This strong and reliable family tent is tall enough to stand up in and has a full-coverage rainfly for three-season camping.

Roomy, full-coverage rainfly, and double vestibule makes this the dream tent for your big group.

Affordable, reliable, and super-fast assembly makes this the best budget tent for family camping.

When you’re camping with the family, comfort is key. Choose a tent that offers the right size, features, and protection against the elements to ensure everyone will have a positive experience in the outdoors. Here’s how to find the best family camping tent for your needs.

When shopping for the best family camping tent, it’s important to keep a few things in mind. First, consider how many people you want to comfortably sleep in the tent. Next, what type of weather does it need to withstand? Finally, are there special features you’ll want for the best family camping experience? Here’s a breakdown of what to look for.

Family camping tents come in many sizes and shapes. From a two-person ultralight backpacking tent to an eight-person cabin, there are multiple size measurements you should be aware of.

Are you fair weather campers or ready to take this tent into rain, snow, and wind? Not all tents are equal when it comes to weather resistance. Here’s what you need to know.

Family camping tents come with all sorts of features. Here’s some to look for:

MSR Habitude 4 Family & Group Camping Tent MSR

Why It Made the Cut

This strong and reliable family tent is tall enough to stand up in and has a full-coverage rainfly for three-season camping. It’s the perfect companion for a camping family of four.

If you are going out camping with the family, you want a durable tent that will hold up in the weather. The full coverage rainfly of the Habitude checks the first box for an all-weather family tent. The next big win for this tent is that with over six feet of height clearance, most adults can easily stand up inside. This is useful for getting dressed, setting up, and maneuvering.

This tent is relatively easy to set up with three aluminum 7000 series poles that are both lightweight and durable. The floor has 62 square feet of surface area, which is plenty of room for four sleepers. In addition, there’s an additional 23.5 square foot vestibule under the fly for storage out of the rain. Want more room?  This tent also comes in a six-person version. Another fun extra is that this tent comes with a porch light for nighttime easy entry.

With the high clearance, quality materials, and impressive rainfly, this is the best family camping tent for a family of four. The only setback to this product is the high cost. If you are planning on frequent camping, it’s worth the investment. But if you’re looking for something more budget friendly, consider the Coleman Skydome. Although, with a three-year manufacturing warranty, you can have some peace of mind that your tent will make it through a few seasons.

Big Agnes Spicer Peak 6 Spicer Peak

Why It Made the Cut

Roomy, full-coverage rainfly, and double vestibule makes this the dream tent for your big group. The new Big Agnes Spicer Peak 6 is the best six-person family camping tent.

The Spicer Peak is a new tent from Big Agnes, introduced in 2022. It is similar to the company’s Big House 6, but offers better weather resistance. It was exciting to test out this reliable, durable, and comfortable family-sized shelter.

Just by the look of it, it’s easy to see that Big Agnes’s Spicer Peak 6 has some advantages. The full coverage fly will protect all inhabitants from rain while the double doors on either side provide great airflow when the fly is open. Along with the two large doors, double vestibules totaling 15 square feet give impressive storage for the supplies you need to keep out of the weather. And with an 80-inch clearance, this tent was plenty tall enough for most inhabitants to easily maneuver.

Despite the size, it was overall easy to set up this tent with color-coded webbing and buckles. The tent is big and roomy—so it’s great for a basecamp but too big and heavy to bring backpacking. This tent holds up against the rain with waterproof nylon and seams sealed with polyurethane tape. A footprint/ground tarp is sold separately and will elongate the life of the bottom of the tent.

Kelty Grand Mesa 4-Person Tent Kelty

Why It Made the Cut

Reliable, lightweight, and easy to set up—the Kelty Grand Mesa is perfect for a family backpack or lightweight family camping tent.

For those looking for a durable, lightweight tent for a family backpack, this tent is for you. The Kelty Grand Mesa comes in a 4-person and 2-person model. I tested the 4-person. My favorite features of this tent were the easy set up and full coverage rainfly.

