Tent Owner Satisfaction Awards
The eighth Tent Owner Satisfaction Awards come from the results of our most recent Owner Satisfaction Survey, measuring how tents have performed from their owners’ perspective.
We asked campers who bought a new tent since the beginning of 2020 to complete the survey, letting us know how their tent (or tents) fared on the campsite. The survey was available to be completed online or at Club events between 21 February and 30 October 2023.
Apart from becoming a useful resource for those looking for a new tent, the results of the survey have become valuable for tent manufacturers, many of whom take note of the results and incorporate some of the suggestions in their new models.
Best Budget Tents | Best Mainstream Tents | Best Premium Tents | Best Backpacker Tents | Best Family Tents | Best Traditional Pole Tents | Best Inflatable Tents
What we learnt
Welcome to our eighth Tent Survey
We published our first report in 2016 and it’s great to find tent users have continued to be generally pleased with the quality of the products they have bought, as they have for the last eight years.
Thank you to all those who responded to our survey, and to the manufacturers and retailers who provided valuable support.
Please note, the Tent Survey is a measure of owner satisfaction, it may not necessarily reflect sales patterns or trends across the sector.
Why did we do the 2024 Tent Owner Satisfaction Survey?
The Camping and Caravanning Club is proud to be the longest-established organisation in the world that covers all forms of camping – from tents to caravans and motorhomes.
Today, the Club boasts some 340,000 member households – equating to more than 740,000 individuals – actively involved in camping, in all its forms.
Our Tent Surveys are open to all, not just Club members. In the earlier surveys the majority of respondents belonged to the Club, but things have varied considerably over time. Although in 2022 only around a quarter of respondents were Club members, this has moved back up to two thirds this year.
Through our Tent Surveys, we set out to:
• See which tent, folding camper, trailer tent and awning brands stand up to the test in the field, based on users’ feedback
• Help campers, existing and new, spend their money wisely
• Provide feedback to manufacturers on how they can raise the overall quality, reliability and suitability of their tents
How did we do the 2024 Tent Owner Satisfaction Survey?
We use print and social media, including the Club’s own publications, and work with major tent manufacturers and retailers along with key outdoor shows to encourage campers to complete our surveys. We also promoted the Tent Survey through the Club’s campsite network.
We carried out our research between 27 February and 30 October 2023 and asked about new tents bought since January 2020.
As with previous surveys, all respondents were invited to go online and answer a questionnaire, designed to take no more than ten minutes. For consistency, we asked broadly the same questions as before.
As in previous years, we dealt with many hundreds of responses. We are proud to be able to continue to build on the results of surveys, making it by far the largest of its kind.
For the fourth time the results were collated by independent specialist MRQual Research Agency. MRQual has worked with Gough Mandarin, the organisation that previously collated our Tent Survey results and worked with The Camping and Caravanning Club for over 25 years.
Our final results for the latest Tent Survey were made public in December 2023.
What did we uncover?
With a similar online questionnaire as previous Tent Surveys, we initially asked for basic information on age, gender, frequency of camping and more, from all respondents.
Around a third of our respondents bought their tent in 2023, 28% in 2022 and around a fifth bought in both 2021 and 2020.
In our last pre-pandemic survey (2019) around 44% of respondents purchased from a specialist tent retailer but this dropped to just 27% this time. The number buying online has dropped from its peak of 42% in the 2023 Awards to 35%.
Average tent prices have generally increased over recent years, but this year we saw a drop in average prices across all categories. The average price paid for a backpacker tent dropped 14% to £242, that of a family tent was 38% down to £199 and even the more premium lifetime tents dropped 2% in price, to an average of £1,023.
We saw more people taking advantage of discounted prices, with only 23% of respondents paying full price for their tent, down from 34% last year and 48% in our first post-pandemic survey.
As with all our surveys so far, it’s the size of the tent that proves the most important factor in the buying decision with 54% of respondents identifying this as a factor – an identical figure to last year’s survey. Ease of pitching was again the next most important factor, with price coming in third place again, having lost its position to the tent’s headroom in the previous survey results.
Brand reputation was quoted by 11% of respondents (the fourth most important factor) and quality came next at 10%.
The most popular tent ranges were Berghaus’s AIR, Vango’s Icarus and Eurohike’s Rydal and Sendero.
In total, the Tent Survey covers feedback on more than 50 makes of tent and in excess of 200 ranges – with some tents accounting for just one response.
Who responded to the survey?
The main age category of tent buyers this year was the 55-64 age group, with 28% of respondents, and in total around 60% were age 45 or over, meaning our respondents were – on average – somewhat younger than in the previous survey.
The proportion of female respondents had increased slightly, up from 38% in the last-but-one survey to 43% for the 2023 Awards, but dropped back to 42% this time.
A similar number of respondents camped with children this year as last (37%) but more camped as a couple (49%). A significant number of people camped alone – 18%.
Only 5% of respondents camped just once a year, with 55% heading out four or more times a year. A full 6% were camping 11 or more times a year.
When asked how often they’d used their tent, 78% said three times or more.
Overall, 80% of respondents reported no defects with their tents – the same result as last year. When asked how satisfied they were on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being ‘not at all satisfied’ and 10 ‘extremely satisfied’, only 4% of respondents gave their tent a score of 5 or lower and 57% scored their tent at 10.
Areas for improvement
As ever, the quality of tent pegs has been a cause for concern, with 40% saying they would like to see better quality tent pegs included with their tents.
Other areas that could be better included value for money, waterproofing and ease of transportation.
The good news
A full 80% of buyers had not experienced any defects with their tents – the same proportion as in the previous survey. We scored overall satisfaction on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being ‘not at all satisfied’ and 10 ‘extremely satisfied’. The aggregate score of 9 matches last year’s results and represents a slight increase over the pre-pandemic 2019 survey, which is good news. Indeed, 89% said they would buy the same make of tent again.
86% of respondents gave a score of 8 or more when asked whether they would recommend their make of tent to others.
Those surveyed also expressed particular satisfaction with the waterproofing of their tent, averaging 9.1, with the method of pitching close behind at 9. The outer fabric durability, space and number of guy lines each had an average score of 8.9.
Another interesting feature is the change between the number of inflatable-tube tents and those with traditional poles over the years.
For the first time in 2019 the number of inflatable-tube tents overtook the poled variety (48% to 36%) but the pendulum swung back in favour of traditional poled tents in our previous survey, with 45% of owners choosing them and 42% buying inflatable-tube framed tents. Things have gone back the other way again this time, with 42% of respondents having poled tents and slightly more (45%) owning inflatable-tube versions.
Pop-ups remained at 2% (though this had dropped from 7% in 2019 and 2021) and knuckle-jointed structures accounted for another 3%.
Best Budget Tents 2024 (up to £300)
Winner: Wild Country 94%
Highly commended: Hi Gear and OEX 93%
Previous winners
2023: Quechua
2022: Hi Gear
2020: Hi Gear
2019: Quechua
2018: Quechua
2017: Hi Gear
2016: Quechua
2024 Tent Owner Satisfaction Awards update
Our definition: Up to £300 will get you a tent of almost any size, so we base this category on the prices respondents told us they paid. As a result, it also includes any special offers at the time of purchase.
Wild Country, a brand from the Terra Nova stable, achieves the top place in our budget tent category, conquering some much larger brands. Its tents are designed to be practical and reliable but also affordable. In the under £300 category, Wild Country provides a range of compact tents with a maximum of three berths suitable for backpacking, carrying on your bike or in any other situation where space is at a premium. Its satisfaction rating of 93% matches the winning score of several of our previous surveys.
The runners up were Hi Gear and OEX, both brands that are only sold through outlets owned by JD plc, such as Go Outdoors, Millets and Blacks. Hi Gear sells mainly family-sized tents while OEX is a competitor for Wild Country in the price-sensitive section of the backpacking market.
2023 Tent Owner Satisfaction Awards update
Quechua regained the top spot again in the budget tent category, after a couple of years in runner-up position. Its satisfaction rating of 93% matched the winning score of several of our previous surveys. Coleman was runner up, with a 90% score.2022 Tent Owner Satisfaction Awards update
Hi Gear again took the top spot here with a 93% rating, exactly the same as last year, while last year’s runner-up Quechua shared the position with Vango this time, on 90%.
Hi Gear was originally the house brand for the Go Outdoors chain of camping retail outlets, but since Go Outdoors was integrated into JD Sports these tents are now available in other JD Sports outlets such as Millets. Quechua is exclusive to Decathlon.
The results are based on prices paid, not manufacturers’ recommended selling prices.
2020 Tent Owners Satisfaction Awards Update
Best Mainstream Tents 2024 (£300-£999)
Highly Commended: Vango 91%
Previous winners
2023: Coleman
2022: Berghaus
2020: Outwell
2019: Outwell
2018: Vango
2017: Robens
2016: Karsten
2024 Tent Owner Satisfaction Awards update
Here, we’re looking at tents that were sold for anything between £300 and £999, which covers a good number of tents in the middle of the market. It’s also where larger, weekender and family-size tents are more to the fore.
This year’s winner Berghaus was a full three percentage points ahead of its nearest rival, Vango. Berghaus is a brand that’s only sold through outlets owned by JD plc, such as Go Outdoors, Millets and Blacks.
2023 Tent Owner Satisfaction Awards update
The 2023 Award winner Coleman just pipped the previous year’s winner Berghaus to the post, with only one percentage point in it.2022 Tent Owner Satisfaction Awards update
Berghaus, a brand within the JD Sports portfolio and sold through retailers such as Blacks and Ultimate Outdoors, achieved a 95% satisfaction rating to top this category with Coleman and Outdoor Revolution being Highly Commended with 93%.
The overall satisfaction figures were a fair bit higher than in recent years, which should be reassuring news for anyone thinking of buying a mainstream tent.
This was the first year Berghaus has received an award. The brand has been a prominent name in the outdoor industry for more than half a century but has not been a big player in the tent market until recently. In fact, all those mentioned above are relative newcomers in our awards line up.
2020 Tent Owner Satisfaction Update
Outwell’s 90% satisfaction rating gave it top spot, with Kampa on 88%, and Vango 87%.
This was Outwell’s second win in this class – it was also top last time around. But, all the brands mentioned above have performed consistently since we first began the Tent Survey in 2016.
Best Premium Tents 2024 (over £1,000)
Highly Commended: Outwell and Zempire 89%
Previous winners
2023: Karsten
2022: Karsten
2020: Karsten
2019: Karsten
2018: Karsten
2017: Karsten
2024 Tent Owner Satisfaction Awards update
At prices from £1,000, this is a sector that defines itself. Buyers are more likely to be experienced tent campers who know what they want and are prepared to pay for it.
This is a category Karsten has made its own – it’s been voted winner at every Awards to date. This time around, the super-premium brand achieved a perfect 100%. It’s consistently scored in the upper 90s (as a minimum) since we started the Tent Survey.
Danish brand Outwell makes an appearance for the second time in this year’s awards as runner up, along with Zempire that sells tents from New Zealand, though both trail Karsten by 11 percentage points, achieving a still-very-respectable score of 89%.
Do note Karsten’s exclusivity, too. Its tents are sold solely by the Camping Travel Store here in the UK, whereas brands like Outwell and Zempire are available more widely.
2023 Tent Owner Satisfaction Awards update
In the 2023 Award cycle Karsten achieved a near-perfect 99%.
Outwell makes an appearance for the first time in this year’s awards, though it trailed Karsten by nine percentage points, achieving 90%.
2022 Tent Owner Satisfaction Awards update
Karsten once again dominated this award, with a 99% satisfaction rating.
Zempire is a new entry in this exclusive category, snapping at the heels of Karsten with a satisfaction rating of 97%, which would have made it a winner in any other category in this year’s Tent Owner Satisfaction Awards if it weren’t competing against Karsten.
2020 Tent Owner Satisfaction Awards update
This time around, Karsten increased its overall satisfaction rating to a near-perfect 99%. It’s consistently scored in the upper 90s since we started the Tent Survey.
All credit to Kampa, too. A more mainstream brand, it nevertheless notched up 92%.
Best Backpacker Tents 2024
Winner: Wild Country 95%
Highly commended: Terra Nova 94%
Previous winners
2023: Vango
2022: Robens
2020: Quechua
2019: Vango
2018: Vango
2017: Vango
2024 Tent Owner Satisfaction Awards update
These are tents designed to be carried by individuals on walking (or cycling) trips. Ease of use is critical here – in terms of carrying, packing away and pitching on a nightly basis during trips away – as well as weight. These are products that must perform.
Terra Nova Equipment takes both honours in this year’s backpacking tent category, with its value brand Wild Country taking the top spot with an excellent score of 95% and Terra Nova – tents for some of the most extreme conditions - being just one percentage point behind.
The company has been making backpacking tents since 1980 with the classic Quasar model being introduced in 1983. In 2022 the company became employee owned.
2023 Tent Owner Satisfaction Awards update
After a year’s absence, Vango achieved the top spot again this year, with specialist expedition tent manufacturer Terra Nova taking second place with 87%, just one percentage point below the winner.
2022 Tent Owner Satisfaction Awards update
There has been a bit of a shake-up in the Backpacker category this time. Robens has taken the top spot with 93% satisfaction while last year’s winner Quechua dropped a percentage point to 91% and now sits as runner up.
There are lots of technical tents in the backpackers category – tents designed to perform in all weather conditions – but high quality, specialist brands such as Terra Nova and Hilleberg didn’t produce enough responses to be measured.
2020 Tent Owner Satisfaction Awards update
Vango’s winning streak in this category (it topped the class for three consecutive years) has come to a close. Quechua was our winner this time around, with 92% satisfaction, with its nearest rival settling for 89%. Coincidentally, 92% was Quechua’s score last year, when it was in joint third place (with Terra Nova).
Best Family Tents 2024
Highly commended: Quechua and Zempire 92%
Previous winners
2023: Kampa
2022: Zempire and Berghaus
2020: Hi Gear and Zempire
2019: Coleman
2018: Kampa
2017: Hi Gear
2024 Tent Owner Satisfaction Awards update
Three or more people camping together, perhaps for a week or more? That’s the simple sum-up of our Family Tents category, where size really can matter. Such tents may take longer to put up and pack away, but it’s the space and convenience when pitched that are most important, allowing the whole family to enjoy a camping holiday.
Berghaus, a brand that’s only sold through outlets owned by JD plc, such as Go Outdoors, Millets and Blacks, has topped the table this year with 93%. Decathlon’s Quechua and New Zealand’s Zempire tied in second place, just one percentage point behind.
Family Tents was by far our biggest category in terms of responses, accounting for 61% of all purchases, a similar proportion to that seen in the previous three surveys.
2023 Tent Owner Satisfaction Awards update
Kampa, now owned by Dometic, has been highly commended in several categories over the years but this is the first time it’s taken the crown in one of the tent categories since 2017. Quechua – a brand associated with Decathlon stores in the UK – came a close second, just one percentage point behind at 93%.
2022 Tent Owner Satisfaction Awards update
Once again, this was a keenly fought sector and we had two winners. Last year’s victor Zempire was joined this time by Hi Gear, both achieving a table-topping 95% satisfaction rating.
Newcomer to the awards Outdoor Revolution also achieved a very respectable 93% to be Highly Commended.
Our two winners target different sectors of the market: Zempire appears in our Premium Tents Awards listings while Hi Gear has done well in the Budget Tent and Poled Tent Awards. Hi Gear was originally the house brand for the Go Outdoors chain of camping retail outlets, but since Go Outdoors was integrated into JD Sports these tents are now available in other JD Sports outlets such as Millets.
2020 Tent Owner Satisfaction Awards update
In this keenly fought sector there were two winners – Zempire and Hi Gear. Both achieved 92% scores.
Third placed Quechua couldn’t be closer, either. It rated 91%.
Best Traditional Pole Tents 2024
Winner: Coleman and Eurohike 90%
Highly commended: Vango 85%
Previous winners
2023: Coleman
2022: Quechua
2020: Quechua
2019: Outwell
2018: Robens
2017: Robens
2024 Tent Owner Satisfaction Awards update
If the main frame of a tent uses poles – whether metal (steel or aluminium alloy) or GRP (glass reinforced fibre or fibreglass), that’s the basis of a traditional pole tent.
We have two winners in the poled tent section this time - US brand Coleman and Eurohike, a brand that’s only sold through outlets owned by JD plc, such as Go Outdoors, Millets and Blacks.
In the early surveys we saw the number of inflatable-tube tents gradually overtaking the poled variety over the years, but the pendulum swung back slightly in favour of traditional poled tents in our previous survey, with 45% of owners choosing them and 42% buying inflatable-tube framed tents. Things have gone back the other way again this time, with 42% of respondents having poled tents and slightly more (45%) owning inflatable-tube versions.
2023 Tent Owner Satisfaction Awards update
It’s interesting to see the numbers of traditional poled tents increasing with respect to inflatable-tube tent versions over the last two surveys. Pole frames are now back to being the most popular again, with 45% of responses, compared with 42% coming from owners of tents with inflatable tube frames.
US-based Coleman won this award for the first time, with Scottish brand Vango being the runner-up.
2022 Tent Owner Satisfaction Awards update
This was a tight category in terms of customer satisfaction. Quechua was our winner, achieving the same rating as it did in the 2020 Awards at 90%, while both runners-up were just one percentage point behind at 89%.
Interestingly, having seen poled tents overtaken in numbers by inflatable-tube models last time, the pole has seen something of a comeback, though more survey respondents still bought inflatable-tube tents this time.
2020 Tent Owner Satisfaction Awards update
This was our tightest category in terms of customer satisfaction. Quechua peaked at 90%, while both runners-up are on 89% (a slightly higher score than was sufficient to give Outwell a class win last time).
Tents using traditional poles are no longer the most popular in terms of total responses. This time around, across all categories some 38% of responses were traditional poled tents.
Best Inflatable Tents 2024
Winner: Berghaus 94%
Highly commended: Vango 90%
Previous winners
2023: Karsten
2022: Karsten
2020: Karsten
2019: Karsten
2018: Karsten
2017: Kampa
2024 Tent Owner Satisfaction Awards update
Inflatable-tube tents are quick to pitch because the main poles are tubes into which air is pumped, usually via a foot pump, but electric ones can sometimes be used.
Berghaus, a brand that’s only sold through outlets owned by JD plc, such as Go Outdoors, Millets and Blacks, topped the table this year in this category following its highly commended place last time, with a 94% owner satisfaction rating. Scottish brand Vango, which is credited with bringing air-framed tents into the mainstream in recent years, was runner up at 90%.
Karsten, the winner of this award following the last five surveys, did not receive enough responses for its inflatable-tube tents to be included this time.
2023 Tent Owner Satisfaction Awards update
We saw a fifth win in as many years for Karsten, recording a 99% satisfaction rating that’s in keeping with its performances elsewhere – as in our last survey.
Berghaus – a more mainstream brand from the JD Sports stable – made a good showing at 93%, a figure that would be a winner in many other categories.
2022 Tent Owner Satisfaction Awards update
Once again Karsten took the top spot with a 99% satisfaction rating.
Outdoor Revolution moved into runner up position this time with a decent score of 92%.
Inflatable-tube tents have shown considerable growth in popularity since we first did our Tent Surveys, with more respondents buying them rather than poled tents for the first time in our last survey. This time the number of poled tents has recovered somewhat but inflatable tubes are still dominant.
2020 Tent Owner Satisfaction Awards update
Karsten recorded a 99% satisfaction rating to win this category again.
Zempire, the brand that claims to be the first to introduce inflatable-tube tents in its native New Zealand, came out with a highly creditable 93%. Unusually, its whole portfolio comprises inflatable tube models.
Inflatable-tube tents have shown considerable growth in popularity since we first did our Tent Surveys. This time around, we witnessed a leap to 48% and such is the strength of growth, we’d expect that to continue over and above half of all purchases next time around.
Tent brands
Airgo
Airgo is a family tent brand based around air-tube tents and awnings that’s only sold through outlets owned by JD plc, such as Go Outdoors, Millets and Blacks.
Alpkit
Designed by outdoor enthusiasts to be cost effective but practical, most Alpkit tents are aimed at those who carry their tents on their back or bikes, though it also has a few larger models in organic cotton.
Aventura
A budget brand previously sold exclusively by Halfords that included two- and four-person tents with prices set so competitively you could buy a complete camping set, including a four-berth tent with sleeping bags and more, at less than £100.
Adventuridge
Budget German supermarket Aldi includes tents among its Special Buys, available in the middle aisle of its stores or online, during the main camping season. The tents are basic but often garner good reviews, considering their price.
Bell Tent
As the name suggests, this is a manufacturer of a range of bell tents in unbleached cotton canvas. Set up in 2006, the company also makes other tents from traditional materials, including its take on the classic Scout patrol tent.
Cabanon
Founded in 1959, this French manufacturer is best known for its traditional frame tents, using cotton or polycotton. The tents are designed to last and are priced accordingly, though their quality is evidenced by the number permanently sited on campsites.
Caranex
This Scottish-based manufacturer offers a range of tents that act as tailgate awnings for cars. It has a partner company in Walton on Thames, Surrey, that can adapt one if the basic model doesn’t quite fit your vehicle. The name Caranex is a contraction of the term ‘car annexe’. The company has been producing these since the 1970s and they can be seen on campsites and elsewhere, providing extra accommodation on anything from a MINI to a VW camper.
Coleman
An outdoor brand that was founded in the same year as The Camping and Caravanning Club (1901), Coleman began with the development of the petrol lantern and it is still well known for its camping accessories in the UK. Its tent range reflects its heritage in the vast spaces of North America, with a selection of backpacking tents, including long-lasting names such as Bedrock and Cobra, but it also has a strong range of family tents.
Dometic Outdoor
Dometic Outdoor is the camping arm of the Swedish Dometic Group. The Dometic name now appears on ranges of tents that were previously at the top end of the Kampa range. The 2024 range includes large inflatable-tube tents and roof tent options.
Easy Camp
Easy Camp is part of the Danish Oase Outdoors group and produces camping equipment that’s cost effective, aimed mainly at those who are just starting out in the field. Festival and fair-weather adventure campers are well catered for, as are families. You won’t find many extra frills on an Easy Camp tent, but it will be designed to bring camping within the reach of those on a lower budget.
ESVO
This Dutch company has the largest tent manufacturing factory in the Netherlands and provides fabric to many other outdoor supplies companies. It can trace its roots back to 1922 and now sells tents with traditional designs, predominantly in cotton or heavy-duty polyester with a cotton feel.
Eurohike
Eurohike tents range from pop-up festival-style units to eight-man family tunnel tents, all at competitive prices but without the bells and whistles you might find in more expensive brands. Eurohike tents are only sold through outlets owned by JD plc, such as Go Outdoors, Millets and Blacks.
Force Ten or F10
The original Force Ten tent was designed in the 1960s and became an instant success with those who travel light, including explorers on major expeditions to the Himalayas. Today, the tent is still available, in its Classic Mk 5 form, mainly through Blacks of Greenock, a company that is part of the AMG Group that also includes Vango.
Gelert
Now owned by the Frasers Group and predominantly sold through Sports Direct, Gelert has been supplying camping kit from its base in Beddgelert, Snowdonia, since 1975 and is named after the famous dog buried in the village.
Halfords
Cycling and motoring retailer Halfords has its own range of basic tents. Formerly known as Aventura, they now use the Halfords brand name.
Hi Gear
Hi Gear a family tent brand that’s only sold through outlets owned by JD plc, such as Go Outdoors, Millets and Blacks. These mid-range tents range from smaller, weekender tents to large units that can accommodate a family for a fortnight in comfort.
Highlander
This company was started in the mid 1980s by a mountaineer who took over an old army surplus store, which is still owned by the same family in Scotland. Its current range of tents covers one-, two- and three-berth festival and backpacking options designed to do the job without unnecessary extras at keen prices.
Hilleberg
Based in Sweden, family-owned Hilleberg designs and sells tents and nothing else. The tents will stand the worst of the world’s weather and have been doing so since the 1970s. You will pay a fair amount for a Hilleberg, but it’s the type of unit that could keep you alive in the most extreme conditions. Technical fabrics mean the tents are generally lightweight and ideal for carrying into the wilderness.
Hypercamp
Hypercamp is the house brand of Obelink, an outdoor megastore in Winterswijk, in the east of the Netherlands, and includes several ranges including traditional frame tents that are rarely seen in UK stores today. The tents generally have a classic Dutch feel, with muted colours and cotton-feel fabrics.
Isabella
Throughout its history, Isabella has produced high-quality awnings for caravans, with a few tent models appearing in its line-up at different times during its 60-year history. In 2017, it supplied a small range of tents in 1960s and ’70s designs as part of its anniversary celebrations. Camp-let trailer tents are now also part of the Isabella stable.
Jack Wolfskin
A German company probably best known for its outdoor wear that also supplies a range of technical tents for backpackers and expeditions, along with a few family models.
Kampa
Kampa is a formerly British brand that had a strong presence in the caravan and motorhome awning market for several decades, moving into tents more recently. It is now part of the Swedish Dometic Group and its current range includes a selection of well-specified poled and air-tube tents for families and couples alongside smaller weekender tents.
Karsten
While inflatable-tube tents have become popular in recent years, Dutch company Karsten has been supplying high-quality, cotton tents with air-tube frames since the 1980s. Represented in the UK by the Camping Travel Store, the tents are modular so you can buy as little or as much space as you need, though the prices reflect the fabric and build quality. These are tents designed to last.
Kelty
A well-known brand in its USA homeland, but with limited representation in the UK, the range of tents available in this country depends on the current importer’s selection.
Khyam
With more than a quarter of a century’s experience, Khyam has made its name with its Flexi Dome Quick Erect system featuring sprung poles with knuckle joints that can be left attached to the tent fabric and make pitching swift. Sizes range from single-person to eight-berth-family tents and include some models designed for motorbike camping. Today the company also sells some family-size inflatable-tube and poled tents.
Lichfield
A budget brand from the AMG Group, which also includes Vango, Force Ten and Blacks of Greenock, the Lichfield name has a long history but its tents went through a phase of being available online and through supermarket-style retailers. In more recent years, the avian-themed tents (such as the Eagle and Falcon) have a higher quality feel again.
Lightwave
Founded by a serious climber who has done unsupported treks across the Andes and more, Lightwave supplies lightweight tents with no added frills for three-, four- and five-season use.
OEX
OEX is a backpacking brand that’s only sold through outlets owned by JD plc, such as Go Outdoors, Millets and Blacks. OEX tents are designed to perform well at an affordable price. It currently sells a small range of one-, two- and three-berth tents.
OLPRO
OLPRO was founded in 2011 as a family tent brand and has both poled and inflatable-tube tunnel tents in its current range, in a selection of distinctive colours.
Outdoor Revolution
Outdoor Revolution has a heritage in caravan and motorhome awnings but has reintroduced tents into its portfolio in recent years. All in a distinctive grey and black colourway, there are several family-sized tents in air-tube and poled designs.
Outwell
Part of the Danish company Oase Outdoors (with sister brands Easy Camp and Robens) and firmly established in the UK as a leading player in the family tent market, Outwell has a large portfolio of tents in varying layouts, fabrics and at different price points.
ProAction
This is a budget range of tents sold by the high street chain Argos – among others – with basic tunnel and dome designs.
Quechua
Originally known in the UK as a pioneer of budget-priced pop-up tents, French brand Quechua now has several ranges including 2 Seconds Easy and Air Seconds inflatable-tube tents. The full Quechua range includes poled, pop-up and inflatable tube tents, in sizes up to eight berth, all sold through the retail chain Decathlon.
Robens
The technical brand within the Danish Oase Outdoors group, Robens tents include lightweight backpacker models, tipi styles and family units offering up to ten-berth accommodation.
Royal
A brand based in the Midlands, Royal is now owned by FPS Limited – best known for its vehicle parts distribution network, which allows the company to supply its tents through a wide range of outlets. It currently markets a range of poled and air-tube tunnel tents in three- to eight-berth variations.
Skandika
Skandika is based in Germany and sells a large range of tents, primarily aimed at family camping, right up to a 12-berth pod-style tent. It does not have outlets in the UK but its keen pricing is making it increasingly popular with those buying online.
SoulPad
UK-based manufacturer of traditional ridge and bell tent designs in cotton and polycotton.
Sprayway
Now back to its core business in outdoor clothing lines, Sprayway has stepped away from supplying its own brand of tents in favour of Zempire ones, originating in New Zealand.
SunnCamp
A long-established tent and awning brand, SunnCamp currently only offers a single two-berth model, but it has sold a wide range of family tents in years gone by.
Terra Nova
Based in Derbyshire, Terra Nova has been making mountain and specialist lightweight tents since the early 1990s when it took over the tent arm of Wild Country. In recent years, it has also resurrected the Wild Country name as its entry-level backpacking and family tent brand. Terra Nova also holds Guinness World Records for some of the lightest production tents available.
The North Face
Outdoor brand The North Face has been in the UK for more than 50 years and currently offers a small range of lightweight tents and highly-specified expedition tents in the UK.
Urban Escape
Once the camping brand of the Halfords retail stores network, Urban Escape tents – like Aventura tents – are now simply called Halfords tents.
Vaude
Vaude is a German company with a long heritage in the tent market. Founded in 1974, it has been the winner of Germany’s Most Sustainable Brand award. Its range of lightweight tents is designed for a range of conditions, right up to the most extreme expeditions.
Vango
The name Vango tells of the company’s origins in Glasgow as it’s an anagram of Govan, the area of the city in which it originated. Now part of the AMG Group, along with Force Ten and Lichfield, Vango is the UK’s largest tent brand, with a heritage that goes back more than 50 years. It has ranges to cover all types of tents, from lightweight backpacking tents (with Duke of Edinburgh Award and Scout approval for some ranges) to large polycotton tents. It is also credited with bringing inflatable-tube tents into the mainstream with its AirBeam collections.
Wild Country
Wild Country is Terra Nova’s entry-level tent brand. The portfolio extends from lightweight and backpacking tents to weekend and touring tents with a few family models under the Zonda name.
Wynnster
A long-standing name going back to the 1930s that is now part of the same group as Khyam but is not currently selling tents. You can, however, still buy Wynnster branded camping gear.
Zempire
These tents from New Zealand are high quality, mainly inflatable-tube designs with distinctive shapes reflected in their names, such as Mothership.