10 Best 6-Person Tents 2022 Reviews

10 Best 6-Person Tents Reviewed

KAZOO’s 6-person cabin-style tent offers solid build quality and comfort at a good price. Perhaps the first thing to catch the eye in this tent is the abundance of mesh in its walls. The mesh not only allows for good ventilation but also seems to effectively keep out bugs. For water protection during rain, KAZOO also includes a full-coverage rainfly with this tent.

The rainfly seems to work very well – judging by buyer reviews, storms are not an issue for it. What’s also remarkable about this tent is that it has an automatic frame assembly system to facilitate setup. Once set up, the tent will sit sturdily on the ground thanks to the strong aluminum poles and the included stakes & guylines.

The fabric in the KAZOO 6-person tent appears decent – KAZOO doesn’t provide any denier numbers, but judging by buyer reviews, the combination of ripstop and breathable polyester works fine.

The Coleman Steel Creek dome tent is all about wind resistance. As a rather inexpensive tent, its wind protection isn’t the strongest out there, but it’s solid for the money.

According to Coleman, this tent has been tested to withstand 35+ mph winds. The wind resistance of this tent is mainly thanks to its aerodynamic shape, though the sturdy frame plays a role too.

Aside from wind resistance, Steel Creek offers water protection too. Its floors have welded seams and are watertight, and the door zipper is also protected by a flap.

Interestingly, the window awnings are extended outward to prevent rain from getting inside too. And, of course, you are getting a rainfly as well.

Convenience is also great in the Steel Creek tent thanks to small details like the power strip port, interior pockets, color-coded poles for easy assembly, and a vestibule/lounging area with extra ventilation.

This Coleman tent is sized more or less the same as Steel Creek, but if offers added interior room thanks to its cabin design and taller ceiling. It doesn’t have wind resistance though, so there’s that. The highlight of this cabin tent is the Dark Room technology.

Its purpose is to block out 90% of sunlight, reducing heat buildup by 10%. It also allows you to stay asleep in early morning hours when the sun’s already up. What’s nice about the Coleman cabin tent as well is that it’s very easy to set up.

The fiberglass poles are pre-attached, so you have to only unfold the tent and drive the included wire stakes into the ground. The build of the tent is nice and sturdy too thanks to the double 150D polyester shell, but it’s pretty leaky despite the welded corners and the included rainfly. This is pretty underwhelming, though at this price point, we wouldn’t expect great water protection from any tent.

It’s not perfect, but the included rainfly with sealed seams does a good job at keeping light rains out. For increased convenience, the CORE tent also has small features like interior organization pockets, a lantern hook, and a port for a power strip. This tent’s entry zipper can be annoying to open, but it’s not that huge of a deal given how good this tent is in other areas.

On the pricier side, Coleman’s Weather Master tent offers excellent comfort and convenience. This tent isn’t much bigger than others on the top, but thanks to its cabin design and the tall ceiling, it offers more room than most of our other picks. The Weather Master tent is just packed with convenience features.

Like Steel Creek, it has a large screen room in the front for cooling off, and it additionally offers a few internal storage pockets and a power strip port. The door in this tent in remarkable too – thanks to its hinged design, it’s very easy to use. Construction-wise, the Weather Master is very nice. Its poles are made of steel (though around the door, they’re fiberglass), and the polyester fabric should withstand heavy abuse.

Water protection isn’t the best though – short rains shouldn’t be a problem, but heavy rains make the rainfly saturated quickly. So this tent isn’t quite the weather master despite the name.

However, what it does have to offer is decent quality and comfort for the price. If you want something simple and pocket-friendly, this might be the right choice.

With its dome design, this tent will provide decent wind resistance. As for leak protection in light rains, it will be ensured by the included rainfly. The polyester build is pretty nice and tough as well, and the 11 steel stakes will ensure good stability.

Most importantly, this concerns water protection. The included rainfly won’t withstand heavy rain, but it will keep you shielded in not too harsh weather. The pull-out windows also allow you to keep the windows open in rain without leaks.

The ventilation in the Mammoth Creek tent is good two, particularly thanks to the adjustable bottom vents.

What To Look For When Shopping For A 6-Person Tent?

Now, to help you better understand our picks and help you hopefully choose the best 6-person tent, let’s discuss the most important features to consider in a camping tent.

Seasonality

Tents are available in 3- and 4-season configurations. Which one to choose depends on the season that you will be camping in.

• 3-season tents

3-season tents are designed to keep you comfortable in spring, summer, and fall. These tents are usually on the lighter side and have mesh panels to improve ventilation during hot summers. The mesh is typically fine enough to keep bugs out too.

Rains are also no big challenge for 3-season tents, though extended exposure to violent storms or heavy downpours is undesirable.

• 3-4-season tents

These tents are a little heavier-duty than standard 3-season tents. They are not quite as rugged as 4-season tents, but they are better for early spring or late fall uses when light snow is possible.

Equipped with fewer mesh panels than 3-season tents, 3-4 season tents can’t boast the same level of breathability. They do deliver more warmth, which makes them great for cool but not harshly cold weather.

• 4-season tents

4-season tents can be used in any season, but they make the most sense in winter under a thick layer of snow and under the onslaught of harsh winds.

With few to no mesh panels, 4-season tents have weak ventilation, but they offer the best insulation among all tent styles. The dome of 4-season tents is also rounded to prevent snow from gathering on top, while the reinforced fabrics and heavier poles ensure longevity and stability.

Tent wall shape

The shape of the tent walls determines your comfort and the tent’s resistance to weather. Unfortunately, these two are competing qualities, so you will have to sacrifice one to get the other.

