Men’s Gear Awards: Best Tent Brands Of 2019

Marmot

Founded in 1974, it would be comical to claim that Marmot is new in the world of outdoor equipment, gear, or apparel. However, they have truly stood out for a long time without being the top of the industry.

Well, that was until the last few years when people began realizing how amazing their products are once again. The brand makes amazing instant tents, which can often be forgotten because they have a lot of amazing products that can might be bought more often.

The reason that tents are bought from Marmot is due to their superior quality. Basically, they last so long however, they won’t be bought as often as their apparel. This is likely why people forget about the amazing tents.

However, to be among the best tent brands, you have to produce several great tents that can be used for a variety of things. We feel they do that well.

The Power Of Thor

We’re big fans of the Thor 3-Person Tent by Marmot. While Marmot offers bigger and smaller tents, we feel this shows people exactly what the Marmot brand is all about. It contains compelling things like an Internal Guy system, Marmot Knees System, Two D-Shaped Doors, Seam-Taped Full Coverage Fly w/Vents, Poled Vestibule, and much more.

The tent is promised to be a “bare bones set-up” as well, making it easy to put together. They also offer the Jingle-Free Nylon Zipper Pulls, which is always a plus. They also use relatively sturdy DAC Featherlite NSL Poles.

Thought “lite” is in the name, that only means their weight but not how they hold up.

The added Window Weld™ gives you an even greater way to see what is outside. The overall tent also has reflective points throughout, allowing people and animals to see you’re there with any small or large light that hits it.

They even include a field repair kit for taking care of tent issues when you’re out and about.

This tent currently retails at $700.

Price Range

For Marmot tents, the price you pay truly has to do with how big the tent is. A one-person tent won’t be anywhere near the price of a 6-person version.

You could pay anywhere between $100 to $900 it appears. This is a pretty fair and industry-standard range truthfully. That said, we cannot fault them for their price point. When it’s a fair range, that should be commended.

They have what appears to be a lifetime warranty on their products, but only first-generation ownership. That said, if you sell it at a yard sale in a few years, the warranty won’t be able to be given in the purchase.

They also don’t repair any normal wear and tear, but rather, significant things that were clear issues that should never have happened. For more specific details on their warranty policy, you can click here.

Marmot currently offers free shipping via FedEx to the United States and Canada. To learn more about their shipping policies, you can click here.

Field & Stream

Often confused for the magazine of the same name, the Field & Stream company was founded in 1871 and have been selling products ever since then. This included their own types of products, such as tents.

Their tents have grown over the years in technology as well as popularity. For this company, it’s hit and miss some years with tents. The best and worst thing about Field & Stream is that they’ll sell you an amazing tent.

This just means most won’t come back to get a new one because they already have a great tent. Their quality is on display heavily, especially in our favorite tent that they sell.

The Wilderness Will Never Be The Same

We absolutely love the Field & Stream Wilderness Lodge 3 Person Tent. It’s large enough to fit three people in, but you could likely fit in more due to how big it appears. The dome shape that it has actually allowed for this extra space, mostly whenever you’re standing.

The peak height is around 46″ inches. With dimensions of 7′ x 6′ and a vestibule area of 7′ x 3′.

The tent uses Dry Safe™ technology to provide 1200mm waterproof coating, with taped seams to keep the water out. No more non-stick spray for your tent! Also included is an Element Barrier Bottom. This is a rugged 210D poly-oxford bathtub floor that will sure dryness.

The fly material is made of Dry SafeT, 1200mm polyurethane waterproof coating, for major rain protection. The floor of the tent is made from poly-oxford with 1200mm polyurethane coating.

On top of this is the seams on the fly and vestibule factory being taped and backed up with 1200mm polyurethane coating for more ways to keep water out. The windows have a zippered open to allow for a little or a lot of the air from outside to come inside the tent.

It’s also zippered at the rear panel of the fly to help add further airflow. Included are a mesh fear loft, pre-tied storm guy lines, and a vestibule for more protection and gear storage.

One would imagine a high price for this tent, but it comes in at a price of just $70. However, it is only available from Dick’s Sporting Goods.

Price Range

Field & Stream is a notable brand, and being under the Dicks Sporting Goods company has sort of allowed them more room to experiment with their brand. They have been able to develop some amazing tents without going too far or offering too little.

