Camping out in the wilderness is one of the best ways to find some space away from the busy life of work and home. There is nothing quite like waking up warm, starting the fire and watching your coffee boil as the sun comes up over mountains. Experiences like this are priceless but to enjoy them to the max, you’ll need to have the right gear with you.
At A Glance: Our Top 3 Four Person Tents
One of the most important pieces of camping equipment is your tent. It’s your shelter from the weather and your key to having a warm night’s sleep. A 4-person tent is one of the most popular sizes. It’s the perfect size for two or three people and gives you enough space for you and your gear, so you can be comfortable in your home away from home.
While being spacious, your tent still needs to be warm, be portable, handle wind and rain, and this is what we look at in this article. We have reviewed some of the top tents on the market with a mission to find the best 4 person tent, so you can find the right one for you, quickly and easily.
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Best Allrounder
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Best On A Budget
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Best Of The Best
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The Kelty Late Start is a great 4 person tent. Spacious, durable, portable with excellent weather resistance, this 3 season tent is ideal for a small family or couple who love to camp.
The tent floor and fly are made from 68D polyester with a waterproof rating of 1800mm. This makes it both durable, resistant to rips, and great at keeping you dry. The inside canopy is meshed to allow for zero condensation, and the poles are tough aluminum.
It’s quick and easy to set up with clever corners and a color-coded rainfly, you’ll be able to put this tent up in minutes. Once up, it’s spacious inside and very comfortable thanks to the height. You can happily sit up without touching the roof.
The design incorporates one door with a vestibule. It would be nice to have two but the vestibule is such a useful feature for storing your gear and keeping the main area clear of clutter.
The packed size and relatively low weight make it ideal for backpacking, especially if you split the weight with your camping buddy. The only thing missing is some vents in the rainfly to keep you cool when it’s hot out, but this is not really a flaw.
This Coleman 4 Person Cabin Tent is ideal for anyone who loves car camping. It’s spacious, great for tall people, and super fast to set up but it’s too heavy for any backpacking trips.
The tent is made from some serious materials. The fly uses 150D polyester, which is thick and excellent against rips and weather. The floor uses 1000D polyethylene making it very durable and will last a long time.
The frame uses aluminum and is pre-assembled. This makes the set-up very easy and it should only take you one minute. You might need a little practice but once you’re well versed, it’s easy peasy.
Once set up, it’s very spacious inside, hence the name ‘Cabin Tent’. Great headspace and enough room for 3 or more people. One of its coolest features is the Dark Room function. The materials block both light and heat so you can sleep in longer and not overheat when the sun comes out.
This tent is a bit heavy, and far too heavy for backpacking, it’s a car camper only. The only downsides are the zipper catch quite often and it’s not so easy to get back into the carry case.
The MSR Zoic 4 Person Tent is one of the top tents in the review for storage space and portability. The two vestibules and low weight make this an ideal tent for backpacking in the wilderness.
The tent uses a low 40D polyester for the rainfly and 70D nylon for the floor. These materials are still quite durable, despite the lower D count, and are thinner to save weight. The poles are aluminum and provide an awesome structure that handles wind excellently.
The rain fly comes with an XtremeShield coating to give you extra protection from heavy rain. But, you will have to seal the seams yourself on arrival, which is a bit off in our opinion.
The set-up is pretty standard, quick, and easy. Once up it’s pretty spacious inside, and it features two doors, two vestibules, and loft storage. This gives you loads of space for your gear, keeping the tent floor free for sleeping. Plus, the two doors make access very easy, and waking up in the night won’t be an issue.
Overall a top-quality tent that’s ideal for backpacking.
The ALPS Mountaineering Lynx 4-Person Tent is an excellent middle of the road tent that is great for both backpacking and car camping. It’s just under 9lbs in weight and there just fits into our backpacking class, especially if the weight is shared.
It’s made from 75D ripstop polyester. This makes it pretty durable and light. The rainfly does well at keeping you dry, and the mesh inner canopy provides great ventilation to stop any condensation.
It’s quick and easy to set up thanks to the 2 aluminum pole designs. Once up it’s pretty spacious and comes with an internal loft for storing your gear. It has 2 doors for excellent access and two small vestibules for extra storage. This means you can keep the floor space for sleeping, not your gear, and you won’t have to worry about waking your buddy up in the night if you need to go pee.
It can be quite hard to get back into its bag but with some practice, it gets much easier. And the only other negative is the zippers can catch, so be careful when using them.
If you’re on a budget and looking for a solid tent that can handle the weather, the Coleman Sundome 4 Person Tent is a great choice. It does lack some of the smarter features but that’s normal with a tent of this price.
It’s made from a 75D polyester taffeta rainfly with a 1000D polyethylene floor. Both materials are durable and excellent at keeping the weather out. The rainfly and floor are also welded with a Weather Tec system, ensuring no water gets in and you stay dry.
The set-up is pretty normal for a dome tent, not slow or quick, but quite easy. It shouldn’t take you more than ten minutes. Once up it’s pretty roomy and spacious inside. There is ample ventilation to keep you cool and stop condensation too.
The tent comes with one door, which is a bit of a shame as two is always better. This will make getting in and out while everyone’s sleeping a little tricky. Also, there are no vestibules for storage, so your gear will need to be inside with you.
