Best 6 Person Tent Reviews 2017 – Guide and Comparison

So your 2 or 4-person camping tent isn’t cutting it anymore, huh? The days when you could squeeze your whole family into the small old tent and still enjoy a peaceful night out camping are gone. Whether the kids have gotten taller, the dog has gotten more smelly, or you just want more space to yourself, it’s definitely time for an upgrade. Luckily, these 6 person tents will give you all the comfort and space you need – while keeping the whole family in mind.

When Would I Need a 6 Person Tent?

6-person tents are the #1 choice for families looking to do recreational camping, young adults enjoying the outdoors in a group of friends, or campers who are looking for something with lots of room for in-tent activities.

While 2 and 4-person tents are great for those looking for lightweight camping, minimal features, and low price points, 6-person tents are designed for comfort, ultimate stability during harsh weather, and extra movement within the tent. Camping inside a 6-person tent, you’ll feel like the king (or queen) of your campsite, if you will.

6-person tents are amazing for young parents looking for a tent to accommodate their growing families. Most 6-person tents feature 80-100 square feet of livable floor space, enough head room for the average person to comfortably stand in, and vestibules to comfortably store gear under, utilizing all the space inside the tent. These basic features allow for families with two to four children, family pets, or camping buddies to comfortably move around.

Best of all, most 6-person tents won’t make a huge dent in your wallet, compared to their 8 or 10-person tent counterparts.

Without further ado, here are our absolute favorite 6-person tents on the market today.

8 Best 6 Person Tent Reviews

1. REI Kingdom 6

When we started writing this article, we immediately decided the REI Kingdom 6 tent was the first one we wanted to review. The Kingdom 6 boasts an extremely simple and rapid set-up (seriously, it takes less than 5 minutes), nearly vertical walls to maximize livable space inside the tent, and a center divider to create two separate rooms within the tent.

The Kingdom 6 is free-standing and extremely sturdy, but comes with options for guylines to secure the tent even further. The tent’s rainfly and giant vestibule, along with the amount of livable space and storage pockets inside the tent, assure that you’ll be comfortable inside the tent even if harsh weather should occur.

The Kingdom’s backbone comes in the form of 3 bungee-connected aluminum poles. We’ve set up this tent multiple times, and believe it is one of the sturdiest, well-built tents on our list, as well as one of the easiest to set up and tear down. When it’s time to pack up, the Kingdom 6 folds into a small backpack that you can easily carry from the campsite to the car.

If you’re looking for a bit of space from your children or camping partners while sleeping, the Kingdom 6 has a center wall for a peaceful night’s sleep. If you’re looking for add-ons, the Kingdom Garage (for an additional fee) is a pole-supported awning that adds 60 square feet of vestibule space and an easy entry/exit from tent to campground. If you’re looking for the best all-around 6-person tent on our list, the Kingdom 6 is the tent for you.

2. Coleman Carlsbad Fast Pitch 6

If you love the outdoors, but can’t stand the early mornings, the Coleman Carlsbad Fast Pitch 6 is an easy choice. While most tents have mesh-paneled walls that let light in at the first hint of sunrise, the Coleman Carlsbad series features dark room technology that keeps out 98.4% of sunlight. This allows you to sleep in later or put the kids to bed earlier, ensuring you’ll have a great time the next day. In addition to getting the perfect night’s sleep, this technology also blocks harmful UV rays better than other tents as well.

If you don’t want to spend your whole time in the dark tent, the Coleman Carlsbad Fast Pitch also comes with a bug-free mesh screen room that offers more breathability, better airflow, and allows for a more comfortable experience on warm summer days.

The Fast Pitch technology by Coleman makes this tent an easy setup, even for one person. Reflective guylines mean that you’ll never trip over your tent when you get up in the middle of the night.

Ultimately, the main draw of this tent is in the dark room technology and a very low sticker price. This is the perfect tent for night owls, those looking for a tent on a budget, and those looking to stick to their sleep schedule while outdoors.

3. Mountain Hardware Optic 6

The Mountain Hardware Optic 6 gave us a great night’s sleep, as well as an easy morning going inside and outside between the tent and campground. It is one of the tallest tents on our list, standing at a max height of 77 inches. The tent features two adjacent doors with dual zipper sliders, making entry a breeze.

If you choose to set up the rainfly, you will find extra room for gear under its two featured vestibules, creating more space inside your tent. The front vestibule converts into an awning, which we found great to block out harsh sunlight just before the sun went down.

However, our favorite part of our experience with the Optic 6 was the view that this tent offered, should you opt not to set up the rainfly. The adjacent mesh doors give a wider view than a tent with opposite-facing doors normally would, making this tent a great overall experience for those who love admiring nature or sleeping under the stars.

This mid-level tent is great for those who camp frequently, but want a little more variability in their tent’s features.

4. Big Agnes Flying Diamond 6

Flying in as the most expensive tent on our list, the Big Agnes Flying Diamond 6 is no entry level tent. But while the hefty price tag may scare some away, the Flying Diamond has all the features we believe make it worth the price for experienced multi-season campers.

Like the REI Kingdom 6, the Flying Diamond features a room divider, and like the Mountain Hardware Optic 6, its vestibules open into an awning to be propped up by tent poles.

However, where the Flying Diamond really shines through is in its craftsmanship. Its tent materials are made from a breathable polyester with ripstop nylon mesh windows, the rainfly is constructed of durable polyester ripstop with 1500mm waterproof coating, and all the tent seams are lined with waterproof, solvent-free polyurethane.

