The best 4-person tents for your next camping trip (2024)

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There’s nothing like snuggling up under the stars with your friends or family in a solid four-person tent. Both literally and metaphorically, camping in one of these tents is bound to bring you together, whether you’re sleeping next to a nearby lake, deep in the mountains, or at a music festival. No matter the scenario, a four-person tent is a great addition to any outdoor enthusiast’s kit.

When it comes to the best four-person tents, there are seemingly endless options to choose from, and you’ll want to know what you are looking for before diving inches Some tents we review are dome-like and better for windy conditions, while others feature vertical cabin walls, ideal for standing up and moving around. Some options feature ample storage space and “vestibules” (the camping equivalent of a mudroom), while others prioritize cutting weight at all costs.

Luckily we’ve got you covered, whether you are looking for a luxurious car camping experience or an ultralight tent ready to strap on your pack. Read on to learn our top picks for the best four-person tents for your next outdoor excursion.

Best Overall

REI Co-op Base Camp 4 Tent

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Best Value

Kelty Wireless 4 Tent

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Editor’s Pick

Marmot Limestone 4-Person Tent

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Best for Car Camping

REI Co-op Kingdom 4 Tent

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Best Family Tent

The North Face Sequoia 4 Tent

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Best Backpacking Tent

Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL4

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Best Under $100

Coleman Sundome Tent

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Best Survival Tent

Mountain Hardwear Trango 4 Tent

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Best for Weather Resistance

NEMO Wagontop 4 Tent

See Also

Best 4-Person Tents: Trialed & Tested [2024 Update]

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Best for Warm Weather

Eureka Copper Canyon LX 4-Person Tent

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Best for Usable Space

REI Co-op Grand Hut 4 Tent

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Why you should trust us

Whether I’m on a casual car camping one-nighter or a week-long backpacking trip, pitching my tent is one of my favorite parts of the camping experience. In the summer months, you can find me camped out in a tent more often than sleeping in my own bed. While I often stick to my two-person backpacking tent, I’ve spent my fair share of nights camped in a four-person tent, whether that be while camping in my backyard when I was younger or while sleeping out at a music festival with friends. I pride myself on being able to find the highest quality gear out there, for the most affordable price, so when it comes to choosing the best four-person tent, you can trust that I will lead you to the right place.

Types of 4-person tents

Dome-shaped

These types of tents are what most people think of when they think of tents: a shelter with an arch-like structure held up by criss-crossing poles. These options cave in on the sides, often making the tent feel less spacious, but they hold up against heavy winds far better than their cabin-like counterparts.

These tents vary heavily when it comes to features, though most of the dome-shaped tents listed above feature vestibules to keep gear dry. REI Co-op’s classic Base Camp 4 is just one example of this structure. Others include the Kelty Wireless 4 Tent and the Marmot Limestone 4P Tent.

Cabin tents

Cabin tents — known for their nearly vertical walls — often offer more room for you and your gear than traditional dome-shaped tents. Some of these options take on an almost rectangular shape, and some still slant out on the sides, while still maintaining their upright shape. These tents also often feature vestibules for gear storage, or they have options to extend the rainfly as an awning using trekking poles. These tents can extend to be over six feet — perfect for your lengthy friends.

This category includes tents such as the REI Co-op Grand Hut 4, as well as the Eureka Copper Canyon LX 4 and the NEMO Wagontop 4 Tent.

Ultralight

While it’s not very common to bring a four-person tent backpacking due to weight considerations, there are plenty of tents on the market that pack down small and can fit as many as four people. The leader in this category is the Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL4, which can pack down to weigh as little as five pounds on the trail.

These tents are built to withstand extreme conditions, while using as little material as possible. Ultralight options are often not as comfortable and spacious as other options, so if you are seeking a tent for more luxurious car camping, look towards the larger dome-like and cabin tents.

Features to consider in 4-person tents

Vestibules and other storage

Vestibules are made up of the area between your tent and the rain fly, serving as the mudroom of your tent. These are a great place to store your belongings and keep your shoes, in order to optimize space inside the tent and keep your tent dry and clean. Most four-person tents come with this feature, though some smaller tents have enough area to include this.

Tents also vary in the amount of storage space they have, though most tents have some sort of pockets inside. For camping with big groups, more pockets can allow people to move in a bit and keep their belongings organized.

Weather protection

Most tents come with a rain fly. These don’t just protect against rain; they keep campers warm throughout the night with additional wind protection. Personally, I always sleep with a rain fly on my tent in case of rain, but on the rare occasion where the weather stays toasty throughout the night, I’ll leave the fly off and fall asleep looking at the stars through the mesh top of my tent.

