Family-Friendly Camping: The Best 8-Person Tents for 2024

Camping has always been a great getaway for families. It allows you to live in the moment, and share activities with your loved ones such as setting up camp, hiking, and building a campfire; where no one is distracted by their digital devices.

With children growing up and the addition of more family members, you may need to upgrade to a large canvas tent.

What Makes A Good 8 Person Tent

There are plenty of variations that house a large group of people. Here are some of the things you have to look for when considering your choices.

The Floor Space

Tents will advertise the number of people that can occupy the space. This number is usually the number of sleeping pads that can be accommodated inside the tent. If you want to add more fixtures to your tent, you have to go by the square footage of a tent.

Complexity In Setting Up 

When it comes to family camping tents, they take longer to set up and require more than just your backpack to lug around. However, the best 8 person tent is one that is easy to set up with simple assembly instructions. Campers shouldn’t have to read the instruction manual after they have set up their tent a couple of times.

Height

If a tent has ample floor space it should also have adequate height so that campers can stand inside the tent. This will also help campers install lamps to the ceiling without worrying about bumping their heads into them.

Here are our top picks for the best large tents that fit 8 people.

Wall Tents

A wall tent is a classic design among tents. It has straight upright walls and a rectangular shape. The walls scale up to between 8’ and 10’. This means there is plenty of space for occupants to stand up. Wall tents are often spacious than most tents allowing campers to move around freely inside them. This is one of the reasons why they are so popular as glamping tents too. You can place your furniture inside a wall tent like a bed frame, desk, vanity, or couch depending on what you prefer and how you divide the space. The White Duck Outdoors Alpha Pro Wall Tent can house 10 people at maximum capacity, and 8 for glamping.

A great feature of the wall tent is the inclusion of a stove jack. You can install an outdoor stove inside the tent, with an exhaust pipe that emits from either the roof or a wall. This means you can both cook inside the tent as well as keep yourself warm.

The canvas is army duck which is a durable material enhancing the tent’s quality to withstand the elements. Wall tents also have large windows which ensure cross ventilation so you don’t have to worry about a stuffy interior when the weather gets hot.

Bell Tents

Bell tents often get confused with tipis and yurts. These are conical canvas tents with a supporting pole in the center. The design of the tent has led it to be used for outdoor events, as well as camping.

Large bell tents are bulky but faster to set up than wall tents. They are slightly less expensive than the wall tent too. They are a 4 season tent which means you can use them in any climate. Bell tents also have a stove jack so that occupants can install a tent stove inside.

Bell tents are a popular glamping option thanks to their wide and circular floor space. Campers can surround themselves with multiple beds, and floor cushions that make a small lounge area. Children love the idea of living inside a textbook conical tent that feels like home but also adds that aesthetic of a tiny outdoor dwelling. White canvas tents have a glowy ambiance during the day, which amplifies a luxurious feeling.

You can stand upright closer to the center of a bell tent, but with a large bell tent like the 23’ Avalon Optimus Bell Tent that can shelter 12 people, you can move around freely all around the interior.

Cabin Tents

Cabin tents are cubic tents that are easy to set up. The biggest draw of a cabin tent is they are built for simplicity and storage. The tents have gear lofts and pockets where campers can store their gear. Most of a cabin tent’s wall is covered with windows so that campers can enjoy unobstructed views of the landscape from the inside. These windows can be zipped up for privacy.

Cabin tents are popular for camping during the summer because they are so airy while providing shade to the occupants. The tall walls make for a comfortable experience for the occupants who can stand up and move around when inside. Cabin tents are durable and offer a lot of solutions for a camper, however, these are not weather-resistant tents. If you are planning a trip in an area that has very strong winds you may want to rethink using a cabin tent for your family.

Tipi Tents

Tipi tents have been around for centuries. Their design and use originate from Native Americans of the Great Plains. A Tipi tent is conical in shape so that snow doesn’t accumulate on its roof and heavy winds don’t gather and topple its canvas.

The big distinction between a Tipi and other conical tents like the bell tent is that a Tipi has an opening at the top. This serves as a chimney for smoke and is also the primary source of ventilation. Very little has changed between the vintage Tipi and the modern one. They are still popular because they are easy to assemble and also pack up at the end of a trip.

Tipis may not be the go-to option for long camping trips but they are great as glamping tents and temporary camping adventures. You can have fun with the kids if you are planning an overnight backyard slumber party.

Dome Tents

The largest dome tents would still look smaller than the spacious canvas tents. The star feature of a dome tent is that the tent kit is easier to carry and set up than the other bulky tents. However, an 8-person dome tent would have to be at least 12’ wide. Unlike wall tents and bell tents, dome tents are usually 6’ high. This makes it difficult for a family of 8 to move around and lounge inside this tent.

If you plan on spending most of your camping trip hiking or doing other physical activities, a dome tent is the perfect choice for you. You can use it for sleeping and will have to store your supplies in the car.

Dome tents are less expensive and are also easy to store at the end of your family trip.

Scout Tents

Scout tents are the simplest type of tents that are comprised mainly of the frame structure. The priority of a scout tent is space. This gives campers plenty of opportunity to play around with how they can use this tent and how they can divide the interior.

The basic scout tent is an excellent choice for backcountry adventures and hunting trips. Scout tents have slanting slopes as a roof which means dirt, snow, and rain don’t pool on top of the tent. You can sleep peacefully knowing that the sturdy structure will keep you safe through the night if the weather turns. That being said, for more inclement weather conditions we recommend investing in the appropriate gear such as a rain fly.

Yurts

Yurts can be traced back to nomadic tribes in Mongolia. Yurts are circular shelters with short conical roofs. The wall of a yurt is weaved in a lattice pattern for structural integrity. The idea behind the yurt design is to use as little materials as possible to make a very secure tent. The design is so reliable that more than for camping use, yurts are popular as glamping tents and semi-permanent homes.

Yurt tents are spacious and have a height that would allow campers to stand up straight and move around freely. They are sturdy against the outdoor elements and the interior can be divided into smaller sections.

So Which One Should It Be?

Cabin tents are easy to set up but are not multifunctional tents that can be used in all weather conditions and for camping trips that you want to plan at different times of the year. A tent like a yurt is comfortable to live in but takes time to set up and requires more than one person to assemble. Canvas tents like wall and bell tents have the space and are simple when it comes to assembly. They are also tents that can be used for occasions other than camping such as an outdoor party, convention booths, and a semi-permanent dwelling in addition to your house.