We conducted hours of research to say that the Coleman Elite Sundome 6-Person is the best tent with a hinged door.

If you’ve encountered hinged door tents at the campground or online, you may be wondering what the fuss is all about.

Hinged door tents are a great way to bring a touch of home comfort and extra luxury to any car camping or glamping trip. Thanks to their easy in and out capability without having to fuss with a zipper, you’ll quickly see why hinged doors are simply…well, simple!

Maybe you’re intrigued, but you don’t have time to waste sifting through all the online tent listings. 

Not to mention, it’s difficult to figure out at first glance which tents have hinged doors and which have normal doors (p.s: they look the same…and yeah, we got confused a few times too).

Well, we did the tent-sifting for you. We separated the hinged from the boring, the wheat from the chaff, and boiled it all down into a handpicked list.

We found the best one to be the Coleman Elite Sundome. It’s the best of all worlds in an extremely budget-friendly package.

For one, it’s spacious enough for couples or small groups to spread out and relax. 

Plus, the featured overhead light system coupled with a robust hinged door just makes this tent feel like a second home.

You aren’t sacrificing performance with these perks either. The Coleman Elite Sundome has received glowing feedback regarding its performance through a variety of different weather conditions.

All in all, we think this tent would make a fantastic choice for any camper, whether it’s their first time car camping or their hundredth.

Best Tents with Hinged Doors – Top Recommendations

Best overall: Coleman Elite Sundome 6-Person 

Best tents with a hinged door for 2-4 people:

• Russian Bear Tent with Stove Pipe Vent  — robust weatherproof specs withstand even the coldest and most extreme conditions
• Coleman Elite Sundome 6-Person — an all-around value with surprising weather endurance
• Coleman WeatherMaster 6-Person Tent — good for longer trips with unpredictable conditions and also features a screen room

Best tents with a hinged door for 3-5 people: 

• Coleman Tenaya Lake Fast Pitch Lighted 8P Tent — unique closet provides additional gear storage and organization
• Coleman Octagon 6-Person Festival Tent — perfect for glampers who want a tent as stylish as it is comfortable

Best tents with a hinged door for 6-8 people: 

• Coleman Cabin Instant Tent 10 Person — dark room fabrics for relaxing and sleeping in
• Coleman 8-Person Elite Montana — enormous space for a much less enormous cost

Don’t worry if you’re not sure what sets one hinged door tent apart from the next. This is exactly why we wrote our buyer’s guide. 

Besides offering a few considerations for shopping for your tent, the guide also explains why we picked the tents on our list. We hope it sheds some clarity to your tent buying choice.

Coleman Elite Sundome 6-Person

• Space & comfort (30%) – 7/10
• Weather resistance (25%) – 8/10
• Build quality and durability (15%) – 8/10
• Ease of setup (10%) – 7/10
• Weight & Portability (10%) – 8/10
• Company reputation (10%) – 8/10

Best for: couples or small groups up to 4 who want a budget-friendly tent that still manages to beat out the competition, especially features and weather performance; $$

If you’re looking for a moderately-sized car camping tent that’s great for handling everything, go with the Coleman Elite Sundome 6-Person. Seriously – I’ll save you some time and tell you to go ahead and add it to your cart now.

This tent offers a 12×10’ floor, which is supposed to be able to house 2 queen beds. Uh, yeah right. If you look at pictures of the tent, you can visually see that that’s not going to happen. 

Instead, opt for 1 queen bed for ample remaining floor space. Or make use of that space by placing a camping chair or your third person’s sleeping bag there instead.

You’re also afforded an impressive 6’ center height so that anyone in your group can most likely stand up straight. Now, that’s not as big as some of the cabin tents on our list. But for a dome tent, 6’ is actually pretty incredible.

As a fun aside, you may have encountered the regular version of this tent, the Coleman Sundome. This version is “elite” for two reasons: you get an extra 2’ of floor space. And you get that spectacular hinged door (after all that’s why you’re here, right?)!

All that said, let’s dive into what I think makes this tent truly special. 

The “wow” factor of this tent lies in its do-everything nature. By that I mean that not only do you get all the perks we already discussed, but you’re also able to ride out pretty much any weather conditions.

