Shop The Best Large Tents In 2023 For Any Size Group

If you’re crunched for time, my top pick is the Browning Big Horn Camping Tent.

Looking for a large tent? When camping, you don’t want to feel like you’re sitting on the 5 PM subway. You know, packed shoulder to shoulder, inches from the other passengers.

You want some elbow room!

That’s why today I’ll review my top 9 best large tents. The tents I’ll review today are all 6-person, 8-person, or above.

Read on if you’re hitting the trail with your family, or retreating to the mountains with your friends. These tents are sure to make your camping trip one for the books.

Best Large Tents: Top Available Today

To make this easy, we are going to break it down by size:

Best 6 Person Large Tents:

• REI Wonderland 6 Tent (Best Overall Large 6-Person Tent)
• Marmot Halo 6 (Best Large 6-person 2nd Choice)
• CORE 6 Person Instant Cabin Tent (Best Large 6-Person Instant tent)
• ALPS Mountaineering Meramac 6-Person Tent (Best For Backpackers)
• Napier Outdoors – Sportz SUV Tent (Best Large SUV Tent)
• Kodiak 6-Person Canvas Tent (Best Large Canvas Tent For Families)

Best 8 Person Large Tents:

• Browning Big Horn Camping Tent (Best Overall Large 8-person Tent)
• Coleman Red Canyon 8-Person Tent (Best Budget Large Tent)
• CORE 9 Person Extended Dome (Best for Families)
• Kodiak 8-Person Canvas Tent (Best Canvas Tent For Large Groups)
• NTK Laredo GT 8 To 9 Person Tent (Best Large Tent for Weather)

Best 10 Person Large Tents:

• CORE 10-Person Cabin Tent (Best Overall Large 10-Person tent)
• Coleman Instant Setup Cabin Tent (Best Large Tent For Easy Setup)
• White Duck 12’X14′ Alpha Wall Tent (Best Large Premium Canvas Tent)

Best 12+ Person Large Tents:

• CORE 12-Person Instant Cabin Tent (Best Overall 3-Room & 12-Person Tent)
• Ozark Trail 14-Person, 4-Room Tent (Best 4-Room Large tent)

Still confused? See how we rated all of the large tents here.

REI Co-op Wonderland 6 Tent (formerly Kingdom 6)

Type: Dome | Seasons: 3-season | Weight: 22 lbs 15 oz | Inside Height: 75″ | Floor: 120 in x 100 in (83.3 sq ft) | Setup Time: 10 mins

REI is widely known as a great outdoor brand – and looking at this tent, it’s easy to see why.

What surprised me the most is that even though the tent is pretty big, the setup is relatively simple and easy. With two people it takes less than 10 minutes to fully set it up, despite it being a fairly spacious tent.

Speaking of size – the Wonderland 6 features a peak height of 75 inches and vertical walls. That means that movement inside the tent is easy as pie (and it gives you a lot more space than a dome tent to boot).

The previous included vestibule is now only available for purchase as a mud room add-on. However, if you do this, you’ll get an additional 56 square feet of storage space.

Now, I do have to mention that if you’re camping in windy areas, this tent is not ideal. You want to choose a dome tent that is specially designed to withstand high winds.

Read the full REI Co-op Wonderland 6 Review here.

Pros:

• Comes with a divider that can create two rooms for extra privacy
• 2 doors allow for easy movement in and out of the tent
• 6’2’’ peak height and vertical walls mean you get a lot of extra space
• For such a big tent it’s relatively easy to set up, even for one person
• Aluminum poles are both durable and flexible enough to stay erect even during windy conditions

Cons:

• Pricey – it’s not for budget-conscious campers
• Vestibule/Mud Room has to be purchased as an add-on

Best for: people looking for the overall best 6 person camping tent on the market today.

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Marmot Halo 6

Type: Dome | Seasons: 3-season | Weight: 20 lbs 9 oz | Inside Height: 76″ | Floor: 118 x 118 inches (96.9 sq ft) | Setup Time: 10 mins

The Marmot Halo 6 has made it onto many of the “best of” tent lists for good reasons.

First off, it’s 96.9 sq ft of space is going to give you more space than any other dome tent on this list.

But because it is a dome tent, and not to mention with two huge vestibules, you are going to get great weather resistance and additional storage space.

