12 Best Tents You Can Stand Up In 2025

Last Updated on 05/02/2024

Crawling into a tent was fun when we were 10 but the best tents you can stand up in provide so much more comfort and freedom to move around. There are lots of benefits to a tent you can stand up in, especially if it is raining outside or you are a tall person. In this guide, you will learn which tents are tall enough to stand up in and which tents have the tallest roof as well as lots of practical tips to avoid wind damage.

A tent you can’t stand up straight in is not negotiable for some people. Further down this guide, we go into detail on the downsides and benefits of tall tents with headroom as well as what you should be looking for.

Whether you can only stand upright in the middle of your porch area or the entire tent has a high roof, being able to stand up in a tent without crouching feels great. You can move around freely without stepping over each other and all your gear. It is easier to keep the inside of your sleeping compartment dry if you have a large tent porch to stand in without having to take off your boots.

You can learn all about stand-up tents in our guide further down the page or keep reading for our recommended tents with headroom.

12 Best Tents You Can Stand Up In

Gazelle T3X Pop-Up Hub Tent

• CAPACITY: 2 – 4 people
• HEIGHT: 68 inches / 173 cm
• WEIGHT: 28 lbs / 12.7 kg

The Gazelle T3X Pop-Up Hub Tent is the smallest stand-up tent on the market. It is perfect for 2 – 4 people and is just tall enough to stand up in so long as you aren’t above 5 feet 8 inches tall. Anyone above that height has probably just stopped reading so we will carry on for the ‘normal-sized’ campers.

Our favorite thing about this tent is the internal space you get. Unlike other tents that have walls at pitched angles, the Gazelle T3X has internal ribs which push the sides out and maximize the space inside. These ribs also make the tent incredibly robust and resistant to wind, thanks to the frame’s flexibility and durable design.

You can set this tent up in under 90 seconds on your own, but it helps if you have a buddy to help pull out the frame, which then locks into position. The detachable rainfly is made from 210d oxford weave material with a HH rating of 2000 mm, which means there ain’t no rain getting in. Is this the best small tent you can stand up in for two people or more?

Ventilation in this tent is well above average with 6 mesh windows and two D-shaped doors that also have tight weave mesh bug screens. If you want to keep your shoes on inside the tent, you can remove the floor so that you can stand up on the ground underneath. Because the floor is removable, it makes it easy to clean but when you need to sleep on it the 5000 mm hydrostatic head rating ensures you stay dry no matter how wet the ground is.

VERDICT: Being one of the smallest pop-up tents you can stand up in also makes it ideal for couples on a romantic weekend camping trip. We think the Gazelle T3X is the best 2 person tent you can stand up in and performs like a champion in high wind and rain. This is everything you want in a small pop up tent it is just a shame it’s not quite 6 feet in the center. Still, a highly recommended stand up tent.

Coleman Meadowood Air Tent Villa

• CAPACITY: 4 people
• HEIGHT: 78.7 inches / 200 cm
• WEIGHT: 43 lbs / 19.5 kg
• PACK SIZE: 78 x 53 x 38 cm
• POLES: Air or Fiberglass

The Coleman Meadowood Air Tent is a new breed of tent that doesn’t have any rigid poles and instead uses air to create the frame structure. Rather than have slots for rigid poles to be inserted, it simply has an inflatable tube that becomes taught when fully inflated. You can also get a fiberglass frame option which is substantially cheaper, but then this would be just like the others.

There are three beams that run horizontally to the front door and porch which need to be pumped up individually which is good as it means if one fails the tent will still stand tall. The valves are not like you might see on an airbed and instead are heavy-duty with a twist cap closure to make sure no air can escape. A benefit of air poles is that they will never snap in the wind and so long as you always carry a small puncture repair kit you should be able to fix any leaks as they occur.

