Spending time in the great outdoors with your loved ones or a group of good friends can be a great way to spend a weekend or longer. While camping is generally pretty inexpensive, it can be a struggle finding a good budget tent.
So here’s a quick guide to what you should look for when choosing your budget family tent, along with a couple of recommendations that will help you to make the right choice.
We get straight into things and list the best options available and afterward, we go into some detail on what you need to think about before you buy a family tent.
If you’re in a rush and don’t have time to red through the full article, we recommend the Kelty Discovery 6, as the best family tent for under $200.
Best Family Tents Under for $200
While there is a wide choice of low priced family tents to choose from, they are of varying standards. While a $200 or less family tent is not going to be as good as one costing several times that amount, you can nonetheless find fully functional and spacious family tents within this price bracket.
Here’s our top picks for budget family tents.
1. Kelty Discovery 6
Pros:
- Generous size for four adults with equipment or a small family of five / six
- Oversize D-door for ease of access
- Rainfly and tent stakes are included
- Relatively easy to set up
Cons:
- Some reports of durability issues
Kelty Discovery 6 Features Summary
- Spacious design with oversize D-door makes for easy entry/exit
- Stay dry with full-coverage, seam-taped rainfly
- Kelty Quick-Corner technology makes setting up fast
- Color-coded fly and tent connections make them easy to locate
- Attached guylines with storage pockets and quality stakes included
- Night-light pocket turns headlamp or flashlight into a tent lantern
- Includes shark mouth duffle carry bag
- 6 person, 3 season
- Canopy: 68-denier polyester/mesh; Floor fabric: 68-denier polyester with 1,800mm coating; Rainfly fabric: 68-denier polyester
Product Summary
The Discovery 6 is a great value for money family tent that is a good size for four to six people. If you have a lot of gear with you, it would be better to stick to a capacity of four and put a queen mattress at each end with space in the middle for your equipment.
The tent has fairly generous dimensions and average height adults will have no problem with the ceiling height in the central part.
The door is oversized for easy access which works well. There are no windows, but air flows well through the tent.
The tent helps to keep rain out along with the included rainfly, although in spite of the inverted seams there may be some waterproofing issues in more challenging inclement weather.
There are internal storage pockets to keep your small, frequent use items to hand. The whole tent fits into an expandable carry bag complete with rip strip, making it easy to transport and to store.
Set up is relatively easy, thanks to the color-coded fly and tent connections which makes them easy to locate. The Kelty Quick-Corner technology also helps to make setting up of the tent fast.
All in all this tent offers excellent value for the money and it’s our top pick family tent under $200.
2. Cedar Ridge Rimrock
Pros:
- Comfortable 3 season tent
- Comfortably fits four persons with room for equipment, six without equipment
- Good ventilation
- Easy to set up
Cons:
- Prop 65 notice for materials used
Cedar Ridge Rimrock Features Summary
- Free-standing, two-pole design with shock corded fiberglass poles
- 185T polyester fly resists UV damage and stays taut
- Factory-sealed rain fly gives great weather protection
- Tub-style floor
- Extra-large zippers on door for durability
- Weatherproof fly with awning over door
- Dual zip mesh windows for ventilation
- Interior mesh storage pockets
- Gear loft
- 8″ steel stakes
- Guy lines included
- 6 person, 3 season
- Canopy: polyester; Floor fabric: polyethylene; Rainfly fabric: polyester
Product Summary
This dome tent is a good choice for small families or groups of three to four persons with space for equipment. The tent allows for excellent ventilation, whilst keeping insects out of the tent.
This tent is very functional area is a great addition and can be used to sit in and chat if you have small children asleep during the evening in the main part of the tent.
At 72 inches at its peak, the Cedar Ridge Rimrock has sufficient head room for average-height adults in the central part.
There are dual zip mesh windows which provide good ventilation. These work well and allow the tent to breathe.
The tent is easy to set up with its free-standing, two-pole design with shock corded fiberglass poles. There is a weatherproof fly with awning which sits over the door to keep the bad stuff out.
The factory-sealed rain fly gives excellent protection as soon as it starts to rain. The door zippers are extra large for extra durability.
There are also internal mesh storage pockets to store frequent use items. These are functional and easy to use. Overall, a good tent for summer family camping at a very good price!
3. Columbus Outdoor Inari
Pros:
- Three rooms for privacy and space
- 74.8 inch peak center height for plenty of head room
- Door also serves as canopy for larger living area
- Good storage pockets
Cons:
- Need to treat the tent with care as it isn’t as durable as others
Columbus Outdoor Inari Features Summary
- Three rooms for ample interior space
- Large inner tent doors with top mesh window
- Main living area with detachable floor and PVC windows with inner curtain
- Door also serves as canopy for larger living area
- Storage pockets in inner tents
- 2000mm polyurethane-coated fly with taped seams for waterproof protection
- Carry bag
- 6 person, 3 season
- Canopy: polyester; Floor fabric: polyethylene; Rainfly fabric: polyester
The Columbus Inari tent will comfortably provide you with plenty of space for up to 6 adults or 2 adults and two or three children with equipment.
It also includes three rooms for ample interior space, which can be handy if you have young children with an early bedtime. Also useful if you need some privacy too.
This tent has excellent head room with 74.8 inches peak height in its central part, making it extremely spacious and great for those who are taller than average and often tend to have to hunch over in regular tents.
Ventilation is provided through the material and main entrance, the PVC windows allow light in as well. This is a large, rather heavy tent, it is however surprising easy to set up.
It comes complete with a handy carry bag and 2000mm polyurethane-coated fly with taped seams for waterproof protection.
In short, this tent is a great choice for tall families and the roll up front door with separate rooms is a nice feature.
