Best 6 Person Tents of 2023
Here are our picks of the best 6 person tents on the market whether you are going car camping with family or friends from budget to premium.
These tents are spacious and family friendly with extras that provide a luxurious outdoor experience. Check out the extras to see which tent is best for you. Serious campers who spend time out in rough weather should pay attention to the extras in the premium tents. It is worth paying a little extra to get better materials and more durability. If you only camp out a few times a year and only in good weather, then the budget picks should perform fine.
What is the Best 6 Person Tent?
North Face Wawona 6
This tent is a masterpiece of construction. The large vestibule allows for all gear to be stored outside of the main tent leaving more livable room inside. When properly set up this tent is extremely weatherproof and will keep you comfortable in rain or wind.
Coleman Skydome 6
The Coleman Skydome is a step up from the Coleman Sundome. The Skydome looks more stylish and modern. While not as weather-proof as the other tents in our list, this one stands up to the elements better than previous Coleman models.
REI Base Camp 6
The build quality and durability of this tent help it stand up to whatever mother nature throws at you. The vestibule created by the full coverage rain fly allows for gear to be stored outside while keeping the elements off of you inside in tent.
It is worth mentioning that you should always upsize your tent. While 6 people can sleep in a 6 person tent, it will be a tight fit. Tents this size are better suited for 2 – 4 people and their gear. Some of these are large enough to comfortably set up a table and chairs for rainy days.
North Face Wawona 6 – Best Overall 6 Person Tent
The Wawona is large enough for a full and a twin size air mattress. There is enough room for someone to sleep on the floor, but not enough for a second twin mattress.
The tent has a peak height of 78” which will allow for most people to stand up in the tent which makes walking around and changing clothes easier.
Mesh pockets inside the tent provide plenty of space to keep small items handy. We wish there were a few pockets lower for headlamps to make midnight calls of nature easier.
The large vestibule is the feature that makes this tent so great. With almost 45 square feet of space, there is plenty of room to store all of your gear. In inclement weather, you can set up a table and chairs for meals or playing games. This truly makes this an extremely livable tent.
The dual wall design on this tent does a great job of reducing condensation build up especially at night. There are two vents at the top of the tent that help increase air circulation and are helpful for keeping the tent cooler on warm days. The large mesh door is great for providing views of the outdoors, but it can cause drafts that make the tent chilly on cold nights.
Overall this is a great tent and is our top choice that works well for any family. It also is available in a 4 person and 8 person model.
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Coleman Skydome – Best Budget 6 Person Tent
Coleman is a name that is synonymous with affordable priced camping gear. It is no surprise a tent from Coleman earned the spot of best budget tent.
The Skydome looks more stylish and modern. While not as weather-proof as the other tents in our list, this one stands up to the elements better than previous Coleman models.
The poles pre-attached making set up quick and easy. The pre-bent poles make the walls more vertical. Combined with the large door makes this tent feel larger than it is.
Rather than windows the entire top of the tent is mesh. This provides awesome views of the night sky on clear nights. With the fly attached, the lack of a ground vent is obvious.
If you only plan to camp a few times a year, this is a great choice of budget tent. The use of cheaper material and fiberglass poles mean this tent will not last as long as others on this list. It is also available in 2 person, 4 person, and 8 person sizes.
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REI Base Camp 6 – Best For Bad Weather
REI stepped up the bad weather performance of the Base Camp. The dome shape provides great wind resistance and while they eliminate vertical walls there is still plenty of room to move around inside.
The quality and durability of this tent are fantastic and combined with the full coverage rain fly, and makes this the tent for anyone who plans on taking their tent into the wild outdoors and truly roughing it no matter the weather.
The increased weather resistance comes at a price. Despite the two adjustable vents in the roof, the smaller area of mesh reduces the amount of airflow inside the tent. This means that while the tent will keep you warmer in cooler weather, in warmer weather this tent will be more difficult to keep cool.
Two vestibules with 40 square feet of space provide a dry and secure space to store your gear. Inside organization is a breeze with 14 pockets around the tent for storage.
