Dome tents are the classic type of tent. They’re easy to set up and offer a lot of space, but are they good for families? I think so, but it can be hard to find the best dome tent for a family.
That’s why I went through hundreds of products and talked to a lot of people about their experience and narrowed the list down to these 5. Read on for more information on what to look for in a tent and my reviews of the tents below.
Table of Contents
What Is Dome Tent?
Dome tents are the most popular type of tent today. It’s a rectangular floor with a dome-shaped top and two poles holding up the material and going diagonally through the top. The sloping shape provides good stability in high wind and rain.
Dome tents are known for being affordable, light, durable, and easy to set up. For more detailed information, you can check out my article on “What is a dome tent?” which has some good ideas of who the tent works best for.
Features Of Dome Tents
This section breaks down the common features of dome tents. There is no one tent that’s the best for every situation, so you need to look at the features and how they may match your needs when it comes to camping.
Sleep Count
Almost all tent makers label their tent by the number of people it sleeps (1 person tent, 2 person tent, 4 person tent, etc). This is what the company says the tent can sleep, and they’re no wrong. But they also may be exactly right either…
What the tent maker isn’t advertising is that a 4 person tent can sleep 4 people when they’re all pressed up against one another. If you’re happy with that, then you’ll be fine, but if you want some more space, you may want to go up one size.
You also need to consider what gear you’re storing in tent. Some dome tents include vestibules and storage pockets, but you may need to use some floor space. That does a dent in your sleeping space as well.
Pro-tip: When family camping, go up at least one size from the number of people in your family. The exception may be if you’re car camping (more on that in my article) or if you’re really trying to rough it and keep your gear light.
Seasonality
All tents are rated for a certain type of seasonality. This is one of those features that most people forget, but it can severely impact your camping experience. There are three main types of season rating for dome tents.
3 Season – This is the most common seasonality rating. They are designed to do well in late spring, summer, and early fall. They’re usually lightweight, affordable, and easy to use.
If you use a rainfly (see waterproofing below), they can be kept dry in most types of rain, but they don’t hold up as well in long storms. These tents are for the average tent camper and are probably the best choice for the best dome tent for a family.
3+ Season – These are basically augmented 3 season tents. They’re made from a little tougher material for adding early spring and late fall to your camping season. They can also handle small amounts of snow.
4 Season – These are the granddaddy of camping tents. Dome tent rated for all 4 seasons are made to handle snow, rain, and temperatures from all four seasons. This is for hardcore campers.
The main drawbacks of 4 season dome tents are the heavier load, higher cost, and stiffer material. But if you want to take your family camping all times of the year, then you won’t go wrong with this type of dome tent.
Waterproofing
For some reason, people always assume that all tents have been waterproofed and can be used in any kind of storm, but this is NOT the case.
Then they go complain about their tent when, in reality, they just didn’t know what they were buying. You aren’t going to have that problem because we mention waterproofing in our breakdowns below.
Most dome tents do have some form of waterproofing. Often this is just on the rain fly or on a small part of the tent body. Most companies rely on their included rain fly for their water resistance.
Tent Dimensions
If you’re unsure about what a tent fits even with the sleeping count label, you may want to look into the dimensions of the tent. One time a tall buddy of mine got a new 2 person tent which should normally fit one person easily. But as a tall guy, he couldn’t even stretch out his legs.
There are a few dimensions to pay close attention to. The length and width of the floor are probably the most important for sleeping.
Then, you need to check the peak height. This measures the height at the center of the tent and should give you a good idea of the overall space you’re going to have to move around in.
Pro-tip: One of the few downsides of a dome tent is the sloping sides. The peak height may seem tall, but keep in mind the tent curves downwards from this spot.
Instant vs Regular Setup
Some tents come with an added feature called instant setup or pop-up tents. These tents use bendable and foldable frames to make setup quick and easy within minutes or even seconds. The downside of these types of tents are that they are usually heavier and more awkward to carry.
For a complete breakdown of the comparison, check out my article on Instant Tents Vs Regular Tents where you can see the comparison in an easy-to-read chart.