Aside from that, then itself is a really pleasant structure to camp in as you can stand up tall with extra headroom in the porch, and even in the sleeping compartments, I could stand up straight without my head touching the roof. The porch area is massive and perfect for setting up a table with chairs and a small camp kitchen by the door. The overhang at the entrance is a really nice design feature that prevents rain from coming in as well as dripping on you when you open the door.

The sleeping pods are set up as two doubles which can be opened with a zip to create more space and a more communal feel. The bathtub floor, unfortunately, doesn’t unzip and so you still have a central divider that can prevent you from putting a mattress in the center but that isn’t a big deal and in a way helps keep things organized.

VERDICT: The Coleman Meadowood Air Tent has lots of amazing features we haven’t even gotten to in this short round-up but it should be obvious this is a solid tent for family camping. We think this is the best 4 person tent you can stand up in because it has so much to offer anyone who doesn’t want to rough it in a tent. Try and name something this tent is missing.

Big Agnes Big House Group Camping Tent

• CAPACITY: 3 – 4 Person
• HEIGHT: 70 inches (81-inch option available) / 177.8 cm
• WEIGHT: 12.87 lbs / 5.84 kg
• PACK SIZE: 26 x 13 x 7 inches

The Big Agnes Big House Group Camping Tent is the best 3 person tent you can stand up in even though it is advertised as a 4 person. There is plenty of space for 4 people to all get an air mattress in but then there isn’t any space for your gear like backpacks and boots so we think it is better as a spacious 3 bed.

The top thing we like about this high roof tent is the versatility and that it is just one big room which is great fun with friends. Or you can also pitch it without the inner tent to stay lightweight and also make the most of the cool breeze in the sun. This makes it a perfect festival and beach shelter you can use to create shade and provide cover from settling moisture on an evening.

Another way to pitch the Big House tent from Big Agnes is to use the footprint with the outer shell so that you can camp closer to nature without being uncomfortable. The only time we wouldn’t recommend this is if there are lots of biting insects.

You can get this stand up tent in a 4 person or 6 person option with a roof height difference of 11 inches. even the smaller tent is still tall enough to stand up in though if you are under 70 inches tall. You get the most headspace in the middle of the tent and only lose a bit at the sides but you do have to bend your head to get through the door on the smaller option.

VERDICT: Even in this smaller 4 person option of this tent there is still plenty of headroom to stand up inside. With the larger 6 person Big House tent you get even more headroom and much more interior space to spread out. We recommend this as a multipurpose tent you can stand up in and use anywhere as a shelter or as your sleeping cabin.

Eureka! Timberline SQ Outfitter Backpacking Tent

• CAPACITY: 5 – 6 people
• HEIGHT: 76 inches / 193 cm
• WEIGHT: 16.4 lbs / 7.4 kg
• PACK SIZE: 8 x 28 inches

The Eureka! Timberline SQ Outfitter Backpacking Tent is one of the few A-frame or blade-shaped tents that are tall enough to stand up in. The wedge shape is perfect for strong winds and heavy rain as it can be positioned so that it cuts through the wind like a blade. This is one of those tents that feels way bigger inside than it looks from the outside.

The design does mean that the headroom diminishes dramatically the further away from the center you get but the important thing is that you can stand up straight inside the tent. There is a clever little spreader pole at the very middle of the frame which helps increase the internal headspace and gives you a total living space of 87.1 sq ft.

The internal tent is well-ventilated but the outer shell is lacking ventilation aside from the doors at each end. There is a good amount of space between the inner tent and the outer shell which does help with airflow a little but is ideal for avoiding condensation on the walls. This does make this one of the most waterproof tents you can stand up in and a great choice for camping in bad weather.

Just in case this tent wasn’t big enough already, you can purchase a separate vestibule which you can add to the door for your boots and gear which allows you to get a full 6 people in here. If you don’t have the additional space for gear then you can really only fit 5 people side by side.

