Selecting the best tent for your family camping trip can be a pivotal decision. Here at CampingSage we strongly believe that larger tents make for a much more comfortable family camping experience.
In this article we set out to answer the question, “What are the best extra-large family tents?” As you will see, it’s not all about size. You need to consider the combination of features, convenience and aesthetics (looks are important) that make the most sense for your family. Here are our top 10 extra-large family tents.
If you are new to family camping, please take a look at our family tent criteria list before looking at the tents in this review.
Best Extra Large Family Tents – the Candidates
>As you can see, there is no shortage of choice when it comes to large family camping tents.
One might think if there is room for everyone to have a sleeping bag on the floor, then the tent is big enough. But you should consider the extra space needed for everyone to be truly comfortable, along with what additional features will help make this a fun, relaxing, and memorable family trip. As a minimum, we suggest that you look for a tent that is rated for at least 2 people than there are in your family. In reality, we think most families are going to be much better served by a tent that is rated for 4 people more.
In our experience, a 10-person tent is great for a family of 4.
Choosing the Right Tent
There is no shortage of different types of camping tents these days. We give you information on the types of tent available in How To Choose A Tent That Is Right For Your Family.
Whether you want to go old school and find the most basic tent available, or you’re ready for an epic experience filled with luxury out in the woods.
For families, the size and the convenience of the tent can make all the difference. There are lots of options that can house over 6 people. But aside from the space, what else is important to you?
- Is privacy going to be essential, or are you looking for a family-bonding time all in the same room?
- Would an outer room/area be helpful?
- Do you like having a breeze sweep through the tent?
- How much extra room do you need for supplies?
- What elements will you be camping in?
These are all excellent questions to ask yourself when deciding on the best tent for your family.
Best Extra-Large Family Camping Tents From Our Review
Coleman WeatherMaster Tent
10-person capacity
17×9 feet
This tent is perfect for a large family looking to keep everything organized throughout your camping trip. It also comes in a smaller, 6-person option if you find you don’t end up needing the extra space.
If you want to layout multiple sleeping bags and mats, you will have plenty of space. Or if you’re going to go the air mattress route, you can fit three queen-size mattresses in here.
At the center of the tent is measures 6’8”, giving even your tallest family members some extra room. While this isn’t an instant tent, it should still only take less than 20 minutes for assembly.
One of the best features for your family in this tent will be its storage and organization features. When you are on a camping trip with the whole clan, it’s not just about where everyone sleeps. It’s also about where the food goes, and where each person can find to store smaller personal belongings.
It also offers multiple storage pouches and pockets throughout the tent, making it easy to keep everything organized. Their WeatherTec™ system will help keep you your family, and everything in those pouches safe and dry.
Ozark Trail Dark Rest Instant Cabin Tent
12-person capacity
20×10 feet
The name of this tent says it all. With this tent, you get an instant setup without the worry of pole placement. Because of the sun-blocking technology, you get a dark sanctuary to rest your head.
Setup for this tent can be completed within a few minutes. The ease of this tent becomes a significant factor when you’re on a family trip. We’ve all seen (or been) that family with five people trying to direct the next steps for an overly complicated tent.
That doesn’t exactly set the relaxing, fun tone you hope for on a family camping trip.
Another unique feature is its ground vents to support healthy ventilation throughout the tent. That feeling of stuffiness in a tent can be unbearable, but these additional ventilation features help even when you have everything closed.
While the sun-blocking technology and shades keep it cool and dark while you rest, you can also open the top for your very own skylight. If you and your family like to watch the stars at night, this is a great way to do it while you are still in the safety and privacy of your tent.
Ozark Trail 3-Room Vacation Tent
10-person capacity
20×11 feet
Even though this tent is a smallish larger tent, the two-room dividers are what make it special. If you have a large family with different age groups and some individual rooms sound like an excellent idea – you’re not wrong.
A second room is excellent for families who may want a little extra privacy or even who may be coming and going at different times. It’s perfect for one family member to be taking a nap in one room while others read or chat in another room.
The dividers are easily removable as well. This is perfect for families who aren’t sure if they will like separate rooms or not. Or for a family who wants to open it all up for a night for a dance party. With a 6’5” central height and 184 square feet, you could probably even fit a DJ in there!
Speaking of having a DJ, this tent is also designed for 21st-century technology in mind. While it’s nice connecting with nature, you and your family may also like staying connected. The tent has a hanging media center, E-ports for easy access to extension cords, and lots of smaller pouches to store chargers or other small electronic accessories.
The five windows provide amazing cross-ventilation going in different directions, leaving you feeling cooled and refreshed when a breeze comes through. The mesh roof can also be used as your skylight when you roll back the flap, which will also offer further ventilation.
Ozark Trail Sphere Tent
12-person capacity
16×16 feet
If you’ve always dreamt of sleeping in an igloo except for the whole “it’s freezing and made of ice” thing – this is an aesthetically similar, but much warmer option. This unique tent is a perfect sphere with a dome shape.
It doesn’t look that big, but you can easily fit 12 people inside its circular walls. This tent is perfect for the family who loves to come back after a long hike or a day of adventure to sit around and chat about their day or to play some card games.
Families looking for a great social experience where you can spend some quality bonding time together in your downtime will appreciate this tent’s design.
The ventilation system is excellent, including top and bottom vents, so this dome doesn’t become a heat bubble. There aren’t as many places to put things to the side or store them separately because of it’s inclusive and intimate design. But the 16×16’ circle will be a great place to come together as a family at the end of each day.