If you are looking to camp in rainy, windy, or snowy conditions, it’s important to get a tent ready to protect you from the elements. Some rain flys designed for warmer weather camping will let water seep in the sides. Look towards the Mountain Hardwear Trango 4 Tent or the NEMO Wagontop 4 Tent to meet all your cold-weather needs.

Footprints and other tarps

Another tent-camping essential is the footprint — a tarp-like fabric that covers the base of the tent to protect it from wear, dirt, and wetness. While these are essential, they often don’t come with tents, and you’ll need to buy one separately (unless you get The North Face Sequoia 4, which includes one). They can be anywhere from $20 to $80.

Many companies, like REI Co-op, design footprints specifically for each tent, but in all honesty, it doesn’t matter what kind of footprint you get as long as it’s as big as the area of the tent. An employee at REI Co-op once told me to just get an emergency blanket to put under the base of my tent, and — for the much lower price point of $7 — I never went back.

Benefits of 4-person tents

Comfort

Unlike smaller tent options, four-person tents give people the option to spread out and make their tent feel like home. Many of the tents reviewed above will allow most people to stand tall, getting rid of the need to crawl in and out of the tent.

While all of the tents reviewed above can technically sleep four people, this often means four sleeping pads are laid out side by side, leaving little other room for maneuvering. For greater comfort, try fewer people in the tent or add an air mattress or two to the equation.

If you are looking to sleep four people in a tent but have more room to spread, look towards six-person tents. Most of the tents reviewed above have a version that can fit up to six people, and give you that additional wiggle room.

Weather protection

Tents offer a great degree of protection from the elements, compared to hammock camping or cowboy camping (sleeping on the ground with little protection). I often find it miraculous how much warmer my tent is compared to outside, and I’ve found that a good rain fly can go a long way.

If you know you will be camping in the cold, with possible rainy or snowy conditions, look towards more weather-resistant options, like the Mountain Hardwear Trango 4 Tent, Though these options can be pricier, you will be grateful to be warm and dry in the end.

Connection with nature

Lastly, compared to sleeping in a cabin or other walled-in shelter, tent camping allows you to feel more immersed in nature. Most tents have some degree of mesh, allowing you to be warm and dry within your tent, while gazing at the trees towering over you and the nearby alpine lake.

Pricing considerations for 4-person tents

Budget

Budget four-person tents typically have few frills, ranging from $80 to $200. We recommend these for the newer campers looking to spend a weekend once in a while car camping in warm weather. These can also be good for more seasoned campers looking to have another option for car camping besides their backpacking tent.

For budget options, we suggest the Coleman Sundome Tent or the Kelty Wireless 4 Tent.

Mid-range

These tent options typically range from $200 to $500. They typically include better weather protection than their budget counterparts, and they have more durable and higher-quality materials. These can range widely in style, shape, and size, so it’s up to you to find a tent that will fit your specific needs.

In this category, we recommend any of the REI Co-op four-person tents, along with the Marmot Limestone 4P Tent, the North Face Sequoia 4 , the NEMO Wagontop 4 Tent, and the Eureka Copper Canyon LX 4.

Premium

These premium tents are higher-quality, fit to withstand extreme weather conditions. They typically have additional features making them pricier, such as ultralight or survival tents. If you are looking to backpack with four people in one tent or camp in winter conditions, it’s worth splurging on one of the options.

We recommend the Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL4 for ultralight backpacking, as well as the Mountain Hardwear Trango 4 Tent for cold weather conditions.

How we chose our top picks

When choosing our favorite four-person tents, we first considered which product excels in each category, looking at features such as spaciousness, comfort level, and accessories. We identified products that fit the needs of families looking to car camp in warm weather, along with families hoping to hit the trails, minimize weight, and gain protection from the elements. I have used tents from REI Co-op and can attest to their quality, but when it came to other brands, I looked towards product reviews and other experts to identify my other top picks. I made sure to look at several sources for each product, including GearLab, New York Times’ Wirecutter, Wilderness Times, Adventure, and more.

FAQs on 4-person tents

You’ve got questions, Task & Purpose has answers.

Q: What brand of 4-person tent is best?

A: REI Co-op has the most highly rated options, though many other brands have four-person tents that set themselves apart.

Q: How do you pick the right size tent?

A: Consider what kind of camping you’ll be doing — whether this be an annual family camping trip, frequent car camping one-nighters, or weeklong backpacking excursions. Do you need a tent to fit a family of four, or would a two-person tent for just you and your partner suffice?

Q: Is a four-person tent big enough?

A: Four-person tents are technically big enough to fit four people (and sometimes a dog), but that doesn’t mean they are always the most comfortable. If you are looking to spread out even more, consider upgrading to a six-person tent.