Not only does it have great protection from wind and rain, but it ALSO is fairly easy to setup for a dome tent. With only 5 poles, setup will take only 5-10 minutes even in the dark.

The only real ding to this tent is the value. It is one of the pricier tents on this list.

Pros:

• With 96.9 sq ft of tent space and an additional 64.44 sq ft of vestibule space, the Marmot Halo 6 is a superb fortress
• It’s dome shape and quality materials and construction give you some of the best protection you can get
• 76″ of peak inside height means even taller folks can still stand up
• Lifetime warranty included in your purchase – making it worth the money

Cons:

• One of the more expensive tents on this list
• No footprint included

Best for: A high quality premium tent that offers great wind and rain protection.

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CORE 6 Person Instant Cabin Tent

Type: Cabin, Instant | Seasons: 3-Season | Weight: 23 lbs | Inside Height: 72″ | Floor: 11 x 9 ft (99 sq ft) | Setup Time: 2 mins

Like some of the other tents we’ve mentioned so far, this CORE tent is a cabin tent. That means it has vertical walls which allow easier movement and greater comfort inside the tent. However, it’s also an instant tent – which means its setup is quick and easy – hence the name instant.

What sets this tent apart is its ventilation – thanks to multiple windows and floor vents, you should have good airflow throughout your camping trip.

Pros:

• 2 minute set up and take down in fair weather conditions
• The expandable carrying case makes it easy to pack the tent after taking it down
• Great ventilation thanks to windows on both sides and the front door
• The back wall comes with a big storage area where you can hang your gear
• Inexpensive cabin tent for beginner buyers

Cons:

• The floor is pretty thin so you should probably buy a tarp
• The door zipper can get caught in the flaps running along the door

Best for: people who want a roomy cabin tent with great ventilation at a reasonable price.

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ALPS Mountaineering Meramac 6-Person Tent

Type: Dome | Seasons: 3-season | Weight: 16 lbs 1 oz | Inside Height: 72″ | Floor: 120 x 120 inches (100 sq ft) | Setup Time: 20 mins

Since 1993, ALPS has been making high-quality tents that fit the budget of every camper. They generally specialize in smaller backpacking tests, but I figured I’d mention this tent since it’s their largest.

Although smaller than the other tents in this post, it is listed as a six-person tent. 100 sq. ft. of floor space and 6” of center height make this great for two couples or small families.

What I like about this tent is the design. It’s a dome-style tent constructed out of two fiberglass poles that wrap around the top of the tent. This makes it lightweight and easy to set up.

When it comes to weather resistance, ALPS didn’t cut any corners. This tent comes with factory sealed seams and a 1500mm HH coating that’ll keep you dry.

Pros:

• Considering its top-notch weather protection, excellent bang-for-the-buck.
• Premium taffeta nylon fabric is breathable, lightweight, yet strong.
• The free-standing design means it doesn’t require guy lines to keep its shape.
• Although a smaller large tent, it’s got two doors each with an awning-covered doorway.
• Lightweight (16 lbs).

Cons:

• Not as large as other tents on this list.
• High-level weather protection makes this tent a bit pricier.

Best for: backpackers or people who want to save on weight, while also having a large tent that fits the whole gang.

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Napier Outdoors – Sportz SUV Tent

Tent Size: 6 person | Seasons: 3-season | Weight: 41 lbs | Inside Height: 90 in | Floor: 10 x 10 (100 sq ft) | Setup Time: 15 mins

Similar to the Dome-to-Go, the Napier Outdoors Sportz is a large, roomy ground tent that makes camping out of your car a luxury. In fact, this tent is large enough to be a stand-alone tent without being attached to a car at all!

This Napier SUV tent has several other features that make it a great choice for taking your SUV camping. The most prominent is the bonus of turning your car into an extra room.

Pros:

• This tent is plenty large and roomy measuring 10 by 10 feet and 7 feet tall – it also includes an attached screen room and awning for even more room
• With so much room, this tent also functions very well as a stand-alone tent – it does not need to be attached to a car to work
• Large sections of mesh windows, especially in the screen room, allow for great airflow and lots of sunlight
• This tent is made out of durable, waterproof material, so it will definitely hold up during rain and wind

Cons:

• It’s so large, this tent takes two people to put up in a timely matter
• The screen room is on the wrong side of the tent, considering that most extra space in a campsite is on the passenger side, not the driver’s side

Best for: camping with the whole family, attached to the car or pitched on the ground.

