**If you are in a hurry I recommend the Core 12-Person Lighted Instant Cabin Tents as the best instant tent for its combination of large size and two-minute setup. **
Spending half your camping day messing with color coded poles can ruin the buzz of any outdoor trip.
The instant tents on this list are designed for a quick and easy setup taking you less than a couple of minutes to get your shelter in place.
The only problem is most of the quick setup tents take generally the same amount of time getting up so finding the one that is right for you can feel overwhelming.
Keep reading to learn what makes an instant tent worth your investment and how you can find one that’s durable as well as quick to setup.
What Makes the Best Instant Tent
All quick set up tents won’t take more than a couple of minutes till you’re able to put your gear inside and set up your bed for the night.
What makes the best instant tent is being durable enough to last for years and offering special qualities that not every tent has.
Here are the key considerations to keep in mind as you look through the list.
Know What Size You Need
You can find quick set up tents of pretty much any size so how big you go depends on who’s coming camping with you.
Keep in mind that all tents overestimate how many people can actually fit inside.
If you go by what the number on the box says, you’ll be crammed into a single tent shoulder to shoulder and there won’t be any room for your supplies.
If the description on the tent says 10-person, you could fit 4-5 people pretty comfortably with all your gear inside.
Make Sure It’s Meant For Your Weather
Some of the instant tents on this list don’t even come with a rainfly. That means you’ll be exposed to any kind of bad weather and rain will go right through the mesh windows.
There are partial rainflys and full rainflys that will protect your tent in different ways. If you live in the northwest then you’ll appreciate the full rainfly coverage.
People in Arizona shouldn’t be nearly as concerned and can go with a partial rainfly.
Keep an eye on ventilation too. Full coverage rainflys are great and all but if they don’t let any breeze go through the tent it can get stuffy.
How Easy Is It to Setup?
Instant tents are all about setup and keeping the focus on having a good time instead of fumbling with poles for half a day.
Quick setup tents will have locking mechanisms on the poles that click into place once you start raising them. Essentially, the poles at the higher points of the tent will end up going inside the poles at the bottom of the tent when you’re packing up.
The locking mechanism helps the smaller pole stay up higher and makes it easier for you to get a fully formed tent in seconds.
The size of the tent will always affect how long it takes to setup an instant tent so the smaller tent you have the easier it will be to setup.
1. Core 12 Person Lighted Instant Cabin Tents
There are a lot of good tents on this list that could have easily been in the top spot but when your instant tent has a built-in LED light system, it kind of takes the cake.
The Lighted Instant Cabin Tent comes from the Core brand which is a smaller, privately-owned company and they’ve been making high-quality camping gear for years.
You’ll spend about a minute putting this instant tent up if you have a friend with you, otherwise, it might take you two or three minutes because of the size.
It comes with a bunch of awesome features too like a full length double door, oversized vents, room dividers, and a partial rainfly.
The Core Lighted Instant Tent can be put up in 60 seconds, has built-in lighting, and offers most of the features the other tents do. It’s easily the best instant tent available.
2. KAZOO Family Instant Camping Tent
The KAZOO can be setup by one person in 30 seconds or less and it fits a couple of people comfortably with supplies.
It’s got a full-coverage rainfly too so you don’t have to worry about water leaking in when bad weather shows up.
It’s got a couple of huge D-shaped doors so getting in and out won’t ever be a problem and they’re both fully mesh.
If you get a couple of tent poles then you’ll be able to take the fabric from the tent fly door and extend it to make a small porch for yourself.
The KAZOO is a great outdoor instant tent for smaller groups that will hold up in bad weather and it sets up easily.
3. Core Two Room 12 Person Instant Cabin Tent
The size of this Core 12-person Instant Tent is enormous and if you’re setting this up with a friend then it will only take you a minute.
If it’s just you then plan on a couple of minutes because you’ll be walking around it several times lifting up the tent poles.
It has a large D-shaped door on one side and a huge full length double door on the other side.
There’s a room divider if you have some friends with you and want more privacy and there are tons of window space.
The Core 12-Person Instant tent is a real solid quick tent for larger groups or families who appreciate the extra space.
4. Coleman Cabin Tent with Instant Setup
The Coleman 10-Person Cabin Tent only takes about a minute to set up and that’s if you’re doing it alone.
The 10-person tent size is really the ideal size because it feels like a master bedroom if there’s a couple of people or you could fit an entire family comfortably.
What’s cool about this particular fast setup tent is it uses darkroom technology to block out about 90% o the sunlight so if you like to sleep in then it’s a must-have.
5. Ozark Trail 11 Person 3 Room Instant Cabin Tent
Although the Ozark Trail Instant Tent might take you slight longer to put up, about 2-4 minutes, than other tents on this list, it has something no other tent does.
A separate area built-in to the backside of the tent that houses a bed and acts as its own room with a divider.
This creates even more space in the main area so you could fit a few different groups all in the same tent.
It’s also got an awning on the rainfly so you can create a nice outside area without getting poured on.
6. CORE 6 Person Instant Cabin Tent
You won’t have any trouble setting this tent up by yourself and it should only take a minute or so once you get used to it.
The Core Instant Cabin Tent is pretty straightforward and features a full length D-shaped door for easy in and out access.
What makes it stand out is the humongous wall organizer where you can store your keys, wallet, phone, and other small personal items.
7. Timber Ridge 6 Person Camping Instant Tent
The Timber Ridge Camping Tent gets the job done and takes only a minute or two to get setup.
It’s got a pretty decent partial rainfly that even has a slight awning to give you just a little coverage over the huge O-shaped door.
You don’t see it very often but the bathtub-style floor has a small tarp runner so you can have a place to take off your shoes before going inside.
8. MOON LENCE4-5 Person Instant Pop Up Tent
MOON LENCE has created a tent that essentially looks like a little spaceship you’ll use to discover the outdoors with.
The automatic tent sets up in under a minute when you get used to it but there’s actually no rainfly so you don’t want to use this in anything but sunny weather.
The ventilation is built into the tent as there’s a small one-inch opening between the top fabric and the main base fabric.
9. Hewolf Camping Tent Instant Setup
You’ll be able to get the Hewolf Instant Setup Tent standing in under a minute with the automatic locking mechanism.
It’s got a great-looking rainfly that covers the tent but the main issue is you can’t take it off.
That means you have to rely on the two D-shaped doors to be your only source of light and view.
Otherwise, it’s a great tent and should hold up over time in most types of weather.
10. EVER ADVANCED Darkroom 6 Person Instant Cabin Tent
EVER ADVANCED is competing with Coleman a bit here by adding dark room tent to the interior fabric.
Hardly any sun will penetrate the inside so it’s great for late sleepers or if you want more privacy.
The tent isn’t too big so you shouldn’t have a problem opening it in under a minute once you’ve tried a couple of times.
11. Abco Tech Store Automatic Instant Camping Tent
There’s a time and place for the Abco so although it may not be for everyone, it definitely has a place in some people’s hearts.
When you want a tent that is fun, extremely easy to set up, and will keep the focus on the good times, the Abco Tech Instant Tent is the winner.
All you have to do is literally throw this tent in the air and watch as it pops itself into perfect form.
It’s the same concept as those window shades that fold up into a small circle but getting them to fold back up can be a pain.
This tent won’t last forever but the memories you have with it just might.
The Best Instant Tent for Campers
You have to go with the Core 12 Person Lighted Instant Cabin Tent for the best instant outdoor option. For being massive in size it only takes a couple of minutes if you’re by yourself and it has a built-in LED light system. I mean, c’mon. Besides that, Core is a phenomenal brand you can trust so it’s worth your investment.
