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Are you sick of cramming your entire family into small tents with overlapping sleeping pads and gear packed in every nook and cranny? Well, we’re here to help you take your camping experience to the next level with the best six-person tents. With ample space, six-person tents are great for big groups — and even a couple dogs. But, you’ll want to do a little research first, before picking out a tent of this size.
In this review, we’ve reviewed a variety of tents, from dome-shaped to cabin tents, to determine the best six-person tent for a variety of missions. We found tents well-suited for glamping and others good for three-season camping. Some have enormous vestibules (the camping equivalent of a “mudroom”), while others have open, mesh exteriors for stargazing. While you’ll want to look elsewhere if you want a lightweight backpacking tent, these six-person tents will meet all your backcountry needs.
Best Overall
REI Co-op Kingdom 6
Pros
- Tall and spacious with over 80 square feet of floor area and a peak height of over 6 feet
- Adjustable room divider
- Two large doors
- Storage bag with different compartments
- Good ventilation
- Ample storage space
Cons
- Heavy
- Pricier than some other options
- Not great in wind, heavy rain
Product Specs
- Weight: 21 pounds 6 ounces
- Peak height: 6 feet 3 inches
- Floor dimensions: 10 feet x 8 feet 4 inches
Best Value
Coleman Sundome 6
Pros
- Great bang for your buck
- Spacious with 100 square feet of floor area
- Relatively light
- Easy setup
Cons
- Only one door, no vestibule
- Not very weather-resistant with partial rainfly
- Cheap materials
Product Specs
- Weight: 16.1 pounds
- Peak height: 6 feet
- Floor dimensions: 10 feet x 10 feet
Editor’s Choice
Marmot Halo 6
Pros
- Tall and spacious with almost 100 square fteer of floor area and a peak height well over 6 feet
- Weather-resistant against wind and rain
- Two big vestibules and storage pockets
- Two large doors
- Good ventilation
- High-quality materials
- Easy setup
Cons
- Pricey
- Heavy at over 20 pounds
- Flimsy stakes
Product Specs
- Weight: 20 pounds 1.3 ounces
- Peak height: 6 feet 3.5 inches
- Floor dimensions: 9 feet 10 inches x 9 feet 10 inches
Best Instant Tent
CORE 6 Person Instant Cabin Tent
Pros
- Instant setup
- Tall and spacious with almost 100 square feet of floor area and peak heat of 6 feet
- Great ventilation
- Affordable
- Huge included wall organizer
- Wall port for electricity connection
Cons
- No vestibule
- Not very weather-resistant
Product Specs
- Weight: 23 pounds
- Peak height: 6 feet
- Floor dimensions: 11 feet x 9 feet
Best Dome Tent
REI Co-op Base Camp 6
Pros
- Extremely weather-resistant
- Two large vestibules and 14 storage pockets
- Durable materials
- Easy setup
- Spacious with over 80 square feet of floor area
Cons
- Can be too warm with rainfly on
- Less open mesh than other tents
Product Specs
- Weight: 20 pounds. 10 ounces
- Peak height: 6 feet 2 inches
- Floor dimensions: 9 feet 2 inches x 9 feet 2 inches
Best Luxury Tent
NEMO Wagontop 6
Pros
- Huge with almost 100 square feet of floor area and a peak height of almost 7 feet
- Large vestibule for storage
- Fixed room divider allows for more privacy
- Durable materials
Cons
- Doesn’t hold up well in wind
- Hard to set up
- Pricey
Product Specs
- Weight: 27 pounds
- Peak height: 6 feet 8 inches
- Floor dimensions: 11 feet 8 inches x 8 feet 4 inches
Best 4-Season Tent
Cabela’s Alaskan Guide Model Geodesic
Pros
- Four-season tent, field tested in Alaska
- Durable materials
- Spacious with over 100 square feet of floor area
- Easy to set up
Cons
- Pricey
- Heavy
Product Specs
- Weight: 33 pounds
- Peak height: 6 feet 1 inch
- Floor dimensions: 10 feet 2 inches x 11 feet 10 inches
Best Tent with Vestibule
The North Face Wawona 6
Pros
- Huge vestibule, with tons of storage space
- Spacious tent with 80 square feet of floor area
- Relatively weather-resistant
- Durable materials
- Good ventilation
- Pretty affordable
Cons
- Not the easiest to set up
- Poor carry bag design
Product Specs
- Weight: 20 pounds 15 ounces
- Peak height: 6 feet 8 inches
- Floor dimensions: 10 feet x 8 feet
Best Family Tent
MSR Habitude 6
Pros
- Lightweight
- Durable materials
- Protection against strong winds
- Spacious with over 80 square feetof floor area
- Built-in porch light
Cons
- Pricey
- Only one door and one vestibule
- Not the best ventilation
Product Specs
- Weight: 14 pounds
- Peak height: 6 feet 1 inch
- Floor dimensions: 10 feet x 8 feet 4 inches
Why you should trust us
As a longtime camper, I understand how important it is to have the right tent. Though I typically stick to my two-person backpacking tent, I’ve spent my fair share of nights camped in a six-person tent. This includes backyard camp-outs as a kid, as well as music festival weekends with friends.
I also bring my experience writing for Task & Purpose on everything from four-person tents to camping hammocks. I pride myself on being able to find the highest quality gear out there, for the most affordable price, so when it comes to choosing the best six-person tent, you can trust that I will lead you to the right place.
Types of 6-person tents
Dome-shaped tents
One of the most widely available tent styles, dome-shaped tents are freestanding and take on an arch-like structure. While they may have a peak height of over six feet, they do cave in on all sides, making them feel a bit less spacious than tents with more vertical walls. This does mean, however, that they hold up better in the wind, as the slanted tent sides do a better job with deflection.
