As much as we love sharing the outdoors with friends and family, sharing a bedroom with them is a whole different animal. Unfortunately most traditional camping tents stick to the “one big room” design, which is what makes the best three room tents such a unique and attractive option for car campers everywhere.
After testing and analyzing all the most popular three room tent options currently available, we found the Big Agnes Wyoming Trail 4 to be the best three room tent overall. We love the Wyoming Trail for its modular split bedroom design, top-tier material quality and weatherproofing, and incredibly versatile rainfly.
We know that the Wyoming Trail won’t be every camper’s ideal shelter though, which is why we’ve also included all our favorite alternatives in the list below. Whether you’re looking for more room to spread out, a quick and easy pitch, or just a less expensive tent, you’ll find something well suited to your needs in the list below.
We’ll also note that if you’re new to the three room tent concept, we’ve included a handy buyer’s guide down at the bottom to help get you up to speed on these unique shelters. There you’ll find all the information you need to make an informed decision when shopping for a tent of your own.
Alright, enough talk, let’s dive into our favorite three room tents!
| Tent | Summary |
|---|---|
| Big Agnes Wyoming Trail 4: Best Three Room Tent Overall | A unique three room shelter with dual clip-in sleeping areas for outstanding privacy. A large shared space in the center doubles as a dry place to store bulky gear and firewood. See Review |
| Zempire Evo TL V2: Highest Overall Quality | An outrageously high-quality shelter with a quick-pitching and pole-free airframe design. Large tunnel layout delivers tons of shady hang-out space. See Review |
| Ozark Trail 3 Room Cabin: Best On A Budget | A three-room cabin with a unique L-shaped floor plan and a shared outdoor awning area. Massive space and livability for the price. See Review |
| Bushnell Shield 12 Person Cabin | A large instant cabin with elevated weather protection and tons of interior space. Reflective rainfly material keeps the interior cool and dark during the day. See Review |
| Core 12 Instant Cabin | Easy to use, comfortable, and affordable. Instant cabin design with room for the whole gang to spread out and sleep comfortably. See Review |
| Ozark Trail Hazel Creek | Quite simply one of the largest tents we’ve ever seen. Three separate bedrooms with enough space left over for your average family sedan. See Review |
Best Three Room Tents
Big Agnes Wyoming Trail 4: Best Three Room Tent
Specs:
– Weight: 22.4 lbs (10.2 kg)
– Packed size: 26” x 17” x 10” (66cm x 43cm x 25cm)
– Floor size: 175” x 90” (445cm x 229cm)
– Peak height: 70” (178cm)
– Number of compartments: 3
– Modular compartments: Yes
– Occupancy: 4
– Shape: Dome/Tunnel
– Best for: Three season car camping
– Price: $$
Topping our list as the best three-room tent overall is the Big Agnes Wyoming Trail 4, an innovative shelter that combines two completely separate two-person sleeping quarters and a shared hang-out space under one shared rainfly.
The Wyoming’s layout is genius in its simplicity: Each of the tent’s two sleeping quarters is essentially its own clip-in tent, giving you two completely separate rooms under one roof. Whether you’re parents who want to sleep separately from the kids or two couples who want their privacy after hours, the Wyoming’s layout is well suited to your purpose.
We also love that the center room, a shared space between the two tents, is incredibly versatile. It’s double doors can be propped up like awnings on both sides of the tent for an extended shady space, or zipped up to keep bulky gear like mountain bikes or firewood dry and out of sight. Big Agnes even designed the fly to function independently of the two bedrooms, so you can bring it to the beach or your next picnic to use as a shady standalone canopy.
All the materials are top notch from the thick aluminum poles to the 1,500mm waterproof fly and floor, and ventilation is outstanding thanks to the optional open fly design and dual pass-through vents on both of the sleeping areas. We also love that the whole assembly packs down into a nifty backpack-style carry bag, which we thoroughly enjoyed during our testing of the Big Agnes Bunk House.
