Blow up camping tents, also known as inflatable tents, have become popular. This is primarily because they are frequently easier to set up than traditional tents. Thanks to technological advances, they also tend to be quite durable. As a result, more and more families or even individual campers choose to go the inflatable camping tent route.
What’s even more alluring about this market is that these blow up tents now come with air poles and beams. These inflatable poles are so much easier to put up than traditional poles. This makes blow up camping tents more attractive to newbie campers who would otherwise be intimidated by the tedious process of figuring out which pole goes where, which one doesn’t bend like that, and which ones are missing.
However, the biggest issue with air poles for a blow up camping tent is that the most robust of them isn’t exactly that light. As such, many high-end blow-up camping tents tend to be a bit heavier than regular ones.
If that’s a deal breaker for you, please check out our best car camping tent options, or if you want to do away with tents altogether, then check out whether or not you should use a Bivy sack instead of a tent.
Table of contents
- 1. Best 2-Person Option: Crua Outdoors Culla – 2-Person Insulated Tent
- 2. Best Quick Setup Option: Ozark Trail 16′ x 16′ Instant Cabin Tent, Sleeps 12
- 3. Best Value for Money: GYMAX Camping Tent, 2-3 Person Inflatable Waterproof Tent With Pump Carry Bag
- 4. Best Glamping Option: Inflatable Camping Cabin Tent With Pump
- Factors to Consider When Buying a Blow Up or Inflatable Tent
- Essentials for Camping and Backpacking Guides:
- FAQ
If it isn’t an issue, here’s a list of some of the best inflatable camping tent options on the market today.
1. Best 2-Person Option: Crua Outdoors Culla – 2-Person Insulated Tent
- Occupancy: 2 Person
- Material: Breathable polyester
- Seasons: 4 Seasons
- Shape: Dome
It should be noted that this Crua Outdoors Culla – 2-Person Insulated Tent is designed to be used as an “inner tent.” This means that you will need something else to go with this tent to complete it. You can use it inside your camper van, inside your car if you are going car camping with a big enough car, as a boat tent, or under a tarp. Once you get that out of the way, what you have is a wonderfully insulated 2-person tent.
Apart from that minor issue, this Crua Outdoors Culla – 2-Person Insulated Tent is unbelievable in every sense of the word. For starters, it’s an inflatable tent that offers temperature regulation. That means that you can use it in any weather. Secondly, it’s a rather dark tent with noise-canceling abilities.
Imagine a tent that can dampen the sounds from the outside world and create a serene environment within itself. This would be handy if you like camping with rowdy friends.
This Crua Outdoors Culla 2-Person Insulated Tent is an air tent with air beams. This makes it extremely easy to set up, insulate, and take down on any camping trip. Using this Crua Outdoors Culla 2-Person Insulated Tent is simple enough.
All you have to do is place the air beam tent in the ideal location, whether inside another tent, in your car, or on your boat. It takes about 60 seconds to inflate, and you have a comfortable, temperature-regulated tent with noise-canceling capabilities.
What We Like:
- Easy to set up
- Noise-canceling capabilities
- Temperature control
- Insulated protection
- It has a 5-person option as well
What We Don’t Like:
- It’s an inner tent
2. Best Quick Setup Option: Ozark Trail 16′ x 16′ Instant Cabin Tent, Sleeps 12
- Occupancy: 12 Person
- Material: Polyester
- Seasons: 4 Seasons
- Shape: Cabin
If you have a large family that likes to explore the great outdoors together, this Ozark Trail 16′ x 16′ Instant Cabin Tent, which sleeps 12, might just be the inflatable tent you need. This Ozark Trail 16′ x 16′ Instant Cabin Tent, which sleeps 12, is massive. Not only can it comfortably sleep up to 12 people, but it also has a maximum center height of 6′ 10″, which makes it comfortable even for the tallest members of the family.
Even though the tent is heavy (55.2 lbs.), which necessitates car camping, it is very simple to set up. The poles come pre-attached to it, and all you have to do is simply unfold and extend them. The entire process takes less than 2 minutes, making this Ozark Trail 16′ x 16′ Instant Cabin Tent, which sleeps 12, one of the fastest 12-person tents to set up.
It has three rooms that each come with large windows. It also has a large awning (front), allowing for better natural relaxation under some shade. At 16 Feet x 16 Feet, this air tent is large enough to fit three queen camping airbeds or 12 people in sleeping bags. It also has room dividers for when you want some privacy.
What We Like:
- It’s massive
- It’s easy to setup
- It can fit up to 12 people
- Has a front awning
- Setup time is less than 2 minutes
What We Don’t Like:
- It’s heavy
3. Best Value for Money: GYMAX Camping Tent, 2-3 Person Inflatable Waterproof Tent With Pump Carry Bag
- Occupancy: 3 Person
- Material: 190T Polyester
- Seasons: 3 Seasons
- Shape: Dome
If you have a small family or want a cozy, easy-to-set-up inflatable tent, this GYMAX Camping Tent, a 2-3 Person Inflatable Waterproof Tent with Pump Carry Bag might just be what you want to buy.
Made out of 190T polyester, this GYMAX Camping Tent, a 2-3 Person Inflatable Waterproof Tent with Pump Carry Bag, is built tough enough to withstand almost any kind of weather. The polyester has a PU coating, which means it can withstand UV rays from the sun. The inflatable pipes feature B3 gauze and TPU, making this tent one of the most durable on this list.
Furthermore, the tent is waterproof, making it ideal for camping in almost any weather. Designed with a vestibule for your person, camping gear, and equipment, this tent offers you enough room for sleeping and remaining comfortable even if there are three of you at the same time. It comes with a carry bag, which makes it convenient for transportation.
