Tents come in all shapes and sizes, from tiny one-person options for wild campers to huge palaces that will sleep the whole family in different bedrooms. As a keen outdoor adventurer who has slept under their fair share of tents, I know the features that every tent needs, which is why I’ve tested a range of options, to find the very best.
Above all, it’ll need a completely waterproof rain fly (the tent’s outer layer). Look out for the tent’s HH (hydrostatic head) rating – 0-1,500mm means the fabric is water resistant, 1,500-5,000mm is waterproof and 5,000-20,000mm is highly waterproof. Anything above 2,000 can usually cope with the rainy British weather, while a 5,000-plus tent is worth investing in for more hardcore adventures.
I’d also be wary of the number of people a tent claims to sleep – I’ve found that, for some, you must halve that number unless you fancy sleeping like sardines. For instance, Vango’s teepee air 400 technically sleeps four, but I’d recommend using it as a two-person tent instead.
Meanwhile, for stability, the more guy ropes a tent comes with, the better. A built-in groundsheet is essential, too, as it will protect the tent’s floor from rocks and stop condensation forming if you’re camping somewhere chilly (like, say, Britain).
If shopping for a family tent, I’d recommend multiple bedrooms and a roomy porch. Ticking these boxes, the Outwell moonhill air is ideal for families of up to five campers. For weekend adventures, backpacking or wild camping, a compact, lightweight tent like the Kelty far out 2 is best.
How I tested
I pitched and slept in each tent in campsites in the Cotswolds and South Wales. Testing took place during rain and chilly temperatures, as well as during balmy spring weather. I assessed each one against the following criteria:
- Pitching: I considered how easy the tents were to pitch, noting whether it was a one or multiple person job. Equally, I looked at how quickly the tents packed down.
- Weatherproofing: I checked the waterproof rating of each tent and, where possible, assessed whether the tents stood up to testing under rainfall. I also considered sturdiness in the wind.
- Comfort: I assessed how capacious the tents were inside, noting how many people they could comfortably fit, and whether I could stand up inside them. I also noted any features that helped to maintain a comfortable temperature inside the tent during hot weather, such as air vents and mesh doors.
- Storage space: I noted any storage areas, such as communal areas and porches.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Sian Lewis is a writer who specialises in outdoor and travel essentials. She has been contributing to IndyBest since 2020 and has reviewed everything from camping mats to sleeping bags and more. All of the camping gear she recommends has been put through its paces on family camping trips, and these are her honest opinions on how the tents held up under rigorous, real-world testing.
The best camping tents for 2025 are:
- Best camping tent overall – Vango teepee air 400: £435, Vango.co.uk
- Best budget camping tent – Argos pro action: £48, Argos.co.uk
- Best inflatable tent – Decathlon Fresh & Black inflatable air seconds: £449.99, Decathlon.co.uk
- Best one-room family tent – Coleman cortes octagon: £270, Argos.co.uk
- Best wild camping tent – Sierra Designs meteor lite 3000 two-person tent: £384.99, Ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk
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George Home ozark trail
Best: Budget family tent
There’s no need to remortgage your house to take the family camping. Asda’s ozark trail is a spacious yurt-style tent that will comfortably sleep four in one large room (you can even stand up in it) – and all for less than £150. The waterproof fly won’t withstand heavy rain but should do the job for summer showers. At 11kg this tent isn’t hugely heavy or bulky to store, either. A real bargain, it even comes with a built-in camp table.
Buy now £145.00, Direct.asda.com
Vango teepee air 400
Best: Camping tent overall
The eye-catching teepee air 400 might just be the perfect balance of compact size and roominess for two happy campers. This one-room tent sleeps four at a push but is better suited to two sharing, so there’s plenty of space. Unlike many smaller tents, it has a generous amount of room and feels open and airy, thanks to its tipi-style design. A wide porch is great for stashing wet kit, and I love the clear windows and the blackout fabric, which means longer lie-ins, even when the sun shines. If you want to invest in one good quality tent for weekend trips, this is my top pick.
Buy now £435.02, Vango.co.uk
Decathlon fresh & black inflatable air seconds
Best: Inflatable tent
If you hate the rigmarole of pitching enormous, heavy family tents, Decathlon’s air seconds tent is here to make your next camping trip a little simpler. The outer skeleton of this rather futuristic-looking tent is inflated using a pump (not included), and the two roomy bedrooms are pre-assembled and pop up ready to use in no time.
Decathlon’s fresh & black tents all use blackout material to line the bedrooms, and this really does keep them darker and cooler than your average tent, which is a big help during baking-hot summer holidays (or just when you’re trying to get the kids to sleep). I also liked the large central living room, complete with wide door and windows, making it ideal for eating and hanging out in during bad weather.
