The Wenzel Magnetic Screen House is a freestanding outdoor shelter for protection against flying insects, easy to use, with a great warranty and price.
Key features & benefits
- Freestanding.
- 2 Doors.
- Magnetic closure.
- Great warranty.
What this is about
Here you have a very typical cabin-type screen house. This implies vertical and tall walls that are all built of mesh, and there is no floor of course. I have seen many people asking about it.
So do not expect rain protection in such a shelter, it is not built for this purpose. It is to be used as an accessory shelter next to your camping tent, or a shelter for picnics.
Its dimensions are such that it will fit over many fixed picnic tables, so you can enjoy your day while being protected from flying insects.
The structure can be described as freestanding, but it is absolutely necessary to stake it down properly, it comes with guylines and stakes for this purpose.
There are no many features here. You have a loop on the ceiling so you can hang a lantern, and there is a mat on the door.
The doors
There are two doors here on the opposite sides. This implies just vertical cuts that close automatically because of magnets that you have attached there.
This may be convenient, but I have seen people complaining that the magnets do not keep the doors closed when it is windy.
Materials
The poles: The shelter is supported with a combination of four steel leg poles and three fiberglass roof poles, all shock corded and easy to use.
The legs attach similar to any cabin type tent. The roof is with sleeves so you have to pass the roof poles through it. One of the roof poles pulls the door sides up, see the picture.
The elbow connectors shown in the picture are pre-attached to the tent, see the picture. This is typically so, I have the same in my Ydyl screen house.
The fabric: The roof is a polyester taffeta, I have not seen any info about its waterproofness. Do not expect rain protection here. The walls are just a mesh.
There is also a statement about “floor” which is a polyethylene. But there is no floor here, there is only a narrow skirt that goes around the perimeter, plus a small mat that prevents tripping when entering and exiting the shelter.
When you set such a structure up, it is always best first to put the roof poles in place, then start adding legs one by one. This is how I set my own screen house up. So definitely avoid doing what these guys are doing in the video:
Who is this Wenzel Magnetic Screen House for
Regarding the best use, I already mentioned that this is a versatile shelter that can be used anywhere. This can be in the park, at the beach, in the camp as an accessory to your camping tent or to your roof top tent.
Regarding the area, you have plenty of space here, 99 ft² (9.2 m²), but this will all depend on what kind of chairs and tables you use. You have already seen in one of the picture above 9 people sitting inside. Below you see it again in the camp and you get some idea about its size.
Regarding the weight, with 17 lb 7 oz (7.9 kg) and such a size, it can be described as lightweight. But I do not think this is really important, this is a car camping item.
The packed size is such that it can be described as a bit bulky, but you can still transport it even on a bicycle.
Regarding the price, I would say it is more than fair for what you have here.
About Wenzel & warranty
This is an exceptional brand that has been around since 1887, simply incredible. Equally remarkable is the 10 Year Warranty which they offer. I do not know any other outdoor brand with such a warranty.
Specifications
- Weight: 17 lb 7 oz (7.9 kg).
- Dimensions: 11 x 9 ft (335 x 274 cm).
- Area: 99 ft² (9.2 m²).
- Peak height: 90 in (229 cm).
- Packed size: 26.3 x 8.7 x 8.2 in (67 x 22 x 21 cm).
Final thoughts, rating, pros & cons
In summary, this Wenzel Magnetic Screen House has been around for a number of years already and everything is known about it.
There are no zippers here, you have magnets instead, so for getting in and out you do not need to use hands. The price is more than appropriate.
Below you can see how this screen house stands against my standard rating criteria that I apply consistently to all of them here in the site so that you can easily compare:
Wenzel Magnetic Screen House
Pros
- Easy to use.
- No zippers.
- Lightweight.
- Great price.
Cons
- A bit bulky.
- Complaints about magnets.
BEST PLACEs TO BUY:
For more tents of this shape please check in the category Screen Houses.
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