Optional Features
Some tents come with some optional and impressive features that may help you make your tenting choice. After you pick one that matches your space and season needs, look into these extras for the one that best fits you.
Optional features may include:
- Number of doors
- Rain fly, a waterproof cover for your tent
- Vestibule, spot for shoes
- Garage, park your bikes
- Number of windows
- Room dividers
- Interior pockets or loops
Price
Whenever you shop, you have to consider the price. In the reviews that follow, I make sure to call out the price area the tent belongs in. You don’t have to break the bank buying a new dome tent for a family, but you also don’t to just get the cheapest one and have a miserable time.
Pro-tip: The prices on these tents change all the time, so I won’t list the exact price but its general price area. Click on the links below to go see the current price on Amazon.
Reviews Of The 5 Best Dome Tent For A Family
In this section below are the reviews of our picks for the 5 best dome tents for a family. Review the features above and pick the product that best fits your needs. You can always check the current price of the product on Amazon by clicking the links in each product’s section.
Battop 4 Person Tent For Camping 4 Seasons Waterproof With Instant Setup
The Battop 4 person tent is a medium-priced 4 season tent that may be perfect for the small family that enjoys camping in all kinds of weather without messing around with the gear.
It’s made of imported polyester material which is common for its low cost and durability. BATTOP claims that it can sleep up to 4 people easily.
The dimensions of the floor are 8.8 ft x 8.8 ft and the peak height is just under 5 ft tall. This means you can probably sleep with a lot of space, but due to the dome tent’s sloping walls and lower height, you may not have a lot of room to move around.
It uses a tough fiberglass frame system and an instant setup system for quick setup and tear down as well as resisting higher winds. There is a single inner tent with mesh opening for optimal air flow, and all of the rain and weather-proofing comes from the 190T waterproofed rain fly.
On top of all this, the tent (with rain fly) is rated for use in all four seasons in hot and cold weather.
Included with this easily collapsible tent are the following parts:
- Tent
- Carry bag
- Rain fly
- 6 Windproof ropes
- 12 Metal Tent Pegs
- 6 mesh windows
The user experience boils down to this:
Positives about the product experience:
- Great value
- Spacious
- Convenient and easy to use
- Holds two adults and two kids easily
- Durable and waterproof material
Negatives about the product experience:
- Carry case is prone to ripping
At the end of the day, this tent may be perfect for the small family that loves camping in all kinds of weather.
Coleman 6-Person Sundome Tent For Camping
With Coleman’s Sundome Tent, they make a very affordable dome tent for the casual camping family. The tent is constructed well, but you may want to opt for one with more features if you’re a hardcore camping family.
The tent is made from polyester and comes with a partial rain fly for protection from light rain and wind. Coleman’s design of the tent works well for a quick setup (under 10 minutes) which is fast for a regular setup tent.
The tent had large windows and a floor vent for cooling keep the temperature down in the hot summer. With floor dimensions of 10 ft x 10 ft, it can fit two queen beds side by side and six people all up against each other. The 6 ft height means that you should be able to stand up and move around a little easier.
Included with this tent are the following accessories:
- Rain fly
- E-port for running an extension cord through the tent
- Storage pockets
- Waterproof floors
- Zipper pocket
- Fiberglass poles
- Carry Bag
- Vented window
Coleman guarantees this product with a 1-year warranty. Here’s what other customers have to say:
Positives about the product experience
- Very easy to set up
- Sturdy in high winds
- A lot of included accessories
- Lots of room to move around inside
- Great waterproofing
Negatives about the product experience
- Only fits 4 comfortably
- Doesn’t handle variable temperatures well
- Mesh panels can’t be covered without the rain fly
It would be very hard to find a better tent for a large family at a better price for its size.
Coleman Dome Tent with Screen Room
This Coleman Tent which comes in 6 or 8-person sizes is more expensive than the Sundome tent, but it may be just what your family needs. The addition of a screen room makes it great for families that have to carry all their gear with them in their tent and can’t leave it in the car.