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Browning Big Horn Camping Tent

Type: Cabin, 2-Room | Seasons: 3-Season | Weight: 34.6 lbs | Inside Height: 87 in | Floor: 10 x 15 ft (150 sq ft) | Setup Time: 15 mins

Last but not least is the Browning Big Horn. If you liked the ALPS Mountaineering tent but wanted more space, this tent is for you.

Why? Well, ALPS manufacturers Browning’s tents. You can expect to get the same ALPS quality out of this tent, but with more size!

This tent is a monster. It’s got 7 feet of center height. Since it’s a cabin style tent, that height is distributed through the whole tent.

Pros:

• Free-standing tent means you don’t have to mess with guy lines.
• Tons of space (150 sq. ft.), high center height.
• Sturdy in the wind thanks to its simple design and excellent ventilation.
• Room divider gives you peace from the kids, or maybe just a changing room.
• 4 windows allow anyone to enter and exit without waking everyone up.

Cons:

• Not much storage space. There are only pockets on each side of the room divider.
• Setup can be frustrating if you’ve never done it before or are alone. I recommend setting it up at home first for this reason.

Best for: Large groups that want a tent designed for walking around in.

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Coleman Red Canyon 8-Person Tent

Type: Dome | Seasons: 2 – 3-Season | Weight: 22.4 lbs | Inside Height: 72 in | Floor: 17 x 10 ft (170 sq ft) | Setup Time: 15 mins

The Red Canyon 8-Person Tent is an all-around budget gem that packs a ton of features into an easy-to-use and affordable package.

What I like about this tent is the design. It’s a dome-style tent, which means it kicks off rain, snow, and wind like no other.

Dome-style tents are difficult to do in large sizes since it’s hard for a large dome to support itself. But, this tent accomplishes that by having split rooms. It comes with a main domed room and two side rooms, which you can split up using the optional room dividers.

Also, it comes with many of the Coleman features I’ve come to love. You’ll get WeatherTec sealed seams and a patented pin-and-ring system for securing your poles to the tent. For the outer, Coleman used Polyguard fabric that’ll last many full moons.

You’ll also get adjustable air vents that help you stay cool on hot summer nights. One of the “vents” can be used as a “doggy door.” It’s positioned low on the ground and large enough for a dog to crawl through, so Fido can use the toilet at night!

With this tent, Coleman took their attention to details seriously. For example, the welcome mat that rolls out in front of the door is removable. That means you can shake it off before packing off, so you don’t track dirt home.

This tent is a prime example of why I love Coleman tents.

Pros:

• Despite being a large tent, this dome-style tent rapidly repels any rain or snow that it faces.
• Clear instructions mean you spend more time with your loved ones, and less time fiddling with poles.
• Extremely durable – some have reported using this tent for over 10 years!
• Not instant-pitch, but still sets up in less than 15 minutes.
• Lots of little features I love, like the doggy door.
• Removable rainfly is strong enough to resist rain, but can also be detached.

Cons:

• Might be a little small for 3 queen-sized air mattresses.
• Some people don’t like that the dome-style sacrifices headspace.

Best for: Anyone looking for a large group or family tent.

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CORE 9 Person Extended Dome

Type: Dome | Seasons: 3-Season | Weight: 18.21 lbs | Inside Height: 72 in | Floor: 16 x 9 ft (144 sq ft) | Setup Time: 20 mins

The CORE 9 Person Extended Dome tent weighs only 18.21 lbs, but with a 16′ x 9′ layout still manages to eek out 144 sq ft of space.

You can easily fit two queen air mattresses in this tent, with plenty of space to spare for gear.

A 72 inch peak height means that you’ll be able to stand up in the middle portion of this dome tent.

Where the Core really shines is in its ability to fend off weather on a budget. The dome design along with the CORE H20 Block Technology keeps rain and wind out of the tent.

Lastly, the Advanced Ventilation System provides a ventilation pocket behind the tent, provides excellent ventilation compared to other tents of this style.

