Best Family Tents of 2024

The weather is warmer, the days are longer, and your kids are restless on summer vacation. This is the season for family camping! 

Camping is quickly growing in popularity among Americans. According to Kampgrounds of America’s annual North American Camping Report, over 57 million US households reported to have gone on at least one camping trip in 2021, an 18% increase in comparison to 2020 numbers. It’s no wonder, considering camping is one of the most affordable vacations available to families. Plus, it’s a fantastic excuse to unplug from technology, bond with your loved ones, and learn new skills in the great classroom that is the outdoors. 

Unlike a solo or duo trip into the wilderness, a family camping trip requires a bit more forethought to ensure a safe and successful adventure for everyone involved. One major consideration when planning a family trip is the tent you’ll call home during your time spent outdoors. Buying a tent that will keep your family members comfortable in the elements can be a daunting endeavor, and your choice has the potential to make or break your vacation. 

The best tent will be different for every family, depending on the size of your clan and the type of camping you’re planning. For example, the best tent for families hiking and camping through the backcountry will differ drastically from the best tent for families glamping under the desert stars. Additionally, you’ll need to think about everything from your tent’s size and seasonality to its ease of use and durability. 

Today, we’ll break down the best camping tents for families for a range of camping adventures, along with what to consider when picking your abode. Let’s dive in! 

What To Consider When Choosing a Family Camping Tent

Tents come in an array of styles, sizes, and complexities. When shopping for a family camping tent, keep in mind the following characteristics before making your pick.

Interior Size and Space

Not only will your shelter need to fit your entire family comfortably, but you’ll also want to consider storage space for your camping accessories. A good rule of thumb is to pick a tent that has a capacity of at least one more person than you plan on bringing. This ensures that everyone will have room for a comfortable night of sleep in addition to saving room for any personal items they may want to keep in the tent. For example, if you’re a family of 5, you should opt for a tent with a capacity of 6 or more. 

User-friendliness

Keep in mind how easy your tent will be to use, and, if ease of use matters to you. For some, pitching a complex tent is part of the fun and a great learning opportunity for kids. For other families, the quicker you can set up camp, the better. Read reviews before purchasing to get a realistic idea of a tent’s user-friendliness from other camper’s experiences. 

Extra Features

From add-ons like porch extensions and pre-installed stove jacks to construction elements like UV-resistant and water-repellent finishes, the features available on tents are abundant. When shopping for your tent, keep in mind the range of features and which, if any, are important to you. If you’re planning a winter camping trip, a stove jack may be a non-negotiable. Whereas if you’re camping under the hot desert sun, that UV protection might be higher on your wishlist. 

The Specifics of Your Camping Trip

Camping is a broad term, and your trip could look very different from the family’s next door. In short, the specifics of your camping trip, like the location, time of year, and level of luxury, will play a huge part in what tent will suit your needs best. Let’s break down 5 of the most common camping experiences and discuss the perfect tent for each scenario.

The Best Tent for Traditional Campgrounds: The Cabin Tent

When you think of summer family camping, you’re likely imagining an established campground in or around a national or state park, with camp neighbors to your left and right and a bathroom down the path. This is what we’ll refer to as a traditional campground, otherwise known as a front-country campground. The best tent for this type of camping? The cabin tent.

The cabin tent truly offers families the best of both worlds when it comes to user-friendliness and unmatched durability. Cabin tents are relatively straightforward to set up, making them the perfect shelter to pitch at a traditional family campground. Unlike other easy-to-pitch tents, the best cabin tents on the market are made from premium cotton canvas, making them more durable than other options. Another benefit of this style is its shape and size. Cabin tents typically boast straighter walls than other traditional tent styles, making them perfect to fit the whole family comfortably. 

The Best Tent for Family Glamping: The Bell Tent

Maybe camping is a little bit out of your family’s comfort zone, but you still want to enjoy time in nature with your loved ones. If this resonates with you, glamping might be the best camping style for your family. Glamping is all the fun of traditional camping, plus a ton of added luxuries and comforts you wouldn’t normally see at a campsite. These luxuries can range from full-on bed frames and tent furniture to running water and electricity. 

If you choose to go the glamping route, consider investing in a bell tent. This tent style is a large, circular abode with a singular support pole in the center, creating the iconic bell shape we all know and love. Bell tents are perfect for family glamping thanks to their spaciousness and durability. Premium canvas bell tents often feature the pre-installed stove jack mentioned earlier, adding to the overall luxuriousness and coziness of your shelter. 

The Best Tent for Large Families and Furry Friends: The Wall Tent

Whether you have several small kiddos running around or a furry friend or two, the best tent for you will be the wall tent. Similar to bell tents, wall tents are a large and durable option for family camping trips. Unlike the bell tent, wall tents famously feature 4 vertical walls, increasing headroom and making an already spacious tent feel larger, making it the perfect shelter for the addition of dog beds. Between the recklessness of young kids and the unpredictability of pets, your camping tent will need to be able to withstand constant rough use. Thanks to a wall tent’s premium construction and sturdy build, it’s the perfect choice for the roughhousing awaiting them on a family adventure. 

The Best Tent for Peak Season Summer Camping: The Scout Tent

If you’re bringing your family camping during the peak summer season, you’ll want to prioritize a tent that’ll keep you and your loved ones cool. To beat the heat, opt for a scout tent with ample ventilation. Scout tents have all of the space and durability of the previous tents in this article, with the addition of a breathable design. With wall-to-wall mesh windows and doors, the scout tent will keep the cool breeze in to help you stay cool on the warmest summer nights.

Pitch Your Tent Ahead of Time

No matter the tent you choose for your family camping trip, you’ll want to prepare for your trip. The best thing you can do before leaving for the wilderness is to practice pitching your tent ahead of time. The bigger your tent and the more heavy-duty the construction, the more complex the setup will be. Knowing how your tent goes together will make pitching it much less of a headache, and much more efficient once you get to your campsite. Bonus points if you get your kids involved in setting up! Not only will their help keep them busy, but it’s also the perfect time to teach them valuable lessons about teamwork.

Final Thoughts

Camping looks different for every family, so it’s important that your family camping tent matches your adventure. When shopping for your tent, consider the size and spaciousness, the ease of use, the features each tent comes with, and the specifics of your own camping trip, like the destination and the climate. For families visiting a traditional front-country campground, a cabin tent is a simple but reliable shelter option. Glamping families should opt for a bell tent for the functional and aesthetic benefits.  Large families traveling with pets will be most comfortable in a spacious and durable wall tent. Families camping at the peak of the summer season will stay cool with the breathability of a mesh scout tent. Regardless of the adventure that awaits you, be sure to pitch your tent in advance to ensure you know the ins and outs of your new shelter. Preparing for your camping trip with the right tent will enhance your experience, ensuring a safe and comfortable adventure for the whole family.