Iron Frame Tents

What an iron frame tent is

These are tents whose makers name iron in the frame: iron pipe, iron bars, iron brackets, or iron poles on a beach shade. Iron is heavy and stiff and it does not spring back, so it is used for frames that stand still and for the parts of a frame that take the most load. Iron rusts, so it is usually galvanised, coated in zinc, or painted. In many tents here the iron works alongside aluminium or fibreglass rather than making the whole frame.

The kinds in this range

• A bell tent yurt in 900D Oxford on a galvanised iron pipe frame, with a bedroom and living room in about 7m² and over 3000mm on the outer tent and floor. See bell tents.
• Family and cabin tents with iron bars: the Naturehike Village 13 stands on three 190cm iron support bars and weighs about 23.8kg in all. See cabin tents.
• Mixed frames, such as a single-layer 3 to 4 person tent on an iron rod and fibreglass poles, an inflatable dome supplied with iron pipes for its porch, and a car side awning bracketed in aluminium alloy and iron. See family tents.
• Beach sun shades on anti-rust iron poles, anchored with sand instead of pegs: one weighs 1.6kg. See beach tents.

Iron, rust and weight

An iron frame is heavy, which is why these tents are car tents and glamping tents rather than tents to carry. The weight works for it: a big frame that does not flex makes a tent feel solid. Galvanising slows rust, but chips, cut ends and threads are where it starts, so dry the frame before storing it and keep the sections in a bag.

Where iron sits in a mixed frame

When a maker mixes metals, iron usually goes where the load gathers: the brackets that join rods, the upright bars at the doors, the pipe that carries a heavy canvas roof. Light poles do the bending; iron holds the shape. If a mixed frame is pitched a little out of square, the iron parts are the ones that will not give, so square the tent up before tightening it.

Questions people ask about iron frame tents

Is iron the same as steel?

Steel is iron with a little carbon added, which makes it stronger. The shop follows the maker's word, so a frame called iron is filed here and one called steel in steel frame tents.

Why is an inflatable tent in here?

Its porch stands on iron pipes, so part of its frame is iron, though the tent itself is held up by air.

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

• Steel frame tents
• Aluminium pole tents
• Bell tents
• Cabin tents
• Beach tents
• Tent pegs
• Guide: Tent poles: aluminium, fibreglass, steel and air beams