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Finding the perfect tent for your camping experience can be difficult. Many tents are smaller and are designed for three or for campers at a time, so finding one to accommodate your larger camping party can be hard. We are providing you a list of our seven favorite tents to help guide you in the right direction of finding the features and additions that matter most to you.
The buyer’s guide at the end of the article offers you some tips and tricks on what to look out for when buying your 12-person tent. The larger tents tend to be quite expensive, so you don’t want to blow the bank on a product that doesn’t suit your needs. By using our list and buyer’s guide, you should be set to find the perfect camping tent for you and your large camping party.
In order to make your tent shopping experience easier, we have created a list of our top seven tents that can fit 12 people. Camping with friends can be difficult, especially if your tent is on the smaller side. Each of the tents we have reviewed for you can seat 12 people side by side. While it might not be comfortable for some, these tents are spacious and will offer you a fantastic camping experience.
Every tent on our list is able to withstand rain, winds, and most forms of bad weather. Some do it better than others, but each one has the tools required to provide you protection from the elements. Our goal is to provide you some insight into which tent is the best product for you.
This tent features a 20×9-foot cabin that stands 6’6″ tall offering a spacious and comfortable sleep while camping. The weather resistant lining allows you to camp no matter the weather without having to worry about your belongings being ruined. The tent includes storage pockets that which add an extra layer of security for your personal items which you bring along. Fiberglass poles make this tent lightweight and easy to carry when you’re on the go.
Our Review:
As one of the largest tents on our list, the comfort and spaciousness provided by this product are nearly unrivaled. The only tent on this list that’s bigger is the Ozark Trail Instant. The features and weather protection options of this tent make it an excellent choice for longer camping expeditions as you won’t have to worry about the rain ruining your experience. Many tents would see the water pool up as it leaks through the zippers and the entrance, but this tent utilizes a rain-fly system to protect the weaker spots from leakage.
Overall, this is an excellent product that will make your camping experience amazing. The ease of assembly grants you the opportunity to start camping as soon as the product arrives.
Pros
Cons
This tent offers a spacious cabin that comes in around 18×11-feet. It’s not quite at large as the Outbound tent, but the 80-inch high ceiling certainly offers you plenty of space to move. The tent come equipped with an external flashlight pocket, internal organization shelves, and an expandable carry bag. Two attachable room dividers allow you to separate the space and offer privacy to anyone who desires it.
Our Review:
The added features of this tent are what make it truly outstanding. It’s weather resistant and spacious like many of the tents you’ll encounter on this list, but the additions are what makes it our second favorite tent option. Having the internal organizational options is pivotal when it comes to camping, you don’t want to lose any necessities because your tent is unorganized. 12 people will bring a lot of clutter. The heat shield ceiling protects you from any harmful UV rays while you relax in the tent. Being able to divide your space into three rooms offers you both privacy and separation, something we all need while camping.
This tent is a fantastic camping option that can easily accommodate 12 people on your camping trip. One issue that we encounter with many 12-person tents is the lack of exits. Only having one door can get bothersome for those sleeping closer to the exit.
Pros
Cons
Easy assembly process is offered due to the poles already being attached to the tent. This is a 16×16-foot tent with fully closeable windows to help block out the sun in the mornings for a more comfortable sleeping experience. This is one of the smaller tents on the list, but you can easily fit three queen-sized mattresses and 12 people. There is a power outlet slot for when you need to connect a generator for camping.
Our Review:
Smaller space is offered for a heavier overall weight, but that seems to be the only drawback of this product. The weather resistance is dependable, and the closeable window offer you the opportunity to keep the sun out in the mornings and let the stars in at night. This tent is one of the fastest ones to set up as the poles come pre-attached and simply unfold into the position they need to be in. This does provide the issue of tearing in the seams – the more you use it, the weaker the connection gets, and the poles can come undone.
While it’s not as large as the Bushnell or the Outbound tents, the space provide is still enough to comfortably seat 12 sleepers. There is a slight learning curve with this tent, but after the first set up, it’s easy going.
Pros
Cons
This tent, unlike the Bushnell or the Ozark, offers a two-exit option. The side door is a D-style door and the front option is a T-style. It comfortably seats 12 people and offers room dividers much like the Bushnell tent. The floor of this tent is 18×11-feet which leaves plenty of room for your friends and family to come hiking with you.
Our Review:
One of the most exciting aspects of this tent is the venting capability. It has two vents at the bottom of the walls which draw in cool air from the ground and circulate it through the tent. This keeps you cool throughout the night and continues to prevent any intruding insects and bugs. The water-resistant technology offers a shield of protection against rain. It’s rather effective in this protection but can be somewhat susceptible to wind gusts.
We love the two-door option of this tent as it essentially provides you with a master bedroom and prevents any annoying rustling to get to the door in the middle of the night. The ability to separate the rooms offers privacy and helps you feel as though you’re in your very own tent. Putting up the rain fly can be rather difficult, and durability seems to be an issue with the ground.
Read our full review here.
Pros
Cons
CORE is back with a second installment on the list, this time as a smaller tent option coming in at 16×11-feet. The height of this tent is around 86-inches and the layout of it allows for up to four queen-sized mattresses. Just as in their larger option, this CORE tent provides two doors for multiple exit options. You will also receive another two-room dividing option to offer privacy and separation. You get a rain fly, two room separators, tent poles, awning poles, ground stakes, and a carry bag.
Our Review:
The real benefit of this device is the compact nature when compared to its slightly larger brother. You’re getting a lightweight and durable 12-person tent that will offer you extended use, no matter the weather. One thing that can be annoying about this tent is the setup of the rain fly. For both CORE products, the rain fly comes detached and requires extensive set up to put it on. One of the most exciting parts of this tent is the adjustable air vent which offers you the ability to monitor the amount of air that gets into the tent.
Having the ability to essentially control your internal environment is rare for camping tents. This tent is a fantastic option for more lightweight and smaller camping trips. While its size is smaller than most on this list, the features it offers stand their grounds.
Pros
Cons
Not many camping tents will have internal LED lights to offer you a unique and fun camping experience. This tent incorporates LED on the inside of the tent so that you can keep the fun going even throughout the night. The sizing of this tent is rather average coming in at 18×11-feet of space and about 6-feet of height. Much like the CORE tents on our list, this tent includes room dividers which offer privacy and space for your campers. Each room, once dividers are set up, will be around 9×5-feet.
Our Review:
If you’re looking for a simple camping tent that will fit up to 12-people and offers a nighttime experience like no other, then this is a fantastic option for you. The internal LEDs might seem like a pointless addition, but once it gets dark out and the campfire begins to die, holding a flashlight for hours at a time can get tiring rather quick. This tent is pretty average when it comes to space, and, as with all other tents on this list, offers a weather protection feature.
The set up and break down of this tent is quick and painless, especially with two people helping. The only downside is the LED lights require batteries to operate.
Read our full review here.
Pros
Cons
This is the largest tent on our list and offers quite a comfortable experience, even for parties of 12 people. The 20×18-foot space of this tent means there is ample space for air mattresses or sleeping bags alike. No assembly is required as the poles come pre-attached, just as with the first Ozark tent on our list. This tent has three rooms, and a door for each room, making use of the extended amount of space. There are 10 closing windows and electrical cord access for the front room. The tent also includes vents to help circulate cool air throughout.
Our Review:
The best way to describe this tent is by offering this bit of advice: If your tent comes from Ozark, you’re in for a great trip. The amount of features that this tent offers is unmatched, it takes all of the best qualities of every other tent on our list – size, vents, multiple doors, closing windows, room dividers, and weather protection – and makes them its own.
If you’re looking for a sizable camping tent that will keep you dry and protected from the elements, this is a great option for you. The ability to divide your space into three rooms, each with a door attached is unmatched in terms of privacy and comfort throughout the night. The one issue that comes with this tent is the issue of setting up. While the no-assembly-required aspect is quite useful, having the poles already attached does raise the threat of tears at the seams.
Pros
Cons
Finding the perfect 12-person camping tent can be difficult as the pure number of options can be rather overwhelming. This buyer’s guide will help you clear out any bad options and keep your search clean and filled with only the top tents. Keep in mind, what features work best for you can only be determined by you.
Each tent is different and offer different features. We’ve compiled a few aspects of a camping tent that make it great for the campers. These factors will help you to weed out any options that don’t necessarily fit your criteria or the industry standards of a 12-person tent. Factors such as size, how easy it is to set up, weather resistance, etc. are what went into picking our top seven tents.
Each tent on our list matched our standards for each of the following categories. When you’re shopping for the perfect 12-person tent, it’ll be beneficial to consider each of these categories. The better they look on paper, the better they will be in use. You don’t want to waste hundreds of dollars on something that doesn’t work more than one trip.
Size
If you’re going to get a 12-person tent, you’ll want to ensure that it is large enough to fit everyone. Most 12-person tents are not designed to comfortably seat 12 people, but rather can fit 12 people if they lie side to side. The larger the tent, the better it is for your larger camping party.
Ease of use
One difficulty many experience with camping is the setting up and breaking down of the tent. They can be rather complex at times but having a tent that is easy and takes less than 10 minutes to set up or break down can save the day. The last thing you want to worry about is the structure of the tent around you.
Waterproof
When camping, it’s never exactly the weather you were hoping it would be. Sometimes, especially at night, heavy rainfall can ruin a trip. It’s important to have a tent that can dispel the water and protect your belongings from the weather.
Durability
These tents can be expensive, so you don’t want to use them just one time. They should be durable and able to withstand the elements in order to offer you multiple trips. You want a tent that will be your camping buddy for years to come.
Added features
Some of the most exciting features of a 12-person tent are the additional ones. Having ample storage options or cool ventilation systems offers a new aspect of comfort to your camping trip. One feature you should keep an eye out for is multiple doors. Tents with multiple doors offer different means of exit during the night which is quite underrated. The additional features could be the deciding factor of which tent you ultimately decide to purchase.
Consider Customer Reviews
While we have utilized each of the tents in an attempt to give you firsthand experience, our opinions are limited. By seeing what other customers are saying, you’ll be better prepared to know the full story and receive a wide array of opinions on the tent. They’re the ones who have bought it and used it, their story about the tent will typically be more beneficial than the company’s description of it.
Listen to the reviews. If any issues or difficulties with the tent come up in multiple spots, it’s safe to say that that’s not a one-time problem but rather a defect of the product itself. If the manufacturer has addressed the error, perfect. If not, you might want to dig deeper to discover why the problem is occurring. If the issue lies with the manufacturer and the tent itself, you might want to move on.
The size of a 12-person tent will vary from product to product. Typically, these tents will run anywhere from 16×11-feet to 20×11-feet. There are tents that are larger and tents that are smaller, but these are the averages. Each tent tends to be about 80-inches in height.
Most tents realize they are going to be used on rough terrain for days at a time and are built to withstand scratches and rocks as well as gusts of wind and rough weather. The weakest part of a tent will typically be the seams, but even these tend to be buffed to withstand wear and tear.
Most tent have some form of water protection. Some tents have a lining that prevents water from sticking and simply moves it aside whereas other tents have a rain fly that you can attach separately to protect you from the weather. Each tent on our list is waterproof using either of these methods.
reviwedAF is an independent website created by outdoor enthusiasts. The views expressed on this site may come from individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect the view of reviewedAF or any other organization.