Truth be told, we have zero complaints with this model. It’s exceptionally high quality, built to handle bad weather, and packs a ton of space for covered storage, shady lounging, and peaceful sleeping. The only real issue we see potential buyers running into is outright living space, as many three person models have room for six or more campers, while this one only has room for four. We’ll also note that although the center room can be fully zipped and is protected from weather, it’s still an “open” space with either the ground of the optional footprint underfoot, so it’s not ideal as an “impromptu sleeping area” and lacks bug protection as well.
| Pros: | Cons: |
| – Dual independent sleeping areas – Outstanding material quality – Reliable weather protection | – Only sleeps 4 – Middle space not fully enclosed |
Zempire EVO TL V2: Highest Overall Quality
Specs:
– Weight: 69lbs (31.3kg)
– Packed size: 28” x 20” x 20” (71cm x 51cm x 51cm)
– Floor size: 258” x 140” (655cm x 356cm)
– Peak height: 87” (221cm)
– Number of compartments: 3+
– Modular compartments: Yes
– Occupancy: 5
– Shape: Tunnel
– Best for: Three season car camping
– Price: $$$
If you want the craziest tent in the campground, you need look no further than the Zempire EVO TL V2, a massive tunnel tent that goes up in under 5 minutes thanks to its innovative airbeam frame.
If you haven’t seen a Zempire tent before, the company’s innovation is pretty astounding. Rather than using traditional tent poles, the EVO is supported by five air chambers, which are inflated using a dual-action hand pump. You simply stake out the corners, inflate the tent, and watch it rise to a whopping 87” peak height.
As for the three room layout, the Zempire is easily one of our favorites. The Evo sports a back bedroom, a large central living area with dual pass-through doors, and a large front hangout spot that’s ideal for a few chairs and a table or for storing bulky gear you want to keep out of the weather and off the tent floor. We’re also particularly fond of the Evo’s bedroom setup, which is designed to be dark and cool during the day, and can be split into three separate sleeping quarters when desired.
We’ll also give props to the Zempire’s waterproofing treatment: All the exterior fabric of the Evo is rated to a whopping 6,000 millimeters of water resistance, making it one of the most capable shelters on our list when it comes to rainy weather.
We could write a short essay on all the Evo’s premium features, but we’ll just say this three room tent wants for nothing in terms of materials quality or livability and leave it at that. You’ll have to pay a premium for its futuristic build and outstanding ease-of-use, but those with the money to spend will hands-down have the most impressive tent in a 100-mile radius anywhere they pitch the Zempire.
| Pros: | Cons: |
| – Innovative airbeam frame goes up in under 5 minutes – Massive 200 square-foot interior – Outstanding weather protection | – Very expensive – May be too large to fit in some campsites |
Ozark Trail 3 Room Cabin: Best On A Budget
Specs:
– Weight: 55lbs (25kg)
– Packed size: 52” x 14” x 14” (132cm x 36cm x 33cm)
– Floor size: 192” x 192” (488cm x 488cm)
– Peak height: 82” (208cm)
– Number of compartments: 3
– Modular compartments: Yes
– Occupancy: 12 people
– Shape: Cabin
– Best for: Three season car camping
– Price: $
If you’re looking for a big three-room family tent on a small budget, the Ozark Trail 3 Room Cabin is the tent to beat. With room for 12, tall ceilings, and near vertical walls, this massive airy shelter has space for the whole crew to stretch out in comfort.
Our favorite feature on the Ozark Trail (aside from its affordable price) is its large shared awning space: By utilizing the tent’s unique L-shaped layout, Ozark Trail was able to integrate a pole supported awning into the front of the shelter that shields both of the tent’s doors for dry entry/exit. This also makes a great place to store wet boots, firewood, or any number of bulky items you don’t want taking up space inside the tent.
We also appreciate that this shelter utilizes an “instant tent” setup. Despite its imposing size, the 3 Room Cabin goes up easily in well under 10 minutes using pre-attached poles and locking hubs. It’s a bit of a workout when pitching one yourself, but it can certainly be done solo in a pinch.
The main drawback of this value-added shelter is that due to its tall walls and boxy shape, it wouldn’t be our first pick in heavy winds. Ozark Trail includes a respectable amount of guylines to help stabilize the tent, but there’s only so much you can do with a cabin this size. We’ll also note that the tent is made from fairly rudimentary 68D polyester fabric, which means you’ll need to take extra care when pitching and packing it to avoid any premature rips and tears.
| Pros: | Cons: |
| – Huge interior for the money – Clever integrated awning covers both doors – Instant tent design for quick and easy setup | – Not ideal for heavy winds – Comparatively thin fabric requires some finesse |
Bushnell Shield 12 Person Cabin
Specs:
– Weight: 62 lbs (28kg)
– Packed size: 11.5” x 49” x 11.5” (29cm x 125cm x 29cm)
– Floor size: 216” x 132” (549cm x 335cm)
– Peak height: 80” (203 cm)
– Number of compartments: 3
– Modular compartments: Yes
– Occupancy: 12
– Shape: Cabin
– Best for: Three season car camping
– Price: $$
If you’re digging the big three room cabin idea but want something a little tougher and better suited to bad weather, we recommend checking out the Bushnell Shield 12 Person Cabin.