Pros:

• Lightweight for a tent of this size at 18.21 lbs
• Weatherproof design and CORE H20 Block Technology keeps rain and wind out
• 144 sq ft, means plenty of room for 2 queen air mattresses and gear
• Mesh fabric ceiling allows for great views in fair weather
• Great value for the price

Cons:

• Stakes are flimsy, will want to buy heavy duty stakes instead
• Only one door

Best for: Families looking for an excellent budget tent that can withstand the elements.

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Kodiak 8-Person Canvas Tent

Tent Size: 8 person | Seasons: 4-season | Weight: 84.6 lbs | Inside Height: 78 in | Floor: 10 x 13 ft (140 sq ft) | Setup Time: 15 mins

Now that I’ve shown you my favorite large Coleman tents, it’s time to mix things up and throw in a large canvas tent.

If you’ve never heard of canvas tents, that’s because they’re a bit more “pro-level” than polyester tents.

Canvas tents are made out of thick cotton canvas instead of lightweight plastic polyester. The benefits are simple. Canvas tents are more breathable, durable, and weather-proof than their plastic counterparts.

Humans have been wearing cotton T-shirts for decades because of these features, so why not sleep in some cotton too?

Kodiak is well-known in the canvas tent world for making superior products that can last for decades. I generally prefer SpringBar’s canvas tents over Kodiak’s, but their 8-person model is way too overpriced. This Kodiak 8-person is a much better bang for the buck.

This tent is also available in a smaller, 6-person model. If you want to save a little money and can sacrifice space, go for it!

Pros:

• High-quality duck canvas with Hydra-Shield is incredibly durable and breathable.
• Mesh-windowed doors on both sides allow a 360 view and easy entrance & exit.
• Built to last – including #10 YKK zippers – the best zippers in the world!
• An optional awning allows you to keep your gear dry or keep yourself out of the sun.
• The superior canvas will last so long you can pass it down to your kids.

Cons:

• Heavy, definitely not for car camping
• Must be dried before packing up, or else water will turn to mildew

Best for: large groups that want to invest in a tent that’ll provide a top-notch camping experience for generations.

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CORE 10-Person Cabin Tent

Type: Cabin, 2-room | Seasons: 3-season | Weight: 31.61 lbs | Inside Height: 86 in | Floor: 14 x 10 ft (140 sq ft) | Setup Time: 20 mins

If being able to move around freely in your tent is important to you, you’ll want to know about the CORE 10 person instant cabin tent.

This tent gives you an incredible 7’2’’ of ceiling height. This means that even professional basketball players can walk around comfortably inside this tent. That’s not all, though. This tent also boasts a whopping 140 square feet of floor space.

For those who value privacy, Core provides a room divider. Combine that with the two doors on both sides, and getting around in the tent is a piece of cake.

Sealed seams and water-resistant fabrics will ensure that not a single drop of water ends up in your tent, even during heavy rains.

Pros:

• At 140 sq ft. it is incredibly spacious
• 7’2’’ center height and straight sidewalls make it easy to walk around in the tent
• Comes with a room divider for extra privacy
• Adjustable ground vents and mesh ceiling provide great ventilation
• Strong wind resistance – up to 30 mph
• This is an instant cabin tent, which means you can set it up in less than 2 minutes

Cons:

• The floor is not that durable, so it’s wise to put a tarp beneath your tent

Best for: people who want a huge instant tent that can be up in less than 2 minutes.

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Coleman Instant Setup Cabin Tent

Type: Instant, Cabin | Seasons: 3-season | Weight: 42 lbs | Inside Height: 79 in | Floor: 14 x 10 ft (140 sq ft) | Setup Time: 2 mins

Dark Room technology is what makes this tent great for summer camping. According to the manufacturer, this tent blocks up to 90% of light that enters the tent. This means that, unless you set an alarm, you might wake up way later than usual.

Since it blocks daylight, Dark Room technology also keeps the tent cool inside. That way, you won’t wake up drenched in sweat after sunrise.

This tent is spacious and can fit four queen air mattresses or ten sleeping bags. With a 6’7’’ center height, most people can comfortably stand up inside.

The Instant Setup has a footprint of 140 sq. ft., while the Red Canyon has 170 sq. ft, and the tent comes with a room divider, which can give you some privacy when changing clothes, for example.

Lastly, it’s an instant tent. The great thing about this tent is that pitching takes no more than a minute. All the poles are pre attached, so the only thing left for you to do is to pop it open.

