Why you'll love it: The intuitively designed
Coleman Carlsbad Fast Pitch Dome Tent ensures your comfort with features like its Dark Room tech that reduces interior temperatures and brightness and its separate screen-in "porch" area.
The Coleman Carlsbad Fast Pitch Dome Tent is a superlative tent for the family of campers for one reason above all others: adults and kids usually have different sleep schedules. This was very much the case just last weekend when my son and I went camping. I tucked him into his sleeping bag (after several books and lots of snuggles and a bit of negotiation) before sunset, yet thanks to Coleman's Dark Room technology walls and rainfly, the interior of the tent was plenty dim enough for slumber.
On hot days, that same Dark Room tech can reduce interior temperatures by more than 10% when compared with other tents, and that can mean a notable several degree difference. Another reason this tent is great for families is thanks to the screened-in vestibule that sits outside the main tent door. You can fit a pair of camp chairs into this bug-free zone, enjoying time technically spent outside while staying near the sleepers within. And by the way, you can fit two queen air mats or five twin sized mats within the tent and still have a bit of room for gear.
I single-handedly set this tent up in less than 10 minutes, and breaking it down again, including folding the tent and rainfly up and tucking it all into the bag, which I was able to zip shut, took just over 12 minutes. (Yes, I timed myself.) Not bad for a shelter that kept me and the kid bone dry in a downpour.
The Coleman Carlsbad Fast Pitch Dome Tent earns the Fast Pitch part of its name thanks to pre-attached poles, an easy Instar-Clip suspension system, and an elegant simplicity of overall design. If you have set up even two or three tents in your lifetime, you won't need to use the directions to pop this baby into shape. Also worth noting is the small zippered slot through which you can pass a cable and the pair of hanging pockets for sundry items.
With nearly 150 reviews posted on Amazon at the time of this writing, the Coleman Carlsbad Fast Pitch Dome Tent has a solid 4.2-star average rating. A customer named Lizzy admonishes people to "buy this tent now," noting how "beautifully it held up in the rain" and wind.
A gear tester from Outdoor Gear Lab called the Coleman Carlsbad an "affordable tent" that "stays cool and dark in the sun" and that is "easy and fast" to pitch. You can also read our full review for more details.
Pros: Dark room tech keeps interior cool and dim, screened-in vestibule, fast and easy to pitch
Cons: Pre-attached poles often become tangled
Buy a Coleman Carlsbad Fast Pitch 6-Person Dome Tent on Amazon for $181.97 (originally $224)