All this to say – this tent can handle anything nature throws at it. It is the only true four season tent in our list, and can handle snow, rain, or shine with the same ease. The inside of the tent is just as well-built as the outside, with 10 pockets and 90.5 square feet of livable space, making your overall experience safe and comfortable in any condition.

While this tent may not be for everyone, we couldn’t help but have this on our list.

5. The North Face Kaiju 6

The North Face Kaiju is great for any young families looking for lots of tent space. It features easy in-and-out access through two giant front-facing D-shaped doors, and a pole set-up similar to the REI Kingdom 6.

The North Face Kaiju’s rainfly gives a ton of vestibule space at the front of the tent, and can be propped up via an extra tent pole. This gives you lots of extra space to store your gear and allows for a more shaded tent. The front of the tent features a foot wiping pad, making it perfect for keeping the tent clean inside and giving it a “front porch” feeling.

The inside of the tent is just as luxurious as the outside, with over 10 pockets and a peak height of 80 inches. The tent also features a hanging tablet pocket, perfect for turning your campsite into a comfortable movie night for the whole family.

We love this tent for the luxurious and spacious feeling we got during our use, and feel that this is definitely the most family-friendly tent on our list.

6. Marmot Limestone 6

The Marmot Limestone 6 tent is a great tent for those looking to camp in harsher climates, such as the Eastern Sierras or the Rocky Mountains. We enjoyed this tent for the relatively lightweight packaging (around 17 pounds), its ability to handle harsh weather, and its overall durability.

Like the Big Agnes Flying Diamond, this tent is constructed with top-of-the-line material, including aluminum DAC poles and a polyester ripstop rainfly treated with 1800mm waterproof coating. However, the shape of this tent paled in comparison to the Flying Diamond. The dome-shaped walls cut down on overall living space, and the tent was not quite as breathable as the others when the rainfly was on.

This tent has two small vestibules at the front to put gear, as well as a large foot wiping area for shoes. Overall, this is a very durable, long-lasting tent, but lacked the features that made other tents a more enjoyable overall experience.

7. Coleman Sundome 6

The Coleman Sundome 6 is by far the cheapest tent in our series, but it still contends with some of the other tents in our list in terms of comfort and overall experience.

The Sundome stands at a max height of 72 inches, and has 1 large D-shaped door. The rainfly features many guylines to stake out for sturdiness in moderate wind or rain, but will not fully cover the whole tent when it starts to pour. The tent features two 8.5mm fiberglass tent poles that are easy to set the tent up and cross each other to give the tent a dome-shape.

The Sundome is great in terms of breathability, as it features a small back panel that can be raised for cross-ventilation. It comes complete with inside pockets and a zippered electric access port for running AC power into the tent, making your time inside the tent very comfortable.

While this tent will not handle many conditions other than sunny weather, the extremely small price tag and small added features make this tent tempting for any family looking for a spacious, comfortable experience car camping.

8. Kelty Trail Ridge 6

The Kelty Trail Ridge 6 is the last tent in our list, but still excites us just as much as any we have mentioned thus far. This tent is the lightest weight tent on our list, but at 14 pounds 12 ounces, is still a bit too heavy to do anything other than car camp with (sorry backpacking hopefuls).

The Trail Ridge features a dome shape and rectangular floor, allowing 6 people to sleep side-by-side comfortably. We loved this elongated shape, as some of the other tents were difficult to figure out sleeping arrangements. The tent also features large mesh panels for extremely good breathability and great views at night without the rainfly. It has 2 doors, 2 vestibules, and great stability. The poles are constructed from aluminum DAC, the rainfly is 1800mm polyester, and the seams on the tent are taped. The fly comes with a vent for better breathability, and the overall space inside makes this tent very comfortable.

Overall, the Kelty Trail Ridge 6 is a very basic, barebones tent that is extremely easy to set up and handles the elements well. It may not be the most exciting tent on our list, but it still performs great for anyone looking to get into recreational camping.

The Bottom Line

So what tent is the right choice for you?

We think all these tents are great for the purposes they were created for. Factors to take into consideration in making your decision are: desired features, original price compared to durability/longevity of the tent, and the overall experience that the tent offers. But just in case you still can’t decide, we broke down these tents into a few categories to help you out.

Best Overall Tent: REI Kingdom 6

Again, the REI Kingdom 6 was first on our list for a reason. Its plethora of inside pockets, ease of set-up, stability and durability, amount of livable space, and fun add-ons make this our favorite overall camping tent.

Best Buy on a Budget: Coleman Sundome 6

For those who may not know if they want to get into camping, but want a basic tent to try out, the Coleman Sundome 6 offers comfort, space, and an extremely low price point. It works great, looks great, and ultimately performs great in summer and springtime.

Best Buy for the Features: Big Agnes Flying Diamond 6

There’s no question about this. The Big Agnes Flying Diamond 6 is a gear head’s dream. With lots of built-in features and the ability to handle just about any weather condition, the Big Agnes is by far the most versatile tent in our selection.

Best Family-friendly Tent: The North Face Kaiju 6

The North Face Kaiju 6 was our choice for bringing the whole family along. With kid-friendly features such as a tablet pocket, foot wiping area, and lots of livable space, this tent is perfect for kids (and parents) to enjoy nature in.

Conclusion

Whether you’re just getting into camping, getting your kids or friends into camping, or are practically a certified camping professional, 6-person tents offer features that make everyone’s experience a memorable one.

We hope you enjoyed this list, and we’ll see you outside!