Best Shower Tent For Keeping Clean In The Outdoors

This is The Wise Adventurer’s guide to the best shower tents of the year. Shower tents are a fantastic addition to your campsite because they add privacy and hygiene to any campground, regardless of the local amenities on offer.

After testing and analyzing the most popular models on the market, we found the Nemo Heliopolis to be the best shower tent money can buy. Its combination of premium features, high-quality materials, and a lifetime warranty make for an all-around high-performance package that’ll keep you squeaky-clean for years to come.

We’ve had our fair share of extended trips without a shower, all of which end in a long ride home with all the windows down for reasons we probably don’t need to explain. The Nemo solves that problem with aplomb, but might not be the first choice for everyone.

Every camper is different, and not everyone cares enough about their shower experience to drop the big bucks on a shower tent. That’s why we’ve also listed our favorite alternatives to the Nemo Heliopolis, whether they’re bigger, less expensive, easier to set up, or all the above.

If a shower in the middle of nowhere sounds right up your alley but you’re not sure where to start your search, make sure to check out our handy buyer’s guide down at the bottom for our top tips on selecting a shower tent. Right, let’s get started!

Tent	Summary
Nemo Heliopolis: Best Shower Tent Overall	All the quality and premium features of a Nemo tent packed into the perfect camp shower. A serious investment backed by a lifetime guarantee. See Review
Ozark Trail 2-Room Instant Shower: Best Overall Quality	Unique design features a two-room layout that separates your dry clothes from the shower room. Instant cabin setup is ridiculously fast and easy. See Review
G4Free Camping Shower: Best On A Budget	A versatile tent shower at a great price. Affordable, easy to use, and easy to clean. See Review
Texsport Instant Portable Shower	An extra-roomy single room shower with a 5-gallon shower system included. Packs extra features without breaking the bank. See Review
Green Elephant Camping Shower Tent	A fast and light shower tent on a shoestring budget. The lightest, most compact camp shower on our list that goes up in seconds. See Review

Best Shower Tents

Nemo Heliopolis Camp Shower – Best Shower Tent Overall

Specs:
– Weight: 7.8 lbs (3.5 kg)
– Packed size: 27” x 7” x 7” (69cm x 18cm x 18cm)
– Floor size: 48” x 48” (122cm x 122cm)
– Peak height: 84” (213cm)
– Shower system included: No
– Rooms: 1
– Best for: Shower/bathroom for car camping
– Price: $$$

If you’re looking for the most well-made, feature-rich shower tent money can buy, you can stop reading right here. Nemo’s Heliopolis camp shower is the highest quality option on the market, and is packed with the same kind of premium design and components that make Nemo tents so popular.

The materials themselves are first-rate including a durable 75D polyester canopy and a light-and-sturdy aluminum frame. Nemo built the Heliopolis to be just as durable as their best tents, and backed it with the same lifetime warranty as well.

Materials are great, but honestly it’s the long list of premium features that really make the Nemo Heliopolis stand out. Inside you’ll find a stash pocket for electronics, an overhead towel pocket, a waterproof toilet paper holder, and even a cup holder because shower beers are underrated. There’s also a battery-powered electric light that clips in overhead via carabiner for night shower duty!

As far as the shower system itself, the Heliopolis doesn’t include one in its price, mainly because it’s intended to run with the Nemo Helio high-pressure shower system. Whether you use the Helio or not is up to you though, as the Heliopolis’ sturdy corner hook is more than capable of running whatever system you prefer, pressurized, solar, or otherwise.

The asking price of the Nemo Heliopolis is its main drawback aside from the fact that it doesn’t include the shower itself. It’s also worth mentioning that because Nemo uses a single-wall design, the tent breathes well but doesn’t include a mesh ceiling, which is a nice feature to have when the sun is high in the sky. Still, if you’re serious about your hygiene and want a shower tent that you know will last, you just can’t go wrong with Nemo and their commitment to quality.

