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Best for Car Camping
Coleman Dome with Screen Room (6-Person)
Best Two-Person Backpacking Tent
REI Half Dome SL 2+ (2-Person)
Best Outdoor Palace
Snow Peak Land Nest Medium Tent Tarp Set
Best Ultralight Backpacking Tent
Big Agnes Copper Spur (2-Person)
Camping is intense! No, really. If you’re going camping, you probably need a tent. Hammock lovers might disagree—and we love sleeping under the stars when weather permits—but most of the time, finding and preparing adequate shelter for yourself, your family, or your pets is a nonnegotiable step toward being comfy in the great outdoors. There are as many kinds of tents as there are ways to go camping, and they range widely in price and features. To help you figure out the best tent for your next adventure, we’ve pooled our favorites from years of testing—whether you’re getting away for the weekend with the family or soloing Mount Whitney.
Be sure to check out our other buying guides, including the Best Rain Jackets, Best Hiking Gear, Best Camping Gear, and Best Barefoot Shoes.
Updated August 2023: We’ve added the Snow Peak Land Nest Medium Tent Tarp Set, Mountain Hardware’s massive Bridger 6, and Big Agnes’ new bikepacking option, and we’ve updated prices throughout.
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Photograph: Coleman
Best for Car Camping
Coleman Dome with Screen Room (6-Person)
Stroll through any campground in America and you’ll see plenty of these no-frills Coleman tents for good reason. They’re reasonably cheap, available just about anywhere, and get the job done. They’re all you need, especially if you’re only camping for a week or two a year.
This is our top pick for newcomers and the experienced alike. It’s easy to set up, provides good rain protection and three-season comfort, and the price doesn’t break the bank—although it has jumped nearly $50 in the past year. If you forgo the extra vestibule with the bug screen, the Coleman Sundome Tent is even cheaper. But living in the southern United States, I really appreciate the bug barrier (and the extra room to stash stuff).
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Photograph: REI
Best Two-Person Backpacking Tent
REI Half Dome SL 2+ (2-Person)
REI’s Half Dome tent series has been a popular choice with backpackers for many years. It’s rugged, easy to set up, and offers generous living space for two with gear. The mesh design, when coupled with the rainfly and good staking, will stand up to storms and not roast you when camping in the midsummer heat. The dual doors with dual vestibules ensure you aren’t climbing over your partner in the middle of the night. That said, the vestibules are on the small side—big enough for boots and an empty pack, but not much else.
The Half Dome isn’t the lightest tent on this list (see the Copper Spur below), but at just under 4 pounds, it’s not too heavy when split between two people. I also like that the rainfly is symmetrical—there’s no “front” and “back,” and the vestibules are identical—which makes setup easier.
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Photograph: Snow Peak
Best Outdoor Palace
Snow Peak Land Nest Medium Tent Tarp Set
Snow Peak makes achingly stylish outdoor gear. It’s an exclusive club with a hefty buy-in, but there’s no denying the quality. The tent-tarp set consists of two pieces, the Land Nest Dome Medium ($540) and a matching tarp. The tent is a compact, self-supporting dome, with light but strong steel poles that took minutes to pitch, with barely a glance at the instructions. It weighs in at 19 pounds (9 kilograms), and it has two entrances, a removable bedroom pod (ideal for two adults and two small kids), and impressive ventilation for warmer months. There’s no communal area ground sheet, but Snow Peak sells a footprint if needed.
The generously sized Tarp ($390) sits neatly over the porch of the tent to extend the living space, though it does add 16 pounds (7 kilograms) to the total. In fair weather, the tarp setup is open, comfortable and envy-inducing. First time pitching it, however, we experienced seven hours of torrential rain and 47-mph gusts. Thanks to the heavy-duty pegs, the tarp performed admirably in the wind. We did take it down at night, but only to avoid noise from flapping, rather than out of concern for structural integrity. Despite the howling gale, the tent itself was utterly dependable. I highly recommend it. —Chris Haslam
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Photograph: Big Agnes
Big Agnes Copper Spur (2-Person)
When weight matters but you still want a freestanding tent, the Big Agnes Copper Spur series is tough to beat. I’ve used both the two-person and four-person models over the years, and Big Agnes has continually refined the design to the point that I have nothing left to complain about. We recently tried the updated one-person Copper Spur (8/10, WIRED Recommends) and loved it. If you can afford it, this is one of the best tents on the market. It’s lightweight, easy to set up, and stable even in strong winds. The Copper Spur is also very livable, with interior mesh pockets and an ingenious “awning” design that makes getting in and out a snap.
My only criticism is that it can be a tight squeeze. For a long trip where your partner isn’t your significant other, you might want to go with the next size up. The three-person could be a spacious, comfortable living space for two people with all their gear, and will still be lighter than most two-person tents. WIRED reviewer Matt Jancer owns this tent and has broken a pole section twice now. Make sure you bring a repair kit (after the fact, Big Agnes will replace your pole section for $5).
