Best Six Person Tent Buyer’s Guide
A spacious tent can make even the most rustic outdoor trips seem luxurious. The user-friendliness and organization features offered in a spacious tent are perfect for an outdoor expedition with your family or friends. These features save you from the hassle of setting up tents while enabling you to have organized sections for daily chores. Even if you’re heading out in a car, you can always use a six-person tent for a better experience.
Six-person tents come in all prices and material types. Whether it’s a stormy and rainy weather trip or a fun springtime camping trip, you can always rely on a spacious six-person tent for your trip.
Features to Look for in a Six-Person Tent
More Doors = Better Experience
While it might sound somewhat meaningless to pick a tent based on the number of doors it has, you will be surprised at how much it matters when you share your tent with someone. More doors promise more fun on your camping trip because of the openness they provide. It’s just like looking for a house with ventilation and a window for the view.
When living together with family or friends, everyone needs to have enough options for accessibility, especially if you are taking groups of kids camping. They love running around and in and out of the tent. Plus, more doors ensures that each person gets to enjoy the view and feel a breeze of fresh air while they nap.
Ventilation Options Besides the Door
You will obviously want to sleep with all the entries to your tent closed. Closing all the doors can take a toll on ventilation, and despite how sleepy you are, you might feel suffocated inside your tent when you have more than two people sleeping in there. To avoid any sudden, unpleasant breathing issues while you sleep, go for a tent with some mesh windows. They keep you secure and ensure that plenty of air gets in and out.
One issue that you might encounter in tents with mesh windows is that rain, dust, and the wind can easily get in the tent during storms and rain. If you are looking for a tent that will be unaffected by the weather, you might have to let go of the luxury of having windows.
A tent with the higher ceiling is also a great way to prevent ventilation problems. Higher tents are not a worry because you will just need to take them out of the car and into an open space. They will provide you an even better experience because you can easily stand up and walk around in them.
An Alternative for Home
Although not home the real sense, you will need a tent that offers you some basic benefits such as walking around and being able to sleep, eat, and enjoy your free time. On an average, you will be spending around six to ten hours inside your tent with a group of people. Before buying, it is really important that you pitch the tent and check how comfortable you are with the interior, height, and other features it offers.
Our Top Recommended Six-Person Tents
To make the task of finding the right tent easy, we have compiled a list of the ten most heavy-duty and spacious six-person tents available on the market.
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Coleman Evanston Screened Tent
Looking for a tent that is quite open and offers enough security at the same time? The Coleman Evanston tent is what you should go for. Weighing just 20 lb., the tent features a screened front, providing you with an ample amount of light while ensuring that no bugs or insects get inside your tent.
The design of this screened tent is extremely user-friendly, and setting it up or taking it down is trouble-free. It’s ideal for group camping trips, and the material is polyester taffeta, which keeps you safe from rain.
It’s perfect for a short trip along a lakeside with family and friends, but taking it to places with lower temperatures is not advisable due to the thin fabric and the no-zip flaps. Nonetheless, there couldn’t be a better tent for your summer and spring outings. Priced at $80, it’s not too heavy on the pockets and serves its purpose well.
Space and Construction
The Coleman Evanston Screened Tent is 168 in. L x 120 in. W x 68 in. H, which provides ample space to accommodate a group of five to six people comfortably. It has a large dome-like structure, which takes care of any ventilation problems. There are mesh windows as well, which keep this spacious tent well-lit and thoroughly ventilated.
If you want to set up a table and enjoy a game of cards, you can put up some chairs on the tent’s front porch, allocated primarily for this purpose. There is also a shield to ensure that mosquitoes and bugs don’t get through.
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The REI Kingdom 6
In the market for big and spacious tents, the REI Kingdom 6 takes the cake. It has a tall build that makes walking or standing inside the tent free of any compromises. It provides the rare feature of separate rooms with zip closures for each sleeping space, making it perfect for group outings with colleagues and friends.
The tent is quite spacious, and there are no ventilation problems either because of the high ceiling and large setup. Standing 75 in. tall, the tent might seem a bit too high if you are heading to a windy place, but it’s perfect for warm summers.
Space and Construction
The design of this tent is as ergonomic as it gets. There are divided subsections that make organizing things easy. With two large doors on both the ends, there is plenty of cross ventilation if you want to just sit inside the tent. It weighs 19 lb. and is easy to pitch single-handedly. The floor area is approximately 83.5 sq. ft., which is more than enough to accommodate six people.