Although there are lighter four-person backpacking tents out there, the Grand Mesa is durable and reliable against wind and rain. To reduce weight, the tent is low clearance. But with only 56 inches of interior height, an adult cannot stand to dress or maneuver. Still, this could definitely work as a lightweight family camping tent if you don’t mind some gymnastics when getting dressed.

Another benefit of the Grand Mesa is affordability. It sells for just under $200 which means it costs less than most of its competitors without sacrificing quality. As a backpacking guide, I relied on Kelty backpacking tents season after season and was continually impressed with their weatherproofing and longevity especially alongside some of the pricier competitors. The Kelty Grand Mesa also does not come with an included footprint/ground tarp.

Why It Made the Cut

Affordable, reliable, and super-fast assembly makes the Coleman Skydome the best budget tent for family camping.

If you are looking for a reliable family tent that won’t break the bank, the Coleman Skydome is a safe bet. The Coleman Skydome tried and true design comes in every size: two-person, four-person, six-person, or eight-person.

With a price a fifth of some of its competitors, you might assume the Coleman has nothing new to offer. You’d be wrong. No footprint is needed with the durable and waterproof tent floor made from Coleman’s WeatherTec™ system. I also appreciate the wide door that’s great for both ventilation and moving in an air mattress or cot.

The 4-foot height clearance means most campers will not be able to fully stand in the tent. This can be tough for families trying to maneuver and get dressed.

While the tent itself fairs well against moisture, the lack of a full-coverage rainfly makes this tent a poor choice for heavy rain and wind. If your excursion calls for likelihood of storms, invest in the Skydome model with full fly vestibule. With this model, you’ll be protected against inclement weather as well as provided with storage for your gear. Coleman tents also come with a one-year warranty.

OneTigris Iron Wall Stove Tent OneTigris

Why It Made the Cut

This teepee-style tent is outfitted to accommodate a small tent stove so your family will be warm, even in the coldest weather.

If you are planning on family camping in snow and cold temperatures, consider getting a hot tent. These tents are made with a chimney hole to accommodate small wood stoves. The OneTigris Iron Wall Stove is an affordable and reliable shelter in extreme cold which makes it the best cold weather tent.

This tent is a heptagon/teepee shape. For a cold weather tent, it’s very light and fairly easy to set up. It comes with a single tent pole that supports the center and rises to just over five feet. The material is a waterproof nylon that is both light and resistant to weather.

While many teepee-style hot tents do not have an inner liner, this one comes with a mesh inner tent that will protect inhabitants from insects and small animal intruders. Be aware that while the outer tent has a 10 x 10 foot footprint, the inner mesh tent is only 9 x 2.6 feet, making it a significantly smaller area for families.

Lastly, the major benefit of this tent is that it accommodates a stove. This tent does not come with the tent stove nor the flashing that allows the chimney to extend through the roof of the tent. While this is perfect for a couple people to camp out in winter, if you’re camping with a bigger bunch, spring for the larger version called the OneTigris Rock Fortress.

Decathlon’s Quechua 2 Second XL Waterproof Camping Tent Decathlon

Why It Made the Cut

When you need to get your shelter set up in a hurry, this tent has you covered. It’s affordable, waterproof, and has the fastest set up imaginable.

The set up on this pop-up tent is incredibly impressive. True to its claim, with a simple toss, this tent opens in a mere second. While it is completely free-standing without stakes, it’s a good idea to take a minute to stake it down and prevent it from tumbling away in the wind. The simplicity, durability, and affordability of this tent makes Decathlon’s Quechua 2 Second XL Waterproof the best pop-up tent.

This is the perfect tent if you are going to need to set up a tent quickly in the rain. In a near instant, you have a waterproof shelter rated for extreme wet. There is no additional ground tarp or rain fly required and the tent free stands in winds up to 30 mph.

Packing up the tent is not intuitive, so my recommendation is to practice multiple times before taking it out into the wilderness. Once you get the hang of it, pack up is quick. While it’s called the “XL”, the tent can only accommodate three adults, so it’s best for small families and couples. If you are looking for a quick set up tent for up to six people, go with the Coleman 6-person Instant Tent.

