10 Best Wall Tents [UPDATED] 2024: Definitive Review

Buyers Guide:

How to Buy the Right Wall Tent.

Our TopNotch Buyer’s Guide is designed with a specific goal – to help you find your perfect wall tent.

Whether you’re looking at deluxe wall tents or poly-cotton tents we provide all the information you need to help you make your selection.

If you’re ready to find out more let’s dive straight into our TopNotch Buyer’s Guide.

What Is A Wall Tent?

The clue is in the name – it’s the high-sided vertical walls that give them their signature name.

You might also see them referred to as ‘Outfitter Tents’ or ‘Safari Tents’.

One of the main advantages is that they have high ceilings. This means they offer a lot more headroom across the entire floor.

This is excellent for longer trips, as you’ll feel more comfortable as well as having more space to spread out your gear.

For example:

We like to set up a camp kitchen in a corner.

Here we can prepare food and wash dishes in the warmth. With many other types of tent with more sloping walls, this isn’t possible, as their roofs slope downwards so you’ll be forever banging your head.

Now for some downsides…

It’s not all perfect with wall tents, so, unfortunately, they do have negative points too.

They tend to be quite a lot heavier than some other shapes. This is simply because they use more fabric thanks to their high sides. They’re also often made out of canvas which is naturally a heavier material than synthetics.

They’re also a bit more complicated to put up – you’ll usually find you need at least 3 people to give you the best chance of getting it pitched easily and without too much swearing (!).

We’re not saying it’s not possible with fewer people – it’s just more of a challenge!

Another downside is that the high sides of wall tents are less wind-resistant than many other shapes. If you encounter a strong storm you might feel the walls working harder to protect you.

Their gently sloping roofs can also pick up more snow, so if you’re camping in the winter you’ll need to remember to clear it off so the frame isn’t put under unnecessary pressure. 

Don’t let the downsides put you off though – wall tents are still actually one of our favorite choices for longer trips.

The positives definitely outweigh the negatives.

Features To Look Out For

Now you know a little more about the pros and cons of the wall tent shape, let’s take a look at some of the features to look out for when making your selection.

Here are our top suggestions to get you started…

Ease Of Setup

Some wall tents are definitely easier to put up than others.

You might want to pay attention to:

• The number of poles
• Whether it has a ‘pop up’ design or needs manual pitching
• How many components there are
• Features like groundsheets and rain flies are they integrated or separate?
• Do the instructions look easy to follow?

If you’re an experienced camper you’ll probably have no trouble pitching any tent.

But bear in mind as with anything new, it can take a while to adapt to pitching a new style.

But after a couple of trips, you’ll be a pro in no time.

Sleeping Capacity

As we touched on briefly earlier, the specified sleeping capacity is really subjective.

As a general rule, we note that most manufacturers overstate the number of people a tent can accommodate.

For example, one of those in our review is advertised as sleeping up to 8.

We’d use it for 4 adults maximum.

All the tents we reviewed include a floor plan showing where each person would sleep, and how close to each other they would be.

It’s well worth taking a look at this and comparing it to your ideal camping set up.

In short, take the manufacturers’ sleeping capacity with a pinch of salt.

Top Tips

Always take away 2 and you’ll be comfortable. We always recommend selecting a tent that will fit most of your needs, most of the time.

Weather Resistance

It goes without saying that this is a really important thing to think about.

Depending on when and where you’re camping, your tent might need to protect you from the elements of all four seasons.

Sometimes bug mesh is just as important as waterproofing!

TopNotch Top Tips 

lookout for these:

• Reinforced, high-quality zips
• Double-stitched and taped seams
• Windows with bug mesh and storm flaps
• Durable guy ropes
• Strong tent stakes
• Thick groundsheets
• High-quality poles

Ventilation

Whether you’re camping in summer winter or anywhere in between, ventilation is super important.

Look for plenty of windows, a top vent, and two or more doors.

If you’re camping in winter and planning on using a stove within your tent, it’s extra important to make sure you have a flow of air at all times when the stove is lit.

Otherwise, carbon dioxide can build up to potentially dangerous levels.

Materials

Tents come in a wide range of materials, all with their own pros and cons.

Let’s take a quick look at some of the most popular choices.

Canvas used to be one of the only materials used for tent-making. It’s the only choice for better insulation thanks to the fact that it’s heavier weave is great for capturing heat.

Because it’s a natural fiber, cotton is breathable yet still waterproof. This means you often won’t see an inner fly on canvas tents because the condensation can pass through the fabric.

BUT:

Canvas is heavy and expensive, which is why many manufacturers now use more modern fabrics.

While canvas has definitely fallen out for fashion for the majority shapes – it’s still leading the charge when it comes to our wall tents.

Why is this?

Wall tents are often larger, so they’re not designed for backpacking or lightweight trips.

That means manufacturers are free to use the BEST material rather than the LIGHTEST.

The Camping and Caravanning Club suggest that canvas tents can easily last decades longer than synthetic ones.

That’s seriously impressive.

Polycotton tents are made from a blend of cotton and synthetic polyester. They weigh less than pure canvas tents but are still strong and water repellent.

Polyester tents are increasingly popular thanks to their low weight and will usually be coated with a water-resistant finish.

But wait, let me tell you something…

These are usually proprietary to the manufacturers so you’ll see a lot of different names advertised.

Polyester tents don’t need seasoning – you can use them straight away. They’re also lightweight and durable.

A note on seasoning…

With both canvas and poly-cotton tents – it’s important to realize they can leak when first used.

While this might come as a surprise, it in no way means you’ve bought a defective tent.

It just means you need to season it.

How do I season my tent?

The fabric basically needs to get fully wet – preferably when you’re not inside.

When new, the fabric of poly-cotton and canvas tents has an open weave – which can allow water to drip through into the inside. To solve this problem – set it up in your backyard and wait for it to rain (or give it a very thorough soaking with your hose pipe).

As the fabric gets wet, the tiny fibers that make it up will start to swell.

As they do so, they form a barrier against any more water entering.

For best results…

…you should season or weather your tent 2 or 3 times before the fibers have reached their full capacity.

After this –  it’s good to go!

And as we mentioned already, you can expect a good few