VERDICT: The Eureka! Timberline SQ 6 is in our opinion the best 5 person tent you can stand up in. We know it is labeled as a 6 person but the suggested layout for the 6th person means laying lengthways along one side so we think it is better for 5 people with backpacks. The double doors mean getting in and out at night isn’t an issue.

The design has been updated in recent years and is much better now. Improvements include an overhang at the entrance which prevents any rain from getting in and the little spreader pole in the middle helps to increase the internal headspace. Overall this is definitely one of the top stand up tents we would pick ourselves as well as recommend.

TETON Sports Mesa Canvas Tent with High Roof

• CAPACITY: 4 – 6 people
• HEIGHT: 78 inches / 198 cm
• WEIGHT: 68.3 lbs / 31 kg
• MATERIAL: 100% Cotton Canvas

The TETON Sports Mesa Canvas Tent is a luxury option for people who prefer heavyweight cotton canvas to a more lightweight polyester you get on most other tents. You can squeeze 6 people in if you want or have a bit more space with 4 people but the real comfort starts when you use the tent with two people. This gives you the space to set up an air mattress or camping cot as well as some chairs, a small kitchen area, and all your gear.

The thickness of the canvas material gives you extra protection against rain, sun, and wind, and here’s how. The cotton canvas is treated to make it 100% water-tight and is easy to maintain over many years for sustained cover. The canvas is thicker than most other tents, and so does a better job at blocking the sun to keep you cool inside. And finally, because the fabric is heavier, it doesn’t flap about so much in the wind and it never does that annoying vibration flap that sounds a bit like a drill in strong wind.

The large tailgate-style door opens up to create a large awning by the entrance which is held up with a prop pole. This helps to keep any rain and snow out of your tent when you come in and out and also provides a nice little cooking area underneath.

The weight of this tent does limit how far you can take it into the wilderness but its reliability of it makes it perfect for rugged adventures. The canvas will get a little muddy around the bottom so it is best to use a groundsheet when possible.

VERDICT: The TETON Sports Mesa Canvas Tent really is a heavyweight in its class which means it is best used for camping close to the car. The durable canvas material provides incomparable protection and security and is definitely towards the top of the comfort scale. If you want a canvas tent you can stand up in that isn’t a teepee then look no further.

RAPID DEPLOYMENT SHELTER Obsidian 4 Season Tent

• CAPACITY: 6 – 8
• HEIGHT: 78 inches / 198 cm
• WEIGHT: 84.9 lbs / 38.5 kg
• POLES: Fiberglass

The RAPID DEPLOYMENT SHELTER Obsidian 4 is the best pop up tent you can stand up in all year round. This 4-season tent sets up in under 60 seconds because all the poles are already attached together you just need to pop them all into a locked position and you’re done. This tent is a complete luxury and even has insulated walls and ports for an air control unit or heater to funnel air in.

The insulated walls use a 600D polyester fabric which wicks moisture outwards as well as is water-resistant from the outside. This insulating layer also provides a complete blackout of light inside to help you sleep in the morning and not be disturbed by a light full stop. The insulation also keeps you extra warm in winter and cool in the summer with a more stable climate than other tents.

This tent is rated as 4 season which means it can withstand the harshest weather and conditions including wind, snow, sun, rain, and even storms. The diamond-shaped sections in the frame make this tent very sturdy in heavy wind and surprisingly flexible. If you are hiking in exposed conditions and need a tall tent you can put up in under a minute, then RDS should be on your radar by now.

The inside of this tent is pretty big with around 100 square feet of internal space and plenty of headroom even for tall people. At 6 feet and 6 inches tall in the middle, I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t fit in this tent.

VERDICT: The RAPID DEPLOYMENT SHELTER Obsidian 4 Tent is a really warm and really comfortable shelter that does its absolute best to make sure you get a good night’s sleep. The quilted walls trap in warm air and keep water out and include lots of openings for ventilation, light, and accessories like air temperature control. There is an abundance of height to stand up inside and you can remove the floor if you want to do a bit of ice fishing like old-time hawkeye.