To start with, the Coleman Elite Sundome is rated as a 3 season tent. However, some users have camped in it during nights where the temperatures dropped to 30 degrees. 

There are numerous reports of it enduring downpours but remaining perfectly dry inside. One person even left it assembled for 2 consecutive months, subjected to all kinds of different conditions.

As for wind performance, this tent continues to impress. It stands up strong against wind and gusts, reportedly even withstanding heavy, constant winds in Texas canyonlands.

Truly at this price point, you can’t beat the versatility, space, and durability you’ll get with this tent.

Pros:

• Plenty of space for couples or smaller groups at 12×10, 6’ peak height
• Near flawless weather performance; take this thing out camping and it’ll be fine whatever the forecast does
• Overhang light system
• Durable; left it out for 2 months consecutively and it was totally fine
• Room divider and power port

Cons:

• I’d love to see a tiny bit more mesh, especially on the roof

Coleman WeatherMaster 6-Person Tent with Screen Room

• Space & comfort (30%) – 7/10
• Weather resistance (25%) – 8/10
• Build quality and durability (15%) – 9/10
• Ease of setup (10%) – 6/10
• Weight & Portability (10%) – 6/10
• Company reputation (10%) – 8/10

Best for: Groups of 3-5 who want a tent tough enough to withstand the weather and wear-and-tear of a longer car-camping adventure; $$$

Not all car camping tents are created equal, especially when it comes to weather performance. But the Coleman WeatherMaster 6-Person Tent stands out from the pack for two main reasons. 

It offers some impressive weatherproof specs for a glamping tent, and has withstood bad conditions in the field. 

The tent fly is a 75D polyester taffeta that was specially coated to repel water and thus prevent dripping. 

All the seams are fully taped. As an added measure, the seams are inverted so the vulnerable areas are kept away from any water. 

The bathtub floor is an impressive 1,000D polyethylene; no complaint about a thin or flimsy floor here! 

Not to mention, several reviewers have brought their pets along on their adventures. They happily reported that dog nails did nothing to phase the floor whatsoever.

Tents that rank highly in weatherproofing aren’t always the most spacious and livable. Not so with the Coleman WeatherMaster!

Offering an 11×9’ floor, you can technically fit the advertised two queen beds inside. However, several campers suggested using only one queen bed. That way, you’ll have plenty of room leftover. 

There’s also a 9×6’ screen room with a maximum height of 6’8. Consider this your ultimate bug-free sanctuary for relaxing with friends and an iced drink.

For an even more luxurious experience, consider checking out this tent’s sister model, the Coleman WeatherMaster Elite. It comes with a 3-setting overhead lighting so you can keep the fun going even into the night.

Pros:

• 11×9’ interior good for small to mid-sized groups
• Bonus screen room for bug-free lounging or for storing everyone’s stuff if the main floor is maxed out with sleeping gear
• Good weatherproof performance has been reported to hold steady through strong winds
• Room divider for partitioning
• Power port for bringing in external power for a campsite

Cons:

• Screen room not waterproof 
• Setup takes a bit of time at 30 minutes; sort of long for even a car camping tent
• Heavier weight of 32lbs

Coleman Tenaya Lake Fast Pitch Lighted 8P Tent 

• Space & comfort (30%) – 8/10
• Weather resistance (25%) – 5/10
• Build quality and durability (15%) – 7/10
• Ease of setup (10%) – 8/10
• Weight & Portability (10%) – 6/10
• Company reputation (10%) – 8/10

Best for: groups of 5-7 (or 6-8 if there are smaller kids) who want plenty of floor space and a dedicated area for gear storage; $$

Have you ever wondered why tent manufacturers are awful at sizing their tents? It might be because they don’t consider the camper’s bulky gear, especially where they’ll store it.

The Coleman Tenaya Lake Fast Pitch Lighted 8P Tent finally solves this problem by adding an entire closet dedicated to gear storage. Now you have a separate area to stuff your clothes, boots, and food without taking up precious floor space.

The closet is 2×2’ with a 5’ height. This is tall enough to hang clothes just like you would at home. And there’s more than enough room on the ground for your shoes and a stacked cooler or two. 

Plus, as if that’s not enough, this closet has three mesh shelves built right in! Jeeze, talk about maximizing space.