The REI Kingdom 6 also features a customizable rainfly. You can pull it up by just tying the ends to the pole on the base. If there is no need for the rainfly, it can be folded upwards to allow air to get in. There is also an additional vestibule area on the rear end that can be used as a storage space or as a place to put shoes. The ends are weatherproof and prevent any water seepage in the case of sudden rains. These features make this tent a perfect buy for every season.
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Kelty Trail Ridge 6
The Kelty Trail Ridge 6 is a self-standing tent that has been designed especially for mild-weather camping trips. It’s extremely lightweight, and because it doesn’t need any poles to be pitched, anyone can set it up quickly. The interiors of this tent come lined with mesh, and there is additional space in the form of vestibules for storage or for putting away bags and shoes.
The design of this tent is quite sturdy, and it comes with a lifetime warranty. It features one main door, and because the tent isn’t extended in a bigger area, it gets enough ventilation from the main door itself. Its dome-like shape makes it look spacious on the inside and prevents any suffocation problems. The poles have varying diameters, allowing the tent to pull out to its maximum capacity and provide maximum room inside.
Space and Construction
A unique feature of the Kelty Trail Ridge 6 is the mesh lining provided inside. The coating of mesh makes the walls even more sturdy, and even if you use the side walls for support, there won’t be any damage caused to the tent. The tent comes with zipper closures on the door so that you can safely lock it from inside and prevent any bugs or mosquitoes from coming in. The zippers are completely soundproof to avoid any disturbance while sleeping, which is a rare quality for tent zips.
The total weight of the tent is only 13 lb., and it can fit inside a car quite easily—its maximum height is just 72 in. The surface area of the tent might seem a bit small compared other tents, and accommodating six people might not seem ideal. Nonetheless, the tent is perfect for layouts. There are mesh pockets for easily organizing your things when in the tent. There are also air pockets in this tent and some additional space for easy storage. These features make it a perfect one-day outing tent for a group of people. Priced at $399, this is one of the most expensive six-person tents you will find.
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REI Base Camp 6
If you are looking for a tent that can be used in any season without worry, then the REI Base Camp 6 is your go-to option. With a floor area of 86.8 sq. ft., this tent is one of the most well-ventilated and sturdy tents you will come across in this market segment. It has been built to withstand all weather conditions—rain, wind, and cold winters.
The tent has a dome-like structure that makes the walls a bit vertical. Nonetheless, it’s quite easy to walk around inside the tent.
The highlights of this tent are its mixed, quality materials, which make it ideal for all seasons, and the amount of storage space options are available in the tent. It’s spacious enough to accommodate a company of six people without making it appear crowded, suffocating, or clumsy.
Space and Construction
The tent has a unique five-pole design when it comes to pitching. This structure ensures that the tent is properly pitched and doesn’t get pulled up due to crosswinds.
Just like its REI Kingdom 6, this one features a rain fly that, when pulled up, creates vestibules on the two ends of the tent. The vestibules ensure that there is ample space for organizing your stuff and storing anything you carry along with you. The tent also features three mesh windows that can be shut whenever you want to escape the bugs and mosquitoes.
The roof is high and has a mesh side walls, which keeps the interiors of the tent cool during hot summer outings. Regardless of how humid and warm it gets, you can have a relaxed sleep inside.
A unique feature of the REI Base Camp 6 is that it features built-in electrical ports, so there is no cut-off from the rest of the world, even while you’re camping. The Dutch Style back to back doors, gear storage, sturdy build, and spacious rooms make it one of the finest tents in this segment.
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Kelty Outback – 6 Person Tent
Standing at the height of six-feet in the center, the dome-shaped Kelty Outback 6 is one of the most popular dome-shaped tents available on the market. Made entirely out of a rigid but durable polyester material, it’s an ideal pick for your outings—adults can easily walk around and change while standing up.
The build of the Kelty Outback 6 is quite sturdy, except for the four edges of the tent, which have fiberglass doors. It does no good in the windy and stormy days and thus, acts as a setback.
Space and Construction
The Kelty Outback 6 features only one door, but to make up for the lack of other doors, this entrance is a wide and large D-shape to ensure that when open, it illuminates the whole tent and ventilates it well. The Outback also has other useful features, such as a full-coverage rainfly and fully functional vestibule spaces.
The weight of the tent is approximately 15 lb., which makes it easy to pitch and carry. It has the typical dome-like structure, but it’s the rainfly and the alleviated opening that make up for the lack of additional windows and doors.