Coleman Octagon 98 Full Rainfly Signature Tent

Best 8 Person Tent You Can Stand Up In / Most Waterproof Tent You Can Stand Up in

• CAPACITY: 6 – 8 people or two queen size air beds
• HEIGHT: 82 inches / 208 cm
• WEIGHT: 45.6 lbs / 20.7 kg
• POLES: Steel

The Coleman Octagon 98 Full Rainfly Signature Tent focuses on strength over flexibility as a defense against the wind. Once tents reach a certain size and height, the flexible pop up frames become less effective and more of a weakness. The poles you use for this tent are heavy-duty steel which provides a rigid structure that won’t have much movement when it is windy.

The height of the roof is 6 feet and 10 inches which is perfect for hanging a light from the middle without banging your head on it. There are two entrances that you have to duck slightly to get into but once you’re inside, there is headroom all the way around. With both doors open, you can create a nice through-draft on hot days, and it always helps to have more than one entry point with multiple people in one tent.

All of the sides open up on the outer shell and on the internal tent, there are mesh windows so you can see outside and also let air circulate through. The roof is like a giant umbrella and keeps the material very taught so that you never get giant pools of water forming on top. There is a central divider that can partition the tent into two bedrooms which creates enough privacy to get changed or separate yourself from the kids.

The tent comes with some thin poles you can insert into the D-shaped door frame to give it a swinging action like a house door. I didn’t realize how cool this actually is until I tried it and it makes complete sense when it’s raining. Everything else works as it should.

VERDICT: The Coleman Octagon 98 has possibly the most headroom across the entire tent compared with any other. What we mean by this is that no matter where you are in the tent, whether in the middle or at the very edge, you can always stand up. This is the best 6 person stand up tent you can fit up to 8 people in without any crouching down inside.

Ozark Trail Instant Cabin Tent With Built-in Lights

• CAPACITY: 10 people
• HEIGHT: 78 inches / 198 cm
• WEIGHT: 31 lbs / 14 kg
• POLES: Steel

The Ozark Trail Instant Cabin Tent is one of the best tall tents you can stand up in for star gazing and enjoying nature. There are huge mesh panels all across the inner ceiling which offer views of the night sky and some large windows all the way around the tent to enjoy your surroundings. The built-in LED strip light illuminates the entire tent on a night and are operated with a simple switch.

The mesh panel windows and doorways keep the tent nice and cool during the day and allow air to circulate at night with lots of sleeping people inside. They also let you see everything around you, taking in all the views, and if you remove the rain fly, you can fall asleep star gazing. When you need to see what’s going on you, simply press the switch, and you have instant lighting all around the tent.

The LED strip lights are incorporated into the underside of the poles that run along the center roof, which is 78 inches tall with loads of space above your head. They are powered by the battery pack converter supplied, but you are better off using a power bank that is rechargeable and just more convenient. This sits in a small leave in the corner, which connects to the cable which runs to the lights. You then operate the lights with a button that can alternate between low, medium, and high settings.

You have two entrances so that if you have the sleeping compartment set up, you don’t have to disturb everyone to step in or out. This also allows you to keep the inside of your tent dry by leaving wet gear at the side door. One final feature we think is pretty smart is an iPad or tablet holder which holds your screen halfway up the wall so you can lay back on your airbed or camping cot to enjoy your favorite movies or TV shows.

VERDICT: The Ozark Trail Instant Cabin Tent is possibly the best 10 person tent you can stand up in and includes all the modern convenience features you might expect in this day and age. The lights are amazing and such a good idea, not only providing total light but eliminating dangling headlamps altogether. Finally, the mesh panels are massive and really let you take in the views around you as well as the night sky.

