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A good tent can make or break your camping trip, so it's worth investing in the right one. We test and review different sized tests for usability and ease of assembly across a range of sizes to help you find the best one.
Our expert testers give every tent a thorough workout to help find the models that:
Our interactive comparison tool helps you find out more about their important specifications and features.
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List of brands we tested in this review.
Recommended or typical retail price. It's worth looking for end-of-season sales as discounts can be significant.
enter value/s in increments of 1 between 109 and 1190
We recommend tents that score at least 70% overall and at least 70% for usability. Small tents must also score OK or better for ease of carrying.
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What size tent does the product fall into.
We rate the tents on how comfortable they are to live in and use, taking into account the usable area of the inner tent and vestibule (height and floor area), access to the tent, the number and size of doors and windows, and ventilation.
enter value/s in increments of 1 between 0 and 0
Our tester Peter measures how long it takes to put the tents up and take them down. Times range from 11–25 minutes to put up and 10–22 minutes to pack up. Peter sets up each tent once to get familiar with it, and then times and scores the second attempt. These times are only a guide because they're based on the times of an experienced user putting the tent up in ideal conditions. Times will vary depending on experience, weather and ground conditions.
We test with an artificial rain system (a water spray driven by a large fan). Tents that have no leaks during this test score 100%. Some don't have a score because we changed the method some time ago and the scores aren't comparable.
This is the total number of rooms including bedroom(s) and vestibule.
enter value/s in increments of 1 between 6 and 48
Mesh vents along the bottoms of the walls to ventilate the interior – these can help cool the floor area.
enter value/s in increments of 1 between 0 and 4
Most tents are at least moderately heavy, so a wheeled carry bag can make it easier to transport them.
An extra sheet of material over the roof for added rain protection and insulation.
Handy for letting more light in during the day (or perhaps stargazing at night).
A Similar model is identical in most aspects except for a few. This means that a majority of its test results are identical so you can reasonably expect to get the same results from the model we tested, but for those aspects which aren't identical, we'll note these as "Not Tested" in the Compare tables.
A Tested model refers to a model that is still current and available in the Australian market. You should be able to order this model through your local retailer, or find it online.
These models can't be found in retailers or online or are no longer manufactured. You may still find these models on second hand websites, or in second hand dealers. Test methods may change over time, so criteria which can't be directly compared will contain an N/A.
An Identical model is exactly that. Performance characteristics will be identical and the only difference will be something trivial such as colour, which won't have an impact on performance.
These are models we haven't yet tested but that are available.
Often the front door can be turned into an awning to cover the entry, but poles and ropes for this purpose aren't always included.
Built-in poles and air poles can be convenient but aren't necessarily easier or quicker to set up.
