6 Best 4-Person Tents for Family Car Camping, Waterproof 4-Man Shelters

Last Updated on 26 September 2024 by Cycloscope

The Best 4-Person Tents for Family Car Camping, from Cheap to Top

All-Weather Waterproof 4-Man Shelters, Standing Height, Budget, Affordable, Great-Value, Best Quality

Love camping but are scared of tents? You have every right to be. We have all experienced horror stories of broken poles, torn rainflies, and long, wet nights in the wilderness.

Here’s the good news: You don’t have to be afraid anymore! 

In this blog article, we will help you find the best 4-person tent, one that qualifies as a home away from home.

There is no rule that says camping tents have to be cramped, damp, and miserable. You can go family camping and still live like a king in the 4-man tents reviewed here.

For family bonding, nothing is better than a camping holiday, but if you want to get great memories, while still staying in your comfort zone, one of the best tents for family car camping is what you really need.

We will help you find tents that are lightweight, durable, spacious, and easy to set up. In particular, we will help you find tents with multiple doors and vestibules for greater access and utility.

looking for a lightweight option?
> Best 4-Person Backpacking Tent: the lightest 4-man tents for all budgets

The 6 Best 4-Person Tents in a Nutshell

Are you in a rush? Here are our picks for each category:

• Kazoo Family Tent – best 4-men tent for a family car-camping road trip
• NTK INDY GT 4/5 – best (very) cheap 4-person tent under 200$
• HEIMPLANET Inflatable – best inflatable backyard tent
• Vango Purbeck 600X – best family tents for comfort
• Core 2-Rooms Family Tent – best “cheap” tent for large groups
• Coleman 8-Person Family Tent – best budget (under 200$) 4-man family tent for occasional campers

3 Best Compact Car Camping Tents for 4 Persons

Those three tents listed here are a good compromise between comfort and weight/bulk. Some of these can host more than 4 persons, although the ideal number of occupants to stay comfortable shouldn’t exceed four adults.

1. KAZOO Teepee Family Camping Tent

Who doesn’t like a teepee? The Kazoo Family Camping Tent is a lightweight, spacious, and durable tent for multiple seasons. The most impressive feature of the tent is that it can be set up within 5 minutes! Most of the tent is preassembled; all you have to do is take the tent out of the storage bag and stretch the aluminum poles until the tent is freestanding. 

The tent is shaped like a tipi (teepee); it has almost vertical walls that make the room spacious enough to hold a family of four easily, able to fit two double camping cots. The packaging includes support poles so that you can make a nice sunshade and a porch area at the front door.

There is a large vestibule in the tent; you can store extra gear and your beloved CrossFit shoes or hiking boots, change out of muddy clothes, or just hang out for a while in this handy area.

The tent has two large windows for excellent views wherever you are camping. The inside of the tent is mesh, while the outside is made from a sturdy waterproof material to keep you safe from all kinds of weather.

Kazoo Family Camping Tent Specs

• Size: Inches: 95 x 86 / cm: 241.3 x 218.44
• Packaged Weight: 6.5 Kg / 14.31lb
• Entrances: 2
• Windows: 2
• Vestibules: 2
• Free Standing/ Not Free Standing: Free Standing 
• Season: 3

Kazoo Family Tent – Overall Impression

Lightweight and spacious with 2 entrances and 2 vestibules, the Kazoo family tent can be assembled in under five minutes. The perfect tent for a family car-camping road trip.

2. NTK INDY GT 4 to 5-Person Tent

The NTK INDY GT is a roomy budget tent that can house 4-5 people easily. Whether you are a couple with three children under 12 or you are a group of 4 friends, this tent accommodates you perfectly.

It is very easy to assemble; you can get the whole thing together in under 15 minutes. The sturdy and waterproof material of the tent will keep you safe from all weather conditions. Furthermore, the bathtub design of the tent will not let wetness seep into the floor through the ground.

The best feature of the tent is its large D-shaped doors; you can enter and exit the tent easily through these large doors. The tent has plenty of hooks and pockets inside the tent to store your gear and personal items. You can even hang a night light inside! 

The two vestibules of the tent are very handy for storing extra gear like a camping stove, bags, and even extra sleeping bags. For kids with families, it’s the perfect place to change, play games, and just laze around while enjoying a sunny day. 

The front vestibule is very spacious; you can use support poles to extend it into a shaded porch which will come in very handy. 

