This is our review of the new REI Wonderland 6 tent.
The REI Kingdom 6 has now been updated and re-launched as the REI Co-op Wonderland 6 tent.
I found the Wonderland 6 to be a great choice for group camping or family camping.
It has everything you need: interior space, storage, durability, great ventilation, and weather protection. It’s a great option not only for camping experts, but first-timers too, since it’s easily set up within a 10-minute timeframe.
We’ll go over everything, from dimensions and material to every tiny feature that makes this tent stand out from the crowd.
Keep reading to find out what’s all the rave about the brand-new Wonderland 6.
REI Wonderland 6 Review – An In-Depth Analysis
Type: Tunnel | 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
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It wasn’t until I bought my first dome-shaped two-person tent that I realized how claustrophobic I could be.
I felt cramped the moment I got inside and regretted every minute of that trip. Why am I telling you this?
Because if you’re anything like me, then you’ll love a tent that you can actually stand up and move around in.
The REI Wonderland is a portable mini house that can actually fit six people (tightly), unlike most other tents with overestimated sleeping capacity by a large margin.
The Wonderland 6 is roomy, airy and well-made.
Before buying something, I spend days researching and weighing the pros and cons. I did the same with this tent, so I’ll save you some time and dive right into its main features.
Wonderland 6 – Pros
Tall And Spacious
The Wonderland 6 is a perfect example of a tent with optimally used space.
Remember those rainbow-shaped Quonset huts made for military purposes during WWII? Well, this tent is quite reminiscent.
Tall, almost-vertical walls and rectangular floor allow you to use every inch of the space. That’s something that wasn’t possible with those old A-frame tents, or the standard dome tent.
However, unlike cabin tents which are quite popular nowadays, the REI Wonderland is a tunnel tent and is made not only with tall ceilings but with weather resistance in mind too.
If you’re under 6’2, you can stand up without touching the roof with your head.
This tent offers 83 square feet of floor area, which, according to the manufacturer, is enough for 6 people to sleep in. You’ll still feel somewhat like a sardine in a can with that many people, but the ceiling is high enough that you can sit and stand without squishing anyone.
In case you need a little privacy in a tent (when changing clothes, for example) the Wonderland 6 has got you covered, literally.
This tent comes with a room divider that can be attached and removed as needed. While that’s a fairly common feature with much larger multi-person tents, the Wonderland 6 comes with numerous loops to attach the divider. That way, you can create two rooms of uneven sizes.
The divider is great for groups of 2 couples, parents with kids, or if you need a separate room for storage. However, don’t expect much from the said divider. It’s basically a curtain with a zipper that will keep things out of sight. But in case a person sleeping in the other “room” snores like a trooper, nothing will help you.
Weather Resistance
REI Wonderland 6 is a three-season tent.
While it won’t get ruined by a few snowflakes, this tent isn’t designed to be used in snowy weather. But if you plan on camping during any other time of the year, the Wonderland 6 will serve you well.
The tent has a bathtub floor, which is a waterproof 150-denier coated polyester fabric that covers the bottom and extends up to the sides by a good margin.
This way, not even a drop of rising groundwater can get inside the tent through the walls and get your stuff wet.
The waterproof 75-denier coated polyester rainfly protects the top, sides, and front of the tent, all the way to the ground, though leaving room for ventilation via the new ground-level windows.
Great Ventilation
Have you seen the Wonderland 6 without a rainfly on? It’s essentially a huge mosquito netting tent.
The ceiling is made of mesh material, and one part of the tent also features mesh walls.
If you’re camping during the period of meteor showers, then this is the perfect tent choice. You can lie down and gaze at the stars, or simply mock the mosquitoes for not being able to get to you.
However, if you’re in a crowded camp area or at a festival, these mesh walls will give you no privacy. In that case, putting up a rainfly is a must. When in need of ventilation, you can either roll it back halfway or roll it up on the sides.
But even if it starts raining, and you need to fully cover the tent, four roof vents will allow decent air circulation. And what’s even better, you can do this from inside the tent!