As you can see, I really can’t say enough about this closet. It offers that elusive solution to where to put your equipment. This is especially noteworthy for car camping tents, which usually don’t provide gear vestibules.

Thanks to that closet, this tent can actually live up to its 8 person capacity. Okay, 8 might still be a little tight. That’s why we recommend the Coleman Tenaya Lake for a maximum of 7 campers. 

Regardless, we’re happy to be wrong; multiple users have mentioned that they can easily fit two queen mattresses plus a separate cot and still have plenty of room leftover. 

When it comes to setup, campers have said that this tent can be pitched in minutes. That’s rather impressive for a tent of this size. So for a hassle-free base camp experience, the Tenaya Lake could be your answer.

On the downside though, it’s not the best against driving rain and wind. It can deal with light rain, but when the wind blows hard rain against the tent, you may see some leaks. Therefore, keep this tent for days when the weather should cooperate.

Pros:

• Spacious; can accommodate 7 campers, maybe 8, at 13×9’ with a 6’8 height
• Amazing gear closet features mesh shelves for all your storage needs
• Fast pitch is true to form; can be setup in minutes
• Six large windows and a mesh roof; been reported to stay cool with the windows open and the fly on
• Wheeled carrying case helps offset the 32lb weight
• Overhead light and lightswitch

Cons:

• Not the best against heavy rains or winds; light rain is okay though

Coleman Octagon 6-Person Festival Tent

• Space & comfort (30%) – 8/10
• Weather resistance (25%) – 5/10
• Build quality and durability (15%) – 7/10
• Ease of setup (10%) – 8/10
• Weight & Portability (10%) – 4/10
• Company reputation (10%) – 8/10

Best for: glampers in groups of 3-5 who are after a truly premium experience; $$$

The Coleman Octagon 6-Person Festival Tent is absolutely ideal for mild weather glamping. Notice I specifically said “glamping.” That’s because I think this tent is simply too aesthetically pleasing to fall into the average label of “car camping,” which basically encompasses any ole’ large tent.

No, this tent is pretty enough (and of course, functional, but we’ll get to that!) to be perfectly suited to the glamorous life. 

So let me backup a bit and show you the amount of room you’re getting. With a 13×13 floor, that’s ample space to plop down two queen beds or a king mattress. 

To continue building upon the glamorous feel, this tent comes with windows on each wall, excluding the walls that have a door. 

The rainfly over each wall unzips down the middle. Simply roll back both halves of the fly to open your windows. Plus, when you do that, your windows instantly get this adorable “curtained” look. 

For some truly spectacular views, leave the rainfly off altogether. The mesh roof is amazing for stargazing, and you get all those windows we were just discussing. Basically, this tent becomes a gigantic screen room for perfect scenery without the bugs.

Keep in mind that as fantastic as this rainfly is, for some reason it doesn’t include any vents. So when you have it all zipped up if it’s downpouring, you’ll likely start feeling a little stuffy and hot inside.

Speaking of rain, this tent hasn’t received glowing reports of performance in inclement weather. Like I said, this tent is perfect for a casual and luxurious glamping trip, not for waiting out long storms.

Pros:

• A large, equal 13×13 space; not only offers plenty of room but frees up sleeping gear layout options
• Insane amount of mesh; 6 out of 8 walls are more than halfway covered in mesh makes for amazing views
• Mesh roof as well means this is basically a giant screen room when you leave the fly off
• Gorgeous aesthetic suits the glamping lifestyle; awesome “curtain” look to the windows
• Reported fast pitch under 15 minutes
• 2 doors come with 2 doormats so the entrances don’t get muddy
• Large overhanging eave over doors provides shelter when entering tent in the rain

Cons:

• No vents in the rainfly
• Mixed feedback about rain performance
• Heavy at 44lbs

Coleman Cabin Instant Tent 10 Person

• Space & comfort (30%) – 9/10
• Weather resistance (25%) – 6/10
• Build quality and durability (15%) – 8/10
• Ease of setup (10%) – 10/10
• Weight & Portability (10%) – 5/10
• Company reputation (10%) – 8/10

Best for: large groups of 6-8 people who relish the lazy life of late mornings sleeping in and relaxing in cool comfort; $$$

For a relaxing camping fest with friends, the Coleman Cabin Instant Tent 10 Person is a great choice. From its whopping 140sqft area to the cozy dark room fabric, this tent delivers on all things “lounging.”