Durability-wise, we love the Shield for its generous use of beefy 150 denier polyester fabric in both the walls and rainfly of the shelter. The floor gets an even tougher 250 denier spec, making it a great candidate for heavy foot traffic and indoor furniture. Weather-wise the Shield is fully seam-taped to keep rain at bay, and also benefits from Bushnell’s unique “Heat Shield” fabric, which employs a metallic silver backing to keep the inside of the tent cooler and darker in hot weather.
As far as the layout goes, this tent is essentially just one giant rectangle, but includes two privacy dividers to evenly split the massive interior into three separate sections. We like this approach because it allows you to divide the tent up when needed, but still allows you to make full use of the entire interior when you’re camping with a smaller group.
We don’t have many complaints with the Shield apart from its considerable weight and bulk, but considering this is (a) a 12 person tent and (b) and instant tent with pre-attached poles, both the size and weight are more or less par for the course. Our only other gripe here is that for some reason Bushnell only built a single door into the Shield’s design. Not a big issue if you’re only sharing it with a couple extra campers, but we don’t relish the thought of eight or more people sharing a single door for late night bathroom breaks.
| Pros: | Cons: |
| – Elevated weather protection – Tough fabrics throughout – Instant tent design | – Only one door – Heavy/bulky |
Core 12 Person Instant Cabin
Specs:
– Weight: 48 lbs (22kg)
– Packed size: 49” x 16” x 11.5” (125cm x 41cm x 29cm)
– Floor size: 216” x 120” (549cm x 305cm)
– Peak height: 80” (203cm)
– Number of compartments: 3
– Modular compartments: Yes
– Occupancy: 12
– Shape: Cabin
– Best for: Three season car camping
– Price: $
The most space possible for the least amount of money: That’s what the Core 12 Person Instant Cabin is all about. We love the Core because it goes toe-to-toe with the largest tents on our list in terms of outright interior space, but does it for even less money than our favorite budget pick.
You’d think a tent this large at a price this good would be as bare-bones as they come, but another surprising perk of the Core Cabin is that it’s actually fairly well equipped in terms of features. For instance, this tent sports the same easy-pitching instant cabin design as other models twice its price, and also features the same modular three-room layout using a pair of included privacy dividers.
We also like that Core went the extra mile when it came to ventilation here. Between the Cabin’s full mesh ceiling, six large zippable windows, double mesh doors, and the two large ground-level vents on either end of the shelter, this tent promises to stay condensation-free regardless of what the weather holds.
As you might expect in a shelter this affordable, our main concern with the Core Instant Cabin is durability. The steel and fiberglass poles feel a little on the thinner side, the fabric is only 68 denier throughout, and the plastic hinges/brackets for the folding poles are pretty basic. We’ll also note that the minimal rainfly coverage leaves a lot riding on the fabric’s waterproof treatment and seam taping, so we mainly recommend this tent for fair weather weekends and light rain.
| Pros: | Cons: |
| – Big tent with a small pricetag – Modular three room/two door layout – Instant tent design makes for fast setup | – Not the most durable materials – Not ideal for bad weather |
Ozark Trail Hazel Creek
Specs:
– Weight: 47lbs (21.3 kg)
– Packed size: 28” x 14” x 13” (71cm x 36cm x 33cm)
– Floor size: 240” x 120” (610cm x 305cm)
– Peak height: 80” (203cm)
– Number of compartments: 3
– Modular compartments: Yes
– Occupancy: 16
– Shape: Cabin
– Best for: three season car camping
– Price: $
The Ozark Trail Hazel is, quite literally, the biggest tent we’ve ever seen. With room for 16 campers or 4 queen-sized air mattresses, chances are this thing has more room than you’ll ever need, but hey, if you’re gonna go glamping, go big or go home.
We like the Hazel Creek because it employs a unique “T” shaped design, which places two bedrooms in either of the “wings” of the tent, and then leaves the center section open for additional mattresses or a full sized living room with plenty of space left over for gear, bikes, the family sedan, etc.
Ozark Trail even includes a 55” drop-down movie screen inside the Hazel Creek, which is ideal for a family movie night if you’ve got a projector handy. A few other highlights we appreciate include outstanding ventilation from a whopping total of 9 mesh windows, massive 80” cathedral ceilings in the main “living room” of the tent, and an all-mesh roof for expansive stargazing after dark.
