It’s easy enough to get frustrated when setting up your tent, especially if it is dark or raining when you get to the campsite. However, with an instant tent, you should have an easy time. Pitching the tent will take seconds and you will have a lot of time to handle other activities such as exploring, hiking, and much more.
Best Instant Tents for Camping
- Coleman Cabin Tent with Instant Setup in 60 Seconds (Best Overall)
- Core 9 Person Instant Cabin Tent (Best for Large Families)
- Toogh 3-4 Person Camping Tent (Best For Solo Campers & Backpacking Couples)
- Core 6 Person Instant Cabin Tent with Wall Organizer (Best for Small Families)
- Ozark Trail 9-Person Instant Cabin Tent (Best Instant Tent with a Screen Room)
- Zomake Pop Up Tent (Best for a Quick & Easy Setup)
1. Coleman Cabin Tent with Instant Setup in 60 Seconds | Best Overall Instant Tent
- Weatherproof: Welded corners and inverted seams keep water...
- Built to last: Double-thick fabric stands up to the elements...
- Instant setup: In as fast as 1 minute
- Roomy interior: 8 x 7 feet with 4 feet 11 inch center...
- 1-year limited warranty
Are you looking for a tent with great size, weather protection features, easy instant setup, and affordability?
The Coleman Instant Cabin Tent is a great choice. The company is responsible for the best outdoor gear since 1900 and their expertise continues with this instant tent.
The tent is available in both a 4-6 person so it’s suitable for outdoor-loving families and camping tandems. The 4-person tent fits a queen size bed while the 6-person tent fits 2 queen size beds. Both sizes are designed with high-quality materials and exceptional design.
With regard to weather protection, this tent is exemplary. It comes with the WeatherTec system from Coleman. Therefore, it has inverted seams and welded floors to keep out the water.
The fabric used on the tent is Polyguard 2X double-thick fabric from Coleman. You can enjoy camping with this tent for many years, thanks to the durable materials.
Specification:
- Material: Polyester, Polyethylene, Steel, Fabric
- Special Feature: Rainfly
- Item Weight: 18 Pounds
- Closure Type: Zipper
- Pole Material Type: Steel
- Maximum Height: 4.17 Feet
- Easy and quick to set up
- High-quality
- Spacious
- Affordable
- Sturdy
- This tent is heavy and not suitable for backpacking
2. Core 9 Person Instant Cabin Tent | Best for Large Families
- Instant 60 Second Setup; Sleeps 9 people; Fits two queen air...
- CORE H20 Block Technology and adjustable ground vent
- Features room divider and wall storage pockets keep items...
- Electrical cord access port (port is fully closable when not...
- Includes rain fly, tent stakes, and carry bag
Are you going camping with your family and looking for exceptional and quality space?
Well, the CORE 9 Person Instant Cabin Tent is easy to use and perfect for you. It is a freestanding cabin tent with 2 separate rooms. Therefore, it’s perfect for families camping together who want to enjoy a separate space. It comes with a pre-assembled frame so you don’t have to worry about slotting poles together.
The set-up time is 60 seconds, regardless of the size. It has been rated for 3 seasons and offers panoramic views since it comes with large windows on 3 sides and a window in the door too. It comes with a mesh roof that is perfect for stargazing on clear nights.
Specification:
- Size 14′ x 9′
- Material: Polyester
- Special Feature: Tent Stakes, Rainfly
- Item Weight: 27.62 Pounds
- Closure Type: Zipper
- Maximum Height: 78 Inches
- Adjustable intake vents that allow circulation of cold air
- Large windows that allow excellent views and light
- It’s easy to set up and disassemble
- Affordable
- The tent doesn’t come with an additional patio or vestibule.
3. Toogh 3-4 Person Camping Tent | Best for Solo Campers & Backpacking Couples
- ✅【Unique and fantastic design】The tent is Super easy...
- ✅【High Quality Waterproof Fabric】Outside tent with a...
- ✅【100% Risk Free Pirchase】: Are you unsatisfied with...
- ✅【Camping Tents with Dual Doors】Ultralight tent with...
- ✅【Six Angles Design】More Stable in the Windy and Rainy...
It has been designed for 3 to 4 people. It can comfortably fit a family of 2 adults and 1 child and camping gear.
The tent is spacious enough to fit an air mattress (king or queen-size) and 3 large sleeping bags. You can set it up very fast by laying it out, straightening out the poles, and pulling the top part into place. It is also easy to take it apart.
The tent comes with 8 guy ropes and 14 stakes to improve stability in strong winds. It also comes with 2 door poles, a canopy, taped seams, and a rainfly to improve water resistance. For improved ventilation, this tent is designed with 2 doors with strong mesh windows. It has a hexagon shape that makes it spacious by having a very large floor.