Their price range is well under the industry standard. As most of their tents do not go above $300 to $400, even for 6-person tents!

They offer free shipping of orders $49 and up, which is great to see. However, this only includes the mainland United States. The states of Alaska and Hawaii may have to pay for shipping, and all international customers will pay for shipping.

They also have a warranty, but it seems to differ depending on a few factors. Due to Field & Stream operating as a store that sells both their own name brand products as well as products from other manufacturers, they don’t seem to bring up much regarding the warranty for their name-brand material.

REI

The REI brand, or REI Co-Op, depending on you know them, is one of the better tent brands we’ve seen this year. They’re always great with their tents, but it’s clear that they love to go that extra mile with their tents compared to other brands.

It is uncertain how they continue to come up with more unique ways to make large tents and put them out at great, high-quality. However, we hope they never stop inventing and continue to make wild designs and forms of tents that no one has seen before.

They make us interested, heavily, in what they come up with. REI is one of the best due to the fact that they just know how to get it done each time they put a tent together.

We feel one tent represents the company well, as it shows what they are capable of doing. However, it still does not show all they can do.

Thy Kingdom Come

The REI Co-op Kingdom 8 Tent is very special. While it is obvious that it can fit at least 8 people, you’ll likely find that it can fit a few more if you needed it to do so. It appears that the tent is made for families, as it breaks up into two separate rooms inside.

This is great for parents who want their end of a tent and kids who want their own. The center divider that separates the rooms can be moved around to present different sizes for the rooms.

The vertical walls and rectangular floor offer a pretty large space. This tent was updated to increase possible stability and to make it easier to set-up. The tent uses hubbed pole assemblies, pole clips, and sleeves to offer a freestanding tent.

The color coding on the tent parts helps you put the tent together easier.

This tent has 2 big doors, with 4 zipper sliders. One of the doors has a vestibule, which can be used as a single or double door, well as turned into an awning that requires tarp poles. Those poles are sold separately.

The other door is vertical, which offers a drip-free entry as well as extra room inside.

The paneling mesh, which offers a great view as well as great ventilation. It’s also bugproof. A seam-sealed waterproof polyester rain-floor, as well as cut-in floor, comes with the tent too. Inside the tent will be pockets for extra added storage.

The tent also includes a backpack carry bag with pockets for the poles and stakes. They also include 15 stakes and 8 guylines with tighteners and a pole repair tube.

However, it is not compatible with any Kingdom products sold in 2018 and beyond.

The tent is cleared for up to 3 seasons and can handle rain well with the tarp included. It’s also able to stand up to relatively high winds. With one reviewer saying it held up well against 25mph winds without any trouble.

The price of the tent sits at $550.

Price Range

The REI tents are relatively industry-standard on pricing. For tent brands that specialize in outdoor material or tents in general, it makes sense that they’d charge some higher amounts. REI does seem to offer their tents at a competitive price compared to its competitors, however.

Some 8-person tents we’ve seen as high as $900 and up. The fact they even offer one for under $600 is impressive. Their average price range for their tents is $150-$600, which is relatively fair.

REI also has a membership program that will allow you to save a little on each purchase. Typically it’s 10% off of all purchases. You can read more about their membership here.

They also offer free shipping on orders that are $50 and up. They have a couple of other things you might want to check out regarding the shipping, so we suggest you check that out right here.

REI also offers a limited warranty on all purchases.

Big Agnes

Big Agnes is a favorite of Men’s Gear due to their innovative tents and other amazing gear. When they make products, they don’t just “make them.” Instead, they think through all the things a person might need with a product, then add it in.

Imagine if every day, you could put on clothes that had every single pocket or product you needed right there. No need to take anything with you, it’s provided in your wardrobe. That seemed to be the idea with Big Agnes.

Their tents are not only innovative, but they include a lot without really needing to try. We’d be insulted if we weren’t so freaking impressed by it. We feel one of their tents will prove our point here.

The Bird Flys At Midnight

The Big Agnes Bird Beak SL3 is an insanely light tent that does everything one needs. Whether you’re new to camping or not, this tent will be easy to set up. It’s perfect for backpackers due to its light nature. It’s also perfect for small families too.

There is A LOT going on in this tent. That said, we’re going to short-hand this to make it easier to get through.

