How Much Should You Spend on a Family Tent?
Family tents are available at a huge range of prices. You can find relatively simple tents for occasional weekends away alongside large air tents and multi-room models costing considerably more. That can make it difficult to know how much you actually need to spend.
The answer depends on your family, how often you intend to camp and what you expect from your tent. Spending more can provide additional space, features and convenience, but the most expensive tent isn’t automatically the best choice for every family.
The aim should be to buy a tent that suits the way you camp without paying for space or features you’re unlikely to use.
Start With How Often You Will Camp
How frequently you intend to use your tent is a good place to start.
If you’re trying family camping for the first time and planning one or two summer weekends away, you may not need to invest heavily in a large premium tent.
If your family camps several times each year or takes longer camping holidays, spending more on a tent that offers greater comfort and practicality can make sense.
Think about whether your tent will be used for:
- Occasional summer weekends
- Regular weekend camping
- School holiday trips
- Week-long family holidays
- Several camping holidays each year
The more frequently you use your tent, the easier it becomes to justify investing in something that better suits your long-term needs.
What Do You Get for Spending More?
More expensive family tents often provide improvements in several areas rather than simply being bigger.
Depending on the model, spending more may give you:
- Larger bedrooms
- More generous living space
- Better ventilation
- Darkened sleeping areas
- Additional entrances
- Improved materials
- More storage features
- Flexible bedroom layouts
- Inflatable air-beam construction
That doesn’t mean you need all of them.
A straightforward family tent with fewer features can still provide an excellent camping experience if it has the right amount of space and meets your family’s needs.
Tent Size Has a Big Effect on Price
Larger tents generally cost more because they require additional fabric, structural components and more complicated designs.
A compact four-person tent will usually cost considerably less than a large six or eight-person model with several bedrooms and a substantial living area.
Before moving up to a larger tent, ask whether you actually need the additional space.
A little extra capacity can be useful. A family of four, for example, may appreciate the additional room provided by a five or six-person tent.
Going considerably larger than you need can mean paying more for a tent that is also heavier, bulkier and more difficult to transport.
Air Tents Can Cost More
Air tents are particularly popular for family camping because inflatable beams can make pitching a large tent easier.
That convenience often comes at a higher purchase price than an equivalent traditional pole tent.
For families who camp regularly, the additional cost may be worthwhile if easier pitching makes holidays more enjoyable.
If budget is more important and you’re comfortable using traditional poles, a pole tent can often provide plenty of space for less money.
Neither option is automatically better. You’re deciding whether the convenience of an air tent is worth the additional cost for the way your family camps.
Don’t Spend Your Entire Camping Budget on the Tent
The tent is important, but it isn’t the only equipment you’ll need.
If you’re starting from scratch, your camping budget may also need to cover:
- Sleeping bags
- Air beds or sleeping mats
- Camping chairs
- A table
- Cooking equipment
- Lighting
- Cool boxes
- Storage
- A pump
- Tent accessories
Spending your entire budget on a large tent and then having very little left for comfortable sleeping equipment may not give you the best overall camping experience.
Think about the complete setup rather than the tent in isolation.
Look for Value Rather Than the Cheapest Price
Buying cheaply can make sense when you’re testing whether family camping is for you, but price alone shouldn’t determine your choice.
A tent that is frustrating to pitch, too small for your family or unsuitable for the way you camp isn’t good value simply because it was inexpensive.
Equally, spending significantly more doesn’t guarantee that you’ll enjoy camping more.
Look at what you’re getting for your money:
- Is there enough sleeping space?
- Is the living area practical?
- Can you transport it easily?
- Is it straightforward enough to pitch?
- Does it have the features you’ll actually use?
- Is it suitable for the type of camping you’re planning?
A tent that gets those things right is more important than choosing purely by price.
Take Advantage of Sales and Previous-Season Models
Family tents are often discounted at different points throughout the year.
Outdoor retailers may reduce prices during sales or when manufacturers introduce updated ranges.
A previous-season tent can sometimes offer excellent value, particularly if the newer version has only relatively minor changes.
It’s worth comparing the original price with the current selling price, but don’t buy a tent simply because the discount looks impressive.
It still needs to be the right tent for your family.
Consider the Cost Over Several Years
If you expect to camp regularly, it can help to think about the cost of a tent over its useful life rather than just the initial purchase price.
A family tent that costs more but gets used for several holidays each year can represent excellent value over time.
For example, a tent used for:
- Several weekends each summer
- A main family camping holiday
- Occasional short breaks
- Future holidays over several years
may provide a considerable amount of family accommodation for the original purchase price.
Looking after your tent properly can also help extend its useful life and improve the value you get from it.
Set a Budget Before You Start Shopping
With so many family tents available, it’s easy to keep moving towards larger and more expensive models.
Set a realistic budget before you begin comparing individual tents.
Then concentrate on finding the best combination of:
- Size
- Layout
- Weather protection
- Pitching convenience
- Packed size
- Useful features
- Overall value
within that budget.
This makes it much easier to compare tents based on what your family genuinely needs rather than continually being tempted by the next model up.
Related Guides
If you’re deciding which family tent to buy, these guides may also help:
Final Thoughts
There is no single amount every family should spend on a tent.
For occasional summer camping, a relatively straightforward tent may provide everything you need. Families who camp regularly may find it worthwhile spending more for additional space, convenience and features they’ll appreciate year after year.
Set a sensible budget, consider the rest of the equipment you need and concentrate on finding a tent that suits the way your family actually camps.
The best value family tent isn’t necessarily the cheapest or the most expensive. It’s the one you can afford, enjoy using and look forward to taking away again.