What We Like:
- Easy to setup
- Convenient carry bag
- It has a vestibule
- Made out of tough material
- Waterproof
What We Don’t Like:
- Big enough for just three people
4. Best Glamping Option: Inflatable Camping Cabin Tent With Pump
- Occupancy: 8 Person
- Material: Polyester-mixed cotton
- Seasons: 4 Seasons
- Shape: Rectangular
This inflatable camping cabin tent with a pump is for people who are into glamping (the art of camping in luxury). Designed for luxurious bush life, this Inflatable Camping Cabin Tent with Pump is an air tent with built-in inflatable posts.
Fully equipped with a manual pump fitted with a pressure limiting valve, this tent is easy and safe to set up. It does, however, take about 10 minutes, but considering its massive size, that’s not too bad.
Designed for 6–8 people, this Inflatable Camping Cabin Tent with Pump is big enough for 4 double mattresses. It has two storage bags for all your gear and enough space for a large group of friends to enjoy the great outdoors together.
Capable of seeing you through every season, this inflatable camping cabin tent with a pump comes with a chimney opening that is flame retardant. All you have to do is cut the provisioned hole, build a suitable smoke vent for your tent stove, and enjoy extra warmth within the tent during winter.
In summer, you can easily use Velcro to keep that chimney closed, making your tent both windproof and waterproof.
Finally, this canvas tent is made from a high-quality mix of polyester and cotton. That makes it extremely durable, breathable, and tough. That fabric has also been treated with water repellency, making it capable of withstanding different types of weather you may experience during your camping trip.
What We Like:
- Huge, comfortable space
- Chimney allowance
- Can sleep up to 8 people
- Good for all seasons
What We Don’t Like:
- Takes up to 10 minutes to set up
Factors to Consider When Buying a Blow Up or Inflatable Tent
When buying the right tent—any tent, not just inflatable tents—it comes down to finding what works best for you and fits well with your other camping gear. As such, you must clearly understand your preferred camping style.
Some people like solo camping, so they won’t necessarily need a massive tent. Others can’t go anywhere without at least three or four friends and family and will need a family camping tent. For these people, nothing less than a big, cabin-like tent with a lot of living space and maybe even several rooms will do.
Once you figure out what you like, you can easily decide which tent works best. That being said, some factors are constant. These are factors that almost every high-quality and reliable air tent has. Here are some of the factors to consider before buying a blow-up tent.
Features
What features does the tent have? There are many different features to consider. Some are critical, while others are simply luxurious.
- Tent footprint: If you want your tent to last longer and be more comfortable, you need a tent footprint. You can also use a tarp underneath the structure to keep moisture from getting into the tent. This is more of a luxurious feature than it is a necessary one.
- Awning: An awning would be ideal if you want more living space outside the tent. This isn’t exactly necessary, but it makes for a wonderful addition, especially when you want to just sit and enjoy the great outdoors under some shade.
- Partitions: If you like camping with lots of friends and family, you might want a tent with multiple rooms for privacy.
Ease of Use
Most blow up camping tents are easy to use and take just a few minutes to inflate. Some, however, take a bit longer, depending on how huge they are and how complicated the design is. You need to pay close attention to the blow-up procedure.
Does the blow up camping tent come with its own pump, or do you need to buy one separately? If so, how easy is it to find?
Repair Kit
Every blow up or inflatable camping tent will need some kind of repair at some point. While repair kits are often easy to find and many available options are universal, it’s important to check and confirm if what you are buying comes with its own kit or if you need to buy one.
Material
The material to construct the blow up camping tent must be tough, waterproof, and UV resistant.
Seasonality
This will depend on your style of camping. Do you prefer to go camping only in the summer, or are you the kind of person who wants to go camping when you want to go camping, regardless of the season? If you are the latter, a 4-season tent is a must.
The key is selecting the right tent based on outside temperature. If you plan on camping during the warmer months, then look for a three season tent that offers plenty of ventilation and an extended rainfly.
If you plan to stay outdoors when temperatures drop, then opt for a four season tent. It will have water-resistant material designed to keep cold air outside and more insulation than its three season counterpart – ideal for snowy winter conditions.
There are other factors to consider, such as price and brand, but many of these are highly subjective. On this list, we have some of the best and most practical blow-up camping tents on the market. All you have to do now is choose one, buy it, and start enjoying your camping trips.
No matter the time of year or type of tent, insulated sleeping bags, ground sheets, and thick blankets can add additional layers of warmth. So get out there and stay warm!
Essentials for Camping and Backpacking Guides:
FAQ
When it comes to how long they last, inflatable tents are much like regular tents: it all depends on how often you use them and how well you maintain them. You need to keep in mind that things like rain and sunshine do have an impact on how quickly your tent wears out.
So choosing a tent with a high UV and HH protection value is always a good idea. That being said, if you take good care of it, your inflatable or blow-up tent should last anywhere from one to ten years.
It’s always a good idea to use a tarp or a footprint tent whenever you go camping. It makes things more comfortable underfoot, especially if you are camping on uneven ground, and it also gives your tent added protection, which means it stands a better chance of lasting longer.
No. Of course, there’s the added element of needing to pump it full of air and having to worry about punctures, but air tents aren’t more fragile than regular tents. Most of the options available on the market are made out of the same type of materials as regular tents, making them tough and durable.
Pop Up Tents are usually lighter in weight and cheaper than inflatable models. They also tend to be simpler and quicker to set up; most people can get a pop up tent ready in just a few minutes without any help or tools required. On the other hand, inflatable tents use an air frame which is inflated either manually (pumping by foot or hand) or via an electric pump
Last update on 2024-10-09 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API