This is The Wise Adventurer’s roundup of the best 5 person tents currently on the market. If you’ve been searching long and hard for a good 5 person tent, you’re not alone: 5 person tents are hands down the least common tent size on the market, and that’s a shame considering how much they bring to the table.
After testing and analyzing all the most popular 5 person models currently available, we found the Mountainsmith Conifer 5 to be the best 5 person tent for the majority of campers. The Conifer’s combination of premium quality materials, excellent livability, and fair pricing make it a high-performance all-rounder that checks all the boxes for your typical camping trip.
The Conifer won’t be everyone’s first pick though, which is why we’ve also put together a list of our other favorite shelters currently on the market. Whether you want something a little more spacious or a bit more budget-friendly, we’re confident there’s a tent on the list below that’ll elevate your next camping experience to new heights.
And, of course, if you’re just getting started learning about 5 person tents, we’ve also included a handy buyer’s guide in the list below to help explain the pros and cons of these unique shelters. In the guide we break down everything that makes a tent worth buying from the poles to the floor plan.
Right, let’s get started!
| Product | Summary |
|---|---|
| Mountainsmith Conifer 5: Best Overall | A high-quality traditional dome tent with tons of interior space and a great rainfly. A feature-rich tent from a brand you can trust at a fair price. See Review |
| Zempire Pronto 5 Tent: Best Overall Quality | Combines the convenience of an inflatable airframe design with high-quality materials. Surprisingly affordable for a Zempire shelter. See Review |
| Alps Mountaineering Taurus 5: Best On A Budget | High-quality construction and materials on a shoestring budget. Warmer than average interior design allows for shoulder season camping. See Review |
| Zempire Evo TL V2 Tent: Best Glamping Tent | An incredibly rugged tent with more features and interior space than you can imagine. Unique airframe design is sturdy and surprisingly fast to pitch. See Review |
| Eureka Tetragon NX-5 | Budget-friendly model that’s ideal for warm weather/fair-weather family camping. Free-standing design is easy to pitch and boasts high ceilings. See Review |
| Coleman Waterfall 5 Deluxe | A spacious family tent that’s packed with unique features. High ceilings, a separate living area, and an integrated awning add tons of livability. See Review |
Best 5 Person Tents
Mountainsmith Conifer 5: Best 5 Person Tent Overall
Specs:
– Weight: 14.7 lbs (6.7 kg)
– Packed size: 22” x 11” x 11” (56cm x 28cm x 28cm)
– Floor size: 120” x 120” (305cm x 305cm)
– Peak height: 74” (188cm)
– Rooms: 1
– Shape: Dome
– Best for: Three season family camping
– Price: $$
The folks at Mountainsmith may be best known for their heavy duty lumbar packs, but if you’ve never tried out one of their premium quality tents, you’re really missing out. The Mountainsmith Conifer is our favorite camping tent in their lineup, and wouldn’t ya’ know, it comes in a five person size!
We love the Mountainsmith Conifer 5 because it’s a legitimately high-quality tent from a brand we know and trust. Materials-wise this shelter uses heavy-duty (and color-coded) aluminum poles throughout and waterproof 68D polyester in both the fly and tent floor, both of which are built to last for years of regular use. The interior layout is top-notch with tons of floor space, over six feet of headroom, plenty of interior storage options, and two large doors on either side of the tent.
We’re also big fans of the Mountainsmith Conifer 5’s rainfly design, which includes a massive 33-square foot front vestibule with enough room to stash two camp chairs or all of your extra gear outside the tent. The fly also breathes surprisingly well for such a large/full coverage design thanks to multiple “pop-up” style vents on opposite ends of the tent.
As far as cons go, Mountainsmith shelters look, feel, and perform like premium products, and they’re priced accordingly. That means the Conifer 5 is a little on the pricey side, but we wouldn’t consider it a splurge either. Other than that our only other real complaint is that the canopy uses a three pole clip-in/sleeve hybrid design, which takes a little longer to set up than a clip-in only design, especially if you’re using the rainfly since it uses a fourth pole to maximize vestibule space. Those are minor complaints for an otherwise exceptionally livable tent with plenty of space for two adults and three children to sleep comfortably rain-or-shine.
| Pros: | Cons: |
| – Premium quality materials – Tons of interior space – Fantastic rainfly/vestibule design | – On the pricier side – Set-up is a little more involved |
Zempire Pronto 5 Tent: Best Overall Quality
Specs:
– Weight: 37 lbs (16.8 kg)
– Packed size: 28” x 15” x 15” (72cm x 37cm x 37cm)
– Floor size: 109” x 109” (277cm x 277cm)
– Peak height: 76” (193cm)
– Rooms: 1
– Shape: Dome
– Best for: Three season family camping
– Price: $$$
If you’ve never heard of Zempire tents, it’s a damn shame, but you’re not alone. Zempire is a little-known outdoors brand based out of New Zealand, who specializes in building unique inflatable tents like the Zempire Pronto 5 seen here.
