Dome tents are super popular because they’re so easy to set up and carry. But can they handle heavy rain? Sure, if you look for the best dome tent for heavy rain.
In this article, we helped you by looking at hundreds of choices and picking the tents we thought would fit the bill. Here are our top picks:
- Coleman Dome Tent with Screen Room
- NTK Colorado GT 5 to 6 Person Outdoor Dome Family Camping Tent
- Night Cat Waterproof Pop Up Dome Tent
Read on for a quick guide on finding the perfect tent for rain and our breakdowns of the products below.
Table of Contents
How To Pick A Tent For Heavy Rain
Picking the best tent for rain is just like picking the best tent for any situation; you just place extra emphasis on its rain protection elements.
In this section, we’ll show you important things that make a tent great in rain that way you can pick that’s best for you from our list below.
(Or, if you wanted, you could look for your own. But these ones are proven to be good for heavy rain!)
Tent Material
The first thing to look for is the material the tent body is made from. This is your baseline for rain protection, and if you find one that works well, everything else falls into place.
Most tent bodies are made from specialized polyester because it’s cheap, light, and durable. But not every polyester is made equally.
For heavy rain, you want to look for a tent body made from a tougher material (higher rating) and perhaps some extra waterproofing.
Most tent bodies won’t have the waterproofing because most companies rely on the rain fly to provide the water resistance. But if you’re worried about heavy rain, go for one with that waterproofing.
Or do it yourself with a spray like this one from Starbrite (I got it for a steal on Amazon, but I’m not sure if it’s still on sale; you’ll have to check).
Bottom Material And Design
The tent bottom is actually one of the parts of the tent that is the most likely to leak in heavy rain.
Think about it; if it’s raining hard, the water’s going to pool on the ground. Do you really want water seeping in through the bottom?
You can avoid this by setting up your tent on higher ground or by getting a tent with a tougher bottom.
Often, tent bottoms are made from a tougher material like Oxford fabric and have some more waterproofing done to them. The best bottoms also have a bathtub-like shape just in case the water rises.
Some bottoms are even laced with trace amounts of silver which acts as a natural protection against mold and other crud. Look for a tent with a “fancy” bottom, and you’ll know it’s better for heavy rain.
You could also get a tent footprint (here’s the one I use by ALPS on Amazon) to add another layer of protection below the tent.
Rain Fly
The rain fly may be the key to all protection from heavy rain when it comes to dome tents.
A good rain fly (or tent cover) can handle large amounts of rain and shift it away from the tent, so that nothing gathers and leaks in.
Like the tent bottom, you should look for a tent made of a tougher material with extra waterproofing.
It’s also a good idea to consider the shape and coverage of the rain.
One that just sits on top may not do the trick. Look for one that covers a large tent area and extends out over the space of the tent.
Other Rain Protection
Here are some other good things that can help with rain protection:
- Sealed seams
- Revered zippers
- Porches
- Vestibules
- Canopies
- Hoop-frame rain flies
These extras can make a big difference in keeping the inside of your tent dry as long as the other pieces are in place.
Review Of The Best Dome Tents For Heavy Rain
In this section, we break down the best dome tents for heavy rain and look at what other users have to say. Use this information to get the perfect tent for you.
Click on the links to head to Amazon and see the current prices.
Coleman Dome Tent with Screen Room
This affordable tent by Coleman with a screen room is your baseline option that can handle heavy rain well.
The tent body is made from polyester taffeta 75D. This material isn’t much more durable than the standard, but it is cheaper and can still handle some rain.
Coleman chose to prevent leakage by welding the floor seal and inverting the seams. This is part of the WeatherTec system to make the most out of their affordable materials.
The rain fly that comes with this tent covers the entire tent top and then some. It does a great job of redirecting the rain away from the tent body.
Coleman also added a screen room to the tent. This helps with rain, believe it or not.
