Finest rooftop tents of 2022
Printed Sep 8, 2022 11:00 AM
Typically sleeping in a rooftop tent in your automotive is essentially the most snug strategy to get a superb night time’s sleep. On an particularly steamy night throughout a months-long biking journey within the Uzbekistan desert, a few of my touring companions opted for sleeping atop their Sprinter van in lieu of looking for an appropriate place to pitch a tent close to a sketchy land border crossing. They insisted it was one of the best night time’s sleep they’d had in weeks. Rooftop tents, typically known as “RTTs,” could make sleeping on high of your automotive or truck extra interesting and comfy than resting inside your automotive or pitching a tent close by. They fold out from the roof, typically extending previous it, and are available geared up with mattresses constructed into the ground. No extra making an attempt to sleep on a slender camp cot or noisy inflatable mat. Should you’re going tenting with a automotive or truck, don’t sleep on grabbing among the best rooftop tents.
How we picked one of the best rooftop tents
I’ve examined and written about a wide range of outdoor-related gear for a lot of publications, together with HuffPost, Hearst, Journey Biking Journal, BBC Journey, Fodor’s, and plenty of others. As an individual who finds solace and inspiration in nature, I’ve camped in environments starting from state parks with reserved spots to roadsides in Armenia and Georgia (the nation) to rocky cliffs in Pakistan to the open plains of Mongolia.
As a New Yorker whose major mode of transportation is a bicycle, I don’t drive. I do, nonetheless, have loads of buddies who’ve fortunately introduced me alongside on tenting adventures and weekend mountain biking journeys, as long as I helped set up and arrange their rooftop tents. Over time, I’ve used greater than my justifiable share of rooftop tents and tried them on a big selection of autos.
What to think about when shopping for a rooftop tent
Selecting a rooftop tent isn’t all that completely different from choosing a typical tenting tent, however there are a number of additional issues to consider and they’re extraordinarily vital. Because you’re setting it up on a automotive and sleeping many toes off the bottom, it’s vital that you simply take additional care and be sure you’re shopping for one thing that’s made on your automotive or truck and can assist the burden of everybody and all the pieces that goes inside it.
When you’ve narrowed issues down, one of the best rooftop tents will, like other forms of tents, present privateness safety from the weather and issues that go bump or buzz within the night time. They’ll even be simple to assemble, so you possibly can spend extra time having fun with the opposite points of tenting, like slumbering beneath a star crammed sky. Let’s stroll by the method of choosing a rooftop tent.
Be sure it’s a superb match
Rooftop tents aren’t one-size-fits-all, so it is advisable just be sure you’re shopping for one that may pair together with your automotive.
Rooftop tents connect with your automotive through a roof rack. Should you don’t have one put in, the tent gained’t be capable to connect, in order that’s a dealbreaker. Roof racks vary in complexity from easy cross bars mounted on the factory-installed roof rails to completely put in heavy-duty platforms or baskets. Third-party roof racks are typically a greater possibility for carrying a tent, as they’ll typically deal with extra weight than their manufacturer-installed counterparts.
In case your automotive’s correctly geared up, you’ll must know the space between the rack’s crossbars and the scale of your automotive’s roof. Every tent requires a sure minimal distance between the bars to suit in your roof, so evaluate the 2 numbers to see if the tent will match. Likewise, the closed tent ought to match on the roof so it doesn’t prolong out previous the entrance of your automotive or off the perimeters when you’re driving.
You’ll additionally need to test your roof rack’s “dynamic weight capability,” which tells you the way a lot weight it will possibly assist. Most tents weigh greater than 100 kilos and most roof racks are made to deal with as much as 160 kilos, so the tent could push your rack’s limits.
Some tents even have extra necessities, so ensure to learn the product description for the tent completely earlier than committing.
Area and static weight
Most corporations describe tent measurement based mostly on how many individuals can lie down and “sleep comfortably” on the similar time. “Comfortably” in tent sizing is a relative time period, although. If you’re touring with a platonic companion, chances are you’ll discover a 3-person rooftop tent extra snug than a 2-person one. You must also have a look at the tent’s “static weight” capability, which tells you the way a lot weight the tent can assist when arrange in tenting mode.
Finally, we advocate going with the smallest measurement that feels snug for you. Simply remember the fact that the larger the tent, the heavier and extra cumbersome it is going to be.
Set up and setup
When utilizing a rooftop tent, there are two sorts of setup. Earlier than your journey, you’ll want to put in the tent in your automotive or truck’s roof rack so it’s prepared to make use of if you want it. Usually, you’ll depart the tent on high of your automobile at some point of your journey. When it is advisable make camp, you’ll must pitch or “convert” your tent from its flattened journey mode right into a usable shelter.
