Since tent sizes aren’t standardized, you can find quite a range of tents described as “two-person tents,” so we recommend checking out the actual dimensions before deciding. In our picks below, we select several that range from extra-roomy car camping options to minimalist ultralight options that feel more like one-person tents.
- 1 Criteria for Evaluation
- 2 How We Tested
- 3 What is a tent footprint?
- 4 How do I make tents warm and comfortable?
- 5 How do I clean a tent?
- 6 What’s the difference between freestanding and non-freestanding?
- 7 What’s the difference between packed weight and minimal weight or trail weight?
- 8 How big is a two-person tent?
- 9 How light is an ultralight tent?
- 10 Final Thoughts
There are lots of things you need to consider as a beginner from how easy the tent is to set up to its materials and interior space. With so many tents on the market, it can be difficult to decide what tents best.
Some tents are wildernests that thrive in a more backcountry-adjacent use, while others are downright front-country palatial. We gathered our most camp-savvy testers and sent them into the woods across the country in search of the perfect camping tent for every type of weekend.
1.Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL
Pros
- Super easy setup
- Great storage
- Ultralight
Cons
- Durability could still be an issue
We put the Half Dome as the best overall two-person tent because of its performance and price. If you’re looking for a slightly lighter tent with the same performance chops and are willing to get a smidge more spendy, the Copper Spur HV UL2 is for you. Big Agnes has been innovating in the backcountry space for years now. The best-selling Copper Spur series is a fruit of those years of labor and learning.
Big Agnes’ newest version of the Copper Spur line is the HV UL2 and improves on where previous models have sometimes failed—durability. We won’t get into the nitty-gritty, but Big Agnes has employed a ton of proprietary denier nylon blended fabrics to boost the strength and durability of this updated version. All of this, and we still weighed the packed tent right at 3 pounds.
2.Coleman Cabin Tent with Instant Setup in 60 Seconds
Pros
- Instant set up
- Good head room
- Built to last
- Roomy interior
- Weatherproof
- Dark room technology
Cons
- Zippers could be more durable
If you’re new to camping and are worried about not getting enough sleep then the Coleman Cabin Tent (Amazon) is a great choice! Here’s why. This tent features darkroom technology, so in the morning when you wake up you won’t have the sun burning your eyes, your tent will still be nice and dark, ensuring a nice long sleep.
That’s not all, you’ll be pitched up in 60-seconds! That’s not a typo either. This is the ideal tent if you like your sleep and really can’t be bothered with the hassle of trying to assemble a complicated tent.
This camping tent is designed with the WeatherTec system which features welded floors, inverted seams and is made from a rugged poly guard double-thick fabric ensuing that this tent is weatherproof and suitable for tough terrains.
You’ll also be able to fit two queen-sized airbeds in this tent, as well as integrated storage pockets, giving you ultimate comfort and freedom to move around. Once your adventure is over, there’s an expandable carry bag for easy packing.
3.Coleman Dome Tent with Screen Room
Pros
- Weatherproof
- Screened porch living area
- Easy set up
- Spacious interior
- Quality build and materials
Cons
- Not the tallest of tents
Enjoy the great outdoors with the Coleman Dome Tent (Amazon). This tent is ideal for family camping trips and also great for car camping. Setting this tent up is a breeze and you’ll have it up in less than 15-minutes.
Inside this spacious tent, you’ll be able to fit in two queen-sized airbeds and there’s a screened porch living area where you can store all your other gear, or even sleep more people on a warm summers night.The screened porch room is a great feature, as you can have a socializing area or dine together without having bugs and insects pestering you while you eat.
Moreover, this tent is made from the highest-quality materials and once again features the WeatherTech system ensuring you’re fully protected from bad weather conditions. The rainfly also comes off allowing fresh air to flow through the tent and weather permitting you can stargaze at night from the comfort of your own tent.
4.Kelty Discovery Element Camping Tent
Pros
- Easy to set up
- Inexpensive
- Protective rainfly
Cons
- Fiberglass poles aren’t the most durable
- Only one door
This tent uses the tried and true two-pole design, with an additional pole to support a small awning. Our tester easily set this tent up (without instructions) in under 10 minutes.
When fully staked and with the rainfly guyed out, this tent does a commendable job keeping its inhabitants dry, especially considering the price. With a peak height of 6 feet 4 inches, most folks will be able to stand up fully in this tent.While it only has one door, that door is huge, so access is very easy. Each side is lined with a few internal storage pockets, so staying organized and keeping the floor free of knick-knacks is easy.