When I say that this tent is perfect for lounging, I truly mean that on several levels.

First, the Coleman Cabin is the largest on our list, offering a crazy spacious 14×10’ floor plan. That’s more than enough room to spread out. In fact, it’s enough room to fit four queen beds.

Next, the dark room fabric means that you can sleep well past sunrise without being woken. Glamping is for lazy dog days and sleeping in, not for waking up at the crack of dawn, after all!

Not only that, the dark room fabric keeps on delivering in comfort. Because it blocks 90% of the sun, the interior will be cooler than a standard tent. Some users actually said the tent could almost be too dark. Now you and your buds can hang out inside without roasting to death.

One downside to all this awesomeness is the weight. At 42lbs, this is heavy even for car camping standards. It’s fine to drag from your trunk to the campsite, but not so fine if you have to carry it any further than a few feet

Weight aside, we were particularly impressed by the Coleman Cabin’s instant setup. And yes, it really does mean instant. 

When considering weather performance, unfortunately, this tent has received some mixed reviews. 

Some of these problems can likely be remedied by waterproofing it yourself. But if you’re looking for a full-proof weather solution, the Coleman Cabin might not be it.

Pros:

• Massive amount of living space at a 14×10’ floor plan (140sq ft) and 6’7 center height
• Dark room fabrics are perfect for sleeping in and keeping cool
• Instant setup truly is instant; some users claim a minute of setup time while still others report seconds
• Room divider for easy partitioning
• Mesh ceiling for views

Cons:

• Heavy at 42lbs
• Mixed feedback regarding weatherproof performance

Coleman 8-Person Elite Montana

• Space & comfort (30%) – 9/10
• Weather resistance (25%) – 6/10
• Build quality and durability (15%) – 8/10
• Ease of setup (10%) – 8/10
• Weight & Portability (10%) – 7/10
• Company reputation (10%) – 8/10

Best for: large groups or families of 6-8 who need the maximum amount of space on a budget; $

If the tents on our list are all just a little too small for your group’s needs, then let me point you to the Coleman 8-Person Elite Montana. 

This tent is certainly “elite” when it comes to size. At 16×7’, this is the largest model on our list. You can lay out six or seven sleeping bags against the long dimension of the floor (16’). Or you can throw in two king mattresses. It’s seriously a long tent.

And don’t worry about feeling cramped – you’re getting a nice 7’ height. A height like that is always impressive in a dome tent.

If you leave the rainfly off, you’re treated to lovely views of the trees or stars, plus some great breathability.

However, leaving the fly removed is kind of the only way to see the scenery. This is because there really aren’t that many windows. There are two on the far ends of the tent, plus one on the door. So be aware that you’re basically camping inside of a giant fabric cavern. 

Also, to continue with a few caveats – this tent received some pretty mixed weather performance rating. Thus, we’d suggest the Elite Montana for fair weather trips. 

Alternatively, the users who reported no issues in the rain simply waterproofed the tent themselves.

Pros:

• Enormous space, enough for the listed capacity, or 2 king beds; 16×7’ with a 7’ center height
• Budget friendly; you can’t beat that price-to-space ratio
• Painless pitching; it goes up in around 20 minutes
• Overhead light with a lightswitch
• Eport for external power

Cons:

• Serious lack of windows
• Weatherproofing is a bit lacking
• Only 1 door; strange to see this on a tent of such capacity

Russian Bear Tent with Stove Pipe Vent

• Space & comfort (30%) – 9/10
• Weather resistance (25%) – 10/10
• Build quality and durability (15%) – 10/10
• Ease of setup (10%) – 9/10,
• Weight & Portability (10%) – 5/10
• Company reputation (10%) – 4/10

Best for: Groups of 2-4 cold campers, hunters, and anyone who enjoys camping out in extreme conditions; $$$$

Calling all cold campers! There’s a hinged door tent made just for you.

Russian Bear Tent with Stove Pipe Vent is the ultimate for cozy winter camping. Why cozy, you ask? Because this tent comes with a stove and a stove jack to keep you warm through even the most frigid nights.

