This is our detailed buyer’s guide for the best 12 person tents money can buy. Camping in a 12 person tent is an experience like no other: You’ve got multiple rooms with space for multiple queen beds, room to stand up, stretch out, and brave the elements in style.
After extensive testing and review of 10 models, we found the Ozark Trail Three Room Cabin to be the best 12 person tent for your average camper’s ideal adventure. We like the Ozark Trail for its generous floor space, unique layout, easy assembly, and reasonable price point.
That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best for everyone though, as you’ll read below.
Different campers need different things out of their tents. Some want outright space and privacy. Others value extreme weather performance above all else. Some folks want to sleep in a bell tent because (let’s be honest here) it’s just got that added cool factor. To know more about how we evaluated the tents, don’t forget to check out our buying guide.
Whatever your reasons, needs, or camping style, the perfect tent for you is waiting below. Let’s dive in.
Here are our best 12 person tents:
| Tent Make/Model | Benefits |
|---|---|
| Ozark Trail Three Room Cabin – Best Overall | A massive three room tent with a unique layout and simple setup. Shared awning space is great for storing extra gear out of the weather. See Review |
| Bushnell Shield 12 Person Cabin – Highest Quality | A large instant cabin made from extra tough materials throughout. Proprietary weatherproofing adds comfort and peace of mind. See Review |
| CORE Instant Cabin 12 Person Tent – Best Budget | Wildly affordable cabin tent with tons of space that’s easy to pitch. Extra livability features punch well above their pricepoint. See Review |
| Eureka! Copper Canyon LX12 | A thoughtful layout packed full of well designed features. Simple design and high quality materials are built to last. See Review |
| TETON Sports 16’ Bell Tent | Heirloom-quality tent with old-world style and construction. Heavy duty canvas and steel built to outlive any modern synthetic design. See Review |
| White Duck Avalon Optimus | A canvas bell tent that’s packed full of premium features for an unforgettable glamping experience. See Review |
| Coleman Skylodge 12 | An affordable and easy-to-pitch shelter with the added versatility of a weatherproof screen room. See Review |
| Coleman Skydome XL Tent | A well-made and affordable option with proven weatherproofing and outstanding gear storage space. See Review |
Best 12 Person Tents
Ozark Trail Three Room Instant Cabin Tent: Best 12 Person Tent Overall
Specs:
– Weight: 55 pounds (25 kg)
– Packed size: 52” x 14” x 13” (132cm x 36cm x 33cm)
– Floor size: 16’ x 16’ (488cm x 488cm)
– Peak height: 82” (208 cm)
– Number of rooms: 3
– Shape: Cabin+
– Best for: Three season camping for large groups
– Price: $$
Topping our list is the Ozark Trail Three Room Instant Cabin, which takes our pick for “best tent overall” due to its quick setup, durable three-season construction, massive floor plan, and reasonable price point.
The Ozark Trail Three Room Instant Cabin has a unique L-shaped layout, which utilizes an extended rainfly to create a sheltered area in front of both doors of the tent. Of course you wouldn’t be sleeping out there, but it makes a nice space to keep gear, shoes, and supplies out of the rain.
Setup is super easy as the Ozark Trail also uses a pre-attached telescoping pole system. They advertise a “2 minute setup time” (that seems to be the magic number doesn’t it?) but in reality you’re probably looking at closer to 10 minutes by the time the rainfly is on, the guy-lines are staked out, and the awning is set up. If you’ve got some help of course that number goes down, but we give the Ozark Trail kudos for being one-person setup-friendly regardless.
Weatherproofing is well-designed throughout with a welded 6” tall tub floor, fully taped/sealed seams, and a generously sized rainfly. Numerous customers have reported weathering torrential downpours overnight in the Ozark Trail without a single drop of rain making its way into the tent, but as this is a very large and very square 12 person tent, you may want to steer clear of serious wind storms.
| Pros: | Cons: |
| – Pre-attached poles for quick setup – Shared awning adds shade and rain protection – Impressive floorspace and layout. | – Setup is a little more involved – Not as many storage/organization features as we’d like in a tent this size |
Bushnell Shield Series Instant Cabin: Highest Overall Quality
Specs:
– Weight: 62 pounds (28 kg)
– Packed size: 11.5” x 49” x 11.5” (29cm x 125cm x 29cm)
– Floor size: 18’ x 11’ / (549cm x 335cm)
– Peak height: 80” (203cm)
– Number of rooms: 3
– Shape: Cabin/square
– Best for: Three season all-weather group adventures.