The Kelty Discovery Element 6 uses fiberglass poles. While fiberglass poles keep the cost down, they are more fragile and more difficult to repair than aluminum poles. Aluminum poles bend under stress and can be bent back in place, and if they break, they break in one place.Under too much stress, fiberglass poles tend to shatter. This rarely happens from the stress of heavy winds, but breaks can often occur when the poles are stepped on by hasty campers in the dark.
For the price, the Discovery Element accomplishes a tent’s primary functions: keeping campers dry and bug-free, and providing a little privacy in those crowded campgrounds.
5.ust highlander 2-person backpacking tent
Pros
- Strong materials
- Could serve as both a backpacking and car camping tent
Cons
- Not an intuitive setup
- Felt smaller on the inside than others tested
First things first: Don’t equate “budget” with “beginner.” The Highlander 2-Person Backpacking Tent setup from ust Gear does not make it a beginner tent. It took us multiple tries and lots of adjustments to the guylines and stakes to feel confident with our ability to set it up so it wouldn’t collapse. While we recommend this tent for its relatively accessible price, make sure you spend some time setting it up and getting to know it before taking it backpacking or car camping. It’s also not truly a freestanding tent like others on this list. As mentioned, it requires some guyline work and finessing to get pitched.
With those caveats, this is a solid tent for someone looking to get a high-quality backpacking tent at a relatively lower cost. We like how durable this tent feels, the high ceiling, and gear storage capabilities. We also like that this is one of the few remaining tents that comes included with a footprint—another reason this is a budget pick. While it doesn’t have double doors like others on this list, there is a massive door on one side of the tent for humans to enter and exit and a small door on the opposite side to stash and store gear within the second vestibule.
6.Kelty Late Start Backpacking Tent
Pros
- Lightweight and portable
- No-see-um mesh walls
- Durable floor
- Weatherproof
- Easy set up
Cons
- A little bulky if you’re backpacking
Its freestanding design means you can pitch the Kelty up anywhere and the freely move it around to find the best spot. The single vestibule offers nearly 8-feet of storage space there’s internal storage pockets and a ceiling pocket too, giving you more space to stretch your legs.
The tent’s body is protected by a waterproof 68D rainfall. All the seams are sealed as well to ensure you’re kept dry. This lightweight tent is easy to set up, taking less than 10-minutes and it’s also portable too. As a beginner, this tent is ideal for short backpacking trips and camping on a campsite.
If you camping on your own or as a couple then this is the ideal choice for you, there’s plenty of space and storage, and it will protect you from heavy rain and strong winds. You get a lot of tent for your money with the Kelty tent. It offers great quality durable materials that are made to last. Overall, this is a comfortable tent are perfect for beginners looking for their first camping experience on their own or as a couple.
7.MSR Family-Tents Habitude
Pros
- Smart pole geometry and tough fabrics means this tent is built to last
- LED porch light integrated into the tent
- Generous sleeping area
Cons
- Single door means you may have to stumble over tent mates to enter/exit
- Expensive
The MSR Habitude 6 ($660) was a strong contender for best overall camping tent, bringing a slate of smart frontcountry features to the table and a built tough construction that ensures it’ll be around long into your camping future.
Available in both a four- and six-person configuration, the Habitude series of tents borrows much from MSR’s long history in creating strong backcountry-style tents to produce one for the more mellow outings of the summer. Supreme livability is the name of the game for this tent, and we greatly appreciated the large vestibule space and 6-foot overhead clearance.
Setup is a breeze, utilizing a hubbed pole design and color-coded clips (no pole sleeves to fuss with) to erect the 83 square feet of sleeping space. While many camping-size tents might require an extra set of hands to wrangle it into existence, the Habitude was noticeably easy to erect by a single person.
The majority of the tent’s inner is a 68D polyester, with mesh placed smartly to provide airflow and privacy. Studded about are a number of storage pockets and extra hang loops to trick out your home away from home with camping niceties such as lanterns.
Now the Achilles heel: This wonderful tent only offers a single entry/egress point, which we found a hindrance on an otherwise excellent tent. We would have loved the ease of even a 1.5 door design — like on The North Face Wawona 4. You might consider the integrated LED porch light lantern a worthy balm, as it is pretty enjoyable to use.