Pros:

• Thanks to the Dark Room technology, you can sleep way past sunrise without natural light waking you up
• Pre attached poles allow for a quick setup in under 1 minute
• It comes with a room divider that gives you some privacy inside the tent
• Removing the rain fly allows you to enjoy the night sky during dry weather
• Coleman offers a 1-year limited warranty

Cons:

•  The tent might leak during a heavy rainstorm

Best for: campers who like to sleep in late on family camping trips.

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White Duck 12’x14′ Alpha Wall Tent

Tent Size: 10 person | Seasons: 4-season | Weight: 205 lbs | Inside Height: 104 in | Floor: 12 x 14 ft (168 sq ft) | Setup Time: 30 mins

A lot of these 4 and 6-person tents are nice, but what if you are traveling in a larger group?

Or if you just need a lot of personal space? (Hey, no judging here!)

Well, then you are going to need an upgrade.

Now let me be clear: This is not a tent. This is a canvas mansion.

With 168 square feet of floor space and an incredible 8’8” center height, this spacious tent will make anybody feel comfortable. In fact, a lot of people are using it as a second winter home in their backyard – it’s that comfortable.

On the downside, it is pretty expensive – so if you’re not 100% sure that you’re going to be heavily using this tent, you’ll probably want to give it a pass.

Pros:

• HUGE – with 8’8” center height and 168 sqft. you can comfortably fit 8-10 people in there (and have room to spare)
• For such a large tent, the setup is relatively simple
• 100% waterproof (provided you season it beforehand)
• Comes with poles, stakes, and everything else you need
• Also pre-fitted with a stove jack if you want to use a tent stove within your tent

Cons:

• Expensive – budget-conscious campers can look away
• At 200 lbs, it’s definitely one of the heaviest tents around

Best for: campers looking for the best canvas wall tent available today.

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CORE 12-Person Instant Cabin Tent

Type: Cabin, Instant, 3-room | Tent Size: 12 person | Seasons: 3-season | Weight: 47.8 lbs | Inside Height: 80 in | Floor: 18 x 10 ft (180 sq ft) | Setup Time: 2 mins

CORE makes superb tents, and their 12-person Instant Cabin is no exception!

This tent sets up in under five minutes, making it an excellent choice for a quick camping trip – or a beginner one.

It measures 18’ x 10’ on the inside and comes with all of the poles pre-attached so there’s no need to fumble with mechanics to get it set up. Oh, and it’s also prime for taller people, which is great if you’ve ever had to spend a camping trip in a tent where you keep hitting your head.

If you’re looking for a quick-camping tent that fits as many as twelve people (or gives smaller groups a ton of space) but isn’t a nightmare to set up, then go for CORE.

Pros:

• Comes with room dividers so you can split it up into at least three separate rooms for privacy
• It stands up well in winter conditions, thanks to superior design and anchoring
• This tent promises a quick and instant setup and definitely delivers
• High center height (80 inches) and fits three queen-size airbeds
• Electrical ports and ground ventilation make this a tent that suits everyone

Cons:

• Be careful with the poles. Pre-installed poles mean that you don’t want to drop it on your toes.

Best for: families that want a quick-pitch tent at an affordable price that fit a ton of people.

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Ozark Trail 14-Person, 4-Room Tent

Type: Tunnel, 4-room | Size: 14 person | Seasons: 2 to 3-season | Weight: 47.4 lbs | Inside Height: 78 in | Floor: 20 x 20 ft (235 sq ft) | Setup Time: 20 mins

The final tent I’ll review today is Ozark Trail’s largest – their 14 person, 4-room tent.

Overall, this tent is a monster. Take a look at the floor plan, it’s actually got five rooms if you count the center room. This tent is for groups or families that want to travel with the entire squad, but don’t want to have to sleep next to each other.

The four bedrooms allow you and your spouse to have privacy, while also allowing each kid to have their own room. You could even squeeze in a living room or kitchen. Crazy!

You might be wondering what’s it like to set up this tent. Since it’s so big, it’s gotta be difficult, right? Not so fast.

Setting up this tent is similar to the tent above. It’s not an instant tent, but it’s designed for a quick setup. It shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes, which is great for this size.

Like the 12 person tent, it also comes with a T-style door, so you can move camping gear and furniture without having to fangle it through a small, D-style door.