– Price: $$
While it couldn’t quite compete with the outright floor space of the Ozark Trail Instant Cabin, Bushnell’s Shield Series 12 person tent gets our vote for highest overall quality.
The quality construction and attention to detail of the Bushnell tent are hard to miss. The entire canopy is made from incredibly tough 150D polyester, and every seam from floor to ceiling is double-stiched for durability.
In terms of weather protection, Bushnell’s HeatShield system is impressive in its own right, utilizing a proprietary reflective coating to keep the interior of the tent cooler in direct sunlight. When the weather isn’t so great, the WeatherShield system combines water-repellent fabrics with fully-taped and sealed seams throughout to make a tent that’s ready for anything short of a hurricane.
There’s tons of storage for gear, room dividers throughout, and to top it all off Bushnell specs a pre-attached pole setup made from 100% steel for an instant tent assembly system that will last for years. The simple “unpack-unfold-extend” design gets this large tent up in under five minutes, and is one of the smoother-operating systems out there even compared to other attached pole designs we’ve seen.
As far as drawbacks go, we’ve got two main complaints with the Bushnell Shield. First, as is the case with most pre-attached pole designs, the tent is extremely bulky when packed. Second, although the Bushnell shield has room for 12, there’s only one door for entry/exit. This seems like a major oversight for a tent this large, but considering the build quality and reasonable price of the Bushnell, it’s an oversight we’re willing to forgive.
| Pros: | Cons: |
| – High quality weather protection – 150D fabric = above average durability – Pre-attached poles for quick setup | – Pre-attached poles make for bulky packed size – One door for all three rooms isn’t ideal |
CORE Instant Cabin: Best On A Budget
Specs:
– Weight: 48 lbs (22kg)
– Packed size: 49” x 16” x 11.5” (125cm x 41cm x 29cm)
– Floor size: 18’ x 10’ (549cm x 305cm)
– Peak height: 80” (203cm)
– Number of rooms: 3
– Shape: Cabin/square
– Best for: Light use group camping
– Price: $
There’s a lot to love about the CORE Instant Cabin, especially considering the asking price.
It’s got good floor space, three rooms with dividers, two doors, a pre-attached pole system for quick assembly, and a surprisingly low weight and packed size as well.
Weatherproofing duties are handled by CORE’s “H2O Block Fabric” which is a polyurethane-coated polyester that retains its waterproofness for several seasons before needing a refresh.
Our only real gripe with the CORE Instant Cabin is in the durability department. Its 68D polyester fabric isn’t the burliest in our list, especially considering tents like the Bushnell above use a full 150D construction.
Still, it’s a lot of tent for the money and if you’re only going camping a couple times a year, it’s tough to beat the value of the CORE Cabin.
| Pros: | Cons: |
| – Ventilation system works well even with windows closed – Pre-assembled design makes for super quick setup and disassembly – Front and back doors help with in/out traffic for several sleepers | – 68D materials not as strong as some – Not our first pick in a serious rainstorm |
Eureka! Copper Canyon LX 12
Specs:
– Weight: 40 lbs (18 kg)
– Packed size: 11” x 29” (28cm x 74cm)
– Floor size: 14’ x 12’ (427cm x 366cm)
– Peak height: 7’ (213cm)
– Number of rooms: 2
– Shape: Cabin/Square
– Best for: Car camping with smaller groups
– Price: $$
12 person tents are kind of a niche item in the camping world, so it’s nice to see companies like Eureka (who are better known for their backpacking and expedition tents) try their hand at building the best 12 person tents on the market.
The Copper Canyon LX is their flagship car camping tent, and we’re happy to report customers are saying it has the same quality and attention to detail we’ve seen from Eureka’s two and four person tents.
It’ll take you a little longer to set up than the pre-attached/fixed-hub pole tents on this list, but setup is by no means complicated thanks to Eureka’s color-coded pole system. We suspect that the use of traditional poles and hubs will yield a longer lasting tent as well, but only time will tell. The plastic hinges of pre-attached designs are convenient, but they’re also a common failure point on large tents.
