Select the best camping tent for your adventure to make it feel like a home away from home. We found the best car camping tent and family camping tents for every budget and purpose.

Choosing the best car and family camping tents is a big decision and investment. Poorly designed tents can quickly ruin a camping trip. Despite this, a good tent makes the perfect home base for exploring the outdoors.

If you plan to go car camping right now, you're going to need a place to sleep that's comfortable so that you and your loved ones can experience the outdoors. We looked at more than 50 tents, talking to tent designers and tent-pole manufacturers, and sleeping in a total of 25 tents on six-weekend camping trips, we think the Kelty Grand Mesa 4 is the best car camping tent available now for two people, and the Eureka Copper Canyon LX 6 is the best choice for most families.

Kelty Grand Mesa 4 - The best car camping tent for two

The Kelty Grand Mesa 4 is the best car camping tent for couples, especially for those who tend to camp in the backcountry or in the desert during the summer. While this is designed to accommodate a quartet of people-thus the 4 in its name, we found that at 55 square feet, this is most comfortable for two, plus a dog, a small child, or lots of gear. Despite being easy to set up and pack away, the most impressive feature is the tents' mostly meshed walls, which offer unmatched views of the sky and excellent airflow. This tent's mesh makes it less durable than its high-walled brethren and less appropriate for stormy climates. Although it looks fragile, the unobstructed 360-degree view is stunning. For privacy or protection, the Grand Mesa also comes with a rain fly.

Eureka Copper Canyon LX 6 - The best car and car camping tent

In terms of a reasonable price, the Eureka Copper Canyon LX 6 offers an interior with a good amount of space, easy setup, good durability, and good reliability. We found its peak height of 7 feet and cubelike shape to be one of the most spacious tents we tested, with lots of space to stay organized and sleep comfortably. While it is a big and boxy tent, if you plan to lug your tent less than a hundred feet, then you should not worry about something ultralight and technologically advanced. Even though it's not designed to withstand stormy weather, it's durable and tough enough to handle the rain and wind. With a time-tested design, this tent will remain a favorite for years to come. (Theoretically, it's supposed to sleep six people, but in our experience, a six-person tent will comfortably fit two adults plus two or three children and gear.)

REI Co-op Base Camp 4 Tent and REI Co-op Base Camp 6 Tent

If you plan to camp in a harsh climate or live in an area where rain is a regular part of life, you'll appreciate the extra strength and protection of the REI Co-op Base Camp 4 Tent. The Base Camp, unlike our other picks, has four aluminum struts weaved throughout it, somewhat like a basket. Comparatively, with the other tents we tested, the Base Camp provides the most privacy - with or without the rain fly. A great feature of this tent is its two large doors, which can be opened halfway or completely (you can tuck the doors into the roof pockets to keep them out of the way) which makes it a handy sun shelter or beach tent. It was the strongest, most reliable shelter that we tested, regardless of the situation, which makes it well worth the price.

A family that frequently pitches its tent in wet weather will want a wind-proof tent with a large vestibule for storing wet shoes and equipment, as well as a full rainfly for added weather protection. Our tests found that REI's Base Camp 6 Tent, with almost 45 feet of vestibule space and six crisscrossing poles, provided the best combination of space and features among all the tents we tested that met those criteria.

Coleman 6-Person Instant Cabin - family camping tents that go up quickly

The 6-person Coleman Instant Cabin is bulkier when bagged and smaller when standing than Eureka Copper Canyon LX, which is our favorite family car camping tent. It also lacks mesh roofs for stargazing and has smaller windows and fewer pockets. Due to its telescoping poles, it can be erected and disassembled much quicker than most tents tested (in under two minutes). There is also no standalone fly instead, it relies on a solid roof, making setup easier.

Coleman Sundome 6-Person Tent - A cheap tent for backyard "camping"

Coleman's Sundome 6-Person Tent has a footprint similar to our top-pick tent, but it feels much smaller because of its dome-style design. It's easy to put up, has plenty of windows, comes with a rain fly that's easy to put on and stakeout, and feels sunny inside and out. (We do not recommend the smaller version of this tent for couples who might use it while on the road). It was just too flimsy in our tests.)

Best 4 Person Tent: Our Top Picks

The REI Kingdom 4 Tent is our #1 recommendation if you're in a hurry and just want to find out what the best 4 person tent is.

When you go camping, Family Camping Tents is probably one of the most important pieces of camping equipment you'll need. It's your home away from home.

Best car camping tent and Quality Family Camping Tents keep you dry and warm when it rains, are easy to set up, and are spacious enough for everyone.

In addition, the weight-to-size ratio is an important consideration. This is where 4 person tent shine.

The reason they are so popular is that they offer a lot of space while remaining lightweight.

Here is our selection of the best four person tent.

Overall Best 4 Person Tent - The REI Kingdom 4 Tent
Best Budget 4 Person Tent - Coleman Sundome Tent
Best 4 Person Tent For Windy Weather - REI Co-op Base Camp 4 Tent
Best Cabin Style 4 Person Tent - Coleman Cabin Tent
Best Large Tent For Backpacking - The North Face Kaiju 4 Tent
Best Backpacking 4 Person Tent - ALPS Mountaineering Lynx 4-Person Tent
Best 3 Season Car Camping Tent - REI Co-op Grand Hut 4 Tent
Best For Camping Beginners - Kelty Grand Mesa Tent
Best Premium 4 Season Tent - Mountain Hardwear Trango 4 Tent
Best 3 Season Backpacking Tent - ALPS Mountaineering Taurus 4-Person Tent
Best Waterproof 4 Person Tent - NEMO Wagontop 4 Tent

What To Look For In A Four Person Tent

You need to consider many factors when purchasing a tent, but some are more important than others.

In our research, the following factors were found to be crucial:

Size
Ease of setup
Weight
Weather resistance
Additional features

Although all the tents mentioned here are excellent, our favorite is the REI Kingdom 4 Tent.

It is big, spacious, and has vertical walls that make moving around the tent easy.

Although it is not ideal if you are interested in winter camping, it's a very good 3-season tent.

Our Verdict

Choosing the best family camping tents is dependent on your outdoor goals. In general, most families appreciate having more space and the opportunity to stand comfortably.

During our family camping tent, the REI Kingdom received high marks from our testers. If you camp frequently in adverse weather (say, in the springtime in Colorado), consider a smaller and more durable tent.