Want your crew to experience camping and looking for the best family tents? Family camping tents come in so many shapes, sizes, and styles that the choices are overwhelming, especially for beginner campers and new families. But don’t get stuck – Life in Tents is here to help. Here’s a lineup of the various types of family camping tents to pull off a comfortable and memorable family camping trip.

The 7 Best Types of Family Camping Tents

Choosing a family camping tent comes down to the size of your family and your crew’s individual needs. Some prefer more comfort and space to spread out, while others prefer a tent that is easy to maintain. The good news is you can find the best of both worlds and the perfect tent to make everyone happy. Here’s a list we put together of the 7 best-suited types of tents for family camping trips.

1. Canvas Bell Tents

A conical shape design made with a waterproof, heavy-duty cotton canvas that’s as durable as it is beautiful. Bell tents typically feature a light cotton canvas and sometimes transparent PVC ceiling panels, allowing natural sunlight to come pouring through, lending a bright and soothing interior glow.

You can also find large bell tents that are quite spacious. Spacious enough for even a family of 12 with a 20-foot canvas bell tent. You have plenty of room for camp cots, gear trunks, and even a sitting area. Some canvas bell tents are so spacious you can add a queen- or king-size bed. The sturdy center pole also withstands heavy winds, keeping your family safe and secure in unexpected bad weather. It’s also the only type of family camping tent that can be equipped with a wood-burning stove.

All it takes is 20 minutes to set up. Then, you can enjoy spending quality time with your family. Plus, with proper care and maintenance, canvas bell tents can last and be passed down for generations.

2. Polyester Cabin Tents

 Grant Ritchie on Unsplash

One favorite type of family camping tent is a polyester cabin tent. The main reasons families appreciate cabin tents for camping is because of their size variety, spaciousness, and ability to offer room dividers, which allows plenty of elbow room and extra privacy. Cabin tents also have more vertical walls and higher ceilings, allowing headroom for adults to stand up fully inside. This extra height also makes it easier to set up gear inside and even lends room for stowing items.

While these multi-room cabin tents lack the breathability of canvas, polyester cabin tents offer multiple windows and mesh-paneled screens to allow for cross breezes and ventilation, reducing condensation. The polyester material might require less maintenance, but doesn’t hold up to strong winds and weather, and can tear easier than a canvas tent. Just something to consider when choosing the best type of camping tent for your family.

3. Inflatable Tents and Air Tents

One of the modern types of family camping tents is the inflatable tent. With its puncture-resistant inflatable poles and air beams, this newer tent design makes setting up camp a breeze (so long as you don’t forget to pack the air pump!), leaving more time to spend with family. Like many family camping tent styles, inflatable tents are offered in various sizes and can even be found at standing height. Some even come with modern conveniences like built-in lighting systems and extra accessories like storage pockets.

Due to their double-wall-like nature, inflatable tents are quite secure and heavy enough to withstand heavy winds, bending without breaking. It’s also this inflatable nature that lends an insulative quality to keep your family warm when camping in cooler climates. However, one thing to consider is that they are heavier than the average nylon tent. On the flip side, inflatable tents are commonly seen as rooftop car tents, meaning you don’t have to carry them anywhere!

4. Instant Pop-Up Tents

Another type of family camping tent is the instant pop-up tent. Pop-up tents feature a spring-loaded design, making their assembly a cinch and perfect for beginner campers who want to skip the frustration and stress of pitching a tent. Pitch this type of family camping tent in a matter of minutes and then spend your time with family instead.

The downside to instant pop-up tents is that they can’t stand up to high winds or nasty weather. If your family enjoys camping in cooler fall or chilly winter seasons – or the forecast calls for rain or strong winds – a pop-up tent might not be the best option. You could also get yourself an additional beach or cabana-style instant pop-up tent to create an extra open-air seating area for the family, which is versatile enough for beach trips and other non-camping-related weekend activities.

5. A-Frame Tents

A-Frame tents, also called Ridge tents, can make great family camping tents. However, they might be better suited for smaller families. Whether you have a canvas A-frame pup tent or a nylon or polyester Ridge tent, it’s fairly easy to pitch. However, the A-frame design lacks a bit of headspace and there’s not much standing room inside.