If you’re considering the Eureka, just know that it’s got two main pain points aside from set up. First, it has the smallest floor space of the bunch with 168 total square feet. Second, it uses a mixture of steel and fiberglass poles rather than an all-alloy construction. Granted, the fiberglass poles are nice and thick at 16mm, but we’d definitely prefer name-brand aluminum at this price.
| Pros: | Cons: |
| – Front and rear doors for easy egress – Well built, time tested design – Compact packed size due to pole design | – Would prefer aluminum roof poles over fiberglass – Least floor space in our roundup – Pole design makes for longer setup time |
TETON Sports Sierra 16 Canvas Bell Tent
Specs:
– Weight: 80 lbs (36kg)
– Packed size: 36” x 9” x 16” (91cm x 23cm x 41cm)
– Floor size: 192” x 192” (488cm x 488cm)
– Peak height: 113” (287cm)
– Number of rooms: 1
– Shape: Bell
– Best for: Base camp/ family fun
– Price: $$$
How cool is this old-school bell-shaped 12 person tent from TETON sports? It’s like a cross between a camping tent and a circus tent. Sound like a good time to you?
We’ve been fans of TETON’s budget-friendly adventure gear for awhile, and the Teton Sports 16’ Bell Tent certainly delivers the quality we expect from the brand.
So what makes the Teton Bell Tent so great? Well, for starters it’s the only tent on this list made with super-rugged waterproof treated canvas. It’s also got the thickest, most durable floor of any tent on our list. You could literally live in this thing for months with zero durability concerns, which explains why they’re such a popular option for backyard Air BNB hosts.
Of course a tent like this is far from conventional, and as such, the design won’t be for everyone. Its classic “one big room” design lacks any privacy whatsoever from your camp mates, and its unapologetic size and weight make it a serious chore to lug around from A to B.
Still, if you’re interested in trying the whole “yurt” thing out and don’t mind spending the big bucks to make it happen, there’s really nothing quite like the TETON Sierra tent. We’ll also note that heavy canvas like this is some of the most weatherproof fabric on the market, so the Teton Bell Tent will have no issues handling heavy rain.
| Pros: | Cons: |
| – Super durable treated canvas construction – Removable walls and floor – Bell tents are just plain cool. | – HEAVY – One large room/no dividers – Expensive |
White Duck Avalon Optimus
Specs:
– Weight: 210 lbs (95.3 kg)
– Packed size: 46” x 30” x 28” (117cm x 76cm x 71cm)
– Floor Size: 23’ x 23’ (701cm x 701cm)
– Peak height: 12’ (370cm)
– Number of rooms: 1
– Shape: Bell
– Best for: Four season camping for large groups
– Price: $$$
If you’re loving the old-world quality, look, and feel of the Teton Sports bell tent above but want something a bit more… luxurious… We can’t recommend the White Duck Avalon Optimus enthusiastically enough.
The Avalon Optimus is the 12 person tent we all imagine when we think of glamping. With a massive 23-foot diameter floor plan, 12 foot ceilings, and windows on every wall for 360-degree panoramic views, this is quite possibly the most impressive tent you’ll ever step foot inside of.
In addition to its jaw-dropping size and outstanding livability, we also love the Avalon Optimus for its outright quality. White Duck makes this tent from their proprietary “Dynaduck” fabric, a 10.1 oz cotton canvas with an added water-repellant treatment, as well as a mold and UV-resistant finish. The poles are all made from galvanized steel, the floor is made from an insanely tough 16 oz. polyvinyl, and there’s even a pre-cut silicone-coated stove jack in the ceiling for camping with a wood stove.
As for downsides, your main hurdle here is price. Canvas bell tents are always expensive, but this one stands out as one of the pricier models we’ve seen. The other sticking point with the Avalon Optimus is its outright bulk, both in terms of size (it comes in two separate bags) and weight (over 200 lbs!). Still if you’ve got the cash (and the space to store it), there’s simply nothing quite like the majesty of this massive family shelter.
| Pros: | Cons: |
| – The pinnacle of luxury glamping – Massive interior space – Highly durable canvas/steel construction | – Massive even when packed up – Outrageously heavy – VERY expensive |
Coleman Skylodge Tent
Specs:
– Weight: 45 lbs (21kg)
– Packed size: 26.5” x 12.5” x 12.5” (67cm x 32cm x 32cm)
– Floor size: 19’ x 10’ (579cm x 305cm)
– Peak height: 7.4’ (225cm)
– Number of rooms: 2
– Shape: Cabin/square
– Best for: Smaller groups/families
– Price: $$
There’s nothing quite like a large tent with its own screened-in porch for summertime outdoor hangs. What makes the Coleman Skylodge Tent special, however, is that its screen room also happens to be completely weatherproof.
