Here you have a rather exclusive list of the best camping tents brands that are specialized in building large family camping tents or tents for groups. Keep reading.
There are several brands that build family camping tents that stand out from the rest. This is due to any the following reasons:
- Versatility of models that they bring to the market every year.
- Quality of their products.
- Comfort which their tents offer.
- Protection from the elements that you have with their tents.
- Presence on the global market.
So here are the brands that I want to put forward, they are ordered alphabetically and this is not a ranking list.
Bushtec Adventure
The tents of this brand are not numerous, but each and every of them is a true gem. You can see them all here in the site, just search by using the words Bushtec Adventure. Their tents are a synonym for durability and top-quality, built to last for years and to offer full protection.
So far, I have never seen any of their tent that is synthetic, these are all canvas tents built from the most durable fabric of that type. As a rule, they use steel frame, and you will see some of them with s spring-steel support. They usually guarantee at least 15 years of use without any issues with their tents. When you see how they are built, you simply have to believe this.
But these tents are not for people that are on the budget. Buying a tent of this brand is an investment, but it is worth it. Their tents will protect you in all seasons and in all weather conditions. See this Bushtec Adventure Alpha Kilo 4000 Canvas 6 Person Bow Tent as a great example:
Coleman Outdoor Camping Gear
The Coleman brand has been around for well over a century. The focus here on tents, but you will want to know that they build everything you need for camping.
Coleman tents are among the most affordable on the market, and they have them many, in all sizes, styles, and for all seasons and climates.
Note that they have an EU branch and the tents they sell there are usually very different from those on the US market. This is about very different concepts and styles. Most of their EU tents are tunnel-shaped tents and with multiple rooms. It is interesting that some of the largest tents of this brand are only 6-person tents by their official capacity. But these are tents built for the EU market.
Occasionally, these EU models appear on the Amazon-US, but from what I have noticed in the past, they do not last long, not sure why this is so.
So, are Coleman tents good?
This will depend on particular tents. Quite generally, Coleman-EU tents are with huge waterproof rating and they will definitely protect you in any weather conditions. Those built for the US market are usually smaller, with fewer rooms, and suitable mostly for 1-3 season camping.
But when it comes to price per area ratio, I would say only Ozark Trail tents are in the same rank. So most of the Coleman tents are indeed affordable and the right value for the money.
Many of tents of this brand are incredibly popular. The Coleman Cabin Tent with Instant Setup shown below has, as of the moment of writing this text, around 14000 reports on Amazon-US alone. It is hard to find a more popular tent, and this is for all the good reasons. You can set this tent up in less than one minute.
Here are some of the features which you can find in the tents of this brand:
- Dark rest design. Some of their tents block up to 98% of the daylight. No other brands has them so many on the market.
- Inflatable tents or air-beam tents. They have a number of these tents, mostly on the EU market.
- Hinged door tents. This is a convenient feature and you will see them many in my list of best tents with a hinged door.
- Instant setup tents. Their best known example is shown in the picture above.
All in all, as of the moment of writing this text, there is no brand with so many family camping tents on the market. Some of the largest camping tents belong to this brand, see the one below, the Coleman Valdes Deluxe 6XL Air BlackOut. So this brand is included here because it satisfies all the criteria mentioned in the introduction of this text.
Core Equipment
The Core brand has been around for many years. As far as I remember, they have never had many tents on the market, but all their tents are incredibly popular. You will find them all presented in detail here in the site.
Most of their tents are cabin style, and this implies pleasant freestanding structures with many windows and sometimes with a few rooms. But they also build dome-shaped tents. You can find their tents in the capacity of 4-12 people.
Regarding seasons, the tents of Core Equipment are more or less summer camping tents, or maximum for 2 seasons. As for features, you will find a whole series of their lighted tents, and also instant setup tents. The picture below shows one that combines both of these features, the CORE 10 Person Lighted Instant Cabin Tent.
The Core tents are also usually very affordable, and this is behind their popularity. But affordable does not mean cheaply made, you can rely on their tents even when you see that official waterproof rating is low.
So is Core Equipment a good brand? Obviously, I have included it here in this list and this is the answer. CORE tents are reliable and well-priced, use them in conditions for which they are built and you can be sure you will have a pleasant camping experience.
Crua Outdoors
Crua Outdoors is an European brand, but they have also their US branch. This brand is relatively new on the market, they appeared a few years back with several of their insulated tents. There may be more tent builders that make such tents, but the Crua Outdoors is currently the only one that could be described as a globally-known brand.
