In this Vango Woburn 500 Tent review you have a very nicely built reliable 3-room and 3-season family camping tent with an impressive waterproof rating and with a dark rest design.
Key features & benefits
- 2 Large doors.
- 3 PVC windows.
- 3 Rooms.
- Huge area.
- Dark rest design.
- Impressive waterproof rating.
What type of tent is this
The Vango Woburn 500 is a 3-room tent organized in a sleeping area and a large living room. The sleeping area is with a toggled inner divider so it is removable. They describe the bedrooms as ‘spacious ISO standard’ but in fact they are rather narrow for 5 people and you will realize this from the floor plan below.
This is a tunnel-shaped tent with three arches that create a very livable 195 cm high structure. As a tunnel tent, it is not freestanding, it comes with numerous guylines so stake it down properly.
Here you have an inner tent within the external waterproof shell, and this inner fabric is dark on purpose to reduce glare so that you can sleep longer in the morning. So the tent is in the group of dark rest tents or lights out as they call it at Vango.
Who is it for
The declared capacity of this tent is 5 people. If you have a look at its floor plan and dimensions you realize that this tent offers 160 ft² (14.9 m²) of the area, and this means 32 ft² (3 m²) per person. This is lots of space, a truly generous design. This includes almost 7.7 square meters in the living area.
The waterproof rating for this tent is huge, and in view of its closed design with solid windows, and being built by a Scottish company, it is suitable for all weather conditions in a 3-season use.
The weight is also huge, so this is a tent for camping at places with a motorized access. You have 28 lb (13.15 kg) and it packs nicely to 24.8 x 11 x 11 inches (63 x 28 x 28 cm).
Materials & construction
The poles
They call them PowerFlex but those are just fiberglass poles, the tent would be much better with some other material.
The fabric
The fabric is much better than the poles, so you have Vango’s 70D Protex denier polyester used for the external shell, and it is with a very impressive 4000 mm waterproof rating. The groundsheet in the living room is a polyethylene, completely waterproof, probably more than 10000 mm rating. All seams are factory taped throughout the tent.
Note however that the groundsheet is not sewn in, it is linked-in instead, so you can remove it for cleaning. But the inner tent is with its own bathtub type groundsheet which is fully sewn in.
You should know that this tent has been on the market for 6 years already and its first version was with a sewn-in floor, so do not get confused when you see different designs and descriptions.
All the fabric is weather tested and it is fire-retardant to meet the European standard EN5912, certified by an independent test center.
The doors & windows
The tent is with two very large entry doors and one of them is a double layer design so you have a mesh plus a panel. The inner doors are also partly with mesh for a better ventilation. The doors’ panels are with integrated eyelets which allow for an awning creation with the help of some extra poles.
There are three PVC windows in the living area, all equipped with shutters for privacy.
The TBS system
This is a patented system with tensioned bands that are attached on the sides to the poles, and you can pass them and attach also at the apex. Such a triangular reinforcement stabilizes the tent in the case of side winds. When not needed, it can be stowed away in the specially designed pockets on the walls.
Ventilation
There is no mesh on the ceiling here, this is a very enclosed design so vents are essential. You have one large vent under the PVC window, it is equipped with a Velcro tab and you can keep it open all the time. One high vent is on the back, behind the sleeping area.
Other features
You have pockets in the sleeping rooms for small items, and lantern hanging points are available as well. Please see more in this video:
Specifications
- Type: tunnel tent, non-freestanding.
- Capacity: 5 people.
- Weight: 28 lb (13.15 kg) – this is directly from Vango.
- Dimensions: 15.26 x 10.5 ft (465 x 320 cm).
- Area: 160 ft² (14.9 m²).
- Area per person: 32 ft² (3 m²).
- Peak height: 76.8 in (195 cm).
- Packed size: 24.8 x 11 x 11 in (63 x 28 x 28 cm).
- Pitching time: 15 min.
Vango Woburn 500 vs Competitors
In the table below you can see the Woburn tent compared with two other 5-person tents built in the same style. As you realize, it is the largest and the lightest. Please follow the links for more details.
Weight, lb (kg)
Floor size, sq ft (sq m)
Peak height, in (cm)
Doors
Porch
Vestibule
Rooms
Support
Type
Vango
Woburn 500
28 (13.15)
160 (14.9)
76.8 (195)
2
no
no
3
fiberglass
tunnel tent
Eurohike
Rydal 500
32.2 (14.6)
152.4 (14.16)
80.7 (205)
2
no
no
3
fiberglass
tunnel tent
Coleman Rocky
Mountain 5 Plus
37 (16.8)
120.5 (11.2)
76.8 (195)
1
no
no
3
fiberglass
tunnel tent
Final thoughts
Vango Woburn 500 Tent is designed for a full protection in a 3-season use. Such solid windows and the absence of mesh suggest that it is very suitable for a cooler environment. It comes at a price but it is worth the investment. Vango is a well known and reliable brand that has been around for decades. This tent is very similar to this Vango Iris 500 from the same brand, have a look. Check also this Outwell Nevada 5 Man Privilege Tent which is built in a similar style.
Note that I have included this tent in my list of the best 5 person tents, so have a look there if you want to see some other models of this type. If you would rather have a dome style tent, please check this Mountainsmith Conifer 5 Plus Tent, a lightweight and reliable portable tent, and also this compact ALPS Mountaineering Meramac 5 ZF Tent without vestibules.
BEST PLACEs TO BUY:
Thank you for reading, please use the comment box below in the case of comments and questions. Have a nice day.
What have you found to be the darkest tent? Looking for something good for helping a toddler sleep. The darker the better 🙂
So you can see them all in this text. Coleman claims that their tents block 98%. So check Coleman Carlsbad. Then check Ozark Trail tents in the list, there are several different sizes but all have the same dark rest design.
But I would say that the best option would be any of the Crua Tents (you will see them in the list), but for some reasons they are not available on Amazon these days. I asked them recently and they said they would be back. The reason for pointing those tents is that they are also with sound and thermal insulation, dark rest of course, and also breathable materials.
How is this Highly Waterproof? It does not have a sewn in groundsheet meaning in rain that leads to running water, it will enter the tents lounge area. Such a shame as I just bought this tent on a fantastic deal (£172 with ground sheet and carpet) from a store that had the old description stating it was sewn in. I will be returning it.
Hi Richard, in the description of this tent I clearly pointed out that the previous version was with the sewn-in floor in the living room but that the new version is with a linked-in floor. This is in the subsection ‘The fabric’. As I understand you did not read my text before buying.
In any case, pity if you feel disappointed, but you have seen that the sleeping area is a tent within the tent with its own floor so you are completely safe. On the other hand, having such a linked-in floor in the living area has some good sides, you can roll it to the side when you are cooking or using some camping chairs inside, or drying wet clothes.
As for the waterproof rating, it is indeed huge for this tent, you have 4000 mm for the flu and 10000 mm for the floor. This is a reliable tent.