Pros:	Cons:
– Packed with premium features like a locking door and waterproof paper dispenser – High-quality materials throughout – Nemo lifetime warranty	– Expensive – No skylight – Shower system not included

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Ozark Trail 2-Room Instant Shower: Best Overall Quality

Specs:
– Weight: 10 lbs (4.5 kg)
– Packed size: 43” x 8” x 8” (109cm x 20cm x 20cm)
– Floor size: 84” x 42” (213cm x 107cm)
– Peak height: 84” (213cm)
– Shower system included: Yes
– Rooms: 2
– Best for: Showering and added privacy for car camping
– Price: $$

There are two main challenges to using a camping shower: The first is getting undressed/dressed again inside without falling over. The second is keeping your clothes (and towel) dry while you shower. The Ozark Trail 2-Room Instant Shower solves both.

That’s because its two-room construction completely separates the shower compartment from the dressing/privacy room compartment while also maintaining your privacy in both rooms. In the shower room you’ll find all the essentials like a multi-compartment mesh shower caddy, a hanging towel rack, a mesh tub floor for easy drainage, and an overhead hook to accommodate the included 5-gallon solar shower bag.

Step through to the changing room and you’ve got plenty of room to store dry clothes and towels as well as two zippable mesh windows for views and ventilation. Each room measures 3.5 feet x 3.5 feet, but you’ve also got the option of unzipping the center divider and having the whole thing to yourself if you prefer.

There’s not much to dislike about the Ozark Trail, but keep in mind that the “instant cabin” setup of this shower tent uses pre-attached hubs and poles, which are always bulkier than traditional collapsible designs. We’d wager you won’t mind that a bit once you realize just how quickly you can pitch this bad boy, but if space inside your vehicle is already at a premium, you’ll want to keep its 43” length in mind. Also: There’s no window in the shower room, so if you want the birds to hear you singing, you’ll need to crank up the volume.

Pros:	Cons:
– Functions as a shower with a separate dry changing room – Instant cabin style frame is sturdy and goes up fast – 5-gallon solar shower included	– Bulkier/heavier than most – No windows in the shower room

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G4Free Outdoor Shower Tent: Best Shower Tent On A Budget

Specs:
– Weight: 10.6 lbs(4.8kg)
– Packed size: 25” x 8” x 8” (64cm x 20cm x 20cm)
– Floor size: 47” x 47” (119cm x 119cm)
– Peak height: 87” (221cm)
– Shower system included: No
– Rooms: 1
– Best for: Showers while car camping
– Price: $

Taking our pick for the best shower tent on a budget this year is the G4Free Outdoor Shower Tent. The G4Free is a versatile, compact, and easy to live with camping shower that won’t put a major dent in your finances.

We love that G4Free included so many premium features in such a budget model. For instance, this tent shower includes both an overhead hook for hanging a solar shower as well as a velcro-sealed exterior port for folks who want to run an exterior water tank system. There’s even an adjustable velcro showerhead attachment in the corner of the ceiling for hands-free showering.

You’ll also get added perks like a removable velcro floor that adheres to the tent’s interior drainage mesh for a best of both worlds approach that’s both bug-free and easy to clean.

The main tradeoff with the G4Free shower tent is that it uses less-durable materials to keep costs down, so you’ll want to be mindful when using the tent that it’s not intended for serious abuse. It’s still a great addition to your camp setup, especially if you only get out a few times a year, but you’ll want to take it easy on the zippers and avoid trying to force anything together during setup.

Pros:	Cons:
– Uses traditional tent construction with poles, hubs, and guy outs for a more secure shelter – Works well with any type of shower system – Great price	– Would prefer to see more rugged materials – Less interior space than some

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Texsport Instant Portable Camping Shower

Specs:
– Weight: 20 lbs (9.1kg)
– Packed size: 32” x 10” x 8” (81cm x 25cm x 20cm)
– Floor size: 54” x 54” (137cm x 137cm)
– Peak height: 87” (221cm)
– Shower system included: Yes
– Rooms: 1
– Best for: Shower/bathroom for car camping
– Price: $

If you’re looking for an extra-roomy shower tent that won’t break the bank, check out the Texsport Instant Shower. With a 4.5-foot wide floor, vertical walls, and ceilings over 7 feet tall, there’s more than enough room inside for even the tallest folks to move around comfortably as they bathe.