We like to think of the Zempire Pronto 5 as “classic camping tent” in Zempire’s line of inflatable shelters, but even as a classic dome-style shelter, the Pronto is plenty impressive. That’s because it uses the same inflatable frame technology as other more expensive Zempire models (which means it goes up lightning-fast), and is made from the same rugged and weather-resistant materials as well.
The Pronto is the most compact camping tent Zempire offers, but with roughly 84 square feet of floor area, it’s no slouch in the livability department either. The Pronto 5 even has its own attached “gull-wing” style awning, which makes for a big shady hang-out spot when the weather is good, but also converts into a weather-protected space with doors on each side when closed.
Other highlights of the Zempire Pronto 5 include an insane amount of adjustable ventilation, a rear storage awning with zippered access from inside the tent, and a zippered front port for electronics like a fan or air conditioner inside the tent. The Pronto 5 also comes with a double action air pump, which makes for rapid inflation/deflation of the tent’s airframe system.
The main drawback of the Zempire Pronto 5 is going to be its price, which is less than half the cost of Zempire’s flagship models, but still requires a significant investment. We’ll also point out that the Pronto uses an additional “brow pole” system in addition to its airframe design, and those poles happen to be made from fiberglass rather than the aluminum or carbon construction we’d expect at this price. Granted the poles are properly robust (they’re nearly 10mm thick), but it’s still surprising to see fiberglass of any kind in a tent like this. All things considered those are both minor drawbacks to an otherwise extremely well-built and unique shelter, so if you’re interested in trying an air-frame design, this is a great candidate.
| Pros: | Cons: |
| – Same great air frame design as other Zempire models – Least expensive tent in the Zempire lineup – Excellent ventilation and livability | – Still expensive – Uses fiberglass poles for support rather than aluminum/carbon |
Alps Mountaineering Taurus 5 Outfitter: Best On A Budget
Specs:
– Weight: 12.9 lbs (5.85 kg)
– Packed size: 25” x 9” x 9” (64cm x 23cm x 23cm)
– Floor size: 120” x 96” (305cm x 244cm)
– Peak height: 72” (183cm)
– Rooms: 1
– Shape: Dome
– Best for: Three season family camping
– Price: $
If you’re looking for the best 5 person tent for the money, we believe the Alps Mountaineering Taurus 5 Outfitter is the one to beat in terms of value.
We’re fans of the Taurus 5 Outfitter because it costs roughly what you’d spend on a department store tent (if not less), yet packs the kind of sturdy materials you’d normally find in a tent twice its price. We love that these tents include an all-aluminum pole set, heavy-duty oversized zippers, and an impressively thick nylon oxford floor that’s built to go the distance season after season.
The floor of the Taurus 5 Outfitter is also impressively wide, boasting a full 10 feet of space that makes sleeping five campers a much more reasonable proposition. Combine that with a sizable exterior storage vestibule outside each of the Taurus’ two doors, and you’ve got a surprisingly livable tent, especially for such a small investment.
The Taurus isn’t perfect though, and our main complaint with it is its lack of ventilation. The Taurus 5 uses significantly less mesh in its canopy than other three-season shelters, which means it gets a little muggy in the heat of summer. Depending on where you live that could also be viewed as a positive, as the warmer canopy design of the Taurus makes it suitable for colder weather camping in the shoulder seasons as well. Aside from ventilation, the only other drawback we found here is that interior storage (mesh pockets, overhead storage, etc) is surprisingly limited. Still, there’s just no better value in terms of space and quality for the money, and the Alps Mountaineering Taurus 5 Outfitter is a clear winner in our book.
| Pros: | Cons: |
| – Impressively low price – Outstanding materials for the money – Dual exterior storage vestibules | – Less mesh = less ventilation – Limited interior storage |
Zempire Evo TL V2 Tent: Best Glamping Tent
Specs:
– Weight: 69 lbs (31.3 kg)
– Packed size: 28” x 20” x 20” (71cm x 51cm x 51cm)
– Floor size: 258” x 140” (655cm x 356cm)
– Peak height: 86” (218cm)
– Rooms: 3
– Shape: Tunnel
– Best for: Three season family camping
– Price: $$$
The Zempire Evo TL V2 is hands down the more luxurious tent on our list, and boasts a list of features like nothing else on the market. Like the Pronto above, the Zempire Evo TL V2 usesa unique airbeam frame construction, using thick air bladders with double-sealed Boston valves in place of traditional tent poles. Put simply, you literally just pump this tent up one beam at a time (there are five total beams), then stake it out as you would any traditional shelter. If that sounds like a lot of work, it isn’t: The Evo TL V2 includes the same large volume double action pump as the Pronto above, so each beam only takes around 10-15 pumps, and the entire frame goes up in about two minutes.
The second major feature of the Zempire Evo TL V2 is its outright size. It’s kind of hilarious that the Evo TL V2 is even considered a five person tent (that’s a technicality, since its “bedroom” is built for five) because it features roughly 200 feet of total floor space between the sleeping room and the massive “living area” that makes up the center of the shelter. You’ll also find another 50 square feet of space in the covered awning at the front of the tent, which can also be sealed off from weather using a zippable door. The Evo TL V2 is also incredibly tough and has some of the most impressive waterproofing we’ve seen thanks to an integrated rainfly that’s laboratory tested to a 6,000mm hydrostatic rating.
As far as cons go, truth be told the Zempire Evo TL V2 only really has two shortcomings (or possibly just one depending on where you camp). The first and most alarming is the price, which we’ll just go ahead and tell you now is by far the most expensive on our list. The second is the outright size of the tent, which with 250 square feet of effective floor space, isn’t going to fit in the smaller campsites that most 5 person models will. If you can live with those pain points, however, there’s just no other five person model on the market with this much quality and livability baked into its design.
| Pros: | Cons: |
| – Incredibly durable construction – Separate bedroom, living area, and front porch – Inflatable frame is just plain cool | – Try not to look at the price – May be too large for some campsites |
Eureka Tetragon NX-5
Specs:
– Weight: 11.9 lbs (5.4 kg)
– Packed size: 27” x 7” x 7” (69cm x 18cm x 18cm)
– Floor size: 108” x 108” (274cm x 274cm)
– Peak height: 72” (183cm)
– Rooms: 1
– Shape: Dome
– Best for: Three season family camping
– Price: $
The Eureka Tetragon NX-5 was a close second for our best on a budget pick, and is hands-down the least expensive model on our list.
We’re fans of the Tetragon because it’s a back-to-basics dome-style tent from a brand name we trust at a price that’s tough to beat. All the essentials are here including a bathtub style floor, 1500mm waterproof rated rainfly, tons of mesh for added ventilation, and a generous 6-foot tall peak height.
The Tetragon series also happen to be Eureka’s easiest tents to set-up, which is always nice, but for parents trying to keep an eye on kids while also setting up camp, it’s especially valuable. Simply assemble the poles, clip them into the ring and pin assemblies, then clip the canopy onto the frame. The Tetragon goes up faster than some backpacking tents, and is always drama free.
Ultimately we just had a few too many nit picks with this model to call it the best on a budget, so if you’re a fan of Eureka tents (we certainly are) and are leaning toward the Tetragon, keep these factors in mind: First, all Tetragon models use fiberglass poles throughout their construction, so they’re best suited to fair weather camping. The Tetragon isn’t afraid of a little rain, but those poles combined with the lack of a full-length vestibule make it less equipped to handle a serious storm than others on our list. At the end of the day, it’s still an outright bargain purchase from a well-established brand though, and a solid contender for spring and summer trips with the family.
| Pros: | Cons: |
| – Great price – Freestanding design is easy to pitch – Outstanding ventilation | – Fiberglass poles throughout – Would prefer a full-coverage rainfly – No exterior storage |
Coleman Waterfall 5 Deluxe
Specs:
– Weight: (12.8 kg)
– Packed size: 26” x 13” x 10” (66cm x 33cm x 25cm)
– Floor size: 201” x 110” (510cm x 280cm)
– Peak height: 79” (200cm)
– Rooms: 2
– Shape: Tunnel/Dome
– Best for: Three season family camping
– Price: $$
Up next on our list is the Coleman Waterfall 5 Deluxe, one of the most well-rounded and surprisingly feature-rich tents in our roundup.
The most striking feature of the Coleman Waterfall is its unique tunnel/dome hybrid layout, which combines a tunnel-style sleeping area and a tall dome-style living area into a single shared structure (also called an “igloo” style tent). This solid single-wall canopy is made from PU-coated polyester rated to a 3,000mm hydrostatic head, which simplifies set-up and keeps the weight of the tent low.
The living area itself is another high point of the tent, with double doors for entry/exit and waterproof PVC windows that give the shelter an open and airey feel, even when it’s zipped up tight in bad weather. When the weather is good, however, both doors roll up out of the way, and one even converts into a convenient sun awning using an extra set of poles (which are included with the tent). It’s a unique and attractive structure, made all the more appealing by its budget-friendly price.
Low points of the Coleman Waterfall 5 are those we normally associate with a Coleman tent, namely the use of fiberglass poles throughout the tent’s construction. Although the Waterfall’s waterproofing is solid and reliable, these poles wouldn’t make the Waterfall our first choice in heavy winds. The other drawback we’ll mention here is that because the Waterfall uses a singlewall construction, stargazing is essentially out of the question, especially from the bedroom area, which is completely surrounded by solid fabric. Still, the Waterfall is watertight and offers the most livability for the money on our list by far.
| Pros: | Cons: |
| – Separate living space adds outstanding livability – Excellent rain protection – Bonus features like PVC windows and integrated awning add value | – Fiberglass poles limit bad weather performance – Singlewall canopy means no star gazing in bed |
Buying Guide For The Best 5 Person Tents
Five person tents are a great option for couples and small families looking for extra living space on their next outdoor outing. These models provide above-average interior space and livability yet still pack down into conveniently compact and portable dimensions for storage and transportation. The best five person shelters also include many of the premium features found in larger tents, so keep an eye out for each of the following when making your next purchase.
Size And Shape
One of the main benefits of stepping up to a five person shelter is extra living space, so you’ll want to pay close attention to both the size and shape of any tent you’re considering. We recommend you start your hunt by looking at the floor dimensions of a shelter, because although all of the models listed above are technically “five person” sizes, some have much more floor space than others. A tent has to be at least 9 feet wide to quality as a five-person model, but if you’re actually planning on having five campers in the tent, ten feet or more makes a lot more sense.
You’ll also want to consider both the peak height and the overall shape of a five person tent. Five person shelters are typically a good bit taller than their three or four person stablemates, and many feature peak heights over six feet that allow anyone to stand up and stretch out inside them. In terms of shape, keep in mind that the more vertical a tent’s walls are, the more headspace they’ll have throughout. Cabin-style layouts are always your best bet if interior space is a priority, but there are some surprisingly spacious domes out there worth looking at as well.
Livability
Livability is the catch-all term for how enjoyable it is to spend time inside your tent. The best five person tents have above average livability, both in terms of interior space and added features like storage, organization, and vestibule design. You’ll also want to keep an eye on the interior layout of a five person tent: Chances are you’ll be sharing this shelter with at least two other people, so little features like double doors and extra interior pockets are well worth spending the money on.
Weight And Packed Size
Because pretty much every five person shelter is designed as a camping tent (as opposed to a backpacking tent), weight and packed size aren’t a huge concern. We recommend buying as much tent as you can fit into your budget, so just make sure you’ve got room to store its packed size in your home and/or vehicle.
Weather Protection
The only thing worse than spending the night in a leaky tent is spending the night in a leaky tent with young children and/or a family pet. If you plan on camping rain-or-shine, pay close attention to both the design and water worthiness of your rainfly. We prefer tents with full-length rainflys that stretch all the way over the tent and stake in close to the ground.
We also recommend paying close attention to the details of a tent’s floor: Floors made from high-denier materials with high hydrostatic ratings always fare better when the weather gets rough. We also recommend looking for a tent with a bathtub-style floor that raises up several inches from the ground, as this adds additional protection from heavy and/or windblown rain.
Durability And Materials
Although five person tents are unique in size, they’re no different from other camping tents when it comes to durability. When accessing a tent’s durability, we recommend looking at two main factors: Fabric thickness and pole materials.
Most tents list both the type and thickness of their fabrics in their description and/or specs. These thicknesses are listed in “denier”, and a higher denier (of “D” for short) fabric is thicker and typically more robust than a lower denier fabric of the same type. That means a 100D polyester should last longer than a 50D polyester and so on.
In terms of poles, we prefer tent poles made from either aluminum or carbon-fiber composites. Thicker diameter poles are usually tougher than thinner diameter poles of the same material, so an 11mm aluminum poleset should be tougher and hold up to strong winds better than an 8mm poleset.
Also note that less expensive tents typically use fiberglass poles rather than aluminum or carbon, and for your typical family camping trip, that’s not necessarily a deal-breaker. The same rules concerning thickness apply here too though, so if given a choice, thicker is better.
Conclusion
Taking all the above factors into consideration, we found the Mountainsmith Conifer 5 to be the best 5 person tent currently on the market. The Conifer strikes us as the perfect mix of quality, livability, and value, and is built to last for years of three-season camping in just about any weather.
If it’s high livability and excellent materials you’re after, we recommend checking out the Zempire Pronto 5. The Pronto 5 is a smart choice because you get all the dividends of a top-notch Zempire shelter, but at a price that’s easier on the budget.
If you’re looking for glamping luxury at any price, the Zempire Evo TL V2 is a 5 person tent that feels more like a 5 bedroom apartment, and is made from some of the highest quality materials and technology the industry has to offer.
If those models are a bit rich for your blood, we recommend checking out the Alps Mountaineering Taurus 5 Outfitter, or if you’ve got a bit more money to invest in a shelter, the Coleman Waterfall 5 can’t be beat for its features to price ratio.
