Advice we’d give to a friend

The Basics

What size tent should I get? - This will really depend on personal factors but there are typically two basic options: an 8-10 person tent or a 4 person tent. 4 person tents are usually 1 room and 8-10 person tents are usually 2 large rooms or 3 medium size rooms.

How many ‘season’ tent do I need? - In almost all conditions in Australia a 3 season family camping tent is best. 4 season tents are more for very cold/ snowy conditions so unless you are planning on camping in the snow fields or Tasmania in winter, 3 is enough. Another thing to consider is that 4 season tents trap the heat and can get very hot in the warmer months which is when most of us are camping anyway.

How much room do you have in the car and at camp? - Some tents like the Oztent RV5 are 2m long when packed so you need a roof rack to get it around. Others like the Zempire Evo TXL V2 Air have a massive footprint when setup so you will need a decent enough amount of space to set it up at camp.

Are you going to use it for touring or for longer stay camping? - Some tents for families are easier to set up than others so if you are travelling around to a new spot every night something with a quick setup is going to be important.

Canvas vs. Polyester Materials? - This is a well debated topic. Canvas is definitely more durable and some believe that these are the best family tents but they are also heavy and hard to dry. Modern day tents made of polyester type fabrics can be just as good or better in our view so long as they are made with a good density fabric and solid waterproofing.

Budget

When it comes to finding the best family tents we think you can get something decent without dropping a ton of cash. There are always exceptions to the rule but we break the market into three main categories for 8-10 person tents and 4 person tents:

High End (over $800) - This will get you one of the best camping tents for your family. Good quality materials, spacious and durable.

Mid Range (8-10P $400 to $800, 4P $300 to $800) - These tents are typically still going to be easy to set up with decent materials that won’t fall apart on you. Quality can vary between brands in this price range and we find a $700 tent isn’t always better than a $500 tent for instance.

Low Range (8-10P under $400, 4P under $300) - Be careful - you’ll likely purchase something you’ll regret. Poles may fall apart or fabric may not be as waterproof as claimed.

Cabin vs. Dome Tents

Dome tents typically have less head room and are less spacious. For that reason we believe cabin style tents are the best tents for families whether you are camping or touring. All family tent reviews here are for cabin style tents.

Ratings By Category

Method

After reviewing the market we pick what we think will be the best family camping tents in each category from a variety of retailers. Each product selected gets 50 points automatically just for being selected. We then perform field tests and in person assessments to rank them out of 10 on the following categories: Comfort, Construction, Features, Size/ Weight and Versatility.

Rankings are adjusted or weighted based on importance and how much they vary e.g. some categories will be categorised from 1 to 10 whereas others 4 to 9 etc. (although there may be outliers). For the family tent reviews size/ weight and versatility are considered inverse in our reviews. An 8-10 person tent for instance isn’t as good for touring so is less versatile and a 4 person tent isn’t going to have anywhere near the same floor space as an 8-10 person tent. We have handicapped these metrics in order to provide a level playing field so if for instance you see a 4 person tent getting ranked as a 6 out of 10 for size/ weight that may actually be a good ranking.

If you are looking for the best family tents in Australia this is where we hope to provide you with all the details. We believe good family tent reviews should provide you with all the info you need to decide and we hope you can find that here.

Comfort

Comfort considers three main elements: how spacious it feels, the layout and key design elements impacting liveability.

Most of the tents for families we reviewed were pretty comfortable and there isn’t a huge deal of variation in this category. Some of the less comfortable models like the Oztent RV5 have a big aluminium bar running down the floor while others like the Oztrail 10P Black Out were to dark inside. We understand that is the feature but we prefer to be able to see inside our tent in the daytime. The best tents for families such as the Zempire Evo TXL V2 Air and the BlackWolf Turbo Lite 240 on the other hand have a spacious feel and we’d be happy to spend time in them on a rainy day if needed.

Construction

Construction essentially looks at materials used and craftmanship. Fabrics and pole materials play a massive role in how breathable, strong and waterproof it will be. There is usually a trade off here between quality and cost.

In a traditional tent important things to look out for are a strong gauge aluminium frame and high denier (density) materials (such as ripstop or canvas) with a good water head rating are typically the best. Cheap tents will use thin gauge fibreglass poles or weak materials so avoid buying those as they will fall apart. The Oztent RV5 and BlackWolf Turbo Lite 240 tick all the boxes. The Zempire Evo TXL V2 Air is not your standard tent being an inflatable but we were surprised with how solid the structure actually was when setup.

Features

The features category looks at how easy it is to set up as well as some of the basics like storage pockets, hanging hooks and power access points and ventilation.

The Zempire Evo TXL V2 Air was the best family tent in this category ticking all the boxes - with fast setup and having great configuration options it is very liveable. The OA Comfort Camper XL 10 took a long time to set up and the OA Hanlu 4P was missing an electrical inlet. All of the others were fairly comparable although the Oztent RV5 with its twist lock poles is very quick to set up. The Coleman 10P Gold also ticks all the boxes and is a great value tent for the family.

Size/Weight

Rankings in this category primarily consider the amount of useable floor space the tent provides. Sleeping configurations, packed size and headroom were also considered. 8-10 person tents will naturally rank higher here and higher on versatility.

The Zempire Evo TXL V2 Air and BlackWolf Turbo Lite 240 were the standouts here in their respective categories. The Zempire is actually the biggest family tent we have seen and it feels like a mansion inside. The Oztrail 10P Black Out also provides good space for the whole family with three rooms (two bedrooms and a small foyer). The Oztent RV5 is 202cm long when packed so you will need a roof rack as it won’t fit in the boot. If you’re heading somewhere particularly remote, have a read of our best satellite communicator recommendation, especially if you’re camping with kids.

Versatility

This category looks at whether we would use the tent for family camping, touring or both. 4 person tents will naturally rank higher here and lower on size/weight.

The BlackWolf Turbo Lite 240 is a great allrounder that we would happily take touring or on a family camping trip. Easy to set up, durable and with a symmetrical interior and awning this is one of the best family camping tents in a 4 person model. For the price the Coleman 4P Silver Evo also offers great value that can be used for touring or camping and isn’t a bad option as a tent for the family.

About Our Testing Process

Here at The Equipment Guide we write reviews for Australians with the goal of providing a genuine personal assessment of the best products on the market right here at home.

All products are reviewed and ranked in a methodical and careful manner and we assess them on relevant key features. We do not accept free products from manufacturers.

Our mission is simple: To create Australia’s best outdoor gear reviews.

Afterword

We hope you liked our reviews of the best family camping tents Australia has to offer!

Really most of the family tents we reviewed were great and you don’t necessarily have to spend a bundle on the best family camping tents. Our family tent reviews are all designed with Australian conditions in mind. If you would like us to review a product or have any feedback we’d love to hear from you, feel free to drop us a note.

If you do purchase and are out in your family camping tent please share some pics with us we’d love to see you in action.