Core Equipment Instant Cabin Tent
12-person capacity
8×10 feet
This is another option that offers the convenience and privacy of an actual home. With two-room dividers to added privacy, it offers three separate rooms. The instant tent capability makes this three-bedroom tent easy to set up within minutes.
The entry doors are large and welcoming, just like the tent itself. The center height is an ample 7-feet-tall making this a great tent if your family resembles an NBA starting lineup. No one should have to worry about leaving this camping trip with a neck or backache because they had to duck down the entire time.
The adjustable ventilation options make it easy to get air in the areas you need it most. Between the multiple ventilation options and the room dividers, this tent will help solve the problem that so many families face on camping trips: hot vs. cold.
Regulating the perfect temperature in a tent for yourself can even be challenging at times. But regulating it for a family of seven is a whole other story. The rooms offer not only privacy but also a way to help control temperature based on who likes it breezy and crisp vs. who wants to keep the heat in.
Eureka Copper Canyon Camping Tent
12-person capacity
14×12 feet
This tent is a part of a series that Eureka released starting with 4 and 6-person options right up to this one, which can fit 12 people very comfortably.
It comes with a single room divider, but it also boasts two separate entrances, making this another excellent option for a family looking to have their own space or do their own thing. This way, your family member who is an early riser or a night owl can utilize a door further from others’ sleeping areas.
This tent is not going to be the biggest one you will find, but it does a lot with the space given and still allows a dozen people to sleep comfortably. They built in ample storage pockets to help you keep your belongings close by, but out of the way.
Not only is this tent 7-foot tall, but its walls also stand almost perfectly vertical. If you have cots or taller furniture and appliances, this tent is ideal.
The design of this tent also considers your views. Six windows around the entire tent provide 360-degree views and incredible ventilation so you can enjoy your scenic surroundings with a gentle cool breeze.
Coleman Signature Prairie Breeze Tent
9-person capacity
14×10 feet
This tent is simple in design and aesthetics from the outside. But it is incredibly well made and durable against all types of weather conditions. It also has some surprises for you on the inside.
This unique tent comes equipped with an LED light and fan that attaches to the top. Between the six oversized mesh screen windows and this innovative fan, you can see where this tent got it’s “Prairie Breeze” name. These features make this an ideal tent for those hot summer nights that can make for an uncomfortable and poor night’s sleep.
The light and fan are both batteries operated but also offer the feature of a rechargeable cartridge. This is an ideal tent for families that enjoy having some time together in the evenings but want to get away from the bugs and stay in their tent. The lighting offers a much better alternative for nighttime reading or game night when you don’t want to all be hovering around a few lanterns.
The cabin design is almost a perfect rectangle, offering more room without having walls leaning inwards. If your family loves a good challenge in the great outdoors during inclement weather seasons and you need ample space with solid reliability – this is a perfect option.
Northwest Territory Grand Canyon Tent
12-person capacity
20×12 feet
This tent is an attention grabber, looking far more like a small home than a large tent. The long design with a perfect triangle roof will have you feeling right at home in this spacious tent that offers many thoughtful features.
Not only does it look like a home, but it also functions like one. With two full-sized closets, you will be able to keep your luggage or additional belongings out of the way and maintain neat and spacious living and sleeping areas.
If your family does not have a reputation for its light-packing skills, this will be a great option.
Aside from the closet space you also have pouches, media pockets, a gear hammock, and bottle holders spread throughout the tent to make this a highly efficient and convenient tent for every member of your family.
The two-room dividers will allow for three separate rooms in this 192 square foot house-tent.
The rain fly doesn’t go too far down each side of the tent, which means this isn’t the best tent for rainy, windy weather. But if you have a forecast of clear skies and you want to get some amazing views from a tent, this is an excellent option for that as well.
It boasts four massive windows that will allow you to sit in the comfort of your tent while you feel as though you are outside because of the fantastic airflow and oversized windows.
Tahoe Gear Prescott 12 Person 3-Season Family Cabin Tent
This tent has a footprint of 20 x 10 feet. That puts it in the same physical size as most of the tents in this review. With a central height of 78″ it will only be the tallest of people who cannot stand up.
As with most large dome tents (umm, Tahoe call it a cabin tent – to my eyes this is a classic dome tent), there are 2 doors. As we have said before – that’s great for ventilation and to keep the tent aired during the day.
It comes with a rain fly which only covers the roof of the tent. Both the tent and the rain fly are waterproofed to 1200mm so this should not be too much of a problem.
The room divider allows the tent to be partitioned for a little extra privacy.
Although this tent is rated to sleep 12 people, once you have a pair of queen sized airbeds inside you don’t have too much room for anything else.
We struggled to find anything negative to say about this tent.
fortunershop Family Cabin Tent 14 Person Base Camp 4 Rooms
This fortunershop tent measures 20 x 20 feet. It is comfortably the largest tent on review here.
The tent has 3 sewn-in room dividers which allow the tent to be segregated quite creatively. For us, we would tend to have it set-up to provide 3 or 4 bedrooms. Each of the bedrooms then has its own door. That’s pretty neat if your are camping with another family.
You can tie back the dividers and have a big tent. Each segment is big enough for an air mattress though you can’t get much else in.
Sadly, we have seen a few reviews of poles snapping in poor weather. Otherwise, most people seem very happy with the fortunershop family camping tent.
The Perfect Tent for Your Next Family Camping Trip?
With so many options, it can seem a bit daunting to find the best option for you and your family. But prioritizing what is more important for you as a family, while also considering the space of the tent will be the best place to start. All these tents offer incredible spaces with ample room to move around, sleep, and enjoy your time together.
For our money, the Ozark Trail 3-Room Vacation Tent provides the best combination of size, features and price.
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