7 Best Large Tents

A large camping tent is a must-have, whether you’re from a big family or you love group camping and outdoor socializing. Aiming for a great time, you certainly want people to feel comfortable. Enough space for everyone to sleep, easy access, easy transportation, and reliable materials are all highly desirable. But is that all? 

Now, the more people involved, the more preferences you’ll need to satisfy. And the more challenges you’ll have to deal with. So, what’s the secret to picking one of the best big camping tents out there without too many headaches?

For once, you’d have to know what to look for. The more you know about huge camping tents, the easier it will be for you to pick a model. Size and sleeping capacity, design and ventilation, just like the price range, are good starting points in your research. Yet this is just the tip of the iceberg. 

Do not fret, though! In this family size tents guide, we will show you how to tackle the research. Find out exactly what to look for and which are the best options currently available. Let’s take things one at a time.

Big tents come with big benefits, and with equal challenges. If you think of it, a large cabin tent can be harder or easier to use, depending on its number of rooms and design. Some people could have a harder time getting to their dedicated area if the tent is poorly designed. 

Congestion around one entrance? People climbing over each other while trying to get out? Ventilation issues, or darkness during the day? These are a few of the problems you might have to deal with. To avoid it all, make sure you check the aspects we detail below. Bear in mind that they apply to family tents and huge camping tents alike!

Size 

Size is given by the design and the sleeping capacity. A giant camping tent can accommodate 16 to 20 persons. But the average is around 8 people. From this perspective, the average size is 16 x 11 inches. The peak height is somewhere at 6-7-inches, whereas the floor area is around 100 square feet.

Tip: Here you can check our best 8 person tent guide.

The average size for large camping tents would allow placing one queen airbed in each room. And would still leave you with enough spare room around the mattress. Extra large camping tents can come with up to 300 square feet of floor space, for like 20 persons in… sleeping bags!

Stand Up Tent 

Stand up height is an absolute must-have when camping in an extended formula. Having to crawl inside the tent is probably the only thing worse than having to jump over other people. And so, you want to look for big tents that are tall enough to stand up in. 

Luckily, most of the large tents pay attention to this detail, featuring a peak height between 6 and 7 feet. This is more than enough for standing up, especially if it features a large cabin tent design. Make sure, though, that your favorite model is tall enough in all areas, not just at the center. 

Number of Rooms 

An 8-person tent is typically designed with 2 to 3 areas in mind. You have one or two sleeping areas and a common living space. The most versatile tents, however, will allow you to convert a large room using dividers to get a multi room tent. 

As a side note, tents with rooms are a tad more challenging to assemble. They usually require handling extra rods and poles for stability. And the more complex the structure of the tent, the longer it will take you to set it up. 

Number of People

The number of people for big camping tents revolves around 8 persons AND their gear! Beware of the false ads that count the number of people who can sleep in a tent, ignoring their need for storage space, or whether they will sleep on mattresses or in sleeping bags!

There are, however, 15 person tent and even 20 person tent models. These would require you to use sleeping bags for the maximum number of people. But you can also consider a 15-person or 20-person tent for maximum comfort when camping in a group of, let’s say, 10 people.

Ventilation 

Ventilation is critical for your comfort, but also for how you’ll maintain your tent. With family tents that don’t facilitate proper ventilation, condensation is your smallest enemy! You will end up watching mold and mildew building up on the tent’s inner walls. 

So, your tent should have mesh windows. Like many mesh windows, from the ceiling to the walls, and around the doors. Do not worry about privacy; you should be able to zip up a full material on top of the mesh. 

Speaking of doors, their number and placement will also significantly help with the ventilation of the best large tents. You should have doors on opposite walls, to facilitate smooth airflow. And the larger the doors, the better it is. 

Just so you know, some tents could even feature advanced venting designs. Systems of vents with adjustable cuts on the ground, through which the fresh air will get inside. And large mesh ceilings, through which the hot air will escape.

Design

You’d think the design of big camping tents comes down to its size and number of doors. But the more you research your options, the more amazed you’ll be by the differences you’ll notice. The internal pockets, the rain fly, the tent poles are just some of the extra details that prove quite useful when you’re in the middle of nowhere. 

Square Tent 

A square tent is an ideal choice for large groups because it lets you make the most of the floor space. And height is equally distributed, too, making it a great stand up tent. In fact, most large camping tents have this rectangular, square, or cube shape. 