As it is often the case with department store tents, our biggest concern with the Hazel Creek is durability. While the upright poles are made from sturdy steel, the roof supports are fairly average looking fiberglass, and there’s a lot of it due to the outright size of this shelter. We’ll also note that this isn’t an “instant tent” style shelter, which bodes well for long term durability, but makes it virtually impossible to pitch by yourself.
| Pros: | Cons: |
| – Bigger than most apartments – Three rooms, three doors – Movie night anyone? | – Fiberglass roof – More involved setup than most – Not ideal for bad weather |
Buyer’s Guide To The Best Three Room Tents
As you can see, three room tents come in all shapes and sizes, and are some of the most sophisticated and complex shelters out there. That can make finding the right one for your ideal weekend in the woods a little challenging, so here are all the criteria we look at when selecting and evaluating a three room tent for our list.
Interior Space and Layout
Three room tents come in a wide variety of layouts, so the first thing we recommend doing when shopping for your own is figuring out how you plan to use your three rooms. Do you need three separate sleeping areas? Two bedrooms and a common space? A bedroom, a living room, and a screen room?
There’s plenty of variety to be had in this genre, so start with what you know you need and go from there. The same could be said for interior space as well.
When it comes to the interior of your three room tent, we recommend starting with the total number of sleepers you plan to shelter inside and go from there. As a general rule of thumb, we recommend buying a tent with space for at least two more sleepers than you’ll actually have inside the tent (couples should look for a four-person tent, families of four a six person tent, and so on).
This is by no means a hard and fast rule as certain tents of the same “size” deliver much more space than others, but it’s a good place to start. When in doubt, we always recommend just buying as much space as your budget allows, as having extra room to stretch out and hang out is always a plus when car camping.
Ventilation
In terms of ventilation, the rules for three room tents are the same as any other car-camping tent: Three-season models with mesh-heavy canopies tend to vent the best, and tents with more windows also tend to do a better job of keeping the air flowing than those with less.
Another important variable to consider here is both the style and length of your tent’s rainfly. Any tent with the fly removed will be well ventilated and condensation-free, but rainflys with well-placed vents and ample space between the walls of the canopy are worth their weight in gold when the weather turns sour or you want a little extra protection from the sun.
Generally speaking, rainflys come in two flavors: Full coverage and partial coverage. Full coverage flys provide the best protection against wind and rain, but because their walls stretch all the way to the ground, they typically don’t vent quite as well as partial coverage designs.
Partial coverage flies, on the other hand, essentially deliver the exact opposite benefits and drawbacks: By leaving a portion of the canopy walls exposed, they allow for much more air to circulate up and inside the tent. These flys often leave doors, windows, and the fabric walls of your canopy exposed to the elements though, which isn’t necessarily a deal breaker, but doesn’t always bode well for heavy or extended rainfall.
Weather Resistance
We’ve established your rainfly’s role in keeping a tent livable during bad weather, but there are a few other factors you’ll want to consider when it comes to weather resistance in a three room tent. Apart from the type of rainfly, we also pay close attention to the waterproofing of your tent’s fabric and construction, as well as the quality of the tent’s poles/frame.
In terms of fabric, there are two main things to look out for: Seam taping and water resistance. Seam taping refers to the waterproof tape that’s sewn into the seams of your tent, which essentially “plugs up” the holes created when the panels of the tent are sewn together. The best three room tents use seam taping throughout both the canopy and the rainfly, but at minimum any tent you’re considering should at least have fully taped seams throughout the fly as a first line of defense.
In terms of waterproofing, the main metric we look at here is the hydrostatic head rating of the material. Not all manufacturers list this rating, but when they do, it’s listed in millimeters. The higher the number, the more waterproof the material (a 2,000mm rating is more waterproof than a 1,500mm rating and so on), so opt for the highest rating you can find within your budget for peace of mind. Generally speaking, we consider anything above 1200mm as highly waterproof.
Lastly, we come to the tent’s poles/frame. The best three room tents will feature frames made entirely from aluminum, both in the poles themselves and in any hubs or hardware that’s under tension in the frame. Aluminum is flexible enough to support major winds without breaking. You’ll also find many larger tents that use painted or powder coated steel as well, and we’ve found this to be a good compromise between cost and durability in our testing.
Some tents in this category may also feature fiberglass poles, which are our least favorite of the bunch, but also aren’t necessarily a deal breaker. If you’re considering a tent with fiberglass poles, just make sure to do your research and select the largest diameter poles available, as this gives the frame more strength and improved wind resistance.
