This Coleman 12 Person Skydome XL Tent is the largest in the Skydome series. This is a very tall extended-dome type tent with two doors and floor vents. Keep reading.
Key features & benefits
- Extended dome tent.
- Very tall tent.
- Good packed size.
- Floor vents.
- Two doors.
What this is about
Coleman has a number of dome tents in this Skydome series (see this Skydome 8 person tent as one example), but for the season 2021, they have launched three more tents built in a different style as extended-dome tents. So this Skydome 12 XL is the largest in the series.
This is a non-freestanding tent with two large doors on its wide sides, see the picture below. The doors are a double-layer type with mesh and panels in the upper part. As you realize from the pictures, the doors are partially protected, they are under small brims created by two additional poles so you have a dry entry here.
As mentioned, you have to stake it down properly so make sure you choose the ground that keeps the stakes. All needed to secure the tent is included, see the elements from the package in the picture:
The tent is very tall in the central part where you have a peak height of 7 ft (213 cm). The sides are lower and supported by extra poles.
They did not bother with providing any information about the materials and waterproof rating, but they use the usual WeatherTec system that you can see in most of Coleman’s tents that are currently on the market. This means inverted and taped seams, welded corners, and also a tub-like floor. The tent fabric appears to be polyester and the floor is the usual polyethylene which they use in many of their tents.
The poles are fiberglass, note that they describe the poles as pre-attached, but this is a bit misleading, this only means they are shock-corded and nothing more. But everything is color-coded as usual so the official pitching time with two people working is 5 minutes.
Ventilation
As mentioned, there are mesh sections on the doors and also on the tent’s canopy, and the fly does not go to the ground so you can always have air circulation in this tall structure. But they have added floor vents on the narrow sides, see the picture below.
Other features
There are several wall pouches for storage, and a gear loft as well. You also have an E-cable port, and a carry bag is included.
Who is it for
Capacity-wise, the tent is officially for 12 people, and for this it offers a floored area of 180 ft² (16.7 m²). This gives 15 ft² (1.4 m²), so you can indeed place 12 sleeping pads on the floor but this is not optimal for real camping.
They also write that you can place 4 queen size beds inside, but this would not leave much space to move around. So although this is a large structure, it is best to downgrade the number of users to 7-8 people maximum.
Seasons-wise & climate-wise, they describe it as a 3-season tent and I think this is accurate. The tent is ventilated and the fly is quite large for protection against the rain. They claim it can withstand winds of 35 mph, but I think I would not put it to such tests, it is tall and the fly does not go to the ground, so the structure with these small awnings is not very aerodynamic.
Regarding the weight, the tent is heavy with its 40.11 lb (18.2 kg), but you have seen its size, so this is 0.92 m²/kg. From this perspective, it is not so bad. Note that the packed size is 27.5 x 12.5 x 12.5 inches (70 x 32 x 32 cm), not bad at all for such a large tent.
Specifications
- Official capacity: 12 people.
- Weight: 40.11 lb (18.2 kg).
- Dimensions: 20 x 9 ft (610 x 274 cm).
- Area: 180 ft² (16.7 m²).
- Area per person: 15 ft² (1.4 m²).
- Peak height: 7 ft (213 cm).
- Packed size: 27.5 x 12.5 x 12.5 in (70 x 32 x 32 cm).
Final thoughts & rating
In summary, this Coleman 12 Person Skydome XL Tent is a tall structure with an almost full-coverage fly, so you have a stand-up height in the bigger part of the tent and you should be protected in most situations that are expected in typical 3-season camping. They have designed the fly without vestibules, and the doors are with windows so that you still have views on its two sides.
Please see how I rate this tent against my standard set of criteria, it scores very well:
Coleman 12 Person Skydome XL Tent
Pros
- 2 Doors.
- Floor vents.
- Very tall.
Cons
- Heavy.
- Poor description.
- Small for 12 people.
BEST PLACEs TO BUY:
Please check under the category Tents for 11 people plus if you want more options in this capacity range. See for example this CAMPROS Tent 12 Person that is built as a tunnel-type tent. If you would rather have a cabin-style tent, check this KTT Extra Large Tent 12 Person which is a bit smaller.
If you want more tents of this shape, check under the category Dome tents. In particular, check this UNP Camping Tent 10-Person built in the same style. Thank you for reading and have a nice day.
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