Putting in a rooftop tent in your automotive is sort of all the time a two-person job as even the lightest choices weigh over 100 kilos. Many tents can even function extra meeting when utilizing them for the primary time.
The size of time it takes to transform your tent can fluctuate fairly a bit, however all of them take a lot much less time to arrange than your common tent. Relying on the design, chances are you’ll must bend a body into place, however many take just some minutes to arrange and take down.
Arduous shell or gentle shell?
There are two normal sorts of rooftop tents: arduous shell or gentle shell, which fluctuate based mostly on the supplies used to make the tent and the way they’re constructed.
Mushy-shell tents are constructed with a hefty waterproof gentle cowl hooked up to the ground platform, and fold out past the sides of your automobile’s roof. Poles and hinges maintain it in place when in tenting mode. Mushy-shell tents normally have detachable covers that shield the tent whereas in journey mode. These covers normally connect through velcro or straps and buckles. Some soft-shell covers may be cumbersome and awkward to stow between makes use of.
Arduous-shell tents function a fiberglass, plastic, or aluminum shell that opens and closes, clamshell model. This shell additionally doubles as the quilt when the tent is in journey mode. The tent cover folds down inside when closed. Most hard-shell tents shouldn’t have a bigger footprint than the roof they sit upon which doesn’t have an effect on their compatibility—it simply implies that arduous shell tents, typically, have a smaller internal space than soft-shell ones.
Whereas gentle shells value and weigh lower than arduous shells, they’re usually not fairly as sturdy nor sturdy. In addition they are typically much less aerodynamic and take longer to arrange than a hard-shell model. When deciding which to purchase, take into account what options are most vital to you. If you wish to spend much less and carry decrease weight, go along with a gentle shell. If you’d like a tent that units up shortly (in some instances in lower than a minute) whereas additionally serving to to maintain your fuel mileage down, a tough shell stands out as the proper match for you.
Tent sturdiness and heat
Tent canopies, the material partitions of the tent, are sometimes constructed with ripstop nylon ranging in thickness from 400-600 denier (D), which signifies a cloth’s weight and sturdiness. The upper the quantity, the heavier the fabric is. Each of the Roofnest tents on our checklist function polyurethane-coated polyester and cotton mix cloth hooked up to a tough shell tent design. The polyurethane makes the fabric particularly sturdy and water-repellent.
Like all outside gear, RTTs are rated for a particular variety of seasons (spring, summer time, autumn, winter). 4-season tents function heftier supplies that may maintain you hotter and might stand up to being pelted with sleet or hail.
Mattress consolation
Many rooftop tents function an built-in mattress, so the entire tent is your mattress. The thickness—and, by extension, consolation—of those mattresses varies fairly a bit, although. Inexpensive tents just like the Smitty Overlander, our finances decide, have a fairly skinny and stiff mattress, whereas costlier tents typically stuff in additional padding. Some corporations, like Thule, supply a thicker sleeping pad as an non-obligatory improve.
Most tent mattresses include a detachable cowl and an anti-moisture mat that goes beneath, so ensure the supplies for the mattress are waterproof and breathable.
What about an automated tent?
Some hard-shell choices routinely pop up into form with a push or nudge—form of like an automated sliding door on a automotive that closes after a gentle push. As you would possibly suspect, automated opening tents value extra—additionally they have shifting components that would break, possible decreasing their lifespan.
The very best rooftop tents: Opinions & Suggestions
Rooftop tents supply an revolutionary design that minimizes setup and maximizes consolation. Once you decide among the best, you’ll get a snug, cozy place to spend the night time and stargaze. We’ve put collectively a lineup of rooftop tents that ought to match any camper’s wants, together with arduous shells, gentle shells, and choices that particularly cater to some common SUVs.
Finest total: Thule Tepui Kukenam 3
Purchase it used or refurbished: eBay
Why it made the minimize: The Thule Tepui Kukenam 3 is a flexible, well-made tent that matches on most automobiles and racks for an affordable worth.
Specs
- Design: Fold out
- Capability: 3 folks
- Seasons: 4
- Ground space: 96 x 56 inches
- Peak peak: 52 inches
- Home windows: 3 facet, 2 roof
- Tent materials: 600D ripstop nylon
- Ground materials: Aluminum w/insulated fiberglass sheet
- Pole materials: Aluminum/spring metal
- Weight: 130 lbs
- Packed measurement: 48 x 56 x 12 inches
Professionals
Cons
The Thule Tepui Kukenam 3 is a wonderful rooftop, it doesn’t matter what you’re driving or the place you’re going. Its spacious inside comfortably matches two adults, and even three for those who depart your gear exterior. It’s very fast and straightforward to arrange, particularly for a soft-shell tent. You merely unfold the hinged platform and the tent emerges virtually absolutely shaped, so that you may be prepared for mattress in lower than 10 minutes.