Family Tent Buying Guide
If you’re thinking about purchasing a family tent, even if you’re pretty familiar with smaller tents, you should still read on and find out more.
Family tents have their own distinct differences and peculiarities when compared to your standard one or two person tents.
The summary below goes through the main items to consider, and you can also check out our tent buying guide for more information.
What is a Family Tent?
A family tent is a tent that is large enough to sleep several persons. They can range enormously in size, from 4 to over 12 persons. They generally include a living space or storage area and separate sleeping compartments, depending upon their size.
Multi-room tents with separate entrances to each compartment can be useful for groups of friends or families with older children, allowing later sleepers to bed down later, without having to step over everyone.
Due to their size and weight, you’ll normally set up your family tent at a campsite or in close proximity to your vehicle if you’re camping off the grid.
They are not suitable for backpacking, although a group camping out could conceivably carry one a short distance between them.
Setting up a family tent is also a much more complex affair than setting up your average small backpacking tent. Family tents can also be a good choice for groups of people looking to camp out at festivals.
Family Tent Sizes
When you’re choosing your family tent, the main factor to bear in mind is size. Manufacturer’s recommendations for the number of persons should not be taken literally, and you may even have to consider halving their figure to end up with comfortable enough conditions in which you can sleep.
In the majority of cases you’ll be best looking for at least two persons extra. To be sure that you’ll have enough space, don’t forget to take into account any pets or equipment too.
While your kids may be small now, they’re only going to get bigger and you’ll be surprised just how much space a small child can take up, wriggling around in a small tent.
As a general guide a six person tent is normally a comfortable fit for two adults with two or three children, including cooking equipment, toys and clothing.
If you’re camping as a group of friends or extended family, you’ll probably want a bit more space for extra privacy. You may also want to consider splitting up into smaller groups rather than having one extremely large tent to set up.
Family Tent Shapes
Family tents come in a variety of compositions and modules, however, there are two main shapes that you should be aware of: cabin-style and dome-style shapes.
Cabin shaped tents tend to provide more interior space and greater head height thanks to their flat roofs. They can be better at accommodating groups with more adults or teenagers, and will allow you to make use of the entire floor space right up to the edges.
However, on the downside, cabin-style tents are at a distinct disadvantage in windy conditions, and you’ll need to ensure they are securely attached with extra-long stakes.
Dome-shaped tents deflect the wind much better thanks to their curves. They also tend to be lighter and therefore easier to transport as they’re made from less material.
However, their sloped sides mean that you may struggle for headroom and if the weather’s bad and you end up spending a lot of time inside, you may feel more cramped.
Vestibules
Some family tents have vestibule areas, they can be a useful option to store equipment or to provide protection from the sun or rain when sitting out.
Having a vestibule can help keep the interior of your family tent cleaner, as the family can eat under its protective canopy or take off dirty or wet outer garments like shoes and coats and store them there.
Setup
If possible try to find out how easy your family tent will be to set up before purchasing. Some can be more of a challenge than others and if you’re a couple with several small children, one of you may have to set it up alone.
Construction
If you’re planning on using your family tent for warm summer vacations, then you’ll want a model with plenty of mesh panels for improved air circulation.
Three season tents are designed primarily for this type of weather, although be aware that summer storms can be unexpected and you’ll still need suitable protection against the rain.
Three plus season tents are designed to provide more protection from the elements for camping in early spring and autumn as well summer, while four season tents provide enhanced protection for cold and more extreme weather conditions. They can, however, be a little stuffy at warmer times of the year.
When you’re purchasing a family tent, remember to check what is included. A ground sheet or footprint will be necessary even during the warmer months to protect your tent floor from any damp and the increased foot traffic that family tents endure.
Make sure that there’s a rainfly included to protect you from any rain. You may also want to purchase any tools to assist with setting up your tent.
Price Range for Family Tents
Like many things in life, you do tend to get what you pay for and there are plenty of exceptional family tents out there, with exceptionally high price tags to match.
These tents are not within everyone’s price range, although if used regularly for holidays over several years their price can be more than justified.
These high-end family tents will typically cost in excess of $1,000 and can reach prices around $1,800 depending upon options and size.
Mid-range family tents, offer decent quality but less higher specification features than the top-end models, they tend to cost between $500 and $1,000 for a good quality model that offers plenty of communal space as well as separate sleeping areas.
Inflatable models can make set up easy, although large, heavy models are probably best suited to longer camping trips rather than just a quick weekend away.
Spending less than $500 on a family tent can still get you a good enough tent for the money. While some may lack space or certain features, there is certainly a decent enough selection to choose from.
If you’re not a regular camper and have a family, it makes sense to purchase a less expensive model, particularly if you’re not sure when or if you’ll be using it again, say if you’re just dipping your toes into the whole family camping experience thing.
Groups looking to purchase a family tent for festivals will also probably be best off looking in this price bracket, as tents tend to get damaged at festivals more easily, especially if each person only wants to put in a small amount.
Overall, we suggest you keep your expectations at a reasonable level, $200 will get you a basic and functional tent, but there are much better options out there but for a higher price tag.
Further Reading
How to choose tents for camping – a nice article on the subject from outdoor specialists REI.
Conclusion
While there are many expensive family tents about, it often makes more sense to purchase a cheaper family tent if you’re camping for the first time as a family or group, or if you’re not intending to make it a regular occurrence.
Finding the best family tent for under $200 can be a bit of a challenge, however, the tents reviewed here represent excellent value for money and a good range of useful features.
So much so that they could make your family camping trip a greater success, and encourage the whole family to spend more time together in the great outdoors, something which you cannot put a price on.