In this article I will be giving my honest Coleman Sundome 6 Person Tent review, because frankly – Coleman tents have been getting a lot of hate lately.
I’m not sure whether it’s because one bad apple among the entire bunch have made them all bad, or because they have really been creating ‘low quality’ products.
I don’t like to buy a tent that claims to be high quality, yet it will blow over in the first chance it gets. Does the Coleman Sundome 6 Person Tent do this? I will be thoroughly researching this product and providing my honest opinion below.
Enjoy!
Specifications
Product Name: Coleman Sundome 6 Person Tent
Cheapest Place To Buy: Amazon.com
Weight: 18 pounds
Material: Polyester
Floor Material: 1000D Polyethylene
Occupancy: 6 people
Pole Material: 8.5 mm fiberglass
Center Height: 72″ inches
Product Overview
This tent provides a mesh roof to get a full view on the night sky. Even with the rain fly on the ventilation has good enough to prevent condensation build up.
The flooring is also bathtub-styled (wraps up the sides), these are virtually a life saver when camping out in torrential downfalls.
The seams are welded in the corners of the tent to prevent leaky floors. But what really stands this tent out from others? It actually contains a ground vent, something you will rarely find.
What Ultimate Benefits Does This Product Provide?
I typically like how this tent has awesome ventilation that still works with the rain fly on. Because of that reason alone, THAT’S what caught my eye for this tent.
Not to mention that this tent is freestanding, making it a breeze to set up and take down (which can be done by 1 person and 5 minutes after some practice).
Pricing & Purchase Details
The Coleman Sundome 6 Person Tent is now available from Amazon.com, this includes free shipping and a 1 year return warranty where you can return this product for a full refund if you decide you don’t want it – or if it needs repairing.
This tent varies between $100 and $120.
Click Here To See The Current Price
Who the Coleman Sundome 6 Person Tent is For
Since this tent is actually 33% more water resistant than other Coleman products while being able to stand in strong gusts of wind, I will go as far to say that this tent would work wonders in a public campsite, small bush excursion or even an overnight backyard camp out.
3 people can easily fit inside this tent with all their gear.
I find that 4 people and gear will also work but a little claustrophobic.
However with 5 people + gear you will be really pushing it unless you are all very small.
6 people can also fit inside this tent, but that is the cost of having no gear inside.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Up to 33% more water resistant than other Coleman tents and capable of withstanding strong winds
- This tent is freestanding so set up is very quick and after some practice, can get it pitched in 5 minutes (2 poles only)
- The tent is surprisingly tall enough for a 6 foot person to stand up straight in
- I find it to be spacious as hell and able to fit a queen-sized air mattress with room to spare for your gear
- This tent can actually fit back into its carry bag
Cons
- There’s a number of people claiming the poles are weak and can snap easily
- Can get pretty chilly during the cold hours of the night (due to the mesh roof) so be prepared and bring plenty of extra blankets
- It will ONLY fit 5-6 people if you choose not to have gear inside this tent
Alternative/Similar Products
I find that the CORE 6 Person tent is a lot more solid and NOT going to have poles snapping on you while being much more spacious enough to house 6 people properly. However it is almost $200.
I actually prefer the Red Canyon Tent, roughly in the same price range as the Coleman Sundome but it’s actually an 8 person tent and still capable of standing in strong winds while keeping the rain out. The only downside – it’s heavier and going to take longer to pitch.
Do I Recommend This Tent?
If you are wanting a tent for a summer camping trip while you go car camping and something that’s going to pitch quickly then sure, I would 100% recommend it for you.
However, if you are wanting a tent for an extended hiking mission it might be best to split the tent up between (at least) 3 people.
This tent wouldn’t make a great choice for winter camping due to the many vents it provides, it will just be too cold for anyone to handle.
So if you want a water resistant tent that’s also going to stand tall in tough winds, then I would highly recommend this tent to you!
If you want a bigger tent for roughly the same price and not going to have poles snapping on you (just going to take longer to pitch) > I would highly recommend you choose the Red Canyon 8 Person Tent.
My Final Opinion
It’s not the most perfect tent and not something I will use myself due to it not being as high quality as the manufacturer and reviews claims it to be.
If You Still Want This Tent > Seam seal the electrical port just to be sure that it won’t leak when it stars pouring down. I would also recommend a 10×20 tarp to be placed over top of the tent JUST to be sure sideways rain can’t sneak in under the rain fly.
Click Here To See The Coleman 6 Person Tent On Amazon
Or Click Here For My Honest Review On The Red Canyon 8 Person Tent
You really are a master at reviews! I’m not a camper, I like being outdoors but I also like my bed and hot running water. I would, however, go camping if the tent was sturdy and the weather was fine, and I would look at your site for tips and reviews 🙂
/Cat
Thank you so much for the kind words Cat 🙂 It means a lot.
Hi Brandon,
Great article! It really seems like a perfect tent to use in the summer. I like that it’s easy to put up. We are six in my family, so we would buy a tent to hold 8-10 people. It’s as you say, always room for less people than they say.
Mira
Hey Mira, cheers for the comment. You are correct, a family of 6 will need a tent that will house at least 10 people, especially if you want breathing room (lol). Or you COULD use a 6 person tent, just leave all your gear in the car 🙂
Take care,
Brandon
I have often wondered if the makers and claimers of “tents for x number of people” think people are sardines…. I’m a small person and 6 of me would not fit into a 6-man tent AND sleep with any degree of comfort!
So your review warning people that altho’ it says 6 you should bank on no more than fitting in 3 or 4 people is much appreciated and displays a level of honesty too often missing in the world of reviews. I have taken note of your site address and will be referencing you before stocking up for my next camping trip.
Thanks for the head’s up!
Hey Cat! How you been? Yeah well I’m pretty sure they do it just so everyone can be close to each other to help keep the warmth in. Haha funny.
Thanks for the kind words Cat, I try my best anyway (lol). I hope to see you around more.
Take care,
Brandon
Hi Brandon,
This is a really good review of the Coleman Sundome 6 Person Tent. I like the fact that even though it’s not your fave you have been able to provide several pros about using one, as well as others that may be better.
I have only been camping once, and in a really big tent. Even though it was summer and I was in several layers I almost froze to death. Do you have any tips that will make my next camping experience a bit warmer?
Thanks much
Love and light
Vivia
Thanks Vivia, I’m always happy to help and don’t mind telling my audience that a product is bad if it really is, especially if it will stop them from purchasing a bad tent – then I’m all for helping people.
Well I bet you had condensation buildup under all those layers (resulting in you being extremely cold). I’m guessing this was when you were in your sleeping bag? If it was, then I would suggest that you get a decent sleeping bag next time, and sleep in LESS layers. It might sound counterintuitive, but the sleeping bag is designed to hold heat in, so you will stay warm and tasty.
With a lot of layers on, the heat inside the sleeping bag can’t get to your skin so you will just stay cold. Hope this helps you friend!
Kind regards,
Brandon