Two zippers on the mesh ceiling allow you to put your hand through them and adjust the Velcro kickstand stiffeners which hold the vents up.
New for the Wonderland 6, also features triangular windows at sleeping bag height to allow for great cross-ventilation and views!
Large Doors
How many times before did you have to inflate the air mattress inside the tent because otherwise, it wouldn’t fit through the small opening?
With the Wonderland 6, that’s no longer a problem. This tent features 2 doors on each side, and they’re large enough to move mattresses and other stuff in and out of the tent.
They come with zippers for easy opening and closure. Above each door, there are mesh pockets where you can stow unzipped doors and get them out the way.
Pockets
Premium-quality tents like this one should feature a variety of storage options.
The Wonderland 6 is certainly not a disappointment.
In fact, this tent has mesh pockets along both sides, right above the floor fabric.
Now there’s no excuse for losing your flashlight somewhere in the pile of gear.
Actually, there’s no excuse for piling up your gear since there’s a designed space for storing just about anything.
Easy Setup
The first time you pitch a new tent always takes awhile. Tent body, rainfly, poles, guylines – you take these out of the bag and now you need to figure out what goes where.
Well, I’ve seen my fair share of tents, and I can safely say this one falls under the “easy setup” category – but only after you’ve set it up once.
Why is that? Well, you get one straight and two hubbed poles. One side of the pole goes through designed sleeves and the other side goes through the grommet on the tabs on each tent corner.
Once you’re done with that, attach the clips to designated poles. There’s a strategic color-coding on both tent body and rainfly, which further simplifies the setup.
The setup is pretty straightforward, and it shouldn’t take you more than 10 minutes, once you get a hold of it.
I’d advise opening it up for the first time in your backyard, just to see what goes where.
When you’re off camping, you don’t want to spend the time reading through the manual for the first time, right?
Here’s a nice detail for all those petite campers, like myself. Remember those zippers on ceilings through which you can open roof vents on the rainfly?
Well, these are really handy when attaching clips in the center. Without these, I wouldn’t be able to set up the tent by myself, unless I climb on the branch or something.
Stuff Sack Carry Bag
The Wonderland 6 weighs nearly 23 pounds, which is quite a lot for carrying around along with other camping equipment.
The stuff sack bag is typical, and a downgrade from the Kingdom 6, but still comes with a separate organizer for the poles and rainfly.
Furthermore, the stuff sack is just large enough that you don’t have to squeeze your tent and sit on it, praying you rolled it tightly enough to fit into a bag.
High-Quality Materials
You don’t really have to understand different fabric measurement units to be a camper, but it’s good to know if your equipment is well-made.
And trust me, you don’t want to learn that the hard way. I’ll tell you straight away – this tent is made of high-end materials and it’s so durable, it will probably be passed down through family generations.
The floor is made of 150D coated polyester, which is a heavy-duty waterproof fabric commonly used for tent floors.
It’s decently thick, so getting a footprint is not a requirement, though we recommend it anyway.
And let’s be realistic – you don’t want to spend a lot on a premium tent, only to have its flooring ripped by a stupid, sharp rock. In my opinion, if you’re already investing in high-quality camping equipment, invest all the way.
The rainfly is made of 75-denier-coated polyester, a tightly-woven, lightweight material. This fabric is to be thanked for making the Wonderland 6 a 3-season tent.
As you know, the biggest part of the tent is made of mesh fabric, so this rainfly is the superstar that keeps you protected from different weather elements.
Oh, and let’s not forget about poles. They’re made of 6061 and 7001 aluminum.
I’m not going to bore you with any more technicalities, but let’s just say that these are among the strongest aluminum alloys out there. They’re durable yet lightweight, and most importantly, they have good corrosion resistance.
Wonderland 6 – Cons
Not Ideal For Windy Weather
Like any other tall tunnel tent with vertical sides, the Wonderland 6 catches wind easily.
Basically, what happens is that walls turn into sails and bend along with it.
Thick aluminum poles along with guylines and stakes do their best at holding it in place.
However, due to its tunnel design, it will be more susceptible than standard dome tents.