It has a very nice high center of 65 inches (about 5.4ft) so it’s comfortable enough for an adult to stand inside. However, taller people have to slouch over. The set-up size is 95 by 82 inches (about 8 by 7ft). The weight is 7.5 pounds and has a carrying bag.
Specification:
- Material: Oxford fabric
- Special Feature: Waterproof, Pop Up, Rainfly
- Item Weight: 7.72 Pounds
- Shape: Six Angle
- Maximum Height: 74 Inches
- It has a nice inside height
- 2 doors to allow flow-through ventilation
- It is not enough for 4 adults to be comfortable enough when on a longer camping trip
4. Core 6 Person Instant Cabin Tent with Wall Organizer | Best for Small Families
- Instant 60 Second Setup; Sleeps 6 people; Fits two queen air...
- CORE H20 Block Technology and adjustable ground vent
- Features gear loft with lantern hook and large wall...
- Includes rain fly, tent stakes, and carry bag
- 1 YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY: We strive for total satisfaction...
Some of the outstanding features to look forward to in this tent include superior water-resistant coating, ground air vents, tall ceilings, and ease of setup. It is a cabin-style tent perfect for that family camping trip.
The poles come pre-attached so you can unfold them and snap everything into place. You should be able to set it up in 60 seconds or less.
The floor is 11 X 9 inches so you can use the area for sleeping and storage. It also comes with a gear loft and a huge mesh wall organizer. Therefore, you should be able to keep your camping gear off the floor.
Specification:
- Size 47 in x 9.05 in x 9.05″
- Material: Durable 68D Polyester
- Special Feature: Tent Stakes, Rainfly
- Item Weight: 14.15 Pounds
- Comes with a lantern hook up top
- Excellent ground ventilation
- You may have a hard time folding it down to get it back into the carrier bag
5. Ozark Trail 9-Person Instant Cabin Tent | Best Instant Tent With A Screen Room
- Large windows with mesh screens, No assembly required, poles...
It is a huge tent that can fit 7 people inside comfortably and leave enough room for camping supplies. It comes with a screen room where you can sit outside without worrying about bugs.
The center height is 84 inches allowing a lot of headroom. Even the tallest campers can walk around freely in the tent.
It is very stable and durable, thanks to the tough polyester fabric and steel poles. It comes with a polyester rain fly that keeps your possessions dry even with a lot of rainfall.
Specification:
- Size: 48.00 x 10.60 x 10.60″
- Material: Polyester, Steel
- Special Feature: Tent Stakes, Rainfly
- Closure Type: Zipper
- Pole Material Type: Steel
- Comes with a screen room allowing you to enjoy the outdoors without bug bites
- Comes with multiple mesh windows allowing proper ventilation
- Designed with a cabin style structure so it is very spacious
- It is very heavy so you can’t go backpacking with it
6. Zomake Pop Up Tent | Best For A Quick & Easy Setup
- Seconds Pop Up - Open the package, unstrap the tent, throw...
- Ventilation& Blocking Mosquitoes - 2 mesh doors, 2 mesh...
- Tent Size - Open size : Very roomy for 3 adults, could...
- Material - Durable sturdy 190T PU-coated silver ANTI-UV...
- NO RISK BUYING - Carrying bag With the installation...
If you are looking for a versatile tent, the Zomake Pop Up Tent is a great choice.
You can use it in mild weather as a normal camping tent. You can also use it as a sun shelter for outdoor activities. It has D-style doors allowing it to open at both ends and comes with 2 windows that have privacy panels. You can roll them up to enjoy uninterrupted views and exceptional ventilation.
It weighs 5 pounds (2.26kgs) so you can use it for backpacking. It comes with 40 inches (about 1m) of headspace. It’s a great tent for lying down and getting out of the sun. It is perfect for quick camping trips during the summer. However, it should not be used in wet or windy conditions.
Specification:
- Material: Oxford
- Special Feature: Portable
- Item Weight: 2.27 Kilograms
- Closure Type: Zipper
- Pole Material Type: Fiberglass
- Floor Length: 95 Inches
- Lightweight
- Quick and easy to set up
- It is very difficult to pack up
How Does an Instant Tent Work?
There are different type of instant tents, which usually depends on the style and the manufacturer. With an instant tent, the poles are attached already to the tent, with most of these tents pitching in 1 of 2 ways. Once your tent is set up, all that you need to do is to secure the tent into the ground using the tent pegs included, and the tent is ready for use.
Pop Up
These are tents that come folded in a specific way, and when removed from a carrying case, all that is needed is a shake and the tent will instantly form its shape.