All this said, A-frames are the perfect type of family camping tent for teenagers and younger kids looking for a little separation and privacy for adults (and vica-versa). Pitch an A-frame or ridge tent just for them, keeping the larger family camping tent for adults and all your extra gear. It might be a smart compromise for bringing along family members who prefer more space and a bit of independence.

6. Dome Tents

Dome tents are the standard tent design we all know, used by solo backpackers and families alike. They feature two flexible poles that cross in the center and anchor to the bottom corners, secured with stakes. Dome tents are offered in various sizes, making them a great family camping tent for roughly 3 to 8 people. However, if your troop gets any larger than that, bring extra tents so you’re not crowding one another.

Dome tents are exceptionally breathable, due to their double-wall design: a mesh interior tent with a waterproof floor, covered by a solid polyester or nylon rainfly that rests securely on top of the criss-cross poles, sometimes extending to create a small vestibule for gear and shoes. Footprints are often included to protect the dome tent base from condensation and water as well.

Lightweight by design, dome tents are a nice family camping tent option for car campers, especially ones who want to save space in their vehicle for other family camping gear and needs like activities and games, cooking equipment, bicycles, etc.

7. Tunnel Tents

Tunnel tents are similar in shape to dome tents and in size and space to cabin tents, making them a great middle-ground alternative. Their cylindrical, elongated design offers room-like spaces for children to play and even stretches out to create “wings” for privacy and separation. Give kids one side, and adults the other. Tunnel tents often have multiple doors too, allowing several entry and exit points.

Unfortunately, due to their elongated shape, the middle of a tunnel tent can sag and become unstable if not pitched and staked properly. So, should you choose this type of family camping tent, make extra effort to tighten ropes and secure its guy lines.

8. Canvas Wall Tents

Wall tents the ultimate comfort for families.  Typically wall tents are used for longer trips or for glamping, as the pole system is a bit heavy and more complicated to set-up for short trips.   If you can get past the extra work, you're family will have a very large and comfortable place to sleep.  The ceilings are about 9' tall, and since these are made of canvas, the material is more breathable and comfortable in most weather.

Choosing Your Family Camping Tent

As you compare the types of family camping tents listed above, and begin to consider the style best suited for your crew, think of these extra tips.

Vehicle Size

Know what your car can carry, aside from passengers, of course. Car campers make the most of every square inch of space, even mounting roof boxes and hitching cargo carriers to bring everything a family needs. But shelter and tent essentials are of utmost importance. So unless you plan on renting a bigger vehicle to carry your crew into the wilderness, take note of how much room to allocate for your family camping tent. Yes, you may need to limit how many toys the kids pack, and you may not be able to squeeze those cornhole boards at the last minute. But understanding your vehicle’s capacity, having a family camping checklist, and playing a bit of camp gear Tetris – you’d be surprised how comfortable you can make your family camping experience!

Pitch Time

Decide how much time you want to spend pitching and breaking down a tent. The larger your family camping tent is, the longer your setup and breakdown time. It’s just a fact. Sure, you can cut time with an instant pop-up tent, but in general, you should set aside plenty of time at the campsite to pitch your tent and get your family situated inside.

Accessories

Choose a family camping tent that comes with or offers extra accessories, such as living room area, an awning for a shaded entrance, or vestibule space to keep everyone dry (or at least gear and shoes dry) when not sleeping. Want to keep your family toasty warm with the ambiance of a wood-burning stove? You'll need a canvas tent for that!

Room to Grow

Consider a family camping tent that can grow with you. Whether that’s because kids simply grow up so quickly or you plan to extend your family one day, a roomier tent allows you to spread out without swapping out or giving up the sentimental value of a family camping tent.

When comparing sizes, many standard tents will provide the number of people they sleep. For example, you will see 3-person or 6-person tents. But keep in mind this is tight! You want to give your family extra room to move about (especially if you have family members who tend to flail and kick in their sleep), as well as extra space to store gear.

If you like the style of bell tents, check out our bell tent comparison guide, which demonstrates how many sleeping pads and beds each can accommodate. Size of

Campsite/s

Consider how large of a campsite you need too. Larger tents, like bell tents, cabin tents and tunnel tents, require more space, which often means paying for a larger campsite. If you have a huge crowd, and multiple tents, consider booking adjacent sites or even a group campsite so that your family camping tents don’t feel stacked on top of one another. Get a sense of the campgrounds you might frequently visit and take note (or call and ask) of how large their sites can be. Not every campground is the same.