This tent is heavy (near 50 lbs), but for all of its size, it’s not that bad.

Of course, like every Ozark Trail tent, it comes with electrical ports so you can charge your phones at night.

Pros:

• Four rooms plus a center room mean you can have a bedroom, kitchen, living room, whatever you want!
• Removable rain fly and mesh roof mean all of your rooms can stargaze, or opt-in for rain protection
• Each room has its own entrance, making night time bathroom breaks a quiet affair
• Excellent price point considering it’s the size of four of five regular tents
• Despite the massive size, this tent folds down relatively easily and packs up quickly

Cons:

• The color scheme is pretty ugly – this tent won’t be winning any beauty contests anytime soon
• Despite having four rooms, there’s only one lantern hook in the center room – this makes it hard to have light in all the rooms at night

Best for: extra-large groups who need an extra-large tent, and aren’t scared to carry a castle to the campground.

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How We Tested, Reviewed, and Rated The Best Large Tents

We love to test and review gear. You’ll find us testing gear that we already own and love, are purchasing for retail prices (just like you), or items that are sent to us by the manufacturer.

No matter how we procure a product, our goal is to thoroughly test and review each item and rate it against its peers.

Our goal is to remain as unbiased as possible.

We take tedious notes, and compare even the tiniest of details. Everything goes into a spreadsheet for analysis from the dimensions of the product to cost comparisons, user ratings, etc

After hours of testing, reviewing and analyzing over fifty large tents we grade each tent on a the following metrics:

• Space and Comfort
• Quality and Durability
• Value
• Weather Resistance
• Ease of Use
• Intangibles (unique features and key selling points)
• User Reviews

Here is how our rankings shook out:

Score	Tent	Price	Size	Best for
8.2	REI Co-op Wonderland 6 Tent	$599	6	6-Person, Overall
8.2	Marmot Halo 6	$649	6	6-Person, 2nd Choice
8.2	CORE 6 Person Instant Cabin Tent	$199	6	6-Person, Instant Tent
7.1	Napier Outdoors – Sportz SUV Tent	$399	6	6-Person, SUV Tent
8.3	Browning Camping Big Horn Tent	$239	8	8-Person, Overall
8	Kodiak Canvas Flex-Bow Deluxe 8-Person Tent	$699	8	8-Person, Durability
7.1	Coleman 8 Person Red Canyon Tent	$123	8	8-Person, Budget
8.1	NTK Laredo GT 8 To 9 Person Tent	$359	9	8-Person, Weather
7.9	CORE 9 Person Extended Dome	$176	9	8-Person, Budget
7.6	CORE 10-Person Cabin Tent	$249	10	10-Person, Overall
7.2	Coleman Instant Setup Cabin Tent	$353	10	10-Person, Instant Setup
8.3	White Duck 12’X14′ Alpha Wall Tent	$1,699	10	10-Person, Glamping
8	CORE 12-Person Instant Cabin Tent	$369	12	12-Person, Overall
7.5	Ozark Trail 14-Person, 4-Room Tent	$229	14	Extra Large Groups or Two Families

How To Look For A Large Tent

Now that you’ve seen what we consider the best large tents, let’s talk about what to look for when you’re shopping for large tents.

You must buy a tent that’s right for you. If you pick the wrong tent, you’ll be stuck with this purchase for years!

Here are some pointers to lessen the stress in the decision process.

Size

The first and foremost feature to consider when looking at large tents is of course…how large is it?

Since you’re reading this article, you likely want a tent that can fit a large group of people. That’s why the most important aspect of a tent is its size.

Now, if you haven’t bought a tent before, let me share an industry secret with you. Tent manufacturers purposely size their tents up.

What do I mean by that?

When a tent company says it fits 8 people, that means it fits 8 people…who are built like string beans, packed in the tent shoulder to shoulder.

Is that what you want from your camping trip? Probably not!

That’s why we suggest sizing up at least two people. So, for a 4-person trip, pick up a 6-person tent, and so on.

You can also check the size of the tent by reviewing its dimensions. Look at the floor dimensions and see for yourself if you can sleep 4 people in a 4-person tent.

For starters, check out the size of the Coleman Red Canyon 8-Person. If you need bigger, get one of the larger tents we have highlighted above:

Design

When looking for a large tent, you’ve got to consider some different design elements than when looking for a small tent.

