{"id":3398,"date":"2017-08-21T16:51:00","date_gmt":"2017-08-21T16:51:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/techeffect.co.uk\/?p=3398"},"modified":"2020-10-01T14:53:48","modified_gmt":"2020-10-01T14:53:48","slug":"best-family-inflatable-tents","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/techeffect.co.uk\/outdoor\/best-family-inflatable-tents\/","title":{"rendered":"Reviews Of The Best Inflatable Tents For Families"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate TechEffect earns from qualifying purchases made via links on our website.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, you’re deciding to spend your vacation in the great outdoors. Oh, and you brought your family? And you’re thinking of buying a tent? Well, aren’t you bold! Stuffing a family first into a car then in a small space like a tent can be very\u2026 volatile. Oh, and don’t get us started on setting the tent up. That’s where the blood really starts boiling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, does it have to be so?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This may have been true some ten years ago when we didn’t have the wonder and joy that are inflatable tents, but, nowadays, the situation is much different. Inflatable tents are a big thing, and they’re as reliable as traditional tents, but much more easily set up. Not only that, but they’re also very roomy, and very comfortable to sleep and live in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So if you’re really determined to take your family camping, and if you’re truly unafraid of your children fighting in the back seat all the time, and your partner screaming at them from the front seat, then let us instruct you on how to choose an inflatable family tent, and make a few suggestions as to which tent to buy by taking a closer look at some of the best inflatable tents on the market today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jump straight to the reviews.<\/a><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Buyer’s Guide To Inflatable Tents<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What do you need to know about an inflatable tent when deciding whether to buy it or not?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, it’s rubber and it’s got air in it, right? Oh, oh! And you use a pump to inflate it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, you\u2019re not wrong\u2026 But that\u2019s not everything you need to know about inflatable tents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That said, inflatable tents are indeed inflated using a pump, and you can also use a regular bicycle pump or an air compressor to do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They differ greatly from traditional tents, but not in shape or use. They differ in their very construction. And, no, they’re not made of rubber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the main differences between the two types of tents is that traditional tents use metal or fibreglass poles. This gives the tent structure, as the poles support the weight of the tent. In fact, the poles serve as a skeleton for the tent. However, the poles make setting up the tent much more complicated, as there are many and they need to be put in specific places. If you and your family aren’t experienced campers, and are trying it out for the first time, you’re definitely going to have a difficult time setting the whole thing up properly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inflatable tents use nothing of the sort. They don’t require any kind of hard support, including poles. The pressure of the air inside the tent is all the tent requires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Such tents do have beams to form the skeleton of the tent, but these are hollow and filled with air. This makes setting up quick, easy and painless. Not only that but taking the thing down is also a breeze. This is the very reason why tents such as these have gained so much popularity in recent years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, what about when the wind starts blowing? Won’t it flip the tent and blow it away? Well, does a bouncy castle get blown away when there’s wind? No.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inflatable tents may be lighter than most conventional tents, but they’re not that light. In fact, you can be quite sure that the tent will be more than able to handle a gust of wind. That said, the tent will need tethering. You’ll probably have to anchor it down, as you would anchor regular, traditional tents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, what about reliability? Are even the best inflatable tents as reliable as standard tents? Yes, yes they are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inflatable tents aren’t balloons that can be popped with a toothpick. The materials used in creating inflatable tents are of the highest quality, thick, flexible and strong. They’re able to withstand physical assault as well as most of what the elements can throw at them. They’re not in the slightest bit easy to puncture. Having said that though, we humbly suggest you don’t drive your knife into the ground in the tent in the style of frontier trappers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not only are the top inflatable tents hard to puncture, but you’ll usually receive a repair kit with your product, so you can patch up the tent if you do need to. Some models use replaceable air beams, so you can be sure the tent can be easily and quickly fixed at all times. Oh, and if you want to know just how durable these tents are, then you should know that Vango, the pioneer of inflatable tents and one of the most respected manufacturers of inflatable tents sent one of their products to the edge of space, then dropped it. The tent was unharmed for the whole trip up and down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lastly, what about the size?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This seems pretty straight forward – if the manufacturer says the tent is for six people, then it’s for six people. However, that’s not entirely so.  The actual rule is the number of persons minus two. Remember, you’re not only carrying yourselves to the tent; you’re also carrying other things, equipment for hiking, maybe, food and clothes. For this reason, you need to reserve some of the room or you won’t be able to stuff yourself and your things in the tent. So, if you see a 6-person tent, you can be sure that you can put four fully equipped people in it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best Family Inflatable Tent Reviews<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let\u2019s get on with the reviews themselves. Here are four of the best family inflatable tents on the market that we’ve selected for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vango Unisex Odyssey Air Inflatable Tunnel Tent<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Naturally, we’re starting off our list with a Vango tent. We already mentioned in the guide above that Vango was one of the first manufacturers to start producing inflatable tents. And this appears to have been a wise business decision, as inflatable tents caught on very quickly and became a hit for all the reasons we explained above. Their Odyssey Air 600 is one of the best inflatable family tents you can find due to its durability, spaciousness, weight and price.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Starting with the construction, the tent is made of Portex 70 Denier polyester. This is a very tough material, very solid and hard to rip or puncture. Not only that, but the material is also fire-retardant, so you don’t have to worry when you’re cooking or smoking inside. Still, may we suggest that you keep the camp fire outside of the tent? The material is also waterproof, so you don’t have to worry about rain interrupting your family’s sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The same material is also used for the tent’s AirBeams. We mentioned these earlier; they’re the invention of the designers and engineers at Vango. These beams serve the same purpose as the poles, except they’re inflated. However, because they’re inflated, they’re much more flexible and make setting up very easy. This entire 6-person tent can be pitched in only 8 minutes. These AirBeams can also be easily replaced too if they’re punctured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Odyssey 600 also features one of the best tension band systems, the Vango TBS II tension band system, giving the tent extra stability and resilience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The tent has two entrances, one in the front and one in the side, so you and your family can move easily in and out, without having to jump over each other. The front door is covered by a very breathable but very tightly woven mesh that stops all curious critters in their tracks. The side door features a simple canopy that can be pulled over the entrance and, basically, becomes another wall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ah, yes, that’s right! The tent is actually made to look like a miniature home. It features a living area and a bedroom. Both the bedroom and the living area have an integral groundsheet. The bedroom is described as being blackout, but that’s not entirely true. Instead, it’s very, very dark. Like we said, this is a tent intended to hold 6 people, but, in reality, it’s better suited to only four people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As far as the price goes, this tent’s price is average, costing just over \u00a3400 pounds. The tent is very well made, and we haven’t really found any defects or problems, except with the groundsheet in the living area. The sheet is only attached along the bedroom wall, while the other three sides sit atop the groundsheet from the walls. This is not usually a problem, but, if there is massive water build-up, it may just seep through. Not only that but if you happen to pitch on an anthill, you’re going to have some uninvited guests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pros<\/h4>\n\n\n\n