Extended Poles
Other types of instant tents will require the user to manually extend each of the poles (already attached).
Buying Guide
Shape
Some of the instant tents feature a cabin shape, with either a rectangular or square shape and straight walls. In addition to the added sleeping space along the floor of these large tents, a square shape will also give the tent more room. The straight and high walls will also mean that adults can stand and walk around inside.
The dome shape is another popular instant tent, but these are usually slightly smaller than the cabin tents. They are easier to set up, carry, and pack. The dome-shaped tents are usually high enough so that adults can stand up in the middle of the tent, but not around the edges. It is also usually not possible to walk around once inside the tent. If you are camping or hiking in windy environments, dome tents are usually a better choice.
Material
Most fast-set-up tents include synthetic lightweight materials, like nylon and polyester, with a few that are still made from cotton.
Polyester is lightweight, waterproof (when coated), and inexpensive. It also won’t get mildewed or rot if you put it away while it is still wet. This material is not the warmest in cold weather. Polyester is also not breathable, which means the inside of these tents can get very hot over the warmer months.
The cotton canvas tents are much more breathable, which means they won’t feel warm or hot when exposed to sunlight. They are also far warmer when compared to polyester tents in cooler weather. They are, however, heavier to carry, while the waterproofing is often inconsistent.
Nylon tents share similar characteristics to cotton canvas tents, excepting they are much lighter. Nylon is not as durable as polyester materials and it is also more susceptible to tearing.
The polycotton tents are made from a cotton/polyester blend, combining the best properties of both the canvas and polyester tents. They are strong, lightweight, warm, breathable, and not susceptible to mold or mildew. However, these tents do require extra waterproofing and care.
Ease of Use
The best fast-set-up tents are the instant ones. This means that you should be looking for models that take very little time to assemble and only takes 1 or 2 people to achieve this.
Instructions that are easy to understand is a bonus, while the pre-attached poles also contribute to an easy and effortless setup.
It is also important to consider how easy the tent is to disassemble. Look for the instant tents that you can fold away as fast as it took to unfold.
Size
The dimension of the instant tents is also a critical feature. You will want to ensure that the tent is large enough to accommodate the number of people you plan to go camping with.
In most cases, the number of people that the manufacturer claims their product will house is usually suitable for 2 people less compared to the number they are advertising unless you don’t mind sleeping right on top of one another. If you plan to use furniture or store your gear inside the tent, it is important to keep this space in mind as well.
You also need to decide whether it is important or not to be able to stand up straight in your tent, since some models are taller than others.
Storage Space
Even if you only plan to camp for a night or two, you will probably still have a bit of camping gear that you have bought along for the trip. Your tent should provide enough space for your water, food, your clothes, and any other supply that you need.
Some of the instant tents come with a “porch area”, that you can use for storage, while others come with pouches that are built into the interior of these tents, which is useful for storing smaller belongings. You need to ensure that you have ample space for the people and your gear, or you will experience a very uncomfortable night.
Ventilation
Without enough ventilation, an instant tent can become sweltering hot, especially during the months of summer. Most of the modern tents feature ventilation, yet the size, location, and size of the ports (ventilation) can vary.
The ground vents are ideal since they allow the cooled air to flow in from the ground, while the warm or hot air will escape out of the top vents.
Windows and Doors
Some of the instant tents only feature one entry, while some come with more. This usually comes down to personal preferences, but when you have more than 4 people in your tent, an extra door will mean you won’t have to climb over each other when you want to exit the tent. Mesh-covered windows, also provide added ventilation.
Rain Fly
A rainfly is important if you plan to go camping in wet or damp conditions. Some tents include this accessory, while others don’t, but the rain fly accessory is very important if you want to stay dry in a rainstorm.
This is even more important if the tent does not have very strong or sealed-off seams. In most cases, the bigger rainfly’s provide the most protection.
Temperature Rating
Many of the tents are either 3-season or winter tents. The 3-season tent is usually sufficient for spring, fall, and summer. There should also be enough mesh windows and vents to promote adequate air circulation. The removable rainfly is useful for dry, hot weather.
Winter tents are usually heavier and sturdier. If you plan to camp in extreme temperatures, you need a tent that comes with a rating that is suitable for below-freezing weather. The winter tent also features stronger poles made to withstand snowdrifts and blizzards.
Portability
Portability is also important, especially when you plan to go backpacking you will want something compact and light. Check whether the tent comes with a carry bag. The bags with straps allow you to carry your tent like a backpack or you can attach it to a hiking backpack.
When it comes to car camping, there are a lot more options to choose from, since you can go for heavier and larger tents.
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Last update on 2022-05-30 / Rating by Author / Affiliate links, Images, Descriptions & Price from Amazon Product Advertising API