Overall this is a great tent and will withstand most of the weather you would face on a trip. However, if you do not plan on spending most of your camping in rough weather, you will be happier with the North Face Wawona or the REI Kingdom 6
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The Rest of the 6 Person Tents
REI Wonderland 6
REI’s Wonderland tents replace the very popular Kingdom tents. This tent is decked out with features. This is a luxurious tent with almost vertical walls. There is a divider allowing you to have a separate room for sleeping or to give some privacy from the kids while sleeping.
The mesh top provides the perfect opportunity for watching stars at night. Combined with the smaller rainfly, this does decrease the weather resistance of the tent. If you plan to spend any amount of time in rough weather, the REI Base Camp is a better choice.
REI does make a mud room attachment for the Wonderland that covers the entryway and provides more storage. This comes in handy as the base tent leaves a little to be desired in the storage arena. It has 8 pockets to keep smaller items off the floor, but there is no where to keep large bags or equipment.
The tent is not meant to be used by one person. The 5 poles and dual hub design combined with 18 stakes and 8 guy lines makes this complicated to set up and really needs two people to get it done efficiently. Those poles also add to the weight of this tent. At 22 pounds this one is hefty. Bottom line is this is an awesome tent for any camping occasion.
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What to Consider to Buy The Best 6 Person Tent
Capacity
This determines if the tent will live up to your expectations and keep you comfortable while camping or if you are destined to spend the weekend in misery. First, you need to understand that simply because the manufacturer claims a tent is for 6 people, it will not sleep 6 people comfortably.
Capacity is determined by how many standard (20 inch) sleeping pads will fit inside the tent. The REI Wonderland 6 is 120” long meaning 6 pads making this a 6 person tent. This is sleeping right next to each other like sardines and leaves no room inside for gear.
We recommend upsizing a tent to keep it comfortable. In our opinion a 6 person tent is perfect for four people. That could be two couples or one couple with two kids.
Floor Size
The average size of a 6 person tent is 80 – 90 square feet. This provides enough room to live comfortably. Cabin style tents will be more comfortable due to their vertical walls than dome tents.
The average size of a 6 person tent is 80 – 90 square feet. This provides enough room to live comfortably. Cabin style tents will be more comfortable due to their vertical walls than dome tents.
The floor size ranges from 8 feet by 10 feet to 10 feet by 10 feet. We think floor dimensions of 8 x 10 feel larger in a cabin tent than a 10 x 10 feels in a dome tent.
Most campgrounds have tent pads that are 10 feet by 10 feet. While 6 person tents are usually smaller than this, added vestibules could make the tent larger than the pad. It is worth calling ahead to ask about tent pads at the campground before you go.
Peak Height
This is another dimension that is important and can affect your comfort more than you think. This is the highest point in the tent. Most 6 person tents will have a peak height of 72 inches or higher. This will let a six foot tall person stand upright in the tent.
There are a couple of caveats with this. In a dome tent this height is only in the center of the tent. This likely means you can stand in the center but might not be able to stand at the edges. In a cabin tent the vertical walls allow more room to move around while standing up.
The benefits of a higher peak height is this lets you stand up and move around.
Number of Rooms, Doors, & Windows
When camping with a group of friends or family, you want to consider the number of rooms a tent has. Most tents will have only one room allowing no privacy inside the tent.
Some tents will come with a room divider that can be used at night to provide privacy between couples or parents and kids. The divider will tie back during the day giving access to the whole tent.
A few tents come with actual rooms that share access to a central room. These tend to be larger and more expensive but might be worth it in your situation.
The number of doors a tent has is important. Having a door on both sides of the tent will let you get outside the tent without having to crawl over sleeping people. This makes midnight calls of nature more comfortable for everyone. Another benefit with two doors is they can both be opened for a cross breeze to keep the tent cool in warmer weather.
Windows are important for the same reason, they increase ventilation in the tent and help to keep it cooler in warm weather. Some tents don’t have windows and have mesh tops instead. This increases air circulation and gives great views of the night sky.