These tents are typically fairly simple to set up and can feature ample storage space, including vestibules. This includes our budget pick, the Coleman Sundome 6 and the REI Co-op Base Camp 6.
Cabin tents
Cabin tents are known for their nearly vertical walls and often offer more room for you and your gear than traditional dome-shaped tents. Some of these options take on an almost rectangular shape, and some still slant out on the sides, while still maintaining their upright shape. These tents also often feature vestibules for gear storage, or they have options to extend the rainfly as an awning using trekking poles.
The downside of these tents is they often don’t stand up well against strong winds, since their sides are so vertical. This category includes tents such as the CORE 6 Person Instant Cabin Tent and the NEMO Wagontop 6. The REI Co-op Kingdom 6 tent is also similar, with a tunnel-like structure.
Instant tents
Pretty self-explanatory, these tents are known for their ability to be set up almost instantly. Oftentimes, the poles will be pre-attached to the tent fabric, removing at least one step of the process. These tents are also very easy to take down and are a great option for newer campers looking to not waste time dealing with a tent.
This category also includes the CORE 6 Person Instant Cabin Tent, our pick for the best instant tent.
Key features of 6-person tents
Storage
While these large tents have much more storage space than their smaller counterparts, they still vary in how much and what kind of storage they offer. Most of these tents, such as The North Face Wawona 6, have large vestibules, perfect for storing large gear and for lounging under on rainy days.
Other tents, like the CORE 6 Person Instant Cabin Tent, come with large wall organizers and ample pockets. Six people is a lot to fit in one tent, so it’s important to stay organized, and these different features are sure to do the trick.
Weather protection
It’s important to consider what kind of conditions you’ll be camping in before purchasing a tent. If you are just planning on warm summer camping, a tent like the REI Co-op Kingdom 6 or the Coleman Sundome 6 should suffice.
But, if you are looking to camp in rainy or windy weather, look towards dome-like tents with full-coverage rain flys. This includes the Marmot Halo 6, the REI Co-op Base Camp 6, The North Face Wawona 6, and the Cabela’s Alaskan Guide Model Geodesic — our four-season pick.
Livability
Compared to smaller tents, these six-person shelters will feel like a home away from home, but your experience can vary depending on which tent you chose. You’ll want to consider factors such as floor dimensions and height.
These tents are all taller than six feet at their peak, but for taller people, you may want to look towards the options closer to seven feet. Cabin tents can also be more comfortable in this regard, since their entire ceiling is close to that peak height, rather than caving in drastically around the edges, like most dome-like tents.
Benefits of 6-person tents
Comfort
These large tents provide groups the opportunity to get comfortable in a tent and spread out, with ample storage space — no need to crawl into your tent and stay hunched over with these tall tents. You can also often fit multiple air mattresses in each, and some even come with room dividers for extra privacy. All in all, these are the perfect tents to make all your glamping dreams come true.
Versatility
Six-person tents are ideal for a variety of circumstances. You can choose to fill it to its maximum capacity, with six sleeping pads side by side. Or, you can often fit two queen mattresses, or a full and two twins, for maximum comfort.
Guides, or people living for long periods of time at base camps, also often use this size tent with small cots and pieces of camping furniture. Other than backpacking, there’s almost nothing these tents can’t do.
Pricing considerations of 6-person tents
Budget
These tents are less than $250. They often have few features and are not the best choice for extreme weather conditions. But if you are an occasional car camper, this can be a great place to start.
Our budget pick is the Coleman Sundome 6, which offers 100 square feet of floor area in a dome-like tent. The CORE 6 Person Instant Cabin Tent also falls within this category.
Mid-range
These tents fall between $200 and $500 and typically use good-quality materials and boast ample features. This category includes tunnel-like luxury tents, like the REI Co-op Kingdom 6, as well as REI’s more weather-resistant tent, the Base Camp 6.
This category also includes the four-season Alaskan Guide Model Geodesic, as well as The North Face Wawona 6, which boasts a huge vestibule and tons of usable space.
Premium
How we chose our top picks
In order to pick our favorite six-person tents, we considered which product excels in each category, looking at features such as spaciousness, weather capabilities, and features. We identified products great for families looking to car camp once a summer on a budget, as well as groups looking to camp all year round in rain, snow, or shine. Since my tents have largely come from REI Co-op, I can attest to their quality, but for other brands, I looked towards product reviews and other experts to identify my other top picks. I made sure to look at several sources for each product, including GearLab, the New York Times’ Wirecutter, The Wise Adventurer, Camping Maniacs, Switchback Travel, and more.
FAQs on 6-person tents
You’ve got questions, Task & Purpose has answers.
Q. How big are 6-person tents?
A: Six-person tents generally have 80 to 100 square feet of floor area, ranging from eight to 12 feet on either side. They typically have a peak height taller than six feet, allowing most people to comfortably walk around.
Q. Who needs a 6-person camping tent?
A: These massive tents are great for families or groups with four to six members. As they are quite heavy, they are largely suited for camping in the backyard and car camping, as well as music festivals.
Q. What are the other benefits of a 6-person tent?
A: Six-person tents generally have ample storage space, with pockets on the inside and large vestibules to store larger gear or to cook under when it’s raining. They also often include room dividers for some extra privacy.
Q. What are the disadvantages of these tents?
A: These tents are quite heavy, so you won’t want to bring them into the backcountry. It also can be difficult to fit them on a tent pad in a campsite, so you’ll have to ensure you have a large enough space.