Tent walls can be either cabin- or dome-style.

Cabin-style tents have vertical walls – this increases interior space and allows you to fully stand up.

In contrast, dome-style tents exchange form for function. With their sloped walls, they deflect wind and rain much more efficiently while maintaining stability.

The sloped walls will reduce livable space, but if you have to choose between sturdiness and comfort, the former will be more important in harsh weather.

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Tent dimensions

Although 6-person tents have the same capacity occupant-wise on paper, they can differ dramatically in their dimensions. If you want to get better comfort for the money, then here are two things to consider.

Peak height. If you want to stand up tall inside the tent or maybe if your group members are on the taller side, then higher peak height would be preferable.

Floor area. If you want to have extra elbow room, then your tent should provide at least 20 square feet per person. In case you don’t care too much, try to go for a tent with at least 15 square feet per occupant. Such a tent might feel tight, but it will still work fine enough.

To calculate square feet per occupant, determine the area of the floor. It might be listed in the tent’s spec sheet – if not, then multiply the floor length by width and then divide by the number of people in your group.

Tent doors

Ideally, a 6-person tent should at least have a pair of doors. This will be most useful at night since you won’t have to climb over your companions to go out for a bathroom break.

The doors should preferably be larger as well. Cabin-style tents are optimal in this area because they have larger, taller walls.

Also, pay attention to the shutting mechanism of the door. Simpler and cheaper tents may have a flap door that fastens to the tent wall via a number of clasps. This design is noiseless and keeps the tent cheaper, but it has poor insulation and takes time to open and close.

Zippers are ideal because they can have good insulation (though this depends on design) and take seconds to unzip. They can be noisy though, which is undesirable for nighttime outings. Look for quality zippers (like YKK zippers) that open easily, resist breaking, and don’t produce a lot of noise.

Tent poles & stakes

Tent poles & stakes determine the stability and the easiness of setup of a tent.

If you didn’t know, tent poles allow the tent to stand upright and maintain its shape. In contrast, stakes are driven into the ground to reinforce the position of the tent.

All tents will have some kind of poles, but there are tents that do not need stakes. Stake-less tents are ideal if you want to be able to set up your tent quickly and move it around when necessary. But keep in mind that any more or less serious wind may send the tent flying.

If you are getting a tent with stakes, then the stakes should match the purpose and design of the tent. Heavy tents should be paired with heavier-gauge stakes, while light tents pair the best with lighter and smaller stakes nicely.

As for poles, pay attention to their number. Fewer poles make setup faster, but they compromise stability.

Aluminum poles are ideal as well because they are strong and light. Avoid fiberglass poles.

Poles are usually secured to the tent via sleeves or clips. Clips make assembly faster, though strength is again lower.

All in all, though stability is a good thing, you don’t necessarily need to get yourself a tent that comes with two dozen heavy stakes. Pick a pole & stake style with the area’s weather in mind – if strong winds and rains are common, then stake-less tents should be avoided.

Tent material

When it comes to durability, water protection, and comfort, tent material is hands-down the most important thing to consider. Things are a little bit difficult in this area since tents can be made of various materials, but we’ll try to simplify everything for you.

• Tent fabric

First up, tents are commonly made of the following materials:

Nylon or polyester. These materials are rather light, cheap, and dry quickly. However, they provide poor insulation, are not breathable, and deteriorate under UV rays if not treated.

Cotton or canvas. These fabrics provide excellent insulation, keeping you cool on hot days and warm on cold days. Breathability is top-notch too, and so is durability. With that said, cotton and canvas are heavier, longer-drying, require more maintenance, and cost more.

Aside from these, tents are often made of composite materials, such as polyester and cotton. These combine the benefits of their base materials while retaining some of the downsides.

Note that without any protection, any fabric will be susceptible to rips, tears, abrasion, and UV rays (though cotton and canvas are better in this regard). When it comes to synthetic fabrics, they are usually treated with a UV protectant and are reinforced to resist punctures and tearing. Ripstop fabrics are particularly strong.

• Fabric denier & thread count

Denier (or D) measures the thickness of the fabric. Higher denier equates to a thicker, heavier, and more durable fabric. Choose denier based on your needs – higher is better for harsh weather and heavy uses.

As for threat count (or T), it measures the number of vertical and horizontal threads per square inch. Higher thread count equates to denser and often stronger fabric. However, when determining strength, denier is more important.

• Water protection

Some manufacturers list the water protection rating of their tents as well. It determines how much water can be sustained on top of the fabric before any leaks occur. Tent water rating is measured in millimeters, e.g. 1,200 mm. The higher the number, the more water the tent will keep out.

Pay attention to the tent’s coating as well. DWR (Durable Water Repellent) is used quite commonly. It’s applied to the exterior of the tent and forces the water to bead up and roll off its surface.

Silicone coating is also often used. Aside from water resistance, it also adds UV protection and makes the fabric more pliable.

Tent weight

Tent manufacturers typically list two weight specs – minimum and maximum weight. Maximum weight includes the tent + poles, stakes, and everything else that comes with the tent. Minimum weight includes everything except for the guy lines, stakes, and the carry bag.

You would want your tent to be lighter, but do remember that to achieve lightness, you will have to sacrifice something. This may be insulation, stake quality, or thickness of the outer fabric. So you will have to balance these qualities with weight to get the right tent.

Final Words

Tent shopping doesn’t always go smoothly – you may have to try 2-3 tents to understand what does and doesn’t work for you. Hopefully, our 6-person tent buying guide will allow you to avoid guessing and find a good tent on your first attempt!