Why I’m Writing This Post
One thing I tend to see all the time when it gets closer to summer; many families who are finding it difficult to get a decent tent that will be a good fit for them while being strong enough to last the entire summer.
I am one of them!
Me and my family are always on a lookout for a decent tent. The tents I get HAVE to be waterproof and capable of withstanding a rough storm during the night – not to mention reliable enough to last a long time!
Spoiler Alert – Check Out The Best Tent Here
I don’t like tents that have a ‘chance’ of keeping you bone dry through the night. When family is involved (especially kids and babies), you have to do extra research on the tent to ensure everyone will stay safe and bone dry.
Well that is what I’m doing in this article. I am going to find the best tent for family camping and write down my findings.
I am generally sick and tired of people giving bad recommendations on tents EVEN when it is bad and not worth your money, you will not find any of that nonsense on my site.
I provide only honest opinions on products. I really hope you enjoy this article, so let’s get right into it!
1. Coleman Evanston Screened Tent
Product Overview
As you can clearly see, this tent contains a screened porch area. This works great for when you want to sit inside/outside but without having the stress of flicking mosquitoes off of you all the time.
This tent has 4 large windows on it and has no problems with keeping the ventilation flowing.
This is at the top of the list, simply because it is the tent that WILL keep you bone dry through the night even if a heavy downfall hits and it’s going to stay standing in harsh winds – while the material is made of high quality polyester taffeta 75D.
The tent is easy to set up, which is claimed to be true by hundreds of people who’ve used it.
Read My Full Review
2. Coleman Naugatuck Tent
Product Overview
This tent really caught me by surprise, and that’s probably why it is my second favorite family camping tent. When you look at it, it doesn’t look like much.
However this tent is designed to be luxurious. The attention-to-detail is remarkable.
It will house 2 queen-sized air mattresses and includes a hinged (swinging) door that not many other tents provide.
There is angled windows so you can still keep them open in light rain, these do provide awesome ventilation too.
And because it is dome-shaped, it will hold up in strong winds while keeping the rain out!
Read My Full Review
3. CORE 6 Person Instant Cabin Tent
Product Overview
You will find that this tent can literally be set up within 60 seconds. All poles are attached to the tent, so all you need to do is unfold and extend to get it pitched.
This is simplicity at its finest, and that is why it has made my 3rd favorite family tent. If you know there will be no rain coming, simply take the rain fly off and sleep under the stars with a full view of the night sky.
It includes privacy windows on walls and windows, and these can be zippered open or shut.
This tent provides a free gear organizer too. This tent is well-ventilated and provides enough space for a small family 🙂 This one is also waterproof and windproof.
Read My Full Review
4. Wenzel Pine Ridge Tent
Product Overview
This one isn’t as big as the others (it is a 5 person tent ). BUT for the price you pay, it is virtually a steal.
This small but roomy tent is good for a small family who are on a budget, yet still want something that’s very waterproof and going to hold strong in tough winds.
It is more than just a shelter, it is an outdoor suite. This tent contains a revolutionized Lite Reflector system, meaning you can place a flashlight or lantern onto the gear loft and point it at the Reflector.
Then you will have an even glow of light throughout the tent.
It also comes with a room divider so you can divide the tent into 2 rooms.
Read My Full Review
5. Coleman 8 Person Instant Tent
Product Overview
This tent is very similar to the CORE 6 person but has some slight changes.
However this tent is created for 8 people.
It is a little bulkier than the CORE 6 and can be pitched in minutes since it has the pre-attached poles.
This cabin-shaped tent has 2 room dividers and work great for when your kids want to feel as if they’re in their own tent but still not very far away from mom and dad.
This will also fit 2 queen-sized mattresses.
Even though it’s very heavy (43.8 pounds) it more than makes up for it with the strong material it provides, as it keeps the rain out and holds up well in rough winds.
Read My Full Review
Conclusion
There are literally thousands of tents on the market, and a large number of them are downright BAD.
Even though most tents are created for summer use and still work ‘okay’ in this manner, a storm can come at any time of of the year, and many times they have passed through the night even in the peak of summer!
A lot of families aren’t prepared for this weather, and so they end up waking up in a flash flood with their whole campsite washed away – resulting in an unplanned family hiking trip back home in the middle of the night.
This is never a good thing to happen, and especially when you have kids involved.
Fortunately for you I have done all the groundwork and debunked all the feedback for some of these tents provided above.
Don’t get wrong though, I don’t just recommend any tent. Throughout my site you will see other family tents that are not worth buying, and I tell you too 🙂
That is the whole reason why I why wanted to write this article and let you know what the top 5 tents are, because you and your families safety is NOT to take lightly.
If you want to ensure the safety of your family and friends, then I can only recommend the tents above for you. They are at an affordable price range and work as intended.
Final Recommendation
I’m an avid camper and only like to use the best quality tents – that’s exactly why I do thorough research on a product before I finalize my purchases.
I have a family and can’t afford to use a tent that’s only going to fall over in the slightest wind conditions!
It was quite difficult to choose my top tent. Because #2 (Coleman Naugatuck Tent) was not very far behind #1 (Coleman Evanston Screened Tent).
In the end I came to the conclusion that the Coleman Evanston was the best out of the two.
Simply because they both have their own pros and cons, and they are very even too.
BUT, the Coleman Evanston contains the screened-off porch area that the Naugatuck doesn’t have.
And I would rather have a screened porch area than a swinging hinged door, lol.
The hinged door is definitely a great feature, but you will find yourself sitting outside the tent while trying to keep the bugs off of you in the process.
You will not have that problem with the Coleman Evanston.
To sum it all up – I recommend the Coleman Evanston Screened Tent for family camping – for the simple fact that it is high quality, contains the porch area, and has amazing weatherproofing capabilities.