The tent itself is made from polyester like many tents. With floor dimensions of 10 ft x 9 ft (for the 6-person option), you can fit two queen beds tightly, but with added 10ft x 5 ft of the screen room you can sleep more if you wish or just have a great place to store your gear. The peak height of 5ft 8 in at center isn’t too shabby either although you may feel cramped that way.
Coleman claims this tent can be set up in 15 minutes with the rain fly and screen room. From what I’ve seen of others using this tent, it may take a little longer than that, but it’s not too hard to do at all.
The double-featured tent comes with the following accessories:
- Screen room
- Window awnings
- Storage pockets
- Rain fly
- Carry bag
- Tent stakes
- Cords for securing in the wind
Other users added this:
Positives about the product experience
- Affordable tent for all its features
- Easy setup and tear down
- Waterproofing is nice
- The material lasts in wind and use
- Good ventilation
Negatives about the product experience
- Screened room isn’t protected by rain fly
- Tent stakes aren’t great
Toogh 3-4 Person Waterproof Dome Automatic Pop-Up Tent
The tent by Toogh is a medium-priced dome tent that may be great for the smaller family that likes to go camping and is worried about rain. Its pop-up feature works well if you find yourself on the trail with a storm rolling in, and you have only minutes to set up.
The outsides of the tent are specially treated more than the average tent for waterproofing. This includes the floor which is often forgotten by other tent makers. This tent lives up to its “Waterproof” name.
The folding poles and pop-up system work like an umbrella for a setup and tear down that can be done in 60 seconds. This isn’t an exaggeration. I think you could set it up even faster with practice.
The floor is a hexagonal shape with dimensions of roughly 4 ft 10 in x 6 ft 10 in. The peak height stands at 5 ft tall. There isn’t a ton of room in this tent for 4 people unless you really want to get comfy, but a family with small kids is probably going to be fine.
The only claim I question by Toogh is whether it’s really useful as backpacking tent as well. It comes in at 10 lbs which is quite for heavy to carry around.
Toogh’s dome tent comes with the following:
- Rain fly
- 14 aluminum stakes
- 8 anti-wind ropes
- 2 door poles
- Carry bag
Customers using the product had this to add:
Positives about the product experience
- Simple setup and tear down
- Families of 3 (or 4 with small kids) can fit easily
- Affordable price
- Waterproofing is very effective
- Easy to carry bag
Negatives about the product experience
- Doesn’t come with a lot of instructions
- A little heavy to carry while backpacking or hiking
NTK Colorado GT 8-9 Person Dome Family Camping Tent
This tent by NTK is the most expensive on the list, but honestly I was still shocked at how low the price was for all of its features. The features it comes with may make the best tent for family camping in any situation except backpacking. From setup to materials to waterproofing, this tent is top-notch.
Though it weighs just over 20 lbs, the dome tent setup is quick and should take no more than 20 minutes at most. It’s designed for 8-9 people with a spacious 10 ft x 12 ft floor and 6 ft height. You should have plenty of room to move around.
The rain fly can cover the tent completely and protect it from rain with its 190T waterproofing. The fiberglass poles are chrome plated for durability and stability, and they also use a pin and ring system to help with quick setup.
NTK made the floor of the tent with a silver-coated layer for leak and mold protection. They also used a bathtub design with raised sides for even greater water protection in case of puddles or substantial rain.
This tent comes with the following:
- Heavy-duty carry bag with ID label
- Waterproofed rain fly
- Room divider
- Tent stakes
- Anti-wind cords
- 2 zipper doors
Users and their responses boil down to the following:
Positives about the product experience
- Excellent waterproofing
- Easy setup
- Quality materials
- Tons of space for families
- Handles high winds and heat well
Negatives about the product experience
- No consistent customer complaints were found
Conclusion
I hoped you enjoyed checking out our list of the best dome tents for a family. Dome tents are the classic design because of their durability and easy setup, and these ones may be the perfect fit for your family.
The obvious recommendation is the NKT tent. With all of its features, the price doesn’t seem so high. If price is a worry, you can rest easy knowing the Coleman tent with the screen room is also a great and more affordable choice.
Now get out there and enjoy the fresh air!
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