Best family tents UK 2022: 4 and 6 person inflatable, dome, and tunnel tents from Outwell, Vango, Leisurewize

Our expert put has put the industry-leading family tents to the test - here are her five favourites
Best family tents UK 2022: 6 person inflatable, dome, and tunnel tentsBest family tents UK 2022: 6 person inflatable, dome, and tunnel tents
Best family tents UK 2022: 6 person inflatable, dome, and tunnel tents

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With the weather improving across the UK, festival season about to begin, and the prospect of school summer holidays tantalisingly close, many of us are planning a family holiday - be it relations in a traditional sense, or the friends we consider family.

If you’re looking to head out into the great outdoors with a group of friend or relatives, a great family tent can make or break a holiday. What constitutes a great tent depends on your specific requirements.

On a trip with some teens who require personal space? You’ll need well-cordoned off bedrooms and living spaces.

Travelling with wee ones who wake up as the sun rises? Blackout-material could be the difference between a 5am wake-up call or arising at a more civilised hour.

Off to the festivals with friends? You’ll probably want a tent you don’t mind enduring a little wear and tear.

Best family tents UK 2022 at a glance

What should you look for in a family tent?

Multiple bedrooms are an excellent idea when you’re shopping for a family tent, especially if you have teenagers in need of their own space. Standing room is a big help when you’re sorting out the myriad bits of kit involved in camping with children, and a spacious living area will give you somewhere to hang out and play games on rainy days.

A porch or anteroom is also useful for popping muddy boots in. Look for a sturdy, sewn-in groundsheet with a coated nylon floor to keep you warm and dry, a waterproof rain fly (this is the outer layer of the tent) and plenty of guy ropes for stability.

What does tent size mean?

Tents are sized according to the amount of adults they can feasibly sleep (i.e four-person, six-person). That said, two adults and two or three children will usually find a six-man tent the best fit, especially if you’ll be camping for a week or two at a time.

What are the downsides to a family tent?

The larger the tent the heavier it tends to be, of course, and the longer it’ll usually take to put together. You’ll see inflatable (sometimes labelled ‘air’) tents on sale as well as traditional designs using metal poles – air tents use a foot pump to inflate their structure, and are quicker and less stressful to erect.

If you’re hopping around lots of different campsites on your holiday then weight and pitching time are factors definitely worth taking into consideration, but if you’re just headed to one campsite and your car has a roomy boot, it’s worth going as big as you can afford and not worrying too much about weight – you’ll only have to pitch your new home once, after all.

The pitch times suggested by manufacturers are usually optimistic, so expect a bit of trial and error the first time you erect your canvas palace.

We’ve tested out a range of sizes and found our favourites: great quality tent options to suit most budgets, ranging from portable tents suitable for wild camping to multi-room mega-tents.

You need somewhere roomy, waterproof and comfortable both to sleep and hang out in, especially if the weather isn’t looking so balmy. We’ve selected the best family-sized tents on the market to take with you, designed to sleep four people and up.

More camping coverage: read our reviews of the best backpacking tents here. Keep cosy with one of these fabulous sleeping bags, and stay connected with one of these excellent portable solar chargers.

Read our full review of the Leisurewize Olympus here.

KEY SPECS:

Main material: Polyester

Bedrooms: 2

Weight: 20kg

Pitch time: 15-20 minutes

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it – the Leisurewize Olympus 6-person tent from Robert Dyas stands out as a simple and easy to use tent that’s ideal for a family of four.

Perfect for weekends, kid-friendly festivals or even for setting up in the garden, this two-bedroom tent can be carried and pitched by one person and in 15 minutes, so it’s far easier to pitch than many heavier and bulkier family tents.

It’s a pity there isn’t more living space or a more generous canopy, but if you plan to spend most of your time exploring out-of-doors, this tent will make a great weekend base.

Read our full review of the Outwell Avondale Air Tent here.

Key specs:

Sleeps: 6

Main material: polyester

Bedrooms: 3

Weight: 30.4kg

Pitch time: 40 min

Looking for a generously-sized tent for a family of five or six, or want tons of room to hang out in for four?

We’d definitely recommend Outwell’s new Avondale 6-person Air tent, which boasts three separate bedrooms and great living space, plus a lovely canopy to sit out in.

This ‘air’ tent is easy to inflate but you will need to people to pitch and transport it. Once it’s pitched, it’s ideal in both rainy and hot sunny weather thanks to plenty of ventilation and a waterproof outer fly.

With adjustable bedrooms and lots of airy space, we think this versatile all-rounder of a family tent is well worth its price tag.

Read our full review of the Vango Aether 600 XL here

Key specs:

Sleeps: 6

Main material: Recycled Sentinel Eco material

Bedrooms: 2

Weight: 21.6kg

Pitch time: 30-40 minutes

If you like a lot of bang for your buck and you’re shopping for a design that’ll suit a family of four you’ll get on well with Vango’s Aether Air 600 XL, which boasts the convenience of inflatable poles but without a hefty price tag you’ll often find on ‘air’ tents.

The Aether Air has lots of living space, good ventilation and blackout bedrooms, so it’s ideal for hot summer weather.

We also like that this design is made from recycled plastic, making it a more eco-conscious choice than most family-sized tents on the market.

Read our full review of the Halfords 6-Person Air Tent here

Key specs:

Sleeps: 6

Main material: polyester

Bedrooms: 2/3

Weight: 23.2kg

Pitch time: 25 minutes

  • Berth : 6
  • Approx Pitch Time : 20 mins
  • Waterproof Rating (HH) : 3000mm

Halfords’ Air Tent really stands out for value for money – you’re unlikely to find another inflatable tent sleeping four people on the market for under £500, or at least not one this well-made and weatherproof.

We like the adjustable bedroom layout for families with older kids, and the fact that there’s head height in the living room, but this tent is definitely on the small side – choose it for shorter camping trips rather than summer-long holidays.

If you’ve got a family-friendly festival booked and you want something light, easy to inflate and hassle-free to use, this tent will do you proud.

Key specs:

Sleeps: 4

Main material: Polycotton

Bedrooms: 2

Weight: 50kg

Pitch time: 20 minutes

  • tent; 1 inner tent; 1 2.2L pump; 1 canopy groundsheet; 1 side canopy pole; 4 storm straps; 1 peg pack; 1 manual; 1 carry bag

You get what you pay for with Dometic’s Ascension – this might just be the perfect tent for a family of four. It ticks all the boxes for making camping comfier and easier – two roomy bedrooms are lined with good blackout material, there’s a clever dedicated storage area and we love the light and airy living spaces.

Pitching the Ascension is headache-free thanks to intuitive inflatable poles, and you can even add on myriad extra rooms and storage areas – including a spare bedroom – to make this tent work on all kinds of camping adventures.

The only thing to note is that this heavy tent takes effort to store and transport – and that you’re paying a top price for top quality.