• DAC exoskeleton pole system for maximum architectural strength & living space
• External pole structure for easier set-up, and minimal bad-weather impact
• 3+ Season Tent
• Can be Set-up as a double-wall via removal inner-tent body
• 2 Waterproof doors
• Easy shelter-mode set-up for max volume shelter
• Quick slash doorkeeper on tent body, used for unzipping door quick & easy
• Media pockets for proper storage of devices
• 2 oversized fly vents for increased airflow and reduced condensation
• Color-coded webbing & buckets
• Pre-cut guylines and tensioners attached to fly
• Both the webbing and guylines are reflective
• Easy-grip zipper pulls
• Multiple interior loops for gear lofts or attaching other accessories

The features of the tent are certainly noteworthy, but what everything made out of can be compelling too. That is the danger of some tents. Features look great, but the material behind it all can turn out to be crap.

That is not the case with Big Agnes:

• Fly & Floor both are silicone treated nylon with 1200mm waterproof polyurethane coating
• Tent body is polyester mesh, also with 1200mm waterproof polyurethane coating
• All taped seams are waterproof and use solvent-free polyurethane tape
• DAC lightweight PL pole system with lightweight hubs
• Side release buckles connect inner tent to the fly
• 4 Interior mesh pockets
• 4 ceiling pockets for media
• 6 lightweight aluminum hook stakes

You can clearly see the work Big Agnes put into this tent alone, but it’s not the only one they put this kind of effort into. It’s one of several.

This particular model sells for around $500.

Price Range

Big Agnes is relatively good on pricing. They offer the industry-standard prices by what we can tell. That means, depending on the size and what goes into a particular tent, you could see a higher price.

This lands them into the $150-$800 crowd, from the looks of it.

The company offers what appears to be a lifetime warranty. They’ll take care of any needed repairs or defects a product has. If you want to read the full warranty for yourself, you can click here to do just that.

Coleman

One of the clear masters and leaders of tents is the Coleman brand. They’re hard to beat, as they have seemingly become so good at creating popular tents that they’re likely the ones you’re going to see at most campgrounds you head to.

The reason Coleman has lasted so long and become so popular is because of the quality behind their tents. We know when we buy one, we’re getting something impressive. It’s not a debate on IF it’s going to be good, but HOW good.

With any company, the higher price you pay, the more likely you’re going to get the best service or product. However, with Coleman, they like to make sure they cater to all price points. Sure, they’ll give the high payer more.

However, they won’t cut the quality of their cheaper models just to force your hand into buying a more expensive option.

We feel one cheaper tent proves this.

The Elite

The COLEMAN ELITE WEATHERMASTER® 6-PERSON LIGHTED TENT is one of our favorite tent options the company offers.

It has a built-in LED lighting system with an illuminated wall switch to switch on the modes of high, low, and nightlight.

The tent is CPX® 6 compatible and powered by a battery cartridge. They include a 4 D batteries. The runtime of it all is 26 hours on high, 65 hours on low, and 81 hours on nightlight mode. An E-Port is included with the tent for bringing electrical power into the tent.

Coleman offers rechargeable batteries for this tent but it is sold separately.

Inside the tent is a screen room for lounging bug-free. This tent uses a WeatherTec™ system for welded floors and inverted seams to keep water out at all times. A rainfly is also included for extra weather protection.

An angled window keeps rain out at all times while a hinged door makes it easy to enter and exit. An expandable storage bag is also included, as well as storage pockets.

This tent is truly durable, this is thanks to the Polyguard™ fabric.

The tent is 6 foot 8 inches at its center height. 11 x 9 ft. screen room is also included with a spacious overall interior big enough for 2 queen-size airbeds.

This product specifically comes with a 1-year limited warranty and can be bought for the price of just $350.

Price Range

The overall price range of Coleman tents is pretty good compared to the industry standard. They are slightly under the standard, making them a must-visit for your tent needs. Their price range is pretty low, so you’re looking at a $100 to $500 level range.

This isn’t bad at all, and well worth it based on the quality of the tent you’re buying.

Their warranties vary with Coleman, which is likely the only bad thing about the brand to us. The company has a limited warranty that goes into effect the day you buy the item. They’ll fix pretty much anything while you’re under the warranty too.

Certain products have a lifetime guarantee, however.

If you want to find out more about it, you can click here.

Coleman also really gets you on the shipping amounts too. It’s well over industry-standard and something that the company truly needs to improve. To learn more about their shipping details, click here.