While the advantages of a square tent are more than obvious, keep in mind a common disadvantage. This shape doesn’t work well in limited camping spaces. The narrower the place where you want to put your tent, the more difficult it will be with a large cabin tent. 

With Porch 

A screened porch with an attached floor is a fantastic thing to have on any tent. There will be many instances when you will be neither ready for sleep, nor willing to stay under the clear sky. And a porch will be the perfect setting. However, the porch takes space… 

And big tents already allocate lots of space for the living and sleeping rooms. So, even if you find one that features a porch, chances are it won’t accommodate the entire group. If you really want it, search for it, and you might get a few options to choose from. 

Tent Doors 

Large tents must have at least 3 doors. It’s imperative that you get more doors for several reasons. For once, people will have easier access in and out. With the right door placement, they won’t have to crowd around a single access point. 

Then, there’s also the advantage that it helps with breathability and ventilation. These make for good livability. Equally important, smart distribution of the doors will give you more room to move the air mattresses around. 

Internal Pockets 

Think it’s not important? Wait until 8 to 10 people start leaving their belongings scattered all around the place. For better organization and preventing unnecessary clutter, internal pockets are a nice addition to family size tents. Whatever tent you choose, make sure it comes with roomy utility pockets and generous gear loft. 

You’ll use it to keep essential items readily available rather than tucked in a bag. They can also prove handy at night, when you keep valuable items or other miscellaneous you might need when you wake up, at an arm’s length. 

Rain Fly 

The rain fly is a detachable cover that serves as extra protection for bad weather. Since it fits over the top of the tent and you’re buying one of those huge camping tents, expect it to require some struggle to set it up or take it down. However, it could prove extremely useful, so don’t ignore it! 

There are roof-only rain flies, that cover the roof and that are lighter and easier to maneuver. Or full-coverage rain flies that are larger but designed to better protect you from wind and rain. 

Tent Poles 

The type of tent poles you’re getting will directly impact your tent’s weight, the height, and the strength. What’s more, it will also determine how easy you’ll set up the tent. If you’re getting aluminum poles, they are more robust but also heavier. Fiberglass poles won’t weigh as much, but you can expect it to break easier. 

As a design-related detail, with some of the best large tents, manufacturers color code the poles. It should facilitate a more straightforward and intuitive setup. So, make sure that you carefully read the user manual when you unbox your tent for the first time. Don’t just assume you know it all.

Materials 

Materials can prove quite a tricky choice when it comes to family size tents. The larger the tent, the more material it will include, and the heavier it will be. So, you want something lightweight, but also waterproof. And that might serve you well throughout different seasons. 

An all-season large tent is quite hard to find. Most likely, you’ll need at least two models. A three-season large cabin tent for fair weather and one of those big camping tents for winter, if you’re a fan of camping in extreme weather. The material makes the most significant difference between three- and four-season tents. 

Size-wise, huge camping tents give you space for lots of accessories that can keep you warm. So, you might settle for something made of polyester, and pay attention to all the other design features it boasts. Some parts of the tent are made of polyester, others of polyurethane or polyethylene. And some feature various combinations, for enhanced protection. 

Material-wise, you might want to look for a waterproof tent, and with taped fly seams. Or one with a polyethylene, welded floor with inverted seams, to keep moisture away. If you can make its fly canopy go all over the door, as a second coverage layer, it’s even better.

Pricing Range 

Are you wondering about the prices of the best large tents? Well, there are some really cheap large tents out there. But they will most likely not check all the boxes of important features we just mentioned above. It’s hard to get an oversized tent made of top-notch materials, with an amazingly practical and comfortable design, and pay peanuts for it. 

The best big tents out there could be a little over your budget. But you must always ponder the pros and cons. Aside from getting all the features you really need, paying what it is worth for a top-quality large tent will also give you the benefit of durability. You’ll use it more than once, for a large family or group, and all of its construction details are well thought of. So, it will be well worth the investment. 

To kill the suspense, you can find 8-person tents for as little as $150, with a decent design and above-average features. And you can also find 12-person tents around $400. As always, it is up to you to ponder the benefits and decide how much you’ll pay. 

Coming up next, we will show you a range of highly-affordable family tents and large camping tents. And some models on the pricey side, just so you get a better sense of what makes a more expensive tent a better choice.