Columbia Mammoth Creek Tall Tent

• CAPACITY: 6 – 10 people
• HEIGHT: 72 – 78 inches / 183 – 198 cm
• WEIGHT: 38 lbs / 17.2 kg
• POLES: Fiberglass

The Columbia Mammoth Creek Tent is available in 3 different size options, but this recommendation is for the 10 person tent that is 78 inches tall. The size is almost identical as the Ozark Trail Instant Cabin Tent, and the layouts are very similar, but they are not the same. Below we mostly talk about the differences between the two and why you might prefer the Columbia Mammoth Creek.

The first feature we prefer about this tent is the extended roof and window overhang, which means you can keep the windows open even in light rain without getting wet. They are all attached to a guy line that can be tensioned out to improve breathability and stability at the same time. The same goes for the lower ventilation ports at the bottom of the tent.

This tent has the same wide-open mesh panels on the ceiling of the inner tent as well as on the large windows which make for great star gazing and views of your environment. They also mean you can create privacy in an instant. It also has the same power cable opening for campsites with electricity hook-ups, but it does not have the built-in lights like the Ozark Trail Instant Cabin.

There are some handy storage pouches up the wall of the sleeping compartment so you can organize things like toiletries, charging cables, books, your glasses, keys, and other small items you want close to hand. Overall, this is one of the most practical tents tall enough to stand up in when camping.

VERDICT: The Columbia Mammoth Creek 10 person tent does one thing better than 99% of other tents, and that is to promote airflow through ventilation. Many tents have good vents on the inner tent but then hardly any on the outer shell, which doesn’t make sense. This tent has an abundance of ventilation, headroom, and organizational features that make it a good choice for summer camping.

Coleman Camping Tent Skylodge 12 Person Tent

• CAPACITY: 12 people
• HEIGHT: 89 inches / 226 cm
• WEIGHT: 44 lbs / 20 kg

The Coleman Camping Tent Skylodge 12 Person Tent is one of the most lightweight 12 person tents out there, and with a center height of 7.4 feet, it is tall enough for anyone to stand up in. Unlike tents like the Coleman Meadowood, which shares the space equally between the sleeping area and the porch area, this tent is about 75% sleeping room and has a smaller porch at the front. This makes the tent feel very homely in that once you take your shoes off you can just walk around inside or treat the airbed like a sofa.

The dome ceiling makes the tent feel super spacious inside, which means you can hang a light from the roof and have it cover the entire space. The straight walls help to maximize the square footage and help to shed rain and snow but the way the entrance is angled means that rain does get in a bit if you open it when it’s pouring down.

There are plenty of mesh panels behind every window and door to keep the bugs out and help air to circulate when it’s hot. There are also some lower vents that help you take advantage of any breeze that gets under the outer shell (you can set it up higher for more breeze). When it gets really windy, the tent feels secure and is tested in up to 35 mph winds (a test most large tents don’t partake in). The waterproofing is top-level also, with welded seams around the bathtub floor to keep you dry from the ground up.

You can fit four queen-size mattresses in this tent which would take up most of the floor space in the sleeping compartments. Without the oversized air beds, you can easily fit 12 people on camping mats and still have the entire porch area free to store your gear.

VERDICT: Overall, the Coleman Skylodge 12 Person Tent is very comfortable and weatherproof, which gives you a reliable outdoor room to enjoy and relax in. You can use it with the family, on a romantic break with a full double cot, bed linen, and drinks cooler with champagne on ice, or you can use it with friends at a festival or for a weekend retreat. However you plan to use it, this might be the best large camping tent you can stand up in for 12 people.

WHITEDUCK Avalon Canvas Bell Tent

• CAPACITY: 10 people
• HEIGHT: 134 inches / 340 cm
• DOOR HEIGHT: 78 inches / 198 cm
• WEIGHT: 155 – 166 lbs / 70 – 75 kg

The WHITEDUCK Avalon Canvas Bell Tent is your classic teepee style with one central pole that provides most of the structural support. This means you get a tonne of headroom from the tall entrance and around the middle of the tent. The sleeping layout is like petals on a flower where everybody has their feet in the middle to fan out.

