We’ve looked at so many different 10 person tents trying to find the best 10 person tent of the year… and we’re excited to bring you this review!
If you’re in a hurry, check out our top pick the NTK Arizona GT 9 to 10 Person Sport Camping Tent
For most people, camping is a social event. For families or groups that want to socialize indoors as well as around the fire, a large 10 person tent is the next best thing to a portable cabin. In recent years, a number of models have hit the market that boasts fantastic features that are guaranteed to enhance any camping experience.
In the following article, we’ll look at some of these items in more detail to see if we can determine the best 10 person tent money can buy.
In this article, we’re going to review the following 10 person tents:
- OZARK Trail Family Cabin Tent
- NTK Arizona GT 9 to 10 Person Sport Camping Tent
- CORE 10 Person Straight Wall Cabin Tent
- Tahoe Gear Olympia 10-Person 3-Season Family Camping Tent
- Coleman WeatherMaster 10-Person Outdoor Tent
Why Invest in a 10 Person Tent?
For decades, tent manufacturers focused almost exclusively on portability when designing their products. The idea was for each person to have a small tent that could fit on top of their pack, taking up as little space as possible while providing the bare minimum of sleeping space.
In recent years, however, the very concept of what camping can and should be has changed. Rather than a few people “roughing it” in their own 6×6 tent, campers are traveling to huge events and meetings for days, weeks, or even entire seasons.
This means people are taking more stuff with them into the woods than ever before – and more family and friends as well.
Multi-person tents aren’t just inflated versions of their smaller cousins. They offer separate spaces, rooms, entrance ways and all manner of storage options.
Need a makeshift hunting cabin for you and your buddies? Need to ensure the kids each have their own room for that week in the woods? Need places to store your dirty gear, food, and cooking equipment where it will stay dry and safe?
A 10 person tent has you covered.
More Space, More Fun (and More Privacy)
For families, the idea of having more space when camping is especially appealing. Not everyone approaches camping with the same amount of “gusto,” so some family members may appreciate a quiet, secluded space to read a book while the rest are out hiking or camping.
This is also true when bad weather strikes, as spaces inside the tent can be designated “wet” or “dry” rather than the entire structure becoming damp and miserable.
Privacy, however, is easily the most common benefit cited when multi-person tents are discussed. Some parents who may be hesitant to take younger children camping and putting them in their own tent will feel much better having them under the same “roof,” but still secluded in their own room or area.
With almost all models offering optional interior flaps and doors, changing or showering becomes a much easier affair.
What Features to Look For
Though the vast majority of tent brands do their best to stand out with unique or innovative features, there are a few features to look for if you want to maximize your multi-person tent experience.
Seasonality
Some tents are better suited to different environments so you need to establish what conditions you will use the tent in. If you plan on camping during the warmer months, 3-season tents are great because of their lightweight materials and good ventilation with mesh ceilings.
They are most suited for mild temperatures like summer, fall, or spring and would not withstand harsh storms, or heavy snow very well. There are 3-4 season tents suitable for use in summer or in late fall and early spring when you may have to deal with a little snow.
If you do a lot of trips to higher-elevations, a 3-4 season tent can be a good choice but it won’t be as reinforced for harsh weather like a 4-season tent. Those tents are constructed to be able to handle a substantial amount of snow and withstand strong winds.
However, some of those tents can feel a bit stuffy since they may not have as many mesh panels like the other two styles but they are definitely a safe place to hunker down during a storm.
Number of Rooms / Number of Dividers
Almost all the major brands have gotten the message that customers want the ability to separate space inside their large tents. How they do this, the number of “rooms,” the quality and type of dividers – those all still vary quite a bit. Depending on what sort of use you have planned for your tent, your desired room features will vary, so be sure to choose a model that fits your plans (and your company)
Ceiling Height
You will usually find higher ceiling heights in most ten-person tents as a lot of them are cabin style which offer more headroom. However, some dome-style tents will have a lower peak height so it’s important to consider how tall the occupants are and whether you’ll need to hang lighting or other fixtures from the ceiling.
Flooring
For a large family tent you plan on using a lot, you need a strong floor. Ensure the floor is made of durable material. Some models have a “bathtub-style” floor construction to help protect you and your belongings from any moisture seeping into your tent.
Ventilation, Netting, and Storage
When choosing a multi-person camping tent, it’s a good idea to think about what you want to keep in and out. For instance, 10 people stuck in a sealed-up tent will get unbearable in a matter of minutes, and windows can be an easy solution.
However, how many windows are appropriate? Also, do the windows risk letting in mosquitoes or water? What about storage? With the maximum number of people inside, how much equipment can be stowed or stored away?
Size, Portability, and Setup
How large the tent is isn’t just about how much can be fit inside of it, it’s also about how easy it will be to lug from place to place. As far as this function goes, many 10 person tents vary quite a bit, with some proving to be extremely easy and comfortable to carry while others are a bit cumbersome.
Another important factor is how easy or difficult the tent is to set up. After a long hike, having to spend precious relaxation time setting up can be an annoying task.
Bonuses and Innovations
Many tent brands anticipate their customers’ needs by attaching helpful bonus items with their products or including innovative design features. Examples include models that come with air mattresses, coolers, or lanterns or those that feature special seams to keep out water or special netting that retains privacy while still allowing for ventilation.