This means that while the Skylodge certainly has floor space for 12 adults, where it really shines is as a two-room suite for families and smaller groups The porch area is super well-ventilated, protected from the sun, and fully netted for bug protection, which makes it a comfortable place to sit and sip drinks as well as a safe place to store extra gear.
Should you opt to use it as a sleeping area, however, you’ll find its 50-square feet of floor space is plenty generous for a second queen mattress, and the full-length room divider delivers ideal privacy for sharing the Skylodge with another couple. Both rooms share Coleman’s patented “Weathertec” system, so regardless of which room you’re in, you’re covered by a tub-style floor with welded corners, taped and inverted seams throughout the canopy of the tent, and a generous rainfly with plenty of guy-line attachments.
Our main complaint with the Skylodge is that it’s nearly impossible to set up solo. Granted, you’ll rarely (if ever) camp solo in a tent this massive, but we always prefer to see designs that can be pitched without a second pair of hands when needed.
| Pros: | Cons: |
| – Weatherproof screen room is a nice touch. – Simplified construction promises longevity. – Massive door for easy in/out with gear. | – Two person assembly required – Campers must sleep in screen room to reach capacity – Unattached poles take longer to set up. |
Coleman Skydome XL Tent
Specs:
– Weight: 34 lbs (15kg)
– Packed size: 28” x 13” x 13” (71cm x 33cm x 33cm)
– Floor size: 20’ x 9’ (609cm x 275cm)
– Peak height: 7’ (213cm)
– Number of rooms: 1
– Shape: Dome
– Best for: Three season family camping
– Price: $
The Coleman Skydome XL was a close runner up for our best 12 person tent on a budget.
Ultimately the CORE instant cabin above won us over with its three room construction and convenient setup, but the Coleman Skydome has a few design differences some campers will prefer.
As a classic dome-style tent, the Coleman Skydome uses a traditional interlocking pole set rather than the one-piece permanent-hub design you’ll find in the CORE and other similar “instant cabins” on this list.
You’ll still get nearly vertical walls thanks to the angled hub design on the Coleman, but setup will take you a little longer because the poles must be assembled and then attached to the tent with a series of clips. Still, like the Eureka above, we suspect this simplified design may have a longer lifespan, increasing the overall value of simpler tents like the Skydome XL.
Of course the Skydome may be a little too simple for some campers. The classic dome design features two doors, but inside there’s only one large room with no privacy dividers. And, while we’re on the topic of privacy, the large mesh windows that give the Skydome its excellent ventilation can’t be closed. That means that without the rainfly, you won’t have much privacy above waist level when standing.
| Pros: | Cons: |
| – Coleman Weathertec waterproofing – Great gear storage built in – Budget friendly price tag | – “One big room” construction – Longer setup time – Lacks privacy without rainfly |
12 Person Tent Buying Guide
12 person tents are some of the biggest, coziest, feature-rich camping tents out there.
Unconstrained by size or weight concerns, the best 12 person tents are unabashedly made for car camping in style for large groups or families. We’ve seen air conditioners, generators wood burning stoves, and even propane grills used inside these monsters (although we can’t recommend trying that last one at home).
All glamping jokes aside, there are still some technical considerations you should take into account when buying one of these backcountry chateaus. Consider the following when picking out your next 12 person tent.
Floor Size
The floor size of a 12 person tent is often the single largest deciding factor on how well it will actually sleep a large group. All the tents in the list above are technically 12 person tents, but there’s more going on here than meets the eye.
Consider this: Some of the tents in our roundup have less than 170 square feet of floor space while others have over 250 feet. Both “sleep” 12 people. Which would you rather share with a group?
In reality most 12 person tents are made to comfortably house about six to eight people. Remember, any tent that can sleep 12 people side by side in sleeping bags is technically large enough to be considered a 12 person tent. For that reason, we strongly recommend taking a close look at your tent’s floor layout if you’re looking to sleep over six people.
Rooms And Dividers
The standard for many of the best 12 person tents is a three room setup, with each room large enough to fit a queen size mattress.
