Coleman Sundome Outdoor Tent, Easy Setup, 6 Person

This review was updated in 2023 after buying the tent in 2013 and using it periodically for almost ten years. I was somewhat wary of buying a budget tent, but it turns out that this 6 person tent is very functional and a good value. The quality definitely beats the cheap tents from a big box store, but it doesn’t quite rise to the level of the mid range brands you’ll find at REI. Bright spots include a floor that’s made of robust polyethylene. I always use a tarp under my tent to minimize floor damage, and after ten years the floor of this tent is still basically good as new. The fiberglass poles are substantial, and I’ve noticed that they’re more sturdy than the poles included in the big box store versions of this tent. I haven’t had any trouble with pole breakage, though I did have to replace the shock cord in one pole after 9 years of use. That repair was easy to do and inexpensive and the poles worked fine after. The rain fly is made of surprisingly high quality material, and I’m happy to report that I’ve never had any issues with water intrusion. That’s a huge positive point for this tent. I’ve never had to apply additional sealants to the rain fly, but I do take care to keep it in good condition.

One place where quality does not particularly shine is the mesh walls, which use a fairly cheap netting, not the fine “no see um” mesh you’ll find on more expensive tents. Nevertheless, the netting has worked fine and I’ve never had a problem with insects. The small, somewhat cheap-feeling zippers also leave something to be desired, though they have also worked fine. The basic design of this tent is solid. There are continuous pole sleeves, which makes for easy threading of the poles. Setup is easy to do with two people, and possible with one person, though I don’t recommend it. Inside you’ll find smart features like fabric pockets for storage, a loop on the ceiling for hanging lights, and a small pass thru for bringing an extension cord inside. The 6 person model is nicely sized for 2 adults with gear. I use a tall, queen sized air mattress in mine and have plenty of room. You could cram in perhaps 3-4 adults without gear. I wouldn’t attempt six adults, though six small kids might be doable. The interior rises to 6 feet tall, allowing most people to stand up inside, a real luxury when camping. For car camping where weight is not a concern, it’s difficult to go wrong with a tent this size.

The Sundome is a well ventilated tent. Two of the 4 walls are made from mostly mesh, not fabric. Because of all that mesh, this tent will not seal up tight. It excels in warm and hot weather, and you won’t have problems with condensation inside, which is a predictable problem with tents that don’t breathe well. However, this tent would be a poor choice for very windy or dusty conditions.

Overall, this is a well made tent that’s aimed squarely at 3 season family campers. For that purpose, it works very well. I’m surprised to still be using it after ten years, but it has stood the test of time and I see no need to replace it. 4.5 stars.

Like the tent. Had a 3 person one for myself in the past. Was perfect for me. Easy to setup. This 6 person one would be more roomy and comfortable.

Bought this from the United States to here in the UK tuck just over a week to get here excellent service. *****

We’ve owned the sundown 6 for 2 years and in that time, we have camped for over 70 nights in a variety of conditions. Over one summer alone, we travelled for 6 weeks across 27 states and 2 provinces, camping the entire way.

Here are the pros and cons we discovered along the way.

1. It held up through some massive rain storms. For the record, we always spray our tents, and especially the seams, with silicone at the start of a camping season. Additionally, we managed to squeeze 2 queen sized air mattresses into the tent, and then shared that space between 5 people. We just fit in width, but it was naturally difficult to keep all blankets, pillows and even the corner of the mattress out of contact with the side wall. Experienced campers know that contact=leaks in a rain. Despite these constraints, the tent kept us dry throughout some intense and long rains, with no more than 1/4 cup worth of water pooling in a corner where we have contact issues. In fact, our sundown 4 kept my husband and son dry on a group trip where many others had to bail because their expensive tents were leaking extensively.

2. It sets up and take down fairly easily. If at least two corners of the tent are staked before lifting the poles, a single person can set it up. On our road trip we were constantly setting up and taking down our tent, and it didn’t become cumbersome at all.

3. In hot climates the tent is very airy, however the mesh roof makes for cold nights when sleeping in cold environments (aka Yellowstone in July).

4 I do not like how low the mesh roof comes down on two sides of the tent. If the rain fly is staked our tightly, then neighbors from the side can see in (a little bit) through the mesh. Think of the small gap between rainfly and mesh as similar to an awkwardly placed gap in a public bathroom stall door. One can’t see much—but it’s enough to make a person standing or sitting to get changed a little uncomfortable. That means that I had to lay down to get changed. It was also enough for my pesky son to threaten his sister that he might peek in…siblings.

5. The tent has held up in some fairly windy weather. However, all guys lines do attach to the rain fly, so it can make stargazing in windy weather difficult. We opted to sleep sans rain fly in Badlands National Park. The wind battered the sides of the tent, which simultaneously battered me! If you like to sleep under the stars, be prepared to make your own guy lines.

6. It actually folds into the bag…a couple half folds and a triple fold before rolling (fold it right and there is even a little room to spare).

7. It has held up under a lot of activity without replacing any parts. However, year 3 ( which might be equivalent to year 10 for once-a-year campers) and the zipper is starting to split at the top. Not bad for the price of the tent.

We plan to camp around the NW this summer for another 6 weeks and have decided to go with a larger 10×14 tent to actually fit those 2 queen mattresses. But we have stashed this tent under the floor in our van just in case. Many National Park sites can’t guarantee more than a 12×12 pad, and this tent folds up small enough to be a back-up. With a 10×10 footprint, it can go anywhere.