Finding the best tent for backyard camping keeps your kids safe and dry when venturing out into the great unknown behind the house! Take a look at our list of five tents to find the best tent for your backyard below!
Overview
Finding the best tent for backyard camping requires different needs for different families and friends. Each tent offers a different set of specifications for campers to view and find to meet their camping needs or desires. Below examines the top tents on the market for backyard camping.
Name | Coleman Sundome | Coleman Pop-Up Tent | Gazelle T4 Pop-Up Portable | Moon Lence Tent |
 |  |  |  | |
Overview | Best Value Tent | Best Pop-Up | Upgrade Pick | Best Value Traditional Tent |
Manufacturer | Coleman | Coleman | Gazelle | Moon Lence |
Color(s) | Green or Navy | Green | Orange or Green | Green |
Capacities Available | 2, 3, & 4 People | 4 People | 4 People | 2 & 4 People |
Weight | 7.17 - 9.75 lbs | 7.1 lbs | 30 Lbs | 5.95 - 7.50 lbs |
Sneak Peek: Best Tent For Backyard Camping
Coleman Sundome
- 10 minute setup
- High Quality Weather-resistant build
- Lightweight (4 lbs)
- Lots of room & a high peak (6 ft. high at center)
What to Consider When Finding the Best Tent for Backyard Camping
Material & Stitch Quality
As your backyard fabric shelter, having high-quality materials and strong seams can make or break your fight against the rain. Most tents are made out of polyester or nylon. Nylon is used for lightweight backpacking tents while most family tents will have polyester fabric. Some tents are made out of cotton trading off insulation with poor weather management as they don’t stand up as well in the rain.
We recommend looking into polyester or nylon tents since they are sturdy and keep the elements at bay. Take a look at recent tent reviews to ensure the manufacturer quality is up to par and you won’t wake up in a puddle!
Safety
Camping with kids can be dangerous; A child can trip over a stake not fully in the ground, get their fingers caught in a zipper, trip over a line for the rainfly, and more! It is important to stake down the stakes all the way into the ground and minimize any risks that take place around the tent to ensure a safe camping experience.
Peak Height
Outside of capacity, this could be the most important factor for comfort in your tent design. Higher peak heights that allow you to stand up in the middle can feel like a luxury after trying to change in a short backpacking tent for a few days. Peak height is usually easy to understand from the photos and design of the tent itself but take a look at the product descriptions to make sure it meets your needs!
Seasonality
Many tents are rated as 3-season tents and shouldn’t be relied on for shelter in the winter. 4-season tents have thicker fabrics and fewer air vents to try to keep you warmer camping in the snow. The vast majority of tents marketed towards car campers are 3-season tents. 4-season tents are used for mountaineering and other cold-weather activity camping. We’ll stick to mostly 3-season tents in this guide. Most backyard campers are camping in only 3-seasons and tend to ignore the winter months due to the frigid cold (and the kids aren’t usually as interested around then anyway!)
Capacity
The best tent for backyard camping can see a wide variety of capacity needs from a couple to an entire family. It is important to have the right amount of space but also not overlook ease of setup. Some smaller tents set up much easier than larger tents, but do not offer the same peak height or spaciousness inside the tent. This guide takes a look at 2, 4, and 6 person tents that can be used to accommodate an entire family’s camping needs!
1. Coleman Sundome
Best Tent for Backyard Camping
Coleman has always put out great value products and the Sundome is no different. The Sundome uses a two-pole system for the frame and has mesh walls on two sides of the tent, making this a perfect choice for the summer humidity. Coleman uses thicker fabric than a lot of other value brands that help repel the rain if you get caught in the rain. The Sundome also has a 6-foot peak height to stretch your legs comfortably and stand inside the tent.
Some of the smaller features include two side pockets within the tent for your personal gear and a small pocket intended for running power cords from a generator, car, or electric box into the tent. Bring a power cord and you won’t have to worry about running out of juice for directions on the way home.
All of this combined with the reliability of the Coleman brand makes this the best tent for couples that are looking for a general-purpose car camping tent!
2. Coleman Pop-Up
Best Pop-Up Tent for Backyard Camping
The Coleman Pop-Up Tent offers camping comfort at a value-based price. This tent is ideal for the campers who do not want to deal with setting a tent up as it only takes 10 seconds for the tent to assemble. Preassembled poles pop up into place.
The pop-up tent offers water and fire-resistant polyester fly that allows for ease of handling poor weather conditions. The floor seams are taped to keep everyone dry while the ground is wet. The Coleman brand also ensures that you will be receiving a quality product backed by a warranty if anything goes wrong as they have been in business for a very long time.
All of this plus the Coleman brand make this pop-up the upgrade pick for best tent for backyard camping!
3. Gazelle Pop-Up Portable
Best Upgraded Pop-Up Tent
The Gazelle Pop-Up Portable Tent is a great tent upgrade from the Coleman pop-up tent for serious campers. The tent sets up in 90 seconds and packs into a small duffle bag.
The materials are 50+ UV rated with resistance to water, wind, and mildew. The rainfly is waterproofed with taped seams. The floor can be removed easily allowing for sand and dirt to be shaken out of the tent for easy cleaning. There are durable zippers and fiberglass poles to create a solid structure to resist stronger winds.
This tent is not for the faint-hearted as it weighs 30 lbs. While it would not make a good backpacking tent, it offers extreme spaciousness with a 78″ peak height making it a must-have for backyard campers.
For an upgrade from the other pop-up tents, be sure to select the Gazelle Pop-Up Portable tent!
4. Moon Lence
Best Value Tent for Backyard Camping
Moon Lence has put together a great value tent that offers a quality product. The Moon Lence Family Tent offers 100% polyester materials with 1000mm water resistance and excellent UV resistance. This will allow for fairly strong resistance to water leaking inside of the tent. The design is breathable with mesh tent surroundings and D-shaped doors with dual zippers.
Setup is a breeze with this tent as it uses 2 shock cord connecting poles with clips. According to the company, Even one person can set up the tent in less than 15 minutes.
All of this combined allows for a value-based tent that is perfect for families camping in the backyard on the weekend!
Conclusion
There are a lot of tents on the market and you don’t want to be left wet and cold by choosing the wrong one! Check out our other gear guides for more of the best tents for couples camping, great open fire kettles, camping mugs, and more!