Weighing the Habitude against other tents in our review was a tough row to hoe— it was considerably lighter than our the Base Camp 6 but also $100 more expensive. It offers much more standing height than tents like the Poler 4-Person Tent or REI Half Dome SL 3, but it lacks the second door both these tents have.
8.Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL Ultralight Bikepacking Tent
Pros
- Extremely ultralight
- Requires staking and guylines for rigidity
- Eco-friendly
Cons
- Expensive
- Questionable durability
The double-entry on such a small and lightweight tent was a welcome feature, especially when using it with two people. The fly built up a good amount of ice in the night several times, making us feel like it was doing a good job venting moisture. The setup was also super-easy and took no more than ten minutes with two people to get it fully set up and staked with the rain fly.
9.Mobihome 6 Person Tent Family Camping
Pros
- It goes up in seconds so you have more time for camping fun.
Cons
- This tent does better in warm weather than it does in colder temperatures.
10.Mountainsmith Tents
Pros
- One of the most spacious tents we tested
- Very simple and straightforward setup
- Feels and seems durable
Cons
- Could have better gear storage
Criteria for Evaluation
Here are the different factors you should consider in finding the right tent for you:
Easy set up
As a beginner you should look for a tent that is easy to set up, all these tents reviewed here really easy to set up and require minimum effort to get started. If you’re camping with kids this is a very important feature you should look for!
The last thing you want is a complicated set up that will take you hours, especially if you arrive at the campsite when it’s going dark. Always check the setup time, as some take an hour or so and include complicated instructions.
Durability
If you’re camping on a campsite then you’re going to need a durable and robust tent that will withstand weather and rough terrain. Getting a camping tent like this might mean its not as lightweight as if you were backpacking.
Lightweight
This all depends what you’re doing, if you’re going to a campsite then it’s not really that important to have a lightweight tent, however if your hiking or backpacking then you’ll want something that’s easy to carry and wont weigh you down.
Heavy tents are no fun to carry around, especially if you’re doing a fairly long hike, you’ll end up with a sore back and it will more than likely make your first camping trip an unpleasant experience.
Try and ensure your tent is as lightweight as possible if you’re backpacking, without comprising on the build quality. You’ll have a much better camping experience as a newbie if your tent is not weighing you down (if you have to hike to your campsite).
Portable
Not only should your tent be lightweight but also make it’s portable too, and its packed size can easily fit within your backpack or carry bag. Something bulky and heavy is not what you want. You want to get a lightweight tent that’s portable and easy to setup. This is the foundation for any successful camping trip.
Waterproof
If your tent is not waterproof, then this will well and truly ruling your first camping experience. This happened to us once in Wales UK, we decided to go camping and bought a last-minute cheap deal on some tent I’d never heard of.
Well, that was a mistake we never made again, there was a downpour of rain overnight and the tent leaked and flooded the floors. It was so bad, that we put the tent in the trash and just went home.
So, the moral of the story is don’t buy cheap, and make sure you check that your tent is waterproof. If you don’t think could ruin your whole trip. It took us a long time before we decided to give camping another go.
However, once you find the right tent, you won’t have anything to worry about.
Interior space
Comfort is another factor that’s very important for someone new to camping. You want your experience to be comfortable as a beginner, therefore you need to ensure your tent is spacious with enough living area for you to sleep and move around. Also, enough headspace to sit up or stand up depending on what type of tent you’re looking at.
Storage space
While we’re talking about space you should also check that your tent has various storage areas where you can put all your gear, such as your backpack and hiking shoes, this will give you more interior space. You can acquire additional storage by looking for tents that have a screened porch area, inside pockets, a gear loft or if it has a large vestibule area.
Value for money
We all want value for money, but be careful choosing a tent that is cheap as you might end up in the same boat we did in Wales. Personally, it’s always worth spending that little bit more and getting a good quality tent that will last you. This will save you paying out for cheap replacements every year. Buy once and never look back.
As a newbie camper, you want your first experience to be a good one, and that all starts with your tent, so make sure you purchase one that will last you.
How We Tested
Tents were tested in our Brooklyn lab, in the backcountry, at campgrounds, and backyards. We spent multiple nights in each tent and even more time setting up and taking down the tents. Tents were tested in various environments and conditions, including high alpine nights in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains and California’s Sierra Nevada and along the coast in southern California. Since publication, tents have been dispersed to various testers across the country. Testing insights will be updated accordingly as more people spend more time camping and backpacking in the tents.