There’s a mesh shower bag inside that’s great for organizing all your soaps, shampoos, and loofahs, as well as a hanging towel bar on the exterior that’s ideal for drying wet towels or clothes.

Shower duties themselves come courtesy of the Textsport’s included 5-gallon solar shower, which hangs from dual hooks on the ceiling of the shower tent and provides great water pressure for a gravity-fed model.

The frame of the Texsport Instant Shower is made from durable ¾” steel poles slotted into thick plastic hubs, which is designed to be staked down at the poles and/or guyed out from four attachment points on the included rainfly during bad weather.

Overall the design is very solid once assembled, but getting it there can be a pain. That’s because the Texsport’s poles don’t fit as snugly as we’d like into their designated hubs, so having a pole or two pop out of place during assembly is a common occurrence. We’ll also mention that this shower tent uses an “open floor” for design for drainage rather than a mesh tub bottom, so if you camp in a particularly “bug-friendly” area, be prepared to share your shower with an unexpected guest or two. All things considered, the Texsport Instant Shower is about the most space you can get for the money, and makes for a great multi-use privacy area in the outdoors as well.

Pros:	Cons:
– Plenty of interior space – Extra features like a towel rack and mesh shower caddy – 5-gallon solar shower included	– Open bottom isn’t bug-proof – Setup can be challenging

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Green Elephant Camping Shower Tent

Specs:
– Weight: 5.5 lbs (2.5 kg)
– Packed size: 24” x 2” (61cm x 5cm)
– Floor size: 47” x 47” (119cm x 119cm)
– Peak height: 83” (211cm)
– Shower system included: No
– Rooms: 1
– Best for: Quick and easy privacy doubles as a shower
– Price: $

If price is your main concern, the Green Elephant Camping Shower tent is the least expensive option out there that we’d recommend.

The Green Elephant is essentially a personal privacy tent (ideal for storing a chemical toilet, changing, etc.) that doubles as a shower tent as well. It’s both the lightest and most compact tent on our list thanks to its “pop-out” design that packs down flat and goes up with a simple unfolding motion thanks to its spring-loaded frame.

Some notable benefits of the Green Elephant Camping Shower include a surprisingly long list of interior features (towel hanger, clothes hanger, lantern hook, storage pouches, toilet paper holder, etc), versatile setup options (stakes, sandbags, a rain cover, and guylines are all included), and a surprisingly tall center height of nearly 7 feet.

Many campers will appreciate the minimalist approach of the Green Elephant and find its simplified construction well worth the ease of use and packability, but our main complaint with this camp shower is that its light-and-fast design limits its livability as a shower. For instance, there’s no floor inside at all, which makes for excellent drainage, but also means you’ll need to bring your own (like a tarp) or plan on standing on wet ground. You’ll also want to note that the collapsible steel frame isn’t built to support a typical 5-gallon solar shower, which means you’ll either need to hang your bag overhead from a nearby tree or just stick with a pressurized external system fed through the roof of the shelter.

Pros:	Cons:
– “Pop-up” setup couldn’t be easier – Lightest/most portable option – Includes a surprising amount of bonus features	– Minimalist design lacks premium features – Not ideal for bad weather – Not built for heavy solar shower bags

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Buyer’s Guide For The Best Shower Tents

Why buy a shower tent?

Not every camping trip takes place in a campground, and not every campground has public showers. The beauty of a shower tent is that no matter where you go, you’ll always have a private place to wash the dirt off after a long day outdoors. Many of these shelters also double as great changing rooms and backcountry outhouses as well, so you won’t have to worry about the prying eyes of squirrels and deer while you go about your business. Should it be for camping or RV boondocking, shower tents can really improve your experience in the wild!

Peak Height And Interior Space

One of the first things we recommend looking at are the interior dimensions of a shower tent. You’re looking for two things here: Peak height and interior space.

Peak height is important because you don’t want to be bending over to get under the water, especially if you plan on using a hands-free design with a separate shower head. It’s also important to consider how your peak height will work with whatever shower system you plan on using. For instance, if you’re under six feet tall and plan on using a solar shower bag, you’ll probably want a peak height that’s within arms reach so you can hang the bag from the ceiling without the help of a step ladder.