There’s not much you can do about it, except using extra stakes or placing the tent in such a way as to block the wind.
No Vestibule
Unlike the previous REI Kingdom Tent, the Wonderland is missing the large vestibule.
REI has decided to add an even bigger mud room as an add-on option, but it does not come included.
Price
To be honest, the Wonderland 6 is pretty expensive. Its price is like the average monthly car payment.
In my opinion, this makes it too big of an investment if you’re not planning on camping more than once or twice a year.
Don’t get me wrong, this tent is totally worth its price. It has a great design and it’s made of high-quality materials. If camping is a big part of your life, you’ll love this tent.
Accessories
REI Co-op Wonderland Mud Room
Though the Wonderland 6 is missing a built-in vestibule, REI does not disappoint with this add-on.
Giving you an extra 56 sq ft it works with both the 6-person and 4-person version of the Wonderland tent.
It only weighs an extra 3 lbs 14 ounces and is likely worth purchasing if you will be doing a lot of camping in your Wonderland tent!
REI Co-op Wonderland 6 Footprint
Unfortunately, the Wonderland 6 does not come with the footprint included, so you’ll want to pick this up in addition to the tent. Of course, you can always use a tarp we recommend instead.
Either way, we recommend you protect your tent, so that it’ll last for years to come.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Wonderland Tent the new version of the Kingdom Tent?
Yes, the short answer is that the REI Co-op Wonderland Tent is the new and updated version of the REI Kingdom Tent.
The specs are nearly identical, with the square footage and height being exactly the same.
Are there any differences between the Wonderland and the Kingdom Tent?
One big difference between the Kingdom and the Wonderland, is that the Wonderland no longer comes with the vestibule included in the price.
Instead, it must be purchased as an add-on mud room.
Another smaller difference is the new triangular mesh side windows. They provide a great view from your sleeping bag along with added cross-ventilation.
The Wonderland tent stuff sack also differs from the previous version, and slightly harder to stuff the tent back into compared to the backpack version.
Is the Wonderland Tent worth the price?
In our opinion, yes. Though it is pricey, the premium materials provide the quality and durability that hardcore car campers are looking for.
With a 10-minute setup, it is extremely easy to use and provides great weather resistance compared to less-expensive budget tents.
Lastly, the Wonderland shines in space and comfort.
Does the Wonderland come in any additional sizes?
Yes, the Wonderland tent comes in 4-person version, 6-person version and a 4-person Wonderland X version that will allow campers to back their car into a parking garage of sorts to dock their car with their tent.
Will the Wonderland tent come in an 8-person size?
We aren’t sure, but we expect that there will eventually be a Wonderland 8 to replace the Kingdom 8 tent that is now out of production.
Our Verdict
I don’t believe that perfection exists, and that stands true for tents too. But, I can safely say that Wonderland 6 comes pretty close.
This tent is suitable for different weather conditions, from hot summer nights to unexpected cat-and-dog weather. Sure, it’s not great for strong winds, but there are ways you can bypass that.
It’s very roomy, so a family of four to six can sleep under the same roof. This is especially great if you have small kids so that you can keep a close eye on them.
And in case you’re camping solo or with a partner, there’s so much room for all your stuff. You can even put two folding chairs into the mesh-walled area, where you can sit and gaze at the night sky.
While this tent is quite costly, it’s well worth every penny. It’s a premium quality durable tent, and as such, it’s a valuable addition to every camper’s equipment.
Other Top 6 Person Tents
Best Overall | Best 2nd Choice | Best for Storage Space | Best for Glamping | Best for Weather Resistance | Best for 6-Person Instant Tent | Best for Durability | Best for Family Car Camping | Best for Extra Storage Space | Best for Budget | Best for Budget | Best for 6-Person Dome Tent | Best for Summer Camping | Best for SUV Tent | Best for Small Families |
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8.2 | 8.2 | 8.0 | 8.8 | 7.9 | 8.2 | 8.4 | 8.1 | 7.8 | 7.6 | 7.4 | 7.3 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.1 |