If you are looking for a reasonably priced, mid-range tent that offers value for money, the Kelty Outback 6 is your rescue. It’s perfect for anyone who will be hitting the road in the summer. However, if you are looking for something to be used on a windy day, you might want to go with the Kelty Trail Ridge 6, which features aluminum poles rather than fiberglass ones. For campers who don’t want something exceptionally reliable in bad weather conditions, this one can be the perfect pick.
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Big Agnes Big House 6 Deluxe
The Big Agnes Big House is aptly named—it features an airy living space and an extremely comfortable tent setup. Earlier, the design had a dome-shaped structure, but it was updated to a cabin style ceiling in its 2017 model for more roominess and an airy feel.
The design is quite tall, and anyone can easily stand inside the tent. It’s more than 6 ft. tall in the center, so changing inside the tent comes free of problems.
The design is fairly sturdy, and to make sure it doesn’t slide away, the proper pitching guidelines ought to be followed. There is also ample mesh openings in the tent, which keep it thoroughly ventilated.
Space and Construction
Built at aggressive angles, the Big Agnes Big House 6 features tall walls on its sides and is made of polyester. It’s perfect for summer outings when the days are warm since it keeps the insides of the tent airy and freshly ventilated all the time. The tent also features two doors on opposite ends, which is the perfect set up for a six-person tent.
The total weight of the tent is just 13 lb., and it can be easily pitched without any trouble.
Although it’s very ergonomic when it comes to the design and the build, the Big Agnes isn’t suited for all weather conditions, and you might need to reconsider if you want an all-season six-person tent.
The mesh and polyester lining makes sitting up shoulder-to-shoulder free of the risks of tearing the lining.
Priced at $400, the only thing this tent doesn’t provide you with is a vestibule like others in this post. However, there is an option for an add-on front vestibule by getting additional accessories.
On the whole, if interior space and warm weather camping are your primary requirements for a tent, this one makes the cut.
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Coleman Instant Tent 6
What makes the Coleman Instant Tent 6 stand out in this segment is the undivided, 90-sq. ft. of space that it provides. It’s just perfect for a camping trip with friends and family.
It’s called the “instant tent” because of its easy-to-set-up technique. Because the four rods for poles come pre-attached on the tent, it takes only a minute to pitch it.
The tent is perfect for summer outings, but if you are out in windy or rainy weather, you might have to suffer a bit of the weather blowing in this tent.
Space and Construction
The Coleman Instant Tent 6 is a mixed bag of pros and cons. To make it function without a rainfly, the fabric of the tent has been kept pretty thick. However, this feature is the least fruitful because it doesn’t protect the tent from rain at all. In fact, it just adds additional weight to the tent, making it heavier and a bit troublesome to carry. You might need to buy an additional rainfly to avoid any troubles once the rain starts.
There is just one door on this Coleman tent, so that’s a drawback when it comes to a six-person setup. The floor area is quite vast and can comfortably adjust to fit a company of six people.
All the drawbacks seem tolerable because it provides a steep price cut compared to other tents in this post. However, better weather resistance could have increased its value two-fold. Nonetheless, if you are seeking a tent that offers a convenient setup and you’re looking forward to summer outings only, you can go with the Coleman Instant Tent 6.
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Hilleberg Altai XP
The Hilleberg Altai XP comes from a Legendary Swedish name in the tent-making segment: Hilleberg. It’s pricey, princely, and offers double the space of a typical six-person tent. Leaving behind the standard dome-style and cabin-style tents, the Hilleberg Altai features a classic yurt-style ceiling. While it might seem expensive, the fact that it is a one-of-a-kind yurt that can be owned by paying just $800 makes it a must-have for camping enthusiasts who want a weather resistant, all-season tent for their outings.
Space and Construction
The Altai XP is the most spacious tent in the six-person tent segment with approximately 110 sq. ft. of floor space to offer. It has an exceptionally sturdy design and is made to last a lifetime. It weighs only 11 lb. and stands as tall as 6 ft.
The only drawback you might encounter is that its design is a bit impractical from a car camper’s point of view. Plus, it might be a bit too gaudy for pulling up in a State Park. That’s why you will see very few of these when you are camping.
Overall, it’s a pretty fresh and different set up that gives you all the features you need, like ample living and storage space, proper ventilation, weather resistance, and a sturdy build.
In addition to the whole set up, you might need to buy an inner tent for the floor space, and that would be another $300 from your pocket. Thus, it might be an option only car campers who want to camp throughout the year—irrespective of the weather conditions—would like to go for. If you are an enthusiast who can be found camping in alpine areas during the coldest months, you can go for the Altai XP without a second thought. It’s also perfect for someone who wants to take along more than six or seven people— this tent can always adjust to fit an additional person or two.
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