Some tents, like the yurt-style TETON above, obviously won’t offer that option, but they’re built to offer a unique experience so you’ll know that going into it. These “one big room” style shelters are a popular option for families with children and/or pets, as this allows you to keep an eye on what everyone is doing without getting out of bed yourself.
Weight And Packed Size
If you’re buying a tent this spacious, odds are you’re not planning on carrying it long distances or fitting it inside a backpack.
Still, there’s a notable difference in living with an 80-pound tent in two separate bags and a 40-pound one in a single sack that you can throw over your shoulder.
This one really just comes down to intended use and storage space. If you can accommodate the extra weight/bulk of the tent you’d prefer, go for it. Just know what you’re getting into before you pull the trigger.
Waterproofing
A tent is a shelter from the elements. Rainy days on a camping trip are a bummer, but if your tent can’t keep you dry your day turns from bad to worse.
There are three important factors to consider when evaluating the waterproofing of tents like these: Rainfly design, tent materials, and seams.
In terms of rainflys, larger rainflys that provide better coverage of tent walls and windows are the first line of defense against the wet. 12 person tents generally can’t afford to use “full length” rainflys that cover the canopy from floor to ceiling for ventilation reasons, but there’s another solution you should look for: Awnings.
Adding an awning outside of doors and/or windows reduces the amount of moisture that reaches the most leak-prone parts of the tent. We’ve found that tents with larger awnings tend to do better in the rain, and as an added bonus, a large awning also gives you somewhere to stash gear outside of the tent.
And while every tent floor should be built with waterproof materials, tent walls made from waterproof or water resistant materials add rain-worthiness to areas that the rainfly may not cover completely.
Finally, get a look at the seam taping of a tent. Fully taped or welded seams are waterproof seams. It’s always a good idea to apply seam sealer and a waterproofer like Nikwax to your tent, but you shouldn’t have to depend on it if the tent is good quality.
Durability
You know the difference between a great tent on a budget and a cheap tent? No one wants a cheap tent.
While your average backpacking tent requires a compromise between durability and weight savings, there’s really no reason to want a “superlight” group tent. With that in mind, we recommend focusing on more durable materials over lighter-weight ones.
As a general rule of thumb, higher denier fabrics of the same type (like 150D polyester) are preferable to lower denier ones (like 65D polyester) as they’re more ruggedly built and will take more abuse.
Tent poles should also be considered. The best 12 person tents use metal/alloy poles for maximum strength and durability. Again, weight isn’t a major concern, so don’t let a tent with steel poles scare you off. Fiberglass, on the other hand, should give you pause.
While the use of fiberglass poles doesn’t make a tent cheap outright, we always prefer a quality metal tentpole, preferably from a reliable name like DAC.
Some tents, like the Eureka! Copper Canyon above, use a mix of metal poles in higher stress areas and fiberglass ones in less crucial areas like vestibules. This helps keep the cost down without raising any serious red flags for the shelter’s durability.
Ease Of Setup
Chances are if you’re looking for the best 12 person tents, you’ll be camping with a few able-bodied friends and family members who will help you set up your tent. Still, it’s nice to know that if for some reason you’re on your own for setup and teardown, it can be done easily with one person.
This is where the pre-assembled and attached pole setups (aka, “instant tents”) above come in handy. Having the ability to simply unfold your tent into shape saves a ton of time, especially on big cabin style tents with hard-to-reach ceilings and doorways.
Of course not all large family camping tents will be instant tents, and that’s ok. Some pole-in-sleeve designs are still relatively easy to pitch solo, especially when they’re color-coded for easy set-up like those found on the Eureka Copper Canyon.
Conclusion
For all the reasons above, we selected the Ozark Trail Instant Cabin as our top tent overall. Its combination of outright size, livability, durability, and convenience make it a clear winner for most folks, and all at a price that’s tough to beat.
If there’s a good chance you’ll be camping in rough weather, we recommend checking out the Bushnell Shield. This tent is our top choice for overall quality due to its extra-tough materials and next-level weather protection.
Lastly, if you’re just looking for a big tent to take the whole family camping without spending a ton of money, check out the Core Instant Cabin. With it’s lightning fast setup, generous floorplan, and outstanding ventilation, you’ll forget you’re in a tent that only costs a fraction of the competition.