For every person that can sleep in here, there is a personal window with bug mesh you can open to look out or just to get a breeze coming in. The layout is very communal but also very comfortable, as there you are, never lying with your face directly next to someone else (unless you want to). Lots of space to keep boots and backpacks as well as get out when you need to makes this one of the most spacious tents with headroom.

The pack size is big and heavy, but this tent isn’t for hiking or backpacking. It is, however, one of the better tents for leaving up for longer periods of time. The central pole is made from steel with a plastic cap to protect the fabric, but if anything were to happen to it, you could quite easily replace it with any pole that is tall enough.

One feature this tent has that others do not is the ability to fit a wood stove inside if you want to. There is a square panel of flame-resistant material that you can cut a hole into for your chimney exhaust to fit through. To support this feature and also just improve air circulation, there are small vents at the very top for any renegade smoke to escape from.

VERDICT: The WHITEDUCK Avalon Canvas Bell Tent is massive, and you get so much space to spread out as well as walk around without banging your head. Even the doorway is tall enough to walk through standing up. With a rug on the floor, camping in this tent feels more like glamping. Overall, if you can afford it and want a bell tent, then absolutely go for it; you won’t regret it.

Fortunershop Family Cabin Tent 14 Person

• CAPACITY: 14 people
• HEIGHT: 78 inches / 198 cm
• WEIGHT: 53 lbs / 24 kg

The Fortunershop Family Cabin Tent is one of the biggest stand-up camping tents out there. This massive 14 person tent is perfect for families and large groups at music festivals. You have all the space you need to have a comfortable camping trip without any sacrifice.

There are three side pods that will all fit a queen-size air mattress, and then you can fit two more in the main room in the middle. All the sleeping pods have dividers and their own door, which means you can get in and out without disturbing everyone in the tent. Each cabin pod has two windows to let light in and also control the ventilation.

All the poles and pole leaves are color-coded to make setting up as simple as possible, but this is far from an instant pitch. One awesome thing about this tent is that no matter which way the wind is blowing, you can always find shelter from the wind on one side of the tent. So if you like to sit and cook outside you can choose the side which is most sheltered.

See how this tent fares in the rain in this video – why they left the front panels open, I don’t know.

VERDICT: If you are a family or group who likes to hang out all the time but has privacy while you sleep then this might be the tent for you. The fact that all the sleeping pods are off-center means that you don’t get a build-up of condensation from 14 people sleeping inside. We feel that this tent only really suits a certain type of group and getting two smaller tents may be the most practical option.

Benefits of a Tent You Can Stand Up In

Crawling in and out of a tent is something most people put up with, but not us. We like our entrances tall and our roofs high so that we can walk around inside the tent. Here are some of the benefits of a tall roof tent:

Wet Weather Camping

When the weather is bad, and it is raining nonstop, then you are often confined to your tent when camping. When this happens, and you have a small tent, you are basically like a caterpillar inside your sleeping bag. In a tall tent, when it rains, you can stand up, walk around, and not feel so restricted.

When camping with friends, if you are all in separate tents and it is raining you are only able to talk through the tent walls. With a tent big enough for at least four people to stand up in, you can all be in the same place and make the most of the situation together.

Also, a tall tent will often do a better job of keeping the rain out when you do open the door, as they often feature overhangs or vertical walls that don’t expose the floor inside.

Stretch Your Legs

In a tent that is low to the ground, the only way you can really stretch your legs is while you are lying on your back. In a tent tall enough to stand up inside, you can stretch your legs if you get a cramp, do some exercises, and do stretches to loosen up. I for one, have suffered from leg cramps inside a tent, and being able to stand up and stretch my legs quickly would have solved the issue.