A screen room is a great place to store your wet gear so that you don’t bring the water into the tent itself.
With the purchase of this dome tent, you get the following:
- Rain fly
- Carry bag
- Screen room
- Window awnings
- Storage pockets
- Guy lines
- Tent stakes
Here’s what the users had to say:
Positives about the product experience
- Very affordable
- Easy setup
- Screen room is a nice bonus
- Rain fly does a good job sheltering rain
Negatives about the product experience
- Material may not be durable
- Tent bottom may be prone to leaks
NTK Colorado GT 5 to 6 Person Outdoor Dome Family Camping Tent
Where other tents just give rain cover, the NTK Colorado GT tent provides complete rain protection from all but monsoons.
Though it’s in the medium price range, if you need a 5-6 person dome tent with excellent waterproofing, look no further.
On top of the tough tent body polyester, the specialized floor can withstand a lot of water. The bottom uses a bathtub style design to withstand puddles and standing water, and it’s infused with silver as an antifungal layer of protection.
The best water-resistance this tent offers is in its rain fly. It’s made from 190T water-treated polyester for maximum rain proofing.
The rain fly covers the entire body of the tent, not just the top. It even creates a mini-awning area. Once it’s on, you’re sealed up from rain in a protective cocoon.
The rain fly also has 50+ UV protection. This makes the rain fly extra durable because the sun won’t damage it as easily.
The tent uses a pin and ring system or a quick setup. You want a fast setup if you’re worried about rain just in case you go somewhere and it’s already raining.
When you get the NTK tent, you also get the following:
- Carrying bag
- Full coverage rain fly
- D-style door
- Lantern hook
- Guy lines
- Tent stakes
Customers had the following to say about the tent:
Positives about the product experience
- Very durable material
- Excellent protection from a lot of rain
- Easy setup
- Tough and water-resistant bottom
- Lots of space for 5 people (6 is pushing it)
Negatives about the product experience
- May get hot quickly once the rain fly is on
Night Cat Waterproof Pop Up Dome Tent
Night Cat’s waterproof tent comes with some of the best “extra” features for heavy rain at an affordable price.
This 2-4 person tent is made from 210D oxford fabrics for durability. This is tougher than most other tent bodies.
The rain fly is treated 190T polyester with a waterproof coating. It covers the top and comes halfway down the sides, and it also creates a little awning over the doorway to prevent water from getting in.
A neat feature of the rain fly is that it can be freestanding or attachable. If you use it on its own, it becomes a nice canopy for when it’s sunny.
The tent bottom is made of the same 210D as the tent body, but it did go through some treating for water resistance. It’s also in the bathtub style.
A great extra that comes with the Night Cat tent is the addition of a tent footprint tarp. This can go under your tent and protect the bottom of the tent even more.
The setup for this tent is instantaneous. It uses a hydraulic lift system for setup in seconds which is a great feature for when you get to your campsite and it’s already raining.
With this tent, you also get the following:
- Carrying case
- Rain fly (double as a canopy)
- Tent footprint tarp
- Two D-style doors
- 8 tent pegs
- 4 ropes
- Lantern hook
- Mesh pockets
- Camping lantern
The user experience boils down to this:
Positives about the product experience
- Super easy setup
- Rain fly is treated well and protects from rain
- Tent bottom is tough with the footprint combo
- Affordable price
- Plenty of extras
Negatives about the product experience
- If it’s windy AND rainy, a small amount of rain may gather in the corners
Conclusion
We hope you found this guide to the best dome tent for heavy rain helpful. Each of these tents may be just what you need, but now you need to make the final decision yourself.
If you’re still torn about which one to get, I recommend the NKT Colorado tent. It’s quality, space, and heavy-duty waterproofing are going to make it as dry a tent as you can find even in a monsoon.
Now get out there and enjoy the fresh air! (With or without the rain…)
If you enjoyed reading this article, you may also our guide to the best 4 person cabin tent for rain.