It’s additionally extremely powerful, with 600D ripstop partitions with taped seams and a 420D rainfly. Plus, it’s UV and mold-resistant. I’ve spent fairly a number of nights (and days) in a Kukenam ready out torrential storms—the sort of storms that make you query why you wished to sleep “out within the wilderness” to start with—and have by no means skilled any harm or leakage. Should you’re on the lookout for one thing extra breathable, it’s one in every of a handful of Thule Tepui tents that lets you buy alternate canopies at lighter weights for summer time journeys. It doesn’t matter what’s happening exterior, you’ll be cozy contained in the Kukenam 3.
Finest arduous shell: Roofnest Sparrow Eye
Why it made the minimize: The Roofnest Sparrow Eye is ideal for anybody who likes to make a fast exit after a snug, good night time’s sleep.
Specs
- Design: Clamshell
- Capability: 2 folks
- Seasons: 4
- Ground space: 83 x 49 inches
- Peak peak: 44 inches
- Home windows: 2 facet
- Tent materials: Polyurethane-coated polyester and cotton mix
- Ground materials: Fiberglass strengthened ASA/ABS
- Pole materials: Aluminum/spring metal
- Weight: 130 lbs
- Packed measurement: 50 x 88 x 6 inches
Professionals
- Comfy
- Fast arrange and take down
- Simple to put in on automotive
Cons
- Costly
- Nonetheless giant when packed
Roofnest’s Sparrow tents have been among the many first hard-shell rooftop tents available on the market, they usually’re nonetheless a few of the finest. Made with exceptionally sturdy supplies, the two-person Sparrow Eye’s waterproof score is 3 times greater than most different tents, and includes a high-density foam mattress, which ensures you’ll get an distinctive night time’s relaxation even in stormy climate.
When arrange, the tent has a triangle form with the excessive finish reaching a 44-inch peak peak. The inside is a lot spacious for 2 folks, with the low finish nonetheless offering ample area to keep away from any knee-knocking. The reminiscence foam mattress offers ample cushioning so that you gained’t wake with sore shoulders from urgent into the steel platform beneath. There’s additionally tons of storage inside with a cargo web and two facet pockets.
The Sparrow Eye is extremely simple to arrange and take down shortly. I’m a type of individuals who imagine that being able to launch a hasty exit is important (not that I essentially have interaction in nefarious actions, I’ve simply by no means been a fan of the lengthy goodbye). You will get the entire up or down in simply two minutes. The preliminary set up can also be very simple: The tent arrives pre-assembled and able to set up in your automobile straight out of the field.
Finest environmental: Roofnest Falcon 2
Why it made the minimize: At lower than half the thickness of just about each different rooftop tent, the Roofnest Falcon 2 is an aerodynamic, streamlined possibility that minimizes drag.
Specs
- Design: Clamshell
- Capability: 2 folks
- Seasons: 3
- Ground space: 86 x 48 inches
- Peak peak: 60 inches
- Home windows: 2 facet
- Tent materials: 320g poly-cotton
- Ground materials: Honeycomb aluminum
- Pole materials: Aluminum/spring metal
- Weight: 160 lbs
- Packed measurement: 88 x 50 x 6.5 inches
Professionals
- Comfy
- Simple setup
- Aerodynamic measurement
Cons
Should you’re involved about your tent slowing down and making your automotive much less fuel-efficient, Roofnest additionally makes the Falcon 2, a tent designed with aerodynamics in thoughts. It opens as much as a full 60 inches on the excessive facet of its sloped roof, which is as tall as we’ve ever encountered. When collapsed, it packs down flat to attenuate the impression of the tent in your trip.
Whereas the inside area is cozier than a lot of our different picks, the mattress may be very snug for sleeping and gazing on the stars. The tent cover, produced from a polyester cotton mix, is extra breathable than the ripstop discovered in lots of rooftop tents, although not fairly as sturdy. It additionally provides a bunch of helpful bells and whistles, together with storage pockets, a cargo web, boot baggage, and USB-powered LED lights.
One factor to remember: The skinny packed measurement doesn’t can help you retailer a lot else inside when in journey mode, although, together with the ladder, so be sure you avoid wasting additional area in your automotive.
