Glamping Bell Tents

What a glamping bell tent is

A bell tent is round, with one tall centre pole, a short pole at the door and walls pegged out all round, which gives it the shape of a bell. Inside is one big room you can stand up in, with space for real beds, a rug and furniture, which is why families choose one for a week away and why it suits glamping. The bell tents here are 3m to 6m across. The large family one is 400 by 400cm and 240cm high, for 4 to 10 people.

Canvas, Oxford or modular

• Cotton canvas bell tents breathe, so they stay cooler in sun and less damp inside. The large cotton one here comes in 3m, 4m, 5m and 6m, with a PVC groundsheet. See canvas and cotton tents.
• Oxford fabric bell tents are synthetic, so they need no seasoning. The four-season one here has a bedroom and a living room, about 7 square metres of floor.
• Modular bell tents join together to make a bigger camp. The one here has clear TPU skylights and windows.
• For bell tents across the whole shop, see bell tents.

Seasoning a new canvas tent

A new cotton canvas tent can let a little water through at first, mostly at the stitch holes. The cure is called seasoning or weathering: pitch it, soak it with a hose until it is wet through, let it dry completely, and do it two or three times before the first trip. The cotton swells when wet and closes up the weave. Some tents come already seasoned, so read the maker's instructions first. Never pack canvas away damp, or it will go mouldy: if you have to strike camp in the rain, put it up again at home to dry.

What the waterproof rating means on a bell 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 bell tent left up for days. The groundsheet is often rated higher, because you kneel and lie on it. The large cotton bell tent here is rated PU5000, and the Oxford one over 3,000mm on both the outer tent and the groundsheet. 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 bell tents

Which bell tents are for winter?

A 4-season tent: stronger poles, and a snow skirt round the bottom of the flysheet to stop wind and snow blowing underneath. See 4-season tents, and hot tents with a stove jack for tents that take a stove. Never take a barbecue or a stove without a flue into a tent: carbon monoxide kills. With a hot tent, use its own kind of stove and a carbon monoxide alarm.

How heavy is a bell tent?

Heavy. The large family bell tent here weighs 20kg, so carry it between two people and pitch near the car.

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

• Bell tents
• Canvas and cotton tents
• Glamping safari tents
• Tent rugs and carpets
• Glamping lights
• 10-man and larger tents
• Guide: Bell tents and glamping
• Guide: Tent fabrics: polyester, nylon, Oxford and canvas