5 Best Family Tents For Camping With Toddlers

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After all, the last thing you want is to get an inferior tent that can lead to water leakage, rips and generally an uncomfortable experience.

You’re going to need a durable, weatherproof tent that’s got plenty of space, such as the Coleman Montana (Amazon) tent. There are lots of other factors too, which we’ll cover later on.

With so much choice on the market choosing the right tent can be a difficult task!

Therefore, after hours and hours of research and our own experience, we’ve put together a list of the top 5 tents that perfect for camping with toddlers.

Let’s get started…

That was a brief overview of our top 3 recommended tents for camping with toddlers, now let’s take a look at all of them in more detail below:

Here are the different factors you should consider in finding the right tent for you:

Tent capacity

When camping with toddlers, I would always recommend getting a slightly larger tent than required. For example, if you’re looking for a 4-person tent then you might want to consider getting a 6-person tent.

This will allow for a little more living space for the kids to run around and play. As we all know when traveling with toddlers there’s a lot of baggage, so having a bit more extra space will come in handy to put all your baggage and give them the freedom to move without feeling enclosed.

Dividing rooms

A tent with a divider will come in handy if you have a lot of gear with you, simply place it all in the other room and close the dividing screen. Another great reason to have a dividing room is if you’re thinking of going on a camping trip with another couple who has kids, this way you can each have your own privacy. Or if the weather is bad why not turn it into a playroom during the day?

Spacious interior

You want your children to be comfortable and relaxed when camping, so I’d recommend getting a tent with a large interior. As we all know, having a toddler is hard work, they don’t stop running, climbing and jumping.

Therefore keeping them cramped up in a small tent will generally result in tears. Giving them the freedom to move, run and play will keep them happy, with small tents kids may feel trapped and confined.

Head room

You’re going to need the headroom running after your children. In all seriousness, having the headroom to move around freely is much better than hunching down as you’ll probably end up with a bad back after your trip.

Mesh windows and roof

Having a breathable tent reduces the risk of condensation. By allowing fresh air to flow through your tent allows the moisture to pass to the outside making it a more comfortable place to be.

By having mesh windows and roof it allows your child to see the outdoors from within the comfort of their own tent. It lets natural light in and fresh air making your tent a happier and more comfortable place to be.

It will also give your child the feeling of being home, rather than the feeling of stuck in a closet with no windows or light.

Screeend porch area

A screened porch area is a nice addition to any family tent, it’s a great place to have a family meal, play games or relax at night and taking in your surroundings. Having a screened porch also stops the bugs and mosquitos from getting in.

Hopefully, it doesn’t come to this but it can be a godsend for one of you to escape the kids for 30-minutes or so if they have a tantrum.

Weatherproof

Ensure your tent is weatherproof from strong winds and heavy rain. The Coleman tents are known for being put through their paces against their competitors and they come out on top.

They can withstand 35 gallons of water within 10-minutes and more than 35 mph winds and the tent won’t budge. All the tents reviewed are weatherproof and will withstand harsh weather conditions keeping your family safe and dry should you encounter bad weather.

Build quality

Always check the build quality of your tent, ensure its made from durable materials such as rip-stop, 68D Polyester and polyester taffeta 75D, etc. Getting a low-grade tent will only result in leakage, rips, tears and broken poles from strong winds.

If the weather is bad or the terrain is rough poor quality tents simply won’t last the trip, if they do that most likely won’t make the next one.

Set up and dismantle

The Coleman Pop up tent will have you pitched up in around 10-seconds, you can’t ask for quicker than that. Setting up your tent can be a hassle, especially if you arrive at camp when it’s dark, therefore you want a tent that’s easy to set up with no complicated instruction manuals.

If you’re unsure, then I would recommend doing a few trial runs in your garden or at the local park before your trip, just so you can get familiar with how it is put together. That way when you arrive at camp, no matter the time of day you’ll have no nasty surprises.

Camping with a toddler can be tricky enough, so don’t make life harder by getting a tent that NASA would have problems assembling.

Inside storage

If you’re using the tent to its full capacity then you’re going to need lots of internal storage pockets and compartments to store all the essentials. As I mentioned earlier I would recommend getting a tent slightly bigger so you have more room for storage.

Weight and portability

Having a lightweight and portable tent is ideal if you’re backpacking as a family, as the last thing you want to be doing is carrying a big heavy tent around with you for long periods of time. The Coleman Pop Up tent would be the best candidate if you’re looking for a large portable family tent. If you don’t fancy a pop-up tent then the CORE 9 Come tent weighs in at around 16 pounds.

E-Port extension

We all know this day and age how much both adults and kids depend on technology. Desperate times call for desperate measures if all else fails then almost all of us resort to giving our children a tablet with YouTube.

So don’t let your devices go flat if you get a tent with an E-Port you can run an extension cable right into your tent and keep all those handy gadgets fully charged.

Value for money

Don’t always go for the cheapest tent or one that’s on offer, as most of the time the quality is inferior. Always compare the materials and specifications. Sometimes it’s worth paying that little bit more and getting a tent that will last you, rather than getting a new cheap one every year.

Poorly made tents won’t last if the weather turns bad, strong winds and heavy rain will damage the tent and flood the inside. However, that said, sometimes you can grab a bargain, just remember to compare everything and read the reviews.

All the tents reviewed in this post are of the highest quality and specifications, and are built to last!

To summarize, to get the very best out of your camping trip, it all starts with the tent. You need a good quality tent that will hold steady in bad weather and keep your family dry.

With so many factors to take into consideration and so many tents on the market, finding the right tent can be tricky.

However, I hope with this article we have eliminated some of that doubt. All the above tents in this article with ensuring you have a safe and successful camping trip with your toddlers

Anyway, here’s a quick recap of what I think the most important things are you should look:

• Livability: Ensure your tent has enough space and head height
• Get a size bigger: Get a tent the next size up to give you more room
• Mesh windows and roof: Lets fresh air an natural light into your tent
• Weatherproof: Ensure your tent is protected against wind and rain
• Easy set up: Quick setup is vital when you have toddlers running around

If you follow these tips, then you can really go wrong. I hope you have enjoyed this post on our best tent for camping with toddlers. If you have please share it with your friends and family.