One caveat right off the bat: because it includes a stove – which is usually an investment all its own – you’re going to be paying the absolute top dollar for this tent and stove kit. 

Again, this is more than worth it if you’re a hunter or just one of those crazies who really likes camping in below-zero temperatures.

Though this is a dome tent, you don’t need to worry about stooping down to crawl inside. Offering a 5’9 center height, most people won’t even have to crouch down. 

So you’ll be comfortable inside, but will you be insulated from the elements? We certainly think so! And so do the many enthusiastic users who have commented on this tent’s spectacular performance.

With a 300D Oxford outer layer and a 4,000mm waterproof rating, you get a fabric that’s not only crazy durable and strong, but also highly water resistant. 

Of course, all the seams are taped as an added protection against rain or snow. As an added touch, there’s a protective skirt around the entire outside of the floor.

Pros:

• Plenty spacious for its advertised capacity
• Includes a stove and stove jack
• Amazing weatherproof specs; 300D 4,000mm outer layer, with a 210D 2,000mm rated inner layer
• 3-layer floor is insulated and keeps you from being cold due to snow underfoot
• Performed in the field through extreme temperatures and snowstorms
• Basically an instant tent; it’s been user-confirmed to assemble in less than a minute, just like an umbrella
• 2 mesh windows for viewing and 2 doors for convenience

Cons:

• Price will be an immediate dealbreaker for most 
• Suited for a smaller, specific group of campers: cold campers, extreme-weather campers, hunters, etc; will be considered too overbuilt by basically anyone else
• Heavy at 36lbs

How to Choose the Best Tent with a Hinged Door

Fussing with finicky zippers on a tent door is no fun, especially during *ahem* late-night potty runs. Enter tents with a hinged door, the answer to your quick-exit woes. 

These special doors are designed with a 2-pole frame that functionally mimics the hinge action of your front door at home. As such, they’re a great choice for a car camper or glamper who just wants that extra touch of luxury and convenience.

Check out this video to take a look at the hinge door in action. Hint: go to 15 seconds.

Whatever your scenario is, we’ve broken down the various categories you’ll want to consider before taking home your hinged door tent.

Use/Trip Type

This category is being listed first for one obvious reason: tents with hinged doors are, by nature, a luxury. Thus, they’re usually only seen on tents that you’d use for car camping or glamping. 

Think about it. If you’re embarking on a backpacking adventure where every ounce matters, why would you want to carry the added weight of the door’s poles?

All this means that if you’re a backpacker or you want a lightweight tent, you likely won’t find one with a hinged door. So I’ll do you a favor by suggesting that you look elsewhere.

Size and Capacity

Still here? Great! Now that we’ve gotten that PSA out of the way, we can move on to selecting the size and capacity you’ll need.

As we already mentioned, any tent with a hinged door is not going to be a backpacking or small tent. In fact, the smallest tent we were able to find is the 12×10’ Coleman Elite Sundome 6-Person, which weighs a hefty 20lbs.

For that tent specifically, you can technically fit two queen mattresses on the floor. But be aware that if you do this, you might not actually see much of the floor. In other words, you’ll have little space left for moving around or for gear storage.

Of course, this phenomenon isn’t unique to one tent. Pretty much every tent out there overestimates the sleeping capacity by at least one person.

Therefore, keep this in mind when you’re shopping for a tent. If you have a group of 6, think twice about getting a 6-person tent. Instead, consider upgrading to an 8 person tent like the Coleman 8-Person Elite Montana.

Weight

A tent’s weight is intrinsically tied to its size and capacity. The larger tent you pick, the heavier it gets. 

The weight of a hinged door tent probably won’t be a deciding factor, though. Because any hinged door tent is aimed at car campers, heaviness doesn’t matter as much. Simply throw the tent in the trunk of your car and be on your way to the campground.

Hinged door tents will likely begin at the 4-6 person capacity range. So they can weigh anywhere between 20lbs like with the Coleman Elite Sundome 6-Person, or a serious 42lbs, like the Coleman Cabin Instant Tent 10 Person.

Clearly a 42lb tent is heavy by any standard, car camping or not. You still have to lug the thing to your actual campsite after all!

So it’s still wise to factor in your tent’s weight, even if it’s primarily for car camping. Yet at the same time, you don’t need to stress over it too hard since you won’t be carrying it for long distances.

