of top-five.
​The Good
This eight-person tent provides your family with 6.5-feet of ceiling height and 10 x 14-feet of floor space. The Flex-Bow Deluxe is constructed from 100-percent marine-grade cotton duck Hydra-Shield canvas. Using a double-fill design, this material is durable and features a silicone dry-finish treatment to ensure it is breathable while remaining watertight. This treatment also ensures that water vapor is allowed to escape which minimizes condensation.
The frame is just as rugged as the canvas. The Flex-Bow frame is constructed of ⅜-inch spring steel rods and 1-inch steel tubing. This combination helps to ensure that the tent stays taut. The tent also features two funnel-flow vents that help to prevent the inside of the tent from becoming musty and to aid in controlling the internal temperature of the tent.
The D-shaped doors are large and provide plenty of space for when you are moving gear in and out of the tent. There are also for large mesh-covered tents to allow for air circulation without having to worry about insects coming in.
​The Not So Good
​The only drawbacks to the Kodiak Canvas Flex-Bow Deluxe is the weight and the size. While there are heavier family camping tents available, there are also plenty of lighter ones. At nearly 80lbs., lugging this tent around on trails could be tricky. Having an eight-person capacity isn’t horrible, but being a little larger wouldn’t hurt either.
​Coleman Hampton Family Camping Cabin Tent
​Ever since they came out with their lantern in 1914, Coleman has become a name that is synonymous with quality camping gear. Today, they make more than just lanterns and manufacture camping stoves, accessories, and camping tents such as their Hampton 6-person Family Camping Cabin Tent.
​The Good
​This 6-person tent uses inverted seams and patented welded floors to keep the water where it belongs, outside of your tent. There is plenty of space for a family of six to sleep comfortably, or if you having an outing with friends, you can easily fit two queen-sized air mattresses. The dimensions, 7 x 13 x 6 ft., offer plenty of maneuver room inside, even with two queen size mattresses.
​The entryway uses a unique hinged door that makes going in and out less of a hassle than you see with many flap enclosures. For added privacy, the tent features a room divider that allows you to divide the tent into two separate sections. To help with airflow, all four sides feature a mesh-covered window and the roof is also constructed of the same mesh material. Other features include:
- An Electric Cord Port
- A Removable Rain Fly
- Lightweight Fiberglass Poles
- Storage Bag
- Weighs 27.3 lbs.
The Not So Good
​This tent does require two people in order to set it up, this may be a hindrance if you are planning on trying to set it up yourself. There is also limited storage and organizing features. The final setback with the Coleman Hampton Family Camping Cabin Tent is its height. While 6 ft. might be plenty of headroom for many campers, taller people might not like the idea of having to crouch when they are trying to move through the tent.
Coleman 6-Person Instant Cabin Tent
Our second entry from Coleman has taken tent setup to a new level of convenience and ease. This model also features Coleman’s WeatherTec system and has plenty of space for a moderate sized family and their gear.
​The Good
​This tent is a good option if you have a moderate sized family. With a 6-person capacity, it can provide you with plenty of interior space, 10 x 9 x 6 ft., without having to step over each other and any gear you have laying around.
One of the best features of this model is the pre-attached poles. The poles are already attached to the tent so all you have to do is extend and then secure them. This feature not only saves you time, it also saves you from having to keep track of loose pieces. The setup time for the Instant Cabin Tent is about 60 seconds, not too shabby.
There is also an integrated vented rainfly. This, along with the large mesh-covered windows, helps with airflow without having to worry about another piece of equipment to look after or attach. Features include:
- WeatherTec System
- Storage Pockets
- ​Expandable Storage Bag
- Weighs 25 lbs.
The Not So Good
​While the tent may have a height of 6 ft., that is the center height. With the roof of the tent angled on all four sides, this means the majority of the tent height is less than 6 ft. This can leave taller campers with having to crouch when moving around inside of the tent.
Another improvement that could be made to this model are the tent stakes. While the included stakes get the job done under ideal weather conditions, those that find themselves camping in areas prone to high winds will find that the stakes will not hold for long. If you camp in such an area, you may want to consider purchasing better stakes before heading out.
​Bushnell Shield Series Instant Cabin Tent
The name Bushnell stands out as being one of the leading brands in the sporting goods industry. Part of the reason for becoming such a popular brand is their commitment to manufacturing quality products, such as their Shield Series tents.
​The Good
​The Instant Cabin Tent is massive and provides your group of happy campers with plenty of space and can easily sleep up to six people while still affording plenty of additional space. One of the unique features of this model is the easy and fast setup.
There is no assembly required and the patented Instant Setup technology means that you can have your tent up and ready in as little as 60 seconds. Some of the features found on this model include:
- Weather Shield Technology
- Large Mesh-Covered Windows
- Ample Storage Pockets
- Weighs 40 lbs.
- Built-In Room Divider
​The Bad
​The Bushnell Instant Cabin Tent is on the heavier side and weighs in at 40 lbs. While a great deal of this weight is due to the thick 150D fabric it is made from, there are plenty of current technologies that could be incorporated to eliminate some of this weight.
​Browning Camping Big Horn Family Tent
​Browning has been known in the firearms industry as producing quality home defense and hunting firearms for years. It appears that they have successfully carried that same tradition of quality over to their Big Horn Family Tent.
​The Good
​This family size tent is huge and can easily sleep eight people in sleeping bags. The floor is designed to keep you and your gear completely dry, even in the worst weather with 150D polyester oxford floor that has a 2000mm coating.
Compared to many other family size tents on the market, the Big Horn has straighter sidewalls that help to increase its interior space. It includes a divider to add privacy when needed and also has two large doors so that no one has to cut across to the other side of the divider to enter and exit the tent. Some of the other features you will find on the Big Horn are:
- Adjustable Rainfly
- Ample Interior Space
- Storage Compartments
- Weighs under 35 lbs.
- Ceiling-Mounted Flashlight Loop
The Not So Good
​The Big Horn is probably one of the best family camping tents with rooms you can find. However, there are a few areas it could use some improving. For one, while not as heavy as many of the other tents with comparable size and features, it is still on the heavier side. The other area that could you some additional attention is the rainfly. Given the size of this tent, attaching the rainfly after the tent has been erected could be an issue.
​Our Conclusion
​While any of these models we have mentioned on our list could be a great choice, and our pick of number one was difficult because of this reason, the Browning Big Horn is the one we have selected as being the best option.
With plenty of features to make your family camping trip comfortable and ample space for even a large family to stretch out at the end of an adventurous day, the Big Horn by Browning could be exactly what you are looking for. It may be a little heavier than some of the other large family tents of the same size, all of the additional features it offers more than makes up for it.
​We hope that you found these objective family tent reviews useful and that it helps you find the best family camping tent for your next outdoor adventure.
