Choosing a Family Tent: The Ultimate UK Buyer’s Guide
Choosing the right family tent can make a huge difference to your camping holiday. A good family tent gives everyone enough space to sleep comfortably, provides somewhere to relax when the weather changes and makes everyday camping life easier.
But with air tents, pole tents, different berth sizes, multiple bedrooms and increasingly large living areas available, knowing where to start isn’t always straightforward.
The best family tent isn’t necessarily the biggest or most expensive. It’s the tent that provides the right balance of sleeping space, living space, practicality and weather protection for the way your family actually camps.
This guide will help you understand the important things to consider before choosing your next family tent.
In This Guide
We’ll look at:
- How you plan to use your tent
- Choosing the right tent size
- Different types of family tent
- Living and storage space
- Bedroom layouts
- Air tents and traditional pole tents
- Waterproofing and weather protection
- Pitching and packed size
- Useful family tent features
- What to consider before buying
What Should You Look for in a Family Tent?
For most families, a good family tent should provide enough sleeping space for everyone, a useful living area, reliable weather protection and a layout that works for everyday family life.
You should also think about how easy the tent is to pitch, how much room it takes up when packed and whether you can comfortably transport it in your car.
A family spending two weeks on a campsite will usually have very different requirements from one taking occasional weekend camping trips.
Step 1: Think About How You’ll Use Your Family Tent
Before comparing individual tents, think about the type of camping you’re likely to do.
Will you mainly use the tent for summer weekends? Are you planning longer family camping holidays? Will you usually stay on large organised campsites, or do you prefer smaller rural sites?
For occasional weekends, a relatively simple family tent may provide everything you need. If you’re spending a week or two away, additional living space, storage and separate bedrooms can become much more important.
Also consider how often you’ll move campsite. A large tent can be excellent once pitched, but less convenient if you’re packing it away every couple of days.
Understanding how you’ll actually use the tent makes choosing between the different sizes and designs much easier.
Step 2: Choose the Right Tent Size
Tent sizes are normally described by the number of people they are designed to sleep, such as a four-person, six-person or eight-person tent.
However, the advertised capacity shouldn’t be your only consideration.
A four-person tent may technically provide sleeping space for four people, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it will provide the comfort and storage space a family of four wants for a week’s holiday.
For family camping, choosing a tent with a little more capacity than the number of people using it can provide valuable extra room.
A family of four, for example, might prefer a five or six-person tent, particularly for longer holidays.
Think about space for:
- Sleeping bags or air beds
- Clothing and bags
- Children’s belongings
- Camping equipment
- Shoes and boots
- Everyday storage
More space can make family camping considerably more comfortable, but remember that larger tents are also heavier, bulkier and generally take longer to pitch.
Step 3: Understand the Different Types of Family Tent
Family tents come in several different designs, each with its own advantages.
Air Tents
Air tents replace many traditional poles with inflatable beams. They have become extremely popular for family camping because they can make pitching a large tent much simpler.
Instead of assembling and threading long poles, the inflatable structure is raised using a suitable pump.
Air tents can be particularly attractive to families who want a spacious tent without dealing with a complicated pole system.
They can, however, be relatively heavy and bulky when packed, so check the packed dimensions and weight before buying.
Pole Tents
Traditional pole tents remain an excellent choice for family camping.
Modern designs can provide generous bedrooms and living areas while often costing less than an equivalent air tent.
They take a little more work to pitch, but many experienced campers are perfectly happy with a traditional pole system.
If value for money is important and you don’t mind spending a little longer setting up camp, a pole tent can make a great family choice.
Tunnel Tents
Tunnel tents use a series of arches to create a long, practical interior.
They’re particularly popular for family camping because the design can provide separate sleeping compartments together with a generous central or front living area.
Tunnel tents normally need to be properly positioned and securely guyed, particularly in windy weather.
Cabin and Multi-Room Tents
Larger cabin and multi-room tents are designed around space and comfort.
They can provide several bedrooms, large living areas and plenty of headroom, making them particularly suitable for longer family holidays.
The trade-off is size. Large family tents require more campsite space, take longer to pitch and can occupy a considerable amount of room in the car.
Step 4: Think About Living Space
Living space is one of the biggest differences between a basic tent and a good family holiday tent.
When the weather is warm and dry, you’ll probably spend much of your time outside. British camping, however, inevitably brings days when everyone ends up inside.
Having enough room to sit comfortably, play games, organise equipment or simply escape the rain can transform the experience.
Look at the usable floor area rather than relying solely on the overall dimensions.
Consider whether there’s enough room for your camping chairs and table without constantly having to move bags and equipment around.
Standing height is also worth considering. Being able to stand upright while changing clothes or organising the tent makes longer camping holidays much more comfortable.
Step 5: Consider the Bedroom Layout
The way the sleeping areas are arranged can be just as important as the overall size of the tent.
Some family tents have one large sleeping compartment, while others divide the space into two or more bedrooms.
Separate bedrooms can be particularly useful for families with older children or when parents want their own sleeping space.
Removable bedroom dividers provide additional flexibility. You might use one large sleeping area when children are younger and divide it into separate rooms as they grow.
Also look at the dimensions of each bedroom. Make sure your preferred air beds, sleeping mats or camp beds will actually fit comfortably.
Darkened bedroom fabrics are another useful feature found in many modern family tents. They can reduce early morning light and help bedrooms remain a little cooler during bright summer mornings.
For family camping, a well-designed bedroom layout isn’t simply about fitting everyone inside. It’s about giving everyone enough space to sleep comfortably and making the tent work as a practical temporary home.