So, are Crua Outdoors tents good? In short, yes, I am confident in saying that some of the best tents on the markets belong to this brand. But note that they do not have them many. They have insulated tents in several sizes, and they all share the same basic structure. These are true 4-season tents, and this means suitable for all climates and all environments.
You have a highly waterproof shell, and an insulated inner cocoon. Most of their tents are poly-cotton structures, breathable yet waterproof. One of them, the Crua Cottage Premium Quality 4-6 Person Family Tent is shown in the picture below.
They have built also a unique synthetic tent with inflatable beams instead of poles, the Crua Core dome tent. So this is an impressive structure as it is, but this is also a connectable tent. The meaning of this is that you can attach several of their Crua Duo or Crua Duo Max tents and grow the structure into what they call the Crua Clan shown in the picture:
Note that each of these smaller synthetic tents can accommodate an inner Crua Cocoon insulated tent. The central part the Crua Dome is not insulated. All elements in this structure can be used as in the picture, as one single interconnected tent, or as separate tents.
Ozark Trail Tents
This brand is owned by Walmart. If you have ever searched the tents of this brand, you have probably realized that they build some of the largest tents on the US market. Now, if you would calculate the price of their tents by making the ratio of the floor area and price, it is would be hard to find a brand that could match this.
Is Ozark Trail a good brand for tents?
I would say the tents of this brand are a good value for the money. So if you want a camping shelter that offers lots of space and storage options, and that will not break the bank, then Ozark Trail is the brand to check.
They build tents in a variety of sizes, but these are not expedition tents or tents for experts. These are tents for people on a budget, for occasional outdoor adventures with your family or with friends.
Are Ozark Trail tents 4-season?
When I think of this brand, I always have a picture of a tent that is large, boxy, pleasant, easy to use, and affordable, just see the picture above. If you type Ozark Trail in the search bar here in the site, you will see them many and you will realize that they match such a description. As of the moment of writing this text, I do not know any tent of Ozark Trail that I would describe as a true 4-season tent or a winter tent.
Is an Ozark Trail tent better than Coleman?
Coleman tents and Ozark Trail tents are more or less at the same level regarding the quality of their tents. Regarding the price per area, the Ozark Trail tents may be slightly more affordable.
However, Coleman builds tents in all possible sizes, from solo to the largest tents on the market. Both brands have plenty of new models on the market. All in all if you are on a budget, these are brands to check.
Ozark Trail dark rest tents
I wanted to point out this specific type because Ozark trail has built them many and in various sizes. Only Coleman has them more. Ozark Trail dark rest tents are among the darkest on the market and you will find them several here in the site. The picture below shows the one that is currently the most popular:
Vango Tents
Vango is a Scottish brand that has been around for decades. This is a business started in Govan Scotland by one man, and the company has grown up to become one of the best known on the EU market.
Vango builds tents in the range 1-8 people, and these are synthetic shelters with a huge waterproof rating. In my separate text I gave some details about one type of the fabric they use, the Vango ProTex.
This brand is one of the pioneers in the air-beam tents industry, they have been building such tents with inflatable beams for over a decade already. You will find them many here in the site, just search under the name Vango.
Their family camping tents are always multi-room structures and usually with solid windows. Built for Scottish weather, they assume you would have to stay in the tent long so they build them large, tall, with many large windows, and nicely ventilated. It is interesting that most of their tents are tunnel type, with just a few smaller tents that are dome-shaped.
Many of Vango tents can be used throughout the year, but I see them better suited for a cooler environment. The tents of this brand are commonly present on the EU market. In the US they appear only occasionally and from what I have seen they do not stay long.
A few years ago many of them were available on the Amazon-US but as of the moment of writing this text, this is not so. The price may be the reason, they are generally more expensive than Coleman and Ozark Trail tents that are omnipresent on the US market.
Final thoughts
So this was my list of best camping tents brands that build shelters for families and larger groups. I am pretty sure that no matter what kind of family camping tent you need, you will find it among the tents of these several brands listed above.
But there are many more brands presented in this site that is all about family camping tents. So just look around and you will see them many. I would point out in particular Eureka, Alps Mountaineering, Robens Tents, and Browning Camping.
Let me know if you feel that I have missed mentioning a brand that deserves to be represented here, there is a comment box below. Thank you for reading.
Leave a Reply