Getting Changed

Getting changed in a small tent requires shuffling around, leaning one way to pull on a trouser leg or leave, and then leaning the other way to put the other leg or arm in. Even putting on socks can be a challenge, and we won’t get into changing underwear. In a tall tent, you can easily change just like you would at home and not worry about rolling off the airbed.

Staying Organised

When you can stand up and walk around, it is so much easier to stay organized in a small place such as a tent. You can move things from one place to another instead of having to find everything from the sitting position in a low-roofed tent. Tents that are at least 6 feet tall often feature organizational pockets that run vertically down the walls. This help to keep the things you need easy access to in one place and easy to find.

No More Crawling

If you have bad knees, a bad back, or just generally don’t like crawling on your hands and knees, then a tent you can stand in makes the most sense. When you have to crawl to get into a tent, you get muddy knees and hands as well as have to strategically not get your muddy boots inside. A tall tent you can walk into feels amazing and is so much more convenient in every way.

Better for Families and Social Groups

Large tents that you can stand up in are much more convenient for large groups and families so that you aren’t always crawling over one another. A tent with an elevated roof will often provide the best social area around which your sleeping mats are placed. Keeping the inside of your tent tidy and clean is so much easier when you can stand up to move around.

Perfect for Car Camping

If you are not hiking into the wilderness with a tent on your back and instead are using a vehicle to drive to your campsite, then the overall pack size and weight don’t matter so much. This is why the tallest tents are ideal for packing into a car and driving to your favorite spots and maybe not so good for freedom campers.

Problems With Stand Up Tents

Tents that are 6 feet tall and upwards add levels of comfort and convenience you can’t get in a small tent, but there is always a compromise when gaining comfort. With tall tents, the compromise is the larger pack size and weight as well as the vulnerability to extreme weather. Here are some of the negatives of big tents that most people choose to ignore:

Weight and Pack Size

Taller camping tents require longer and more durable tent poles as well as meters of extra material, which can increase pack weight and size quite drastically. For example, the lightest stand-up height tent we could find is the Big Agnes Big House which is a 4-person tent that weighs 12 pounds 14 ounces. But there are multiple 4 person tents that weigh around 5.5 lbs out there, so you are looking at twice the weight and almost twice the bulkiness.

Wind Damage

The wind is a tall tent’s worst enemy. Extra headroom in a tent requires steeper walls to keep the footprint of the tent to a reasonable size. Steep walls are not the most aerodynamic and are vulnerable to strong wind caving them in so much that the tent poles get damaged or destroyed. Tent fabric rarely rips if you stake it out tightly without missing any stake-out points or guy lines.

Snow Damage

Tents that are tall enough to stand up in are not typically the best for snow unless they have steep rooves as well as walls. The Eureka! Timberline SQ Outfitter Backpacking Tent in our recommendations above, is a good example of a tent that would perform well in snow but most of the others have flattish roofs. The problem with snow building up on tall tents with a flat roof is that the weight soon adds up until it caves your tent in at its weakest point.

Guide to Tents Tall Enough to Stand Up In

Here are some of the things you should be looking for when buying a new tent with headroom:

Height

If you are reading this guide then you should be well aware of the height of each tent and how it can impact your comfort. You should also recognize that the head height is often the tallest point in the tent and that around the edges, the total height may be significantly less. Door height is something you may be interested to know, so we have tried to include it where possible.

Size

How many people are you camping with? Are you happy sharing a bell tent with 9 other people, or would you prefer your own cabin? Will you have enough space for your gear if the tent is at full capacity? These are just some of the questions you should be asking yourself when looking for a stand-up tent. We suggest going slightly larger than necessary for the best experience.

Shape

The shape of your tent will have the biggest impact on how well it performs in bad weather. A geodesic dome shape tent, for example, has the best design for four seasonal use, whereas cheaper tents with high roofs are not recommended in wind or winter. Tents that are shaped like a box seem to provide the most space inside as, at a certain point, extra headroom becomes unused space.

