It won’t come as a surprise to those who go camping regularly that the capacity of a tent is based on the maximum number of people you could squeeze in, rather than a size that prioritizes comfort. Since then, have used it in various weather conditions ranging from hot humid temperatures to heavy rain storms. I can now recommend this tent as a good choice for summer. However, I didn’t quite like that the rainfly pole over the front of the Skydome Tent doesn’t extend outward enough, and that I needed to add seam sealant on my own. As for the Skydome Tent, even though 3 sides of the tent have a decently long rainfly length, the front of the tent has a much shorter rainfly length. The 59-inch peak height in the 4-Person Skydome is about the same as a regular Sundome, but surprisingly you get 1 foot less in length.
This did not raise any alarms since these sections of the tent shouldn’t be taking much abuse. What did give us cause for concern was the fiberglass tent poles. Although we cannot cite any breakages with these poles, we are always hesitant when they are utilized since fiberglass is much less forgiving than aluminum.
A ground vent and two windows increase air circulation to help you stay cool and comfortable. Setup is simple with snag-free, continuous pole sleeves; the patented pin-and-ring system; and snag-free Insta-Clip™ suspension. Inside, there’s enough room to stretch out on a queen-sized airbed, and storage pockets help to keep small items organized. When it’s time to head home, the tent easily packs up into an expandable carry bag with a rip strip, until you’re off on your next adventure.
For $69 this is an affordable entry level tent for a someone new to camping in mild conditions (more on that in a sec). The power port is pretty convenient and the vent window located near the ground allows for air circulation. Sundome 2 has a good sized carry bag and it holds the tent with room to spare. In the bag, you’ll find the tent body, two long poles for the tent body, one short pole for the rain fly, a small “welcome mat” and (9) stakes.
Although the seams may lack sealing of any kind, the stitching itself is free of defects and looks neat in general. First, the zippers used on both the door and back vent feel especially cheap, often snagging while in use. Second, we’re not a fan of fiberglass tent poles—we find aluminum to be sturdier and less prone to splintering.
Keep in mind that as you size down in capacity, you do lose a significant amount of headroom. The Sundome 2, for example, has a maximum peak height of just 4 feet compared to 6 on the Sundome 6, and that’s a very significant difference. The Coleman® 6-Person Sundome® Dark Room™ Dome Camping Tent blocks 90% of sunlight so you can put coleman instant tent the kids to bed early or sleep in past sunrise. It also reduces heat inside the tent (vs. a comparable Coleman tent) for more comfortable rest at any time. The Coleman® 4-Person Sundome® Dark Room™ Dome Camping Tent blocks 90% of sunlight (vs. a comparable Coleman tent) so you can put the kids to bed early or sleep in past sunrise.
While we love the idea of setting up a tent super fast, we’re not convinced the Instant Cabin is worth the extra cost and questionable rain protection. Having tested a number of six-person tents of late, we’re happy to report that the 6 was among the easiest to set up and take down. The two simple and identical poles were quick and painless to put together, and the lack of color coding between them and the tent body minimized any type of confusion or missteps along the way. Further aiding to the straightforward set up was the relatively small rainfly, which was easy to toss over the tent.
This tent is also better suited to backpacking than the Sundome. The E-port makes it easy to bring your electronics with you by allowing space for an extension cord to enter the tent. But most users who had used one found that fitting anyone else in the tent – even without an air mattress of their own – was very tight. You can also improve the durability of your tent floor by laying a tarp or a tent footprint before pitching to offer added protection. Some users also found issues with the protective polyethylene (PE) flooring being damaged within a few uses.