Shapes

Like any type of tent, hinged door tents come in many different shapes.

Undeniably, one of the more common would be a cabin tent, as seen in the Coleman Tenaya Lake Fast Pitch Lighted Tent . 

As the name implies, cabin tents have walls that are almost completely vertical. This is a signature of a cabin, and it provides maximum standing room everywhere inside.

On the other hand, dome tents like the Russian Bear Tent can also be plenty spacious. But since their walls do slope down, you may find yourself feeling a little more constricted if you are standing near the outer edges of the tent. 

Thankfully, this difference in space isn’t as obvious for hinged door tents, thanks to their large capacities.

There’s also the non-traditional octagon shape of the Coleman Octagon 6-Person Festival Tent. It combines the vertical walls of a cabin with the square (equal) floor plan that most domes feature.

Why do equal floorplans matter? Because when it’s time to hit the hay, you can spread out your group’s sleeping bags (or mattresses) in any configuration. If you’re in a rectangular-shaped tent, you’re forced to align your sleeping gear with the longest dimension of the tent to maximize space.

Weather Protection

Tents with hinged doors are designed with glampers in mind. In other words, they typically aren’t built in anticipation of prolonged periods of camping through extreme conditions.

So although weather protection might not be as critical for a hinged door tent, it’s still important to pay attention to a few weatherproofing specs.

Hinged door tents often feature large windows. You’d be right to worry that this is a great way for rain to leak inside, but these windows are equipped with fabric panels that you simply zip shut.

Look for tents that feature taped seams. This means that they were sealed at the factory to ensure that water doesn’t sneak in through the seam’s pinholes. 

For extra protection, the Coleman Weather Master 6-Person Tent not only tapes, but inverts the seams as well. Essentially, the vulnerable seam-side faces inward (towards you) rather than out towards the weather. 

Pay attention to fabric coatings, if they’re listed. This coating serves as added reinforcement to the tent fabric against rain.

Usually, large glamping tents are coated with PU (polyurethane) as opposed to its slightly more superior – and expensive – cousin, silicone. The point is, check to see if there’s a mention of a PU coating at all. 

Ventilation

Keeping your comfort in mind, almost all hinged door tents are equipped with large mesh windows or entire mesh walls for ventilation.

In case you don’t already know, ventilation or breathability refers to a tent’s ability to keep the interior from becoming too stuffy from a lack of airflow.

Lots of mesh can effectively eliminate breathability issues. Plus, tents like the Coleman Weather Master 6-Person Tent are equipped with several fly vents. 

So even when the weather is poor and you need to cover the mesh windows, air can still flow in and out of the tent through the vents.

A Final Note on Door Construction 

If you’ve checked out any videos of the hinged door tents we’ve mentioned, you may have noticed something. Those annoying zippers are still on the door!

Huh??

Okay, before you get too upset with us for false advertising, maybe we can offer some perspective.

Yes, all the tents we’ve mentioned do have a zipper built around the door in addition to the hinge feature. This is to weatherproof the door – when heavy wind blows rain toward you, the water doesn’t leak in around the edges.

Furthermore, to keep the door shut, the doors are often equipped with two tabs of velcro. One is on the door itself and one is on the tent wall.

So if it’s not raining, no one is forcing you to utilize that zipper. You can simply leave it unzipped, relying on the velcro tabs to keep the doors shut.

There are a few instances where users have expressed concern with the “flimsiness” of the velcro. A gentle breeze could push the door open, for example. 

For that, I’d suggest going to your local craft or hardware store and purchasing Command strips or additional velcro tabs. Then just stick them to the door and the tent wall and voila! Extra door “stickiness!”

Final Verdict

Hopefully, you have a better understanding of how tents with hinged doors can actually be pretty cool. We think the coolest of them all is the Coleman Elite Sundome 6-Person.

The overhead light system adds an extra pinch of “home-y ness” to supplement the hinged door. Further, this tent manages to be luxurious while performing surprisingly well in a variety of bad weather.

It provides ample space for smaller groups. For couples, it’s essentially a mini mansion.

And unbelievably, you’re getting all this at an incredibly budget-friendly price.

Considering all this, we would highly recommend the Elite Sundome to any small to mid-size group as the best overall value.