The most notable design element is what type of frame it has. A cabin style, a dome, or a triangle?

Cabin tents are most popular in these larger sizes. Their walls are perpendicular to the earth and provide maximum vertical space. But, that comes at a cost, in weight and wind.

We’ve selected the absolute best Cabin tents out there with the Browning Camping Big Horn Tent, CORE 10-Person Cabin Tent, and the CORE 6 Person Instant Cabin Tent.

Dome style tents look like, well, a dome. The benefit to this style is that rain and snow slide off them better, but they don’t give you as much headroom as a cabin style would.

For the best large tents around, we’ve got the Marmot Halo 6, Coleman 8 Person Red Canyon Tent, NTK Laredo GT 8 To 9 Person Tent, and the CORE 9 Person Extended Dome.

Triangle tents (like the Kodiak canvas tent) are somewhere in the middle. They give better aerodynamics than a cabin and also better height than a dome tent.

Tunnel tents are sort of a combination of both Cabin and Dome tents, giving you both the height of a Cabin tent, but better aerodynamics similar to the Triangle tents. For these types of tents, we love the REI Co-op Wonderland 6 Tent and for ulta-large group camping it has to be the Ozark Trail 14-Person, 4-Room Tent. 

Which style you like is up to you, so I tried to provide options for each in this article.

Multi-room Tents

For any large group camping, you may be in a situation where you’d like a bit more privacy.

The tent manufacturers have done a great job trying to figure out how to slice and dice tents into multi-room options.

Not only do we have 2-room tents like the Browning Camping Big Horn Tent, REI Co-op Wonderland 6 Tent, and the CORE 10-Person Cabin Tent, but we have 3-room tents like the Coleman 8 Person Red Canyon Tent.

And to one up you, we’ve also picked out a 4-room tent in the Ozark Trail 14-Person, 4-Room Tent. 

Are the “rooms” really rooms? – Yes, no, maybe. In many cases, the rooms are simply privacy dividers. But as you get into some of the bigger 12 and 14 person tents, they really do become rooms with full on zippers in them.

But let’s face it, tent fabric is thin – you will hear everything.

Construction

Lastly, take a look at how the tent is constructed.

Larger tents have much more surface area than smaller tents, which means they’re much more susceptible to wind, sun, and rain damage. They also whip in the wind more thanks to their larger walls.

To fight against the elements, tents are constructed in different ways. Check out the number of guy lines, the outer material, and the orientation of the walls to see how a tent will fare against the weather.

Free Standing or Not?

Another construction factor that should be considered is if it’s a free-standing tent or not.

Free-standing tents use included poles to add structure to the tent. You can pick them up and walk around and they won’t lose their form.

Non-free standing tents, on the other hand, use guy lines, ropes, cords, and pegs to keep the tent’s shape.

When you’re looking at large tents, this is an important point to consider. You may or may not want to have a tent that can stand up on its own. You might not want to have to deal with guy lines. Either way, make sure you consider free-standing or not before buying.

Setup Time

When you have kids running around the campsite going crazy, or friends to entertain, the last thing you want to do is spend 2 hours pitching a tent.

This is why setup time is so important, and many tent manufactures make excellent Instant Tents.

These tents take only a few minutes to pitch and we have several that we recommend from the CORE 6 Person Instant Cabin Tent, the Coleman Instant Setup Cabin Tent, and the CORE 12-Person Instant Cabin Tent.

All of those tents take 2 minutes or less to set up and make it easy on the entire family.

But even if you are looking for a tent that can better withstand the elements, there are many tents that only take between 10-30 minutes to setup.

Large Tent Comparison Table

Now that you’ve got a handle on what to look for, check out this comprehensive comparison table to see what tent will best fit your specific large group needs:

Our Verdict

To pack things up, large tents are awesome. When camping with larger groups, it’s tempting to get two or three small tents. Instead, put everyone under one roof and enjoy each other’s company!

To do that most effectively, I recommend the Browning Big Horn Camping Tent. Not only is it durable, weather-resistant, and super spacious, it’s also affordable. Its cabin-style construction means there will be room for all, but it’s two-room design allows you peace and privacy if you want it.

If that’s not your style, any of the tents above will get the job done. I tried to include a variety of large tents so everyone could find satisfaction.

Either way, these tents are sure to bring you joy and relaxation.