Getting into tent camping for the first time can be an overwhelming thing, but there’s no need to worry. If you’re looking for help in finding the best dome tent for first-time campers, look no further.
We went through dozens of tents and looked for the ones that would specifically fit the needs of the new camper. Our picks narrowed down to these ones:
- Coleman Dome Tent for Camping | Sundome Tent with Easy Setup
- LETHMIK Backpacking Tent, Instant Pop Up Tent
- CORE Equipment 4 Person Instant Dome Tent
- BATTOP 4 Person Tent for Family Camping Instant Pop Up Tents
Read on for more details on what to look for in a dome tent and our reviews of the best ones below.
Table of Contents
What Is A Dome Tent?
You can look into our article on what is a dome tent, but a quick answer is here.
A dome tent is a dome-shaped tent with a rectangular floor and two poles going diagonally through the top. The shape of the tent provides shelter from weather and stability in high wind. They are known for being easy to set up and light to carry.
Guide To Picking A Dome Tent
In this section, we’ll take you through the main features of dome tents and what you may want to look for as a new camper. Keep this information in mind as you look at the reviews below to make the best purchase for you.
Sleep Count
All tents are advertised with a specific sleep count. This number refers to the number of people who can sleep in the tent.
However, what companies don’t really push out there is that the only way this number fits in the tent is when they’re all sleeping right up side by side. If the people sharing your tent are all adults or larger in size, then it’s going to get real tight, real fast.
Keep this in mind as you shop and make sure you pick the right sleep count option for whatever your camping needs are. If you’re unsure what size to get, I recommend going with the 4 person tent.
Pro-tip: Select the next size up from the number of people you’re camping with. For example, if you need to sleep 4 people, pick a 6 person tent.
Seasonality
The seasonality of the tent refers to how well it handles the extreme changes in temperature and weather. The three main types are as follows:
- 3 Season (late spring-early fall)
- 3+ Season (same but with some snow and more rain resistance)
- 4 Season (lasts all year long and in any kind of weather)
As a first-time camper, you’re probably going to be camping in the late spring through early fall, so a tent’s seasonality won’t matter that much to you. Just go with the 3 season tent. But if you fall in love with camping (like so many of us do!) then you may want a hardier tent to extend your season.
Setup
For first-time campers, you may be overwhelmed with the idea of how to tent set up a tent (check out our article for help). This is why we looked for tents with easy, instant setups.
With an instant setup tent, you won’t have to worry about bending poles, feeding anything through any loops or anything like that. But they cost more and are a little harder to carry.
Still, not all tent setup is made equally. Even if two instant tents are compared, you can still find one a lot easier than the other. Check out the product experience section for information on how easy or difficult the tent is to set up based on several different perspectives.
Tent Dimensions
The tent dimensions are related to the tent’s size like the sleep count. However, the dimensions may change based on the brand.
One tent maker may give a lot more space in a 4 person tent than another. It’s always a good idea to compare this spec across the different options.
The floor plan is the length and width. This tells you how much space you’ll have inside when laying down.
The peak height refers to how tall the tent is at its highest point. On dome tents with their sloping sides, the peak height doesn’t always communicate how much standing room is inside the tent. Though it may say 6ft tall, a 6-foot-tall person will feel crowded inside.
Durability
If you’re buying a tent, you want it to last. Most tents in the modern day are made from specialized polyester. It’s cheap, tough, and light.
Still, the tent maker’s design can do a lot for keeping the tent together over a lot of use. The last thing you want when you’re out camping is for a hole to rip in the body of the tent or a zipper to break. Check out the user experience to see what people think of its longevity.
Waterproofing
One of the worst things a first-time camper may deal with is rain. Rain when camping can be beautiful and relaxing, or it can make it a living hell.
A tent with strong waterproofing can make all the difference in this kind of situation. While the tent body is usually pretty good at resisting water with minimal coating, the best waterproofing comes from the rain fly (not sure what that is, learn about it here).
Look for a rain fly with extra coating and one that drapes down farther over the top. Another good thing to watch for is if the bottom of the tent is made of extra-strong material and has some more coating.
Extras
With all else being equal, extra features that come with the tent may be deciding factor in whether you get the tent or not. Check out these common extras that may be included:
- 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
Review Of The Best Dome Tent For First Time Campers
In this section, I’ll break down each tent into its features and how it may affect your camping experience. You can also see what other users thought about the tent when they took it out to the wilderness. Don’t forget to click on the link to check the current price on Amazon (it may be on sale).
Coleman Dome Tent for Camping | Sundome Tent with Easy Setup
When it comes to affordable tents with good quality, Coleman’s tents can’t really be beaten. This tent option comes in 2, 3, 4, and 6 person variations. For this review, we’ll look at the 4 person specifically.
The tent is made from polyester which is affordable and fairly tough. Coleman’s material is pretty durable over a long time, but it won’t last as long as more expensive options.
Coleman provides a rain fly with some waterproof coating on it for extra rain protection. This helps the tent in light rain, but it probably won’t hold up in a serious storm.
The floor dimensions of the tent are 9ft x 7 ft with a peak height of 4ft 11in. This makes a little tight to sleep four people side by side, but it can be done. The lower height gives you less standing room, but it does make it handle wind better to be a lower profile.