Top 5 Best 10 Person Tent Reviews
OZARK Trail Family Cabin Tent
The OZARK Trail Family Cabin Tent is a 20′ by 10′ model with a center height of 78”. The manufacturer claims it can sleep 10 comfortably and fit three Queen sized air mattresses with “room to spare.” It comes with two removable room dividers, allowing the buyer to create up to three separate rooms.
It also features two side doors in addition to the main entrance (for privacy), and six windows for ventilation. Two inflatable mattresses are included (one Queen and one Twin). Heavy-duty polyethylene
PROS:
- Includes one Queen-sized and one Twin-sized air mattress.
- Resists rain and weather well.
- Super high 78” ceiling.
- Very affordable for such a highly-reviewed product.
CONS:
- Not available in California due to restrictions.
- Some users have reported instances of poles breaking easily.
- Rain can sometimes enter the tent through the netting even with rain fly in place.
>>View On Amazon<<
NTK Arizona GT 9 to 10 Person Sport Camping Tent
The NTK Arizona GT was built to survive the Amazon weather so it’s a pretty heavy duty 3 season tent. It is spacious enough to fit up to 10 people (a mix of adults and kids). This tent is designed with two separate rooms, two doors, and three windows to maximize both privacy and ventilation.
The tent design focuses heavily on ensuring that the occupants stay dry in all weather, utilizing a double layer polyester laminated rainfly and an anti-fungus “bathtub-style” floor construction. All doors and window feature D-style designs and mosquito mesh.
PROS:
- Rated one of the “Best Family Tents in the USA” in 2018.
- 100% Waterproof
- Color-coded poles for easy assembly.
- Lifetime replacement on poles.
- Condenses into an easy-to-carry tote bag.
CONS:
- Window flaps don’t open from the inside
>> View On Amazon<<
CORE 10 Person Straight Wall Cabin Tent – 14′ x 10′
The CORE 10 Person Cabin Tent is a simple, straight wall tent can fit up to 10 people. It is a very open, rectangular design, but it does include a divider that can turn it into a two-room tent with double door access (front and back).
With a center height of 86”, the tent will breathe well, light well, and allow for even the tallest individuals to stand up comfortably.
Extras include a rain fly, a gear loft for extra storage far away from moisture, and expandable carry bag, and a specially-designed port to allow for electrical cord access.
PROS:
- Gear loft is a great touch to keep essential items dry and safe.
- Very affordable tent when compared to similarly sized products.
- Extremely tall and spacious.
- Advanced venting system draws cool air in from the ground.
- Large mesh ceiling helps push hot air out the top.
CONS:
- There have been claims of rain leaking in through the rainfly.
- Aside from the loft, there are very few additional storage options.
>> View On Amazon<<
Tahoe Gear Olympia 10-Person 3-Season Family Camping Tent
The Tahoe Gear Olympia Family Camping Tent is an 18′ by 10.5′ model designed predominantly for quick and easy setup utilizing shock-corded poles and a simple pin-and-ring system, the tent can be set up by a single person in just a few minutes.
It also utilizes a durable 1200mm polyester body that works well for both warm and cool weather, though the manufacturer makes sure to mention that this is not a winter weather tent.
Extras include a power slip near the door, a polyethylene floor, and a 1200mm polyester fly.
PROS:
- Very lightweight and relatively easy to carry.
- More affordable than most of the competition.
- Many users claim that it holds up quite well in heavy rain.
- Spacious, single room design offers an open, “breathable” feeling.
CONS:
- No room divider or ability to section the tent off in any way.
- Not designed to stand up to much wind.
- Once deployed, it is hard to get the tent and accessories back into the provided bag.
>>View On Amazon<<
Coleman WeatherMaster 10-Person Outdoor Tent
The Coleman Weather Master bills itself as a “cabin-like” tent for up to 10 people. The manufacturer claims it has enough room for 3 queen-sized air beds, and that the tent itself can be set up quickly and easily in under 20 minutes.
Measuring 17′ by 9′, the tent is also quite tall, with a center height of 6 feet and 8 inches. There is a single room divider that can separate the space into 2 rooms, though the design retains only one door for entry and exit.
Perhaps the most notable design element in Coleman’s WeatherTec system, which utilized patented “welded floors” and inverted seams to keep water out of the tent.
PROS:
- The angled windows can stay open during the rain.
- Multiple tent wall storage pockets.
- Specifically engineered to resist wind and prevent pole breakage in storms.
- Inverted seams and “welding inspired” flooring is extra effective against rain.
- Bathtub-style floor keeps water out quite well.
CONS:
- Other users suggest additional waterproofing with over-the-counter products.
- There have been complaints that the rain fly fails after repeated exposure to the sun.
>>View On Amazon<<
Summary
Taking all features into consideration, we found the best 10 person tent for camping is the NTK Arizona GT 9 to 10 Person Sport Camping Tent. Its ultra-high ceilings and large mesh vents help keep the area inside spacious and well ventilated.
We really like the loft-storage with lantern loop and utility pockets with bottle holder as well as the double layer polyester laminated rainfly and the “bathtub-style” floor construction keeping you dry in wet weather. It also scored points for its light weight at 18 pounds making it the lightest of the 10 person tents reviewed here.
We can see why it’s been rated one of the “Best Family Tents in the USA” in 2016 and we believe this a great quality tent you can use for long term camping.
All in all, the NTK Arizona GT 9 to 10 Person Sport Camping Tent delivers the most consistent performance.