Ease of Set-Up
Three person tents tend to be on the larger end of the spectrum, and as such, the easier they are to set up the better. Ideally any three person tent you’re considering should be something you can pitch yourself without help, but because you’ll likely be sharing yours with at least one other person, a two-person pitch isn’t the end of the world.
When it comes to ease of set-up, we recommend looking for things like color-coded poles and sleeves, clip-in canopies, or even linked pole systems. All of these features reduce the time and effort required to set up your tent compared to traditional collapsible pole-in-sleeve designs, and are worth spending a little extra on if convenience is a priority.
We’ll also note that several tents in this category rely on “instant tent” systems, which employ pre-attached poles and locking hubs. These systems are by far the quickest and easiest to pitch, as they require little more than pulling your tent out of the bag, unfolding the legs, and raising the roof up on telescoping poles. If you’re considering an instant tent design yourself, we recommend being as gentle as possible when pitching and taking down your shelter, and also making sure to utilize all the guylines provided as these designs often use plastic hubs which can break when exposed to undue pressure.
Durability
When evaluating a tent’s durability, we look at two main factors: The thickness of the fabric and the quality of the poles. We’ve already touched on pole quality here (aluminum is great, steel is good, fiberglass can be risky), so let’s take a moment to recap what makes a fabric durable.
The main thing we look at when evaluating tent fabrics are their thicknesses, which are typically expressed using a “denier” rating. There’s a long and ridiculous explanation as to what denier is and how it became the standard measurement for fabrics, but all you really need to know here is that the higher the denier ratings in your tent’s fabrics, the longer they’re likely to last.
We also recommend paying close attention to the denier rating in the floor of your three room tent whenever possible. Because the floor of your tent is subjected to near constant abrasion (both from foot traffic and the rough ground below), the denier rating of your floor should be considerably higher than the rest of your tent. The best three-room tent floors spec fabrics of at least 100D thickness, although it’s not uncommon to see much higher numbers here like 200D and 300D polyester.
Weight and Packed Size
Three room tents are pretty much always camping tents due to their plus-sized dimensions, and as such, we don’t put much emphasis on either weight or packed size when evaluating a given shelter. As long as a tent is light enough to carry and small enough to fit inside your vehicle, you’re good to go.
The one caveat we’ll mention here is that if you’re considering an instant tent style shelter with pre-attached poles and folding hubs, you’ll want to pay close attention both to it’s packed size and weight. That’s because these shelters don’t fold up nearly as well as collapsible pole designs, which can make them challenging (if not impossible) to tote around in smaller cars and SUVs.
Value
Of all the metrics we evaluate, value is by far the most subjective. Ultimately this metric comes down to both your budget and your intended use, but we do recommend thinking long-term when it comes to value.
That’s because while there are plenty of inexpensive options out there, cheap tents have a tendency to cut corners on important things like durability and weather protection. Picking up a massive 10-person shelter for a couple hundred bucks may seem like a steal in the moment, but if the materials are thin, the frame is flimsy, and the waterproofing is sub-par, chances are you’re only going to get a season or two of use out of it before issues begin to surface.
For that reason, we put an emphasis on durability when it comes to value for the money. If a tent costs less but still features thick fabrics, solid waterproofing, and a reliable frame, it’s got great value. Oftentimes we find that shelling out a few extra bucks up front pays massive dividends down the road, and if you want the life of your three room tent to be measured in years rather than seasons, you’d do well to keep that in mind.
The Wise Adventurer’s Verdict: Best Three Room Tents
Using each of the factors mentioned above, we found the Big Agnes Wyoming Trail 4 to be the best three room tent overall. The Wyoming may not be the biggest of the bunch, but its premium construction, outstanding weather protection, and versatile design will be the best fit for most campers with groups of 4 or less.
If you’re looking for a little more space to stretch out (and by a little, we mean a lot), we can’t recommend the Zempire EVO V2 highly enough. The EVO sets the standard both in terms of material quality and livability, and it’s quick-pitching airframe design brings a whole new level of luxury and convenience into the equation.
Of course not everyone is looking to make such a large investment for their first three room tent, which is why we believe both the Ozark Trail 3 Room Cabin and Core 12 Person Instant Cabin will make great options for fair-weather campers shopping on a tighter budget. Both of these tents are wallet-friendly and incredibly spacious, and boast convenience instant tent designs to boot.