The biggest con of this tent is ventilation and darkness. With no windows and a black interior, this is not a tent to hang out in all day. However, it’s a great evening shelter to put up on the fly. The Quechua tents also come with a three-year warranty.

Why It Made the Cut

If you are taking your family camping in some wet weather, the Marmot Halo 4 will keep you dry and comfortable.

The Marmot Halo might look like a simple family camping tent, but don’t be fooled—this tent was made for bad weather. Like the Decathlon Quechua, the dome shape helps brace against high wind while the full coverage tent fly made of 68D polyester ripstop prevents rain from entering. Make sure you open the fly vents even when rainy—this prevents condensation forming on the inside.

Have to set up in the rain? Not a big deal. While not as fast as the 2 Second Quechua, with a little practice, it takes about five minutes to set this tent up including the fly and stakes.

Users will be impressed by the quality and durability of the Marmot Halo 4. From the tape-sealed seams to strong aluminum poles, this tent will last the test of time and weather. I recommend the purchase of the footprint/ground cover that is sold separately to lengthen the life of the floor.

This tent is also a comfortable four-person tent, complete with a large double door. However, with the height just under five feet, you can’t stand up in it like the MSR Habitude.

While it’s perfect for family camping trips in rough weather, it’s not very affordable. If you want a durable tent but don’t expect to be seeing much rain, opt for the best budget tent option.

I started taking my kids camping when they were three months old. Now at age three and five, I also take them backpacking. My time camping with my family has helped discover the things to consider when finding the perfect family camping tent.

But my experience with family tent camping goes back even before I had a family of my own. As a wilderness instructor for the Appalachian Mountain Club, I routinely led intro-to-camping and intro-to-backpacking programs for children and teens. Spending multiple seasons teaching basic camping with kids helped narrow down the good, bad, and the ugly when it comes to tents.

When looking for the best family camping tents for this piece, I evaluated products using the following two criteria:

If you’d like to see another of our team’s recommendations, check out these picks for best tents for camping, backpacking, and more.

It is worth buying an expensive tent if you need the components it provides. Features like ultralight pack weight, storage vestibule, full coverage rainfly, or large size come with a price. If these are useful to you and it will make your family camping experience more comfortable, then it’s worth it.

A 4-person tent will accommodate four people sleeping side by side on the ground. Therefore, if you want to add in large air mattresses, cots, luggage, and maybe even a dog, consider sizing up if you have the budget and room. I personally use a six-person tent for my family of four.

Nylon and polyester tents lose their waterproofing over time. Tent waterproofing is usually measured in mmH2O and refers to the weight of the water that can push on the material before it goes through. The higher numbers are more waterproof with most rainfly ratings 1,000 mm or more. The waterproofing comes from the tightness of the fabric weave as well as a treatment of Durable Water Repellent (DWR). This DWR will break down over time and the tent will become less waterproof. Tent owners can purchase treatments to re-waterproof their tents. Always check with the manufacturer suggestions before adding a treatment to your gear.

Finding the best family camping tent can be a daunting task, but worth it when you are all comfortable, warm, and have a good night sleep. Build memories with your family in the outdoors by finding the best family camping tent for you, and spending as many nights in it together as possible.

Lindsey Lapointe is an avid outdoor adventurer. Her favorite activities include hiking, backpacking, camping, kayaking, and canoeing. She also spends time rock-climbing, skiing, and fishing. She’s worked as a freelance adventure writer for multiple sites and publications. She enjoys testing outdoor gear and passing her expertise to Field & Stream readers.

The best baitcasting rods for bass have the perfect mix of length, action and power, and components for the fishing situation at hand.

Dusk, dawn, or dark of night, hands-free illumination makes your fishing easier.

If you're looking to elevate your game and graduate to a baitcaster, start with the right baitcasting combo.

Want more of the Great Outdoors?

Sign up for the Field & Stream newsletter and get the latest intelligence straight to your inbox.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service.