With the roadmap to the end of lockdown now in place, thoughts are inevitably turning to the great British summer holiday. While international travel is still a bit of a minefield, it’s a great time to explore our beautiful country on a camping adventure.
The best tents for families will help ensure your camping trip runs smoothly and is as comfortable as possible. If your budget allows, it’s always a good idea to buy a tent slightly larger than your group; so if there’s two adults and two children, a five or six-person tent would give you a bit of extra room.
If you have teens, compartmentalised bedrooms are always a good idea, and a living space is great to hang out and play games if the weather takes a turn. It’s also a good plan to keep an eye out for family tents with a sewn-in waterproof groundsheet to keep things comfortable.
Whether you're looking for tents with bedrooms, large living spaces, canopies, or lots of light, we've got the best family tents for your camping staycation below. Go on, enjoy the beautiful British countryside in the great outdoors...
Best tents for families
1. Coleman 8 Person Tent Octagon
It's fantastic to be able to stand up properly inside your family tent, and you can do just that in this Coleman option.There's 360-degree views and six of the eight sides open up completely, ensuring lots of light and air flow through the tent.
The tent is a single large room, but offers the opportunity to segregate it into two areas with a removable partition curtain. Watertight with a sewn-in groundsheet, it's comfortable and spacious. It also comes in a carrier bag with wheels for easy transportation. Need we say more?
Price: £200.25, Amazon - buy here now
2. Portal Outdoors Unisex's Gamma 5 Spacious Large Tunnel Tent
This spacious five-person family tent comes with a separate bedroom and large living space.
There's two doors and lots of windows, which make it feel even more roomy, a sewn-in groundsheet, and internal roll-up window blinds for extra privacy.
One camper said: "Tent did well the first time we used it in force gales and storms. No leaks. Easy to put up and put away (two people). Loads of room for a family of four with two double blow-up beds fitting in the bedroom compartment. Room to all sit comfortably in the main tent."
Price: £299.95, Amazon - buy here now
3. Vango Skye 500 5 Man Tent, Family Tent with Large PVC Windows and Lights Out Bedrooms
Got a small family unit? This compact yet versatile tent is ideal. It boasts a side entry door, full stand-up-height living space, a spacious porch area to put muddy boots, and a separate darkened bedroom for a great night's sleep.
It's waterproof, sturdy, and durable, and has handy inner pockets and lantern hanging points too.
One happy camper said: "Very good quality tent, I chose to buy it as it's said to be easy and quick to assemble and indeed it was. Plenty of room for a family of 5 plus two small dogs for a couple of nights. No complaints whatsoever."
Another said: :Great little tent. Just used it for a week's camping in Suffolk. Rained for two nights but we stayed dry. We slept with two teenagers in the main compartment and one adult in the outer part."
Price: £149.99, Amazon - buy here now
4. Trail Outdoor Leisure Hartland 4 Man 2 Room Tent With Living Area
Perfect for a family of up to four, the two bedrooms in this tent for families can both accommodate a double air bed. They also feature a sewn-in groundsheet, zipped privacy doors with mesh panels, and slip pockets to store your bits and pieces.
There's also a handy little living room area, perfect for dining or sheltering from the rain. Unlike the bedrooms, it doesn't have a sewn-in groundsheet, but there is a separate one included to cover most of the living room floor. It comes in a durable bag, which makes it easy to carry.
Price: £99.99, Amazon - buy here now
5. Zhomgxin Family Dome 5-8 Person Tent with 2 Sleeping Cabins
Grab the kids and head off on your next camping adventure in this roomy family tent. You can stand up at full height inside, and there's a separate bedroom with large vents for good airflow.
There's a large living space, as well as a canopy where you can set up your camping table and enjoy barbecues al fresco with shelter from the sun or light drizzle. Also comes in an 8-12 person size for really large families.
Price: £261.60, Amazon - buy here now
6. Hi Gear Hampton 4 Nightfall Family Tent
Perfect for a family of three or four, this tent is great value for anyone that's on a smaller budget but doesn't want to compromise on quality.
It has a fully waterproof sewn-in groundsheet, plenty of headroom, rollaway bedroom doors and removable dividers, darkened bedroom fabric for a better night's sleep, cable access points, and convenient storage pockets. There's also a handy canopy to pop up your folding camping chair and have a drink or read in the shade.
Love it but want a bigger one? No problem, it also comes in a six-person and eight-person version to cover all bases.
Price: £210, Go Outdoors - buy here now
7. Eurohike Sendero 8XL Family Tent
Got a slightly bigger group to cater for? This affordable eight-person family tent will ensure everyone's comfortable and dry on your next camping holiday.
It boasts the pre-requisite sewn-in groundsheet, two bedrooms at each side of a central chamber, lantern hanging points, cable access points, and air vents for extra ventilation.
One review said: "Having the huge sized bedrooms was so helpful and something you struggle to find with different shaped tents. It stood through the worst storm I’ve ever camped in." Another called it "great value".