Overall a solid tent for the price, it’s just missing some good storage areas.
The Mountainsmith Genesee 4 Person Tent is an awesome mid-priced tent that seems to have it all. It’s pretty hard to find a tent of this quality, with these features at this price.
The rainfly is made from 185T polyester while the floor uses 190T polyester. Both are very durable and come with an excellent water-proof rating, that is designed for heavy rain. This means you’ll stay dry no matter the weather, and if you live in a rainy area, this is a tent to take a serious look at.
It’s pretty quick to set up and the clips make it easier than threading. Once up it’s quite roomy inside and the first things you’ll notice are the two doors and two vestibules. This creates easy access for everyone and gives you some extra storage room for wet gear. There is also a gear loft inside the tent for any valuables.
The vestibules are small and if you open them when it’s raining, then some water will hit the tent floor.
Weighing just 6lbs 9oz, this tent is ideal for backpacking, and you’ll be able to hike to anywhere with it, especially if you’re sharing the load.
The ALPS Mountaineering Taurus 4 Person Tent has been made with a very well-thought-out design. It’s packed full of hand features to give you an awesome, comfortable camping experience.
The floor and fly are made from 75D polyester keeping it light, durable, and good in heavy weather. The inner canopy is meshed to stop any condensation to keep you cool and dry, while the stakes are fiberglass.
The setup is simple thanks to the two-pole free-standing design. It’ll only take a few minutes. Once up, you’ll notice the comfy space and the best of all the two doors, two vestibules, and internal storage pockets.
You can’t beat a tent with two doors for access or two vestibules for storing your gear. This makes tent life much easier, as you can reserve the inside for sleeping and get in and out without waking your camping partners.
The only flaws are that the zippers can catch and it’s quite hard to get back into the stuff sack. Otherwise, it’s probably the best 4 person tent in the review.
The Marmot Limestone 4 Person Tent is a solid middle of the road tent that is spacious with extra headroom, ideal if you’re on the taller side. Its build quality is excellent, like most things Marmot makes. Unfortunately, it is a little heavy for backpacking but if shared would be manageable.
The fly and floor are made for durable polyester. Both are adequately weatherproof and do a good job of keeping you dry from the elements. The poles are fiberglass which offers great flex and provided a solid structure on windy days.
Following the color-coded set-up makes it very easy and it shouldn’t take you more than a few mins to get up. Once it’s pitched, you find the inside quite spacious and the gear loft very handy.
The tent comes with just one door and one large vestibule, annoying it doesn’t have two, but access is easy enough and the vestibule is useful for storing your gear.
Not all 4 person tents are made equal and it’s worth thinking that you’ll only be able to fit 3 people in a 4 person tent comfortably. All the tents in the review are spacious but some are designed for taller people, giving extra head and should space. If you’re tall, check out the height dimensions under each one to pick one that’ll be more comfortable.
Only some 4 person tents are portable, as their weights can vary from 6-18lbs depending on the make and model. If you plan on backpacking, you’ll want your tent to be as light as possible. Try to stay around or under the 8/9lbs mark. If you’re planning on car camping, then you can prioritize comfort over weight as long as the tent fits in the trunk.
All the tents in the review are rated for 3 season camping. This means they’re good for cold weather above freezing and warm summer weather too. They are not made for icy winter camping and if you plan on it, you may need to add a footprint and other accessories to keep you warm.
There is pretty much no point in having a tent if it’s not going to keep you warm and dry. All the tents in the review are excellent at stopping water from getting in, letting condensation out, and managing heavy winds. You’ll be able to camp in comfort, knowing you’ll be warm, safe, and dry.
There is always a balancing act between the thickness and durability of materials and their weight. The thicker the material the longer it will last and the heavier it will be. All the tents in the review use a polyester rain fly, which is durable, but the lighter tents use a thinner version and are therefore a little more delicate. If you’re looking for a light tent, then you’ll have to succumb to thinner materials and be careful not to rip them by mistake.
The poles can be made from either fiberglass or aluminum. Both light materials, fiberglass gives more flex in windy conditions while aluminum has more strength to it. Both are great pole materials.
The tents in the review all have different access and storage designs. The best of them have two doors, two vestibules, and some internal storage too. We highly recommend picking a tent with these features as it will make your camping experience far more comfortable.
The extra vestibules are ideal for keeping bags out of the tent, while the two doors make everyone’s life easier when getting in and out of the tent. They are also ideal for ventilation when you want a nap on a hot day.
The best on a budget 4 person tent is the Coleman Sundome 4 Person Tent. This tent is durable, spacious, and great in rainy weather. For a very affordable price, you’ll be warm, dry, and comfortable, plus it’s just about light enough for some backpacking too.
The best all-around 4 person tent is the ALPS Mountaineering Lynx 4-Person Tent. It’s light enough for backpacking, breathable, durable, and excellent in heavy weather. It also comes with awesome internal storage, two doors, and two vestibules. This gives you a place for all your gear so the main area can be reserved for your sleeping comfort.
The best 4 person tent in the review is the ALPS Mountaineering Taurus 4 Person Tent. It has all the features you need to camp comfortably; two doors for great access, two vestibules for storage, internal storage areas, lots of space, and great weather protection. The quality is also excellent and hard to beat at this price.