This design is a big plus for people who regularly camp in crowded campgrounds and don’t like to get naked in front of strangers. And you can unzip the front door, remove it, and neatly stash it into one of the tent’s internal pockets—a useful feature if you’re feeling sociable. Its walls are 75-denier polyester fabric (tougher than the Wireless 6’s 68-denier polyester and the same as the REI Co-op Base Camp’s) that extends about two-thirds up the tent’s sides, and then is topped with mesh. The partial fly does a great job of keeping rain out of the upper, mesh areas, and cleverly placed vents maintain airflow so it never feels too stuffy. Our second grading metric involves how fast and easy it is to set up and take down each shelter, but it also considers how simple and intuitive both processes are.
To mimic heavier rain and to test the tent’s ability to withstand soggy ground conditions, we also soaked our tents with a garden hose. A few weeks later, we brought the front-runners to a platform in an area that had higher elevation, near the Waianae Mountain Range, and camped out overnight in intermittent but consistent rainfall. Our experts teamed up to develop a rigorous test plan, which we applied to every canopy tent in this review. coleman canopy We learn a lot about each model by testing in varying environments, including mountains, forests, lakes, beaches, and dunes. Each canopy was set up and broken down repeatedly to assess its ease of use and craftsmanship, separating the well-designed from the failure-prone or confusing models. Methodically, we used each tent in its intended environment — plus some unintended ones — to see just how much use we could get out of them.
The fly is equally simple to attach and orient with color-coded clips. This type of pole tends to be less flexible and bulkier than pricier aluminum, and it can be a pain to handle. A full rain cover, two vestibules, and an extra-sturdy pole structure make this the best choice for couples who want to get outside in any weather. It’s pricey, though, and unless the other couples’ tents we recommend, it doesn’t include a footprint.
Two large doors provide easy entry and exit, and a vestibule—that’s camping speak for “mudroom”—outside each door adds significant sheltered storage. The Mineral King 3 has a full rain fly, which you can roll up halfway or completely remove for epic stargazing. It also comes with a groundsheet (aka footprint) to protect the tent floor.
This side wall is made with UV Guard™ material that provides UPF 50+ sun protection and shields your guests from wind and rain. The Base Camp tents include a low side vent and multiple stuff pockets on the walls and ceiling, which are made of 75D polyester treated with 1500mm of polyurethane waterproofing. Note that these tents are strictly meant for car camping; the Base Camp 4 and the Base Camp 6 weigh 16 and 21 pounds, respectively, so you won’t want to carry either one very far. Measuring 10 by 10 feet, the Sundome covers an area larger than that of our family-tent top pick though its lower roof leaves it with less headroom.
Likewise, the Pacific Breeze Easy Up does not require additional assembly. It springs into place with just the pull of a single chord, similar to opening an umbrella but in reverse. This makes it simple for one person to produce an instant sunshade in seconds. Simply fill the four attached anchor bags with sand or smooth rocks, stretch the canopy into an coleman canopy X-shape, and prop it up with the provided tent poles. We found this setup process easy because it didn’t require a lot of moving parts or analytical thinking. If your budget is tight, the Pacific Breeze Easy Up is an inexpensive beach canopy that provides the essentials for a quick, hassle-free setup but may not be built to endure many summers of use.
The Eureka Tagalong scored a little lower but still holds its own in terms of craftsmanship. It is a lighter-weight product, which inherently involves thinner, less durable materials. Over the years, we have utilized an impressive team of experienced canopy tent users, from market vendors to beach lovers. He spends time playing coleman air mattress at local lakes, dunes, and campgrounds, where he routinely uses canopies for shade. He also is no stranger to the sideline, where he enjoys sitting under a canopy to watch family members play youth sports. Jason is also an avid car camper, hiker, and backpacker and has extensive knowledge of general outdoor gear.
This dome-style tent has nearly vertical walls, high ceilings, and a single vestibule the size of an actual mudroom. It’s also straightforward to set up, and it is made with sturdy, light materials. The Tagalong and Caravan V-Series scored slightly lower than our top scorers, but they still have straightforward setup processes. Setup for both is simple; however, they scored lower because of additional variants that affect the overall ease of the process.
In the event you wish to send a product back to us, you may return most unused items for a
refund or exchange, minus shipping, within 90 days from the date of purchase unless noted below under
exceptions and exclusions. In the event you wish to send a product back to us, you may
return most unused items for a refund or exchange, minus shipping, within 90 days
from the date of purchase unless noted below under
exceptions and exclusions. If you will experience severe weather, we strongly suggest that you remove the canopy from the frame and store in a cool, dry place until you are ready to enjoy it again. This will help avoid rips and tears, as well as sagging of the canopy due to rain and snow.
The separate fly, which covers the upper half of the tent, uses a third, shorter “brow” pole to form protective peaks over the door and the back window. In our tests, an experienced camper took only about six minutes on the first try to set up the tent body alone and stake it out. Getting the fly placed and staked properly took about five more minutes. But it’s one of the least expensive tents we found that had no significant drawbacks and will truly cover your bases for three-season camping.