What is a tent footprint?
A tent footprint is a piece of fabric the same size as your tent’s floor that you place underneath it to help prevent rips, tears, moisture, etc. “These are sometimes an additional purchase, but I highly, highly recommend them to maximize your tent’s lifespan,” Purdy says.
How do I make tents warm and comfortable?
Losing sleep because you’re cold and uncomfortable can ruin an otherwise amazing camping trip. In addition to getting a tent for your appropriate ventures and temperature range, Purdy has some tips and tricks you can employ to make your experience comfy and cozy. “First, make sure you also set up your tent’s rainfly (the highly waterproof outer shell). This will help keep the chilly wind out and your body heat in. Second, an inflatable camping mat combined with a good quality sleeping bag goes a long way to keeping you comfortable all night. On very cold nights, you can also fill a Nalgene bottle with warm water and throw it in the bottom of your sleeping bag, this will work wonders for keeping you warm,” he says.[1]How to Stay Warm in a Tent
How do I clean a tent?
As nice as it would be to just tear down your tent and throw it in a bag until next time, exposure to the elements of wind, rain, dirt, etc. need to be taken care of before storing. Otherwise, your tent’s lifespan will be shortened significantly, and you might deal with mold issues. So, how do you clean a tent? “Carefully,” Purdy says. “Always always always read the manufacturer’s instructions as many common cleaners can remove the waterproofing treatment from your tent. Often, a quick rinse with just water is all you need to get the normal dirt off. But after every single trip, always hang your tent to dry even if it doesn’t feel that wet. Storing your tent with just a smidge of dampness can turn that dampness into mold within just a few days.”
What’s the difference between freestanding and non-freestanding?
The classic tent design of fabric stretched out against a frame of poles is what’s called a freestanding tent because it has its own support system. Non-freestanding tents generally rely on trekking poles, sticks, rocks, tree limbs, or some other item for their structure and, as a result, are usually lighter and appeal to a minimalist camper. Unless you’re an experienced backcountry camper, a freestanding tent is usually recommended since the weight savings are relatively small as freestanding tents continue to get lighter.
What’s the difference between packed weight and minimal weight or trail weight?
Minimal weight or trail weight is broadly the lightest you can get your tent set up while preserving the core functionality. This means ditching repair kits, stuff sacks, stakes, and any non-essential add-ons. Many backpackers carry individual tent items loose in their packs eliminating the need for ties and stuff sacks. Packed weight is simply the full weight of the tent and all components packed in their original storage bags.
How big is a two-person tent?
Because tent sizing isn’t standardized, this is a subjective assessment and should be viewed merely as a guideline. Always check the actual dimensions listed by the manufacturer to understand the true size of a tent. Many smaller “two-person” tents are realistic for use only by solo campers and some extra-large “two-person” tents could pack in a third. Also, keep in mind that even if two people can sleep side-by-side inside, that doesn’t mean you’ll have enough room for gear storage. If a tent doesn’t have sheltered vestibule areas outside of the main sleeping footprint, you may need to look at the next size up if you intend to store gear inside.[2]Tips for Choosing Between Tent Sizes for Camping
How light is an ultralight tent?
The constant push for lighter gear means the definition of “ultralight” changes nearly annually. That said, by today’s standards, any two-person tent weighing less than 4 pounds could reasonably be called “ultralight.” The tents that take this to extremes are in the 1- to 2-pound range.
Final Thoughts
To summarize, if you have the right tent then camping is an enjoyable experience, which you can enjoy on your own, as a couple or as a family. As a beginner it’s all about choosing the right tent for your camping trip, this is key!
If your backpacking to a campsite you will want something more lightweight, however, if your campsite if close then you can afford to get something more durable and heavier as you don’t have to carry it far.
As a beginner, I hope this guide has helped you choose your perfect camping tent. There’s a lot of choice on the market, but I believe any of these tents will ensure you have the most enjoyable time, keeping you safe and dry!
Anyway, here’s a quick recap of what I think the most important things are you should look:
- Easy set up: 15 minutes and under is a great set up time to avoid any stress
- Comfort: Ensure you have enough headspace and interior living space
- Durability and Quality: Get a good quality durable tent that will last you
- Storage: Check for internal pockets, gear loft storage and vestibule storage.
References