Ventilation

Ventilation is key with tall stand-up tents because they basically turn into a greenhouse during a hot day otherwise. Also, because there are often multiple people sleeping in a tall tent, condensation build-up from people’s breath could make the inside of your tent wet without sufficient ventilation. It is important to have a variety of vents around the top, middle, and bottom of a tall tent so that air can circulate properly.

Waterproofing

All the tents we recommend are 100% waterproof; otherwise, what would be the point? One way to tell just how waterproof a tent is is to look for a hydrostatic head rating on the product specifications. Anything above 2000 mm is very good, but if possible, aim for a 5000 mm hydrostatic head (HH). You can maintain a tent’s waterproof protection using sprays and treatments once a year, but sealed seams are a little harder to repair and maintain, so look for double-stitched taped or welded seams.

Windproofing

Some features you can look for to ensure your tent has good durability against wind are the types of poles, the design/shape, and the placement/number of guylines and stake loops. More tie-down points are better than fewer, and the tauter you can keep the fabric, the better the wind resistance. It always helps if you can pitch your tent head-on into the wind and find as sheltered a spot as possible.

Strength and Durability

Steel poles are heavy-duty with very little movement. If they bend, they usually need replacing. Fiberglass poles have much more flexibility but less strength and can often be repaired with some duct tape. Steel poles are much heavier than fiberglass poles but give you a more solid shelter overall. Things that often break first are zips, and so it is a good idea to check reviews to see if there are any known issues.

Sleeping Compartments

If you are sharing your tent with friends or family, it can be nice to have some sleeping compartments for privacy and to help keep things organized. Some tents are just one wide open room that everybody shares, whereas some people prefer dividers and living areas to be separate. Having separate sleeping quarters is really helpful to keep your tent tidy and give it a homely touch that helps you sleep like a bug in a rug.

How to Avoid Wind Damage in a Tall Tent

There are a number of things you can do when camping in strong wind to prevent damage to a tall tent. These include pitching head-on into the wind to decrease wind resistance, choosing a sheltered spot with natural windbreaks, securing the tent properly with strong tent pegs, and checking the weather forecast before setting up your tent. Once the winds get above 30-40 mph, your tent is at risk of wind damage.

What is the Tallest Type of Camping Tent?

The tallest type of camping tent is the bell tent or teepee style, which uses one long central support beam in the middle, which creates the most headroom of any type of tent. After the bell tent-style, it then comes down to the A-frame type and dome tents which can both have very tall centers and then taper off toward the edges.

What is the Tallest Backpacking Tent?

Backpacking tents need to be lightweight and compact, so tall tents for backpacking don’t make much sense. If we had to pick one, it would be the Eureka! Timberline SQ Outfitter 4 person tent which is 4 feet 9 inches tall in the middle. This is not tall enough to stand up in, but it is one of the taller tents because of the shape of the frame.

What Are Tents Called that You Can Stand up In?

There is no word to describe what tents you can stand up in are called. They have never been given a name, but people often refer to them as tall tents or stand-up tents. We propose they are called skyscraper tents from now on. Let’s see if it sticks.

Can You Stand up In a 4 Person Tent?

You can stand up in some 4 person tents like the ones listed above, but there are hundreds of 4 person tents you can’t stand up straight in. The 4 person tents you can stand up should have a minimum head height of 72 inches or 6 feet to accommodate most people. If your tent has separate sleeping compartments, they don’t necessarily need to be 6 feet, but it is always nice to have a living area or porch you stand up in.

Can you Cook Inside a Tent with a High Roof?

The same tent cooking rules apply to small and tall tents. Always cook in the doorway with plenty of ventilation, and be aware that carbon monoxide poisoning has killed many campers over the centuries. If you can get a through draft going with two doors open, this is the best way to clear any fumes that might build up inside the tent otherwise.

We hope you found this ultimate guide to the best tent you can stand up in useful, and that it answered all of your questions. Let us know your thoughts by getting in touch.