The only negative is the absence of windows. Although you can enjoy the view from the makeshift patio, it may feel claustrophobic inside the sleeping area as there are no windows. Secondly, although there are vents, they are too small; they may not be enough to keep condensation down or keep the tent ventilated. 

NTK INDY GT 4/5 Specifications

• Size: inches: 153.6 x 96 / cm:  390.14 x 243.84
• Weight: 5.6 Kg / 12 Lbs
• Entrances: 2
• Vestibules: 2
• Free Standing: Yes
• Season: 3

NTK INDY GT 4/5 – Overall Impression

A large and very cheap 4-person tent with 2 wide doors, 2 vestibules, and a spacious front patio area, the NTK tent can accommodate up to 5 individuals easily.

A lack of windows and insufficient ventilation chip away some points from the otherwise perfect camping tent. It is compact when packed, you can carry it in your car easily.

3. HEIMPLANET Original – Inflatable Dome Tent

HEIMPLANET Inflatable Dome Tent Review

The Heimplanet Original Backdoor tent is an inflatable large-sized tent that you can set up within one minute! The tent is small in its packaged form, but once it is inflated, it expands into a large-sized two-room tent that can accommodate 4 adults very comfortably.

Each room has its own large door that can be folded and tucked away or zipped up for warmth and privacy. The large doors make it easy for campers to come in and out of the rooms without trouble. 

The tent has two main doors with adjoining vestibules; one at the front and a smaller one at the back. Campers can store larger gear like backpacks out-front while the smaller vestibule can be used to store shoes and other small items. 

The tent is manufactured for 3-seasons. The inner mesh fabric of the tent, proper vents, and adjustable tent height offer a superior ventilation system that will keep your tent condensation-free in every weather! 

The two-room design offers superior functionality; you can use it in case of damage to one room. The sturdy material of the tent is waterproof and will keep you toasty warm in all weather. 

HEIMPLANET Inflatable Dome Specs

• Size: 97 sq ft / 68 sq ft + 20 sq ft + 9 sq ft
• Packaged Size: Inches: 20 x 10 x 8 / cm: 51 x 26 x 21
• Weight: 4.53 Kg / 10 Lbs.
• Packaged Weight: 6.0 Kg / 13.4 Lbs. 
• Entrances: 2
• Vestibules: 2
• Free Standing: Yes
• Season: 3

HEIMPLANET Inflatable – Overall Impression

No assembly is required; you just have to pump to inflate the preassembled tent. Just don’t forget the pump at home! Small when compact, it is easy to fit in the car. It has 2 vestibules for more storage and a 2-room design that offers greater functionality.

3 Best Two Rooms Tents For Families

Those mentioned here are not proper 4-person tents, they are larger tents capable of hosting large groups of people.

We added them here because we think many of you might mean “best tent for a family of four” when they digit on their search engine “best 4-person tent”.

These four tents here all have separate rooms, great for privacy on longer camping trips, and are of course heavier and bulkier than backpacking tents, but the comfort is not comparable.

1. Vango Purbeck 600X Tent, X-Large

One of the biggest 4-person tents available, the Vango Purbeck 600X, is an extra-large tent that has a spacious sleeping area and a sizeable living room area with a built-in front extension that acts as a patio where you could place your portable camping table and chairs.

One look at the Vango Purbeck 600X will tell you that this is no ordinary tent. It is built to provide you with the comfort of a home away from home with some extraordinary features.

Firstly, it is huge; the total size of the tent is 20 feet. There are two ISO standard-sized bedrooms. The fabric wall between the rooms can be removed to create one large sleeping area. The rest of the space is for the covered multi-purpose living room and entrance.

The living room has large clear windows to provide you with an amazing view of your surroundings even when you are inside. The area is so large you can easily store your gear, camping equipment, shoes, games, and whatever else you might have with you! The entrance has a very large door that you can come in and out of without stopping even a little!

The height of the living room and the entrance is high; adults can stand inside at their full height without trouble. 

The entrance door and the bedroom doors are mesh and fabric; you can remove the fabric easily to allow ventilation inside the tent. 

The tent is sturdy, great in windy areas, and waterproof up to 3000mm to keep you and your family dry in most weather conditions.

