Family Tents

What makes a tent a family tent

A family tent is one with room for four or more, and most add what a family needs for more than a night: somewhere to sit when it rains, room to stand up, and space for bags so they are not in the beds. The number on the label is the number of sleeping mats that fit side by side, with nothing else inside, so the usual advice is to buy one size up. A family of four is comfortable in a 5-man or 6-man tent.

Bedrooms and a living area

The bigger family tents here split into one, two or three bedrooms off a shared living area. Separate bedrooms let adults and children sleep apart and go to bed at different times; the living area takes chairs, a table and the cool box. Read the floor plan on each product to see where the beds go. See one bedroom and living room tents, two bedroom and living room tents and two and three room tents.

Pop-up, inflatable, tipi or cabin: which family tent

• Pop-up and instant tents are the quickest to pitch, which matters with children waiting. See instant and automatic tents.
• Inflatable tents go up with a pump on air beams, with no poles to thread or snap. See inflatable air tents.
• Tipi tents are tall in the middle, and many take a stove for cold-weather trips. See tipi tents.
• Cabin tents have upright walls, so you can stand almost anywhere inside. See cabin tents.

What the waterproof rating means on a family tent

The rating in millimetres, the hydrostatic head, is the height of a column of water the fabric holds back before it leaks, tested to BS EN ISO 811. About 1,000mm is the lowest rating usually called waterproof, most lightweight flysheets are 1,500mm to 3,000mm, and more is worth having for long wet trips or a family tent left up for days. The groundsheet is often rated higher, because you kneel and lie on it. Taped seams matter as much as the number. Shop by rating: to 2,000mm, to 3,000mm and 5,000mm and over.

Questions people ask about family tents

What size tent does a family of four need?

A 5-man or 6-man tent. A 4-man tent will sleep four, but there is no room left for bags or to sit when it rains.

Can we cook in a family tent?

Cook outside, away from the tent, never in the porch, the living area or a bedroom: a stove in a tent can set it alight and gives off carbon monoxide. Never take a barbecue into a tent, even one that has gone out: it gives off carbon monoxide, which can kill.

Do we need anything else?

A footprint under the tent protects the groundsheet, a carpet makes the living area warmer, and spare pegs are always useful. See groundsheets and footprints, tent rugs and carpets and tent pegs.

How long does delivery take?

Delivery is included in every price and tracked to your door. Each product page says when that tent usually arrives, so check it before ordering for a set date.

More to look at

• 4-man tents
• 6-man tents
• 8-man tents
• Inflatable air tents
• Two and three room tents
• Tent lights
• Guide: How to choose a tent: the UK buying guide
• Guide: Tent sizes explained