For setup, this tent isn’t an instant tent, so it’s going to take a little effort to pitch the tent, but Coleman does help make setup easier with several design choices from continuous pole sleeves to shock-corded poles. In my experience, this tent would set up in under 10 minutes once you’ve practiced setting it up.
Here’s what other users had to say about the tent:
Positives about the product experience
- Very affordable
- Light and easy to carry
- Easy to set up once you’ve practiced
- Handles light rain and wind well
- Good space for sleeping in
Negatives about the product experience
- Takes a little effort to learn how to set up
- Material isn’t as durable as some other tents
- Bottom of the tent may be prone to ripping
LETHMIK Backpacking Tent, Instant Pop Up Tent
The LETHMIK dome-shaped tent is well-priced for a 2 person tent, but it’s simple setup and tough design make it a safe and easy purchase for first-time campers.
The tent body is made from 190T PU (polyester) material for affordability and durability. This material is tougher than the standard tent material on lower priced items, and it offers some rain protection.
For the tent floor, LETHMIK chose to use a 190D oxford fabric. This is a great element because the tent floor is then more resilient and waterproofed (which is great if it rains a lot and there’s standing water).
The cover or rain fly is especially nice for the rain because it’s made of waterproof material and fully covers the tent from top to bottom. Most rain flies only cover the top portion, but this one buttons you up nicely.
The floor dimensions of this 2 person tent are 6ft 6in x 6ft 6in with a peak height of 4ft 6in. For sleeping this great with 2 people, but you won’t have a ton of room to stand up and move around. But if you’re only using the tent for sleeping, that might not matter to you.
It doesn’t get much easier for setup than LETHMIK instant tent design. All you need to is unfold the tent and then pop up the supports like an umbrella. With minimal practice, you can set it up in minutes.
When you buy this tent, you also get the following:
- Carrying bag
- Rain fly
- 4 alloy stakes
- 4 windproof ropes
- 1 year guarantee
This what customers said about the tent:
Positives about the product experience
- Good value for the quality
- Tough materials and durable tent floor
- Full coverage rain fly and extra waterproofing
- Amazing instant setup
Negatives about the product experience
- Not as much space to move around
CORE Equipment 4 Person Instant Dome Tent
CORE’s instant dome tent may cost a little more than the other options, but it’s quality and extra features may make it the best option for first-time campers.
The tent body is made from durable polyester which makes it a little more affordable while still being light and tough. A floor bottom made from an extra-strong polyurethane with waterproof coating protects from ground debris and water.
CORE also provides a waterproofed and fully taped rainfly that covers the top of the tent and provides an awning for getting rain away from the tent body. They also sealed the seams, windows, and door against the rain.
The floor dimensions of the 4 person tent are 7ft x 9ft with a 4ft 6in peak height. This provides just enough room for 4 people to sleep side by side or to fit one queen air bed. The height is a little small, but this makes it better against the wind.
Setup on this tent is really easy. CORE claims it can be done in 30 seconds. I think it may take up to a couple of minutes unless you practice setting it up a lot. Still, it’s quite fast because all you have to do is unfold it and pop it up.
When you buy this dome tent, you also get the following:
- Carrying bag
- Rain fly
- Tent stakes
- Lantern hook
- Pockets
- E-port
- Ventilation system
- D-shaped door
- Guy lines
This is what the user experience boiled down to:
Positives about the product experience
- Tough materials for body, floor, and rain fly
- Great waterproofing
- Simple and quick setup
- Enough space for 4 people
- Handles wind well
- Lots of extra features included
Negatives about the product experience
- No consistent complaints were found for this tent
BATTOP 4 Person Tent for Family Camping Instant Pop Up Tents
This instant pop up tent by BATTOP is easy to use, and its medium price may be just what you’re looking for in your budget.
Like most modern-day tents, the body is made from polyester, but it’s a step up from some of the other materials. This is made from 190T polyester with extra waterproof coating. It’s even lined with silver which provides natural resistance from mold.
The tent comes with a small rain fly to cover the very top of the tent, but that may be all you need with the extra proofed tent body that BATTOP makes. To help resist wind, the tent maker makes their poles from thick fiberglass and includes steel stakes for maximum security.
The dimensions of this tent are 8.1ft x 8ft for the floor and 4.9ft for the peak height. This offers a good size for 3-4 people to sleep in and some room to move around with the height. This tent is mostly for sleeping and that’s OK.
Setup is simple with this tent. All you need to do is open it up and pull on a rope while pushing the top down for the poles to pop up and support the tent. BATTOP claims it can be done in seconds, and it is really fast to set up.
When you buy this tent, these are also included:
- Carrying bag
- 2 large mesh and sealable doors
- Hooped rain fly
- Steel stakes
- Bathtub floor design
When other customers talked about their experience, this is what they had to say:
Positives about the product experience
- Very durable material with a long life
- Decent waterproofing
- Easy setup
- Good space for sleeping 3-4 people
Negatives about the product experience
- May not handle wind or heavy rain as well
Conclusion
I hope this helped you find the best dome tent for first-time campers. Any of these may be just what you need. Now it’s up to you to pick one and get out there.
I recommend the CORE tent. It may cost a little more (check price on Amazon to see if it’s still on sale), but there are a ton of features and quality design choices that make it worth it. Plus, it’s really easy to set up which is great for new campers.
Now get out there and enjoy the fresh air!
If you enjoyed reading this article, you may also enjoy Instant Tents vs. Regular Tents.