Buy now £299.99, Asda.com
Sierra Designs meteor lite 3000 two-person tent
Best: Wild camping tent
Small but perfectly formed, this is the perfect two-person tent for backpacking and wild camping. Two doors and two porches make it easy to share the bedroom and to stash kit outside the sleeping area, while the poles are quick to assemble, durable and great quality. You can pitch the bug-resistant inner tent alone or pop the (excellent) waterproof outer over the top, all in 5-10 minutes flat. It packs up quickly and can be popped in a rucksack. Top marks.
Buy now £384.99, Ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk
Coleman cortes octagon
Best: One-room family tent
This rather futuristic-looking number is as fun to camp in as it looks. Inside, one huge octagonal room makes an airy living space. If you dislike dark, cramped tents, you’ll love this one’s generous standing room and wall-to-wall windows, which can be fully opened to let light and air in and offer a 360-degree view. The Octagon also works as a brilliant playhouse in the garden or as a beach shelter when you aren’t camping. While, at 24.7kg, the Octagon isn’t lightweight, its carry case has handy wheels for easier transportation.
Buy now £270.00, Argos.co.uk
Outwell moonhill air
Best: Six-person tent
Recreate your sitting room from home inside the super roomy Moonhill, which boasts a massive living space as well as three blackout bedrooms that work well when shared by a family of four or five. Big windows and a porch make this a nice space to hang out in during bad weather. I did find pitching fiddly – it’s best attempted by two people, and this is still a heavy tent, despite the inflatable ‘air’ poles. You can also add in extras from Outwell, such as a comfortable carpet or a tarp to extend the living space further.
Buy now £968.99, Outwell.com
Robens settler sky
Best: Luxury glamping tent
The settler sky is the most expensive tent in this round-up but you really do get what you pay for. This rather beautiful bell tent sleeps up to 10 campers in one huge central space, and there’s plenty of head height. The polycotton material looks like canvas but is breathable and fully waterproof, and, unlike most glamping-style tents, the settler sky has huge windows with mesh panels and privacy curtains, so you can let the light in during the day or even do a spot of stargazing at night. Pitching is surprisingly easy, but this tent is heavy to transport and store.
Buy now £1449.99, Robens.de
Mountain Warehouse holiday six-person tent
Best: Value tent
You get a lot of bang for your buck with this generously sized tent from Mountain Warehouse. Inside are three separate bedrooms, each of which can fit a double air bed. Plus, there’s a living space in which you can stand up. Air vents and a mesh door keep things cool during hot conditions, but I wouldn’t use this tent in anything but fine weather, as it didn’t prove waterproof for long on test. Ideal for a family of four sharing in the summer months, or for heading to a festival with friends.
Buy now £130.01, Mountainwarehouse.com
Kelty far out 2
Best: Affordable backpacking tent
You’ll go far with this great two-person adventure tent that keeps up with the pricier competition. This two-door, two-vestibule design is great for sharing (or you can use it as a massive one-person tent) but packs down small enough to work for multi-day hikes, bike packing or motorbike touring. On test, I loved that you could pitch the tent with just half of the fly, if you fancy lying out under the night sky. It’s the perfect first adventure tent.
Buy now £245.01, Mountainwarehouse.com
Snugpak ionosphere IX
Best: Backpacking tent
Good for solo wild camping or adventure racing, the teeny tiny ionosphere sits very low to the ground, a little like a glorified bivvy bag. It may feel a little like you’re sleeping in a coffin but there’s plenty of bonuses to this low-lying design – it packs down tiny, pitches in 10 minutes flat and weighs a paltry 1.5kg. I like the fact you can sleep in the mesh inner tent on its own in hot climates, and that it comes with a repair kit – this is one for adventurers.
Buy now £210.01, Amazon.co.uk
Boutique Glamping 4m Luna
Best: Glamping tent
The Luna is the perfect first canvas tent to invest in for festivals and family camps. It’s a lovely spacious size for four to share, with tons of head space and big circular windows that make the inside feel airy and light. It’s best used in summer, but I did find the canvas was water resistant enough to withstand a shower on test. All that thick canvas makes the Luna heavy, and the tent is easiest to put up with two people, but good guy ropes and aluminium poles make the whole thing feel reassuringly sturdy when erect, even in windy weather.
Buy now £390.00, Boutiquecamping.com
What is the best camping tent?
I’ve found a tent to suit every kind of camper – backpackers will love the Sierra Designs meteor lite and Snugpak’s ionosphere, while families will get on well with the affordable Mountain Warehouse holiday or the gorgeous Robens settler sky. However, my top all-rounder for two has to be the Vango teepee air 400, thanks to its quality design.
For more camping must-haves, check out our guide to the best camping mats