Vango Purbeck 600X Specs

• Size: Inches: 236.2 x 104.3 x 80.7 / cm: 600 x 265 x 205
• Packaged Size: Inches: 28 x 16.5 x 16.5 / cm: 71 x 42 x 42 
• Weight: 19.75 Kg / 43.54 Lbs. 
• Entrances: 1
• Vestibules: 1
• Free Standing: Yes
• Season: 3

Vango Purbeck 600X – Overall Impression

An extra-large tent that is perfect for a long-term camping trip for a family of four. It is comfortable, easy to assemble, and can fit all of your stuff with room for more! Fair price for one of the best family tents for comfort, ideal for tall people.

2. Core 2-Rooms 12 Person Instant Cabin Tent

The Core Two Room Instant Cabin tent is perfect for a party of 8-12 campers or for a family of 4-person who want the best comfort. This big-sized tent has a lot of great features, let’s look at them one by one.

The tent is 18 feet by 10 feet in size; 12 campers can sleep inside in their sleeping bags easily. The tent has hooks, mesh pockets, and vestibules to accommodate the gear of the 12 people.

There are two bedrooms inside the tent for privacy and for better utilization of the space. The wall between the 2 rooms is detachable; it can be removed to create a bigger space.

Additionally, there are large screen windows inside the tent that come with clear, mesh, and fabric cover options that you can utilize according to your needs. The roof cover can also be removed, leaving a mesh roof that allows for greater ventilation and perfect stargazing on fair-weather nights.

The tent is sturdy and waterproof with an elevated floor to keep you dry at all times. It comes preassembled and can be set up within minutes.

Core 2-Rooms Specs

• Size: Inches: 216 x 120 / cm: 549 x 305
• Packaged Size: Inches: 47 x 14 x 13 / cm: 119.38 x 35.56 x 33.02
• Weight: 19.50 kgs / 43 Lbs. 
• Entrances: 2
• Vestibules: 2
• Freestanding: Yes
• Season: 4

Core 2-Rooms Family Tent – Overall Impressions

The tent is a little heavy but given its large size, it’s to be expected. One of the best “cheap” tents for large groups.

3. Coleman 8-person Camping Tent with Built-in Closet

The Coleman 8-person tent is a luxury-sized tent that can accommodate 8 people comfortably.

It is a 13-foot tent with two large bedrooms and a large D-shaped door with an adjoining vestibule. Interestingly, this tent has a built-in closet that you can use to store your gear, clothes, shoes, and miscellaneous items. Apart from the closet, the tent has ample pockets and hooks to store items.

The tent has an E-port to give you a home away from home feeling; you can connect your phone charger, a night light, or any other electric item. The tent has large windows that won’t let your feet claustrophobic. The windows have interchangeable mesh and fabric covers that will keep your tent ventilated as well as protected.

On the other hand, many users have reported that the aluminum poles often malfunction. They are either crimped, or they don’t extend all the way, which affects the shape and functionality of the tent.

Coleman 8-Person Family Tent Specs:

• Size: Inches: 156 x 108 / cm: 61.41 x 43
• Weight: 13 Kg / 28.66 Lbs. 
• Packaged Weight: 15.33 Kg / 33.8 Lbs. 
• Entrances: 2
• Vestibules: 2
• Free Standing: Yes
• Season: 3

Coleman 8-Person Family Tent – Overall Impressions

A cheap family tent for stationary camping. The best for those who want to stay on a budget and use the tent only occasionally.

Some more camping gear articles

• 12 Best Ultralight Sleeping Pads Compared
• The Top Sleeping Bags for Those On-A-Budget
• 9 Ultralight 1-Person Tents Compared
• 14 Lightweight 2-Person Tents Under 200$
• A List of the Best Camping Headlights
• The best Hammock Underquilts and Sleeping Pads

How to Increase Your Tent’s Life

here are a few tips to help you take care of your tent:

• Never pack your tent when it’s wet. Dry your tent out before packing it; a wet tent becomes smelly, but more importantly, it affects the waterproofing treatment of your tent. A damp tent is also more likely to get mold and fungus.
• Never pitch your tent under direct sunlight. It is best to avoid direct sunlight if you can; sunlight will cause the colors to fade, will affect the waterproofing treatment of the tent, and will cause more wear and tear. 
• Take care of your tent poles. Often poles bend, crimp or break because of haphazard usage. Handle the poles gently and use proper care when setting up the tent. 
• Patch your tent as soon as possible. If you have torn your tent then it’s important to patch it up right away. If you don’t fix a tear; it will affect the integrity of the entire structure. 
• Clean your tent after a few uses. A thorough cleaning will make sure that your tent lasts for a long time.

FAQs about the best 4-person tents