Tent Style / Shape
There are two main styles of 6 person tents: domes and cabins. There are a couple of tents that are tunnels like the REI Wonderland and some can be teepees, but the majority of them are domes or cabins.
Cabin style tents have vertical walls. They give more room to stand up and walk around inside. Cabin style tents maximize floor space and height. They are among the most comfortable of tents. The trade-off is less weather resistance. The taller vertical sides catch the wind easier.
Dome style tents are more weather resistant due to their arched design. These can be tall enough to stand up in, but there will not be enough room to walk around. The tradeoff is while these are more weather resistant, they are less comfortable.
If you plan to spend time camping in rough weather, we recommend a dome style tent. If you are strictly car camping in fair weather, we recommend the comfort of a cabin style tent. Besides, if the storms become too much, you can retreat to your car.
Durability
The old saying that you get what you paid for applies to tents as well. Premium tents are made with higher quality materials and add extra details to extend the life of your new tent. The first question you have to ask yourself is if you need a premium tent. If you only camp out a couple of times a year and never in bad weather, a budget tent will be fine for your family.
Look at what you are planning to use the tent for. If you are going with large groups of people, have kids, or are planning to camp no matter the weather, you probably want to spend a few extra bucks and get a higher quality tent. This tent will last longer than a budget tent making you happier in the long run.
Storage: Pockets, Gear Lofts, and Vestibules
Storage space is an important consideration. When you camp you will have backpacks, coolers, and other gear that needs a home. Some of these cannot be let out in the weather. Remember how we said the capacity of a tent was misleading?
Even the best 6 person tents are not going to be able to hold you and five other people and all of your gear. You need to consider where you can keep all of your things.
Pockets come in very handy for keeping small items. They are great for glasses, sunglasses, headlamps, phones, and other personal items. Each person needs their own pocket.
Gear lofts are great. They are “shelves” at the roof of the tent. These work great to hold a lantern and other items off the floor. The larger the loft, the more it can hold.
Outside storage areas are the king. These are vestibules. Think of these like a garage at your house. In fact, some tents like the North Face Wawona have huge vestibules. These areas are great to keep gear dry, to store bikes, and to change out of wet and muddy clothes. Vestibules really help to keep the inside of your tent clean.
Weight and Packed Size
Any of the best 6 person tents are meant for car camping and not backpacking. As such their weight becomes less of an issue. I would still recommend checking the weight and size to make sure it is something you can handle and it will fit in your vehicle.
Most six person tents are going to weigh in at around 20 pounds and pack down to about 10” x 10” x 25”. At this size, you could pack one of these tents a couple hundred yards to find a little more privacy, but I wouldn’t recommend going farther than that.
Ease of Set Up & Take Down
You don’t want to get a tent that is so complicated to put up that it makes you frustrated each time you use it. Some tent manufacturers add extras that make it easier to pitch your tent.
Look for color coded poles to eliminate any confusion as to where each pole goes. Of course, the more poles it has the more complicated it is. Clips are easier to use than sleeves. An instant tent comes with all the poles pre-attached and can be set up in a few minutes.
Setting up a tent this size will be much easier with a partner to help. I would highly recommend setting your tent up at home before you go camping so there are no surprises at the campground.
Weather Resistance
At its simplest weather resistance comes down to three things: remain dry in the rain, remain standing in the wind, and remain well ventilated.
All of the best 6 person tents will withstand a light to moderate rain shower. If you only plan to camp in good weather, either tent will work fine. If you want to be prepared for anything mother nature throws at you, choose a dome tent, because they are better in stronger storms and wind better.
Whichever style of tent you choose, properly setting it up and securing the guy lines will really help to stabilize the tent in bad weather.
The most important part of having a waterproof tent is the floor. Make sure it is made from a thick material. Bathtub style floors where the bottom wraps up the sides by a few inches keep the seams off the ground to prevent water from intruding. Both of these are needed to keep ground water out of your tent.