Interior space is our other main concern, although this one has more to do with general livability. We’ve all been in a cramped hotel room or RV shower at some point, and know what a struggle it can be to scrub our feet when we can’t bend over without hitting our head against a wall. Generally speaking, bigger is better, so long as you’ve got room for it in your vehicle.

Ease Of Set-up

Just like camping tents, shower tents come in a variety of different set-ups, each with their own pros and cons. Setting them up should be no more difficult than your average tent, but you’ll want to consider the type of shower you plan on using before pulling the trigger on a given set-up style.

For example, instant “pop-up” showers are great (all you have to do is unfold them) but chances are their frames aren’t robust enough to support the weight of a standard 5-gallon solar shower. Designs with more durable pole-and-hub or instant-cabin frames, on the other hand, will typically support any shower system on the market. It’s a trade-off, but one you’ll definitely want to keep in mind.

Privacy

The first step of any proper shower is getting naked, and to do that legally, you’ll want (need) some degree of privacy to keep your self to yourself. With that being said, we think it’s worth mentioning that there’s something particularly special about showering in the middle of the woods, and for that reason, we prefer a shower tent that’s 100% private when you need it to be, but also has the option of being a “shower with a view” when you don’t.

Showering with the smell of the ocean or the sounds of the forest all around is a great experience. Showering with a viewof the ocean or the surrounding mountains, on the other hand, is an even greater one. Either way, it’s nice to have the option.

Ventilation

Ventilation is your other reason for wanting windows in a shower tent, as well as mesh ceilings and floors.

Because the whole point of a shower tent is to have water running inside of it, ventilation is just as important as a camping tent (if not more so). If your tent isn’t properly ventilated, it’ll likely pick up those lovely bathroom smells in short order, and will also be particularly susceptible to mold and mildew (which are gross).

We’d consider mesh ceilings a requirement of any shower tent, although windows deserve bonus points both for ventilation and the reasons mentioned above. In addition to those factors, shower tents also need ventilation on the floor to give water a place to go without pooling up.

Different shower tents achieve this in different ways. Some have sewn-in mesh to vent water at the base of the floor, others combine removable floors with a similar system, and some forego any floor whatsoever. We generally prefer mesh panels on the floor, as they provide the best tradeoff of bug protection and drainage, but each type has its own pros and cons to consider.

Other Notable Features

Interior space and a design layout are important, but if we’re being honest, it’s those extra little features that make a shower tent that much sweeter. When shopping for your next camping shower, just think of all the things you take for granted in your shower at home.

Does it include a shower caddy or mesh dividers to store your soaps, shampoos, and washcloths? What about a space to hang your towel where it won’t get wet? Same goes for a change of clothes, your phone, etc.

We also recommend considering whether or not your shower tent will do double duty (heh heh) as a private bathroom. Many owners like to use and/or store a chemical toilet or canister toilet of some kind inside, so they don’t have to worry about finding and using a good spot in the woods when nature calls. If you’re considering using yours the same way, does it have a convenient (and waterproof) place to store bathroom tissue and other personal items you don’t want getting wet?

The same goes for changing clothes: Having a shower tent handy can make those early morning or late-night changes that much easier, especially if you’re sleeping in a tent that isn’t stand-up height inside.

Conclusion

Taking all the above factors into account, we found that the Nemo Heliopolis was the best shower tent overall. It’s well built, plenty roomy, well-ventilated, and packs a ton of above-and-beyond convenience features into its design. A shower/bathroom with a cupholder? C’mon!

If the Nemo is a little too rich for your blood, we completely understand, which is why our second choice is the more affordable but no-less-roomy Ozark Trail 2-Room Instant Shower. The extra space of the Ozark Trail combined with the convenience of instant-cabin construction is a bargain at any price and one we think you’ll enjoy for years to come.

If you’re interested in keeping clean but aren’t trying to break the bank, you can’t go wrong with the G4Free Camping Shower. It shares many of the added features of the two tents above, but does it at a basement level price that comes with everything you need to get scrubbing, including the shower itself.