If you can spend a bit more and want a more traditional cathedral shape, the Caravan V-Series is a good choice. We are also very impressed with the overall value the Coleman 10×10 Sun Shelter brings to the table. It’s slightly more expensive than the cheapest options on our list, but we feel its price point is nearly perfect considering its quality and performance, specifically its extra features and beefier design. To uncover the best canopy tent, we use comprehensive test metrics and cover all manner of use cases and essential details. We also took a close look at the quality of each canopy tent in our craftsmanship metric, as well as measuring each tent when packed up to provide details on portability.
The Pacific Breeze Easy Up didn’t score as highly here, but we were impressed with its ability to handle the wind. Its stiff frame doesn’t bend or sway during heavy breezes, and it stays put as long as it’s staked down or weighted by its five built-in sandbags. Benzene has been used in the manufacturing of this product to meet CPAI-84 fabric fire retardant standards for the tent and canopy industries. Whether you’re thinking of hitting the road or staying close to home for your next car-camping adventure, you and your loved ones will need a comfortable place to sleep. The North Face Wawona 4, which we used to list in our Other Good Tents section, has been redesigned; it’s now made of polyester, not nylon. Weighing just 7 pounds, the tent is light enough to double for backpacking trips, especially if you divide the pieces among hikers.
Our most portable models are the Sun Ninja, Neso 1, and Eureka Tagalong Shelter. All of these models are thinner, fold-down styles that weigh far less than the larger canopies on our list. Some, like the Tagalong, are lighter because of the high-end materials used in their construction. Others, like the Sun Ninja, are lighter because they employ less expensive materials. So it is important to distinguish that not all lightweight and portable products are also high quality.
If you won’t be carrying your tent more than a couple hundred feet, more space means more comfort (as well as more room for your stuff). Great adventures are made in the shade—especially when there’s plenty of it. The OASIS 13 x 13 Canopy sets up easily using a one-push center hub with OnePeak technology. The robust steel frame withstands winds up to 35 mph when the canopy is fully staked and the vented roof releases trapped heat so you stay cool even when it’s hot out. Its fully enclosed design protects users from sun, wind, rain, and bugs, making this a perfect shelter for camping. It was followed closely by the Eurmaxand E-Z UP Pyramid, though neither of these has sidewalls for complete bug protection.
Like our couples’ tent pick, the Wireless 6 is a dome-shaped tent with a tried and true two-pole design. It has an interior footprint of 87 square feet, which sleeps four adults on single pads, or two adults and two or three children, and can accommodate a crib. That wasn’t the tallest we encountered—the Eureka Copper Canyon LX 6 and the Alps Mountaineering Camp Creek 6 each topped out at 7 feet—but it’s enough space for most adults to maneuver standing up. The tent comes with a full rain fly that adds two vestibules for storage (each 14 square feet), totaling 115 square feet of livable space—which is fairly generous yet still practical for most campsites. The best-selling Coleman Sundome 6-Person Tent has a footprint larger (100 square feet) than that of our top-pick tent for families, but it felt smaller because it has a lower ceiling, no vestibule, and only one door.
The Mountain Hardwear Mineral King 3 Tent is the best car-camping tent choice for couples. It has everything you need for three-season camping, with the bonus of being light enough to double as an occasional backpacking tent. Although it’s designed to accommodate three people—hence the “3” in its name—we found that at 42.5 square feet, the tent is more comfortable for two, plus gear and maybe a medium-size dog. A classic polyester dome tent, the Mineral King 3 uses two high-quality pre-bent aluminum poles, which maximize head and shoulder space, making this tent feel less cramped than other dome tents we tested.
She covers outdoor gear for Wirecutter and worked on the most recent update of this guide, testing couples’ tents and family tents. The Eurmax was followed closely by the Quick-Set Escape and E-Z Up Pyramid. Every stress point on the Quick-Set Escape is reinforced, and all of coleman sleeping bag its seams are double-stitched and taped. We feel the E-Z Up Pyramid is almost as well-made as the Eurmax; however, its frame and canopy materials are a little bit thinner. It offers impeccable craftsmanship and is even listed as “Entry Commercial” grade by the manufacturer.
While we recommend a minimum of two people to set up most shelters, the ease of this process can vary drastically depending on the design and quality of materials. While being timed, we set up and took down each product a minimum of 10 times. We also noted special features, like quick-release levers, that make setup easier. Marmot uses color coding smartly to help you position the tent as well as set it up. Both of the doors zip open to the side that’s color-coded blue, as opposed to zipping open to opposite sides.
The price tag may also be too high for some shoppers, but we feel the quality increase is worth it if you can swing it. Add extra weather protection to your sun shelter with the Coleman Sunwall for a 10′ x 10′ Canopy Sun Shelter Tent. The Wawona 6’s side-walls are high and straight, but the structure stays very stable coleman air mattress in wind thanks to a final pole that wraps around the front and sides—and thanks to the absence of any acute angles in the poles. We were skeptical about the vestibule’s ability to handle wind, since it’s big and supported by a single pole, but it stood fast in 30 mph oceanside gusts and 15 mph hilltop winds.