Finest for Tacoma: Thule Tepui Autana 3
Purchase it used or refurbished: eBay
Why it made the minimize: With an annex that drops all the way down to floor stage, this truck rooftop tent works properly on the cab of a Tacoma (or a cab peak mattress rack).
Specs
- Design: Fold out
- Capability: 3 folks
- Seasons: 4
- Ground space: 56 x 96 inches
- Peak peak: 52 inches
- Home windows: 3 facet, 2 roof
- tent materials: 420D ripstop nylon
- Ground materials: Aluminum
- Pole materials: Aluminum/spring metal
- Weight: 130 lbs
- Packed measurement: 48 x 56 x 12 inches
Professionals
- Contains an annex
- Comfy
- Glorious climate safety
Cons
- Lengthy conversion time
- Costly
With a snug foam mattress, roomy inside, and two giant sky home windows, the Thule Tepui Autana 3 is without doubt one of the finest bed room hangouts you’ll get out of a soft-shell tent. The doorway awning protects the ladder from stormy climate and offers you some privateness from neighboring campers. Should you open the 2 enormous sky home windows and take away the rain flap, you’ll sleep among the many stars from inside your tent.
The Autana 3 comes with an annex, which hangs off the facet of the automotive from the tent flooring, creating an entire different room to alter, retailer gear, or chill out. It has two doorways so you possibly can entry the again of your automobile from contained in the annex, in addition to home windows on the remaining two sides. It doesn’t retailer contained in the tent when packed up, although, so avoid wasting room for it.
Finest for 4runner: Thule Tepui Foothill
Purchase it used or refurbished: eBay
Why it made the minimize: The low-profile Thule Tepui Foothill folds down in an extended, slender model, leaving room in your 4runner’s roof rack for different gear.
Specs
- Design: Fold out
- Capability: 2 folks
- Seasons: 3
- Ground space: 84 x 47 inches
- Peak peak: 38 inches
- Home windows: 3 facet, 2 roof
- Tent materials: 600D ripstop nylon
- Ground materials: welded aluminum
- Pole materials: aluminum/spring metal
- Weight: 122 lbs
- Packed measurement: 84 x 24 x 9.5 inches
Professionals
- Fast set up
- Compact
- Sturdy
Cons
- Takes a very long time to arrange
- Flimsy mattress
The low-profile Thule Tepui Foothill is designed to interrupt down right into a smaller, extra rectangular form. In its compact kind, it leaves loads of room in your roof rack for different roof-rack-ready gear like a kayak.
The A-frame-shaped Foothill offers wonderful views with the roof panels open. They open lengthwise, so there’s solely a single middle assist to probably block your view. By opening the door and three partitions, you possibly can create an exquisite panoramic view to absorb the scene as you compromise in for the night.
Due to its slim journey measurement, the Foothill takes extra time than different tents to transform into sleeping mode. That isn’t best, however somewhat additional setup time is a small worth to pay for the dimensions and capability for killer views.
Finest for Jeep: iKamper Skycamp 3.0
Purchase it used or refurbished: eBay
Why it made the minimize: A spacious, premium tent with tons of options that’s the good companion on your all-season, all-weather jeep adventures.
Specs
- Design: Clamshell
- Capability: 4 folks
- Seasons: 4
- Ground space: 83 x 77 inches
- Peak peak: 48 inches
- Home windows: 3 facet, 1 roof
- Tent materials: Black-out 300 gsm poly-cotton canvas
- Ground materials: Honeycomb aluminum
- Pole materials: aluminum/spring metal
- Weight: 165 lbs
- Packed measurement: 85.5 x 55 x 13 inches
Professionals
- Extraordinarily sturdy
- Comfy mattress
- Simple to transform
Cons
An expandable, hard-shell rooftop tent that units up in 60 seconds, the Skycamp 3.0 provides ample sleeping area inside for 3 adults (or two adults and two kids) on a really plush 2.5-inch insulated polyfoam mattress. It’s positively one of the snug mattresses we’ve tried in a rooftop tent. It virtually seems like one thing you’d discover in a resort.
On the similar time, the Skycamp 3.0 was constructed with a sturdy, double-layered shell, thick poly-cotton canvas, and waterproof zippers on the doorways and home windows to resist the weather, together with snow and hail. With a jeep and your Skycamp, you possibly can climate virtually any sort of storm.
Finest for overland: Yakima Skyrise Medium
Purchase it used or refurbished: eBay
Why it made the minimize: The Yakima Skyrise Medium is a snug, fairly priced tent that’s extremely simple to placed on and take off your automobile.
Specs
- Design: Fold out
- Capability: 3 folks
- Seasons: 3
- Ground space: 96 x 56 inches
- Peak peak: 48 inches
- Home windows: 3 facet, 2 roof
- Tent materials: 210D nylon
- Ground materials: Aluminum
- Pole materials: Aluminum/spring metal
- Weight: 115 lbs
- Packed measurement: 58 x 48 x 16 inches
Professionals
- Device-free mounting
- Medium worth vary
- On the sunshine facet
Cons
- Mounting system limits width
Should you suppose you’ll want to put in and take away your tent from the roof of your automotive, you must take into account the Yakima Skyrise. It includes a tool-free, quick-release mounting system, making that course of very fast and straightforward. You can even place the Skyrise to fold out the again of your automobile versus the facet for those who’d fairly, one thing no different tents we’ve discovered permit for with out extra drilling and labor.
At 48 inches, the Skyrise is on the quick facet so far as rooftop tents go, however I nonetheless discovered the inside adequately spacious. The awning is totally detachable, so you possibly can detach the rainfly and open the home windows to attain an virtually fully open-air expertise, similar to sleeping on the highest of a Sprinter van within the Uzbekistan desert close to a sketchy land border crossing.
That being stated, it isn’t produced from essentially the most sturdy inventory. Its 210D nylon is way thinner than most of our picks. The workmanship is stellar, nevertheless it’s simply not made with supplies as rugged as another choices.
Finest finances: Smittybilt Overlander
Purchase it used or refurbished: eBay
Why it made the minimize: The Smittybilt Overlander provides most of the similar options as high-end rooftop tents for lower than half the worth.
Specs
- Design: Fold out
- Capability: 2 folks
- Seasons: 3
- Ground space: 56 x 96 inches
- Peak peak: 51 inches
- Home windows: 3 facet, 2 roof
- Fundamental tent supplies: 600D ripstop nylon
- Ground materials: Aluminum
- Pole materials: Aluminum/spring metal
- Packed measurement: 48 x 56 x 12 inches
Professionals
Cons
- Heavy
- Velcro cowl is awkward to tackle and off
Smittybilt, as an organization, has a status for manufacturing sturdy, sturdy, no-nonsense merchandise, and the Overlander tent makes it clear why. The polyurethane cover produced from 600D nylon stands up properly to all types of climate together with torrential downpours and the ladder, at 17 inches, is without doubt one of the widest in rooftop tents.
Putting in the Overlander in your automobile is a extra labor-intensive course of than our different picks. It doesn’t include all of the instruments you’d need for the set up—a ratchet set could be good—and the ladder doesn’t supply sufficient adjustable peak choices, which has led many customers to drill new holes to suit their automobiles. That stated, upon getting issues arrange, it’s easy to arrange and take down.
Regardless of this, the Overlander is an distinctive worth. It’s one in every of solely a handful of choices that prices lower than $1,500, so it’s price contemplating based mostly on worth alone.
FAQs
Q: Can you set a rooftop tent on any automotive?
Sure and no. Any automotive with a well-made roof rack ought to be capable to deal with a rooftop tent. That stated, completely different tents have completely different measurement and weight necessities, so tents and automobiles aren’t universally interchangeable. Should you aren’t utilizing an SUV or a truck, you most likely additionally need to measure the roof of your automotive to ensure that the packed tent doesn’t prolong previous the entrance of the automotive or hold off the perimeters.
Q: Why are rooftop tents so costly?
Rooftop tents are way more advanced than your common tent. In contrast to normal tenting tents, rooftop tents have a inflexible flooring and a built-in mattress to make sleep in your automotive snug. In addition they normally embody sturdier partitions and sky home windows for what many take into account a extra snug expertise. Successfully rooftop tents perform extra like a conveyable room than a conventional tent, and people additional options make the tents costlier.
Should you’re at the moment not in a position to justify the expense of a rooftop tent, try one of the best tenting tents (linked in our “What to think about” part) for our ideas on standard fashions.
Q: Do roof racks and rooftop tents have an effect on fuel mileage?
Sure, the wind drag and additional weight of a rooftop tent will impression your automotive’s fuel mileage. To attenuate the results of the tent in your automotive’s effectivity, take into account its weight and the peak of the tent in its packed kind.
Ultimate ideas on one of the best rooftop tents
Should you’re tenting together with your automobile, one of the best rooftop tents are an exquisite strategy to spend the night time within the nice outside. One just about eliminates the necessity to seek for a super, flat, part of floor to pitch a tent, and cuts down considerably on tent setup time. The built-in mattress additionally just about ensures that you simply’ll be extra snug than sleeping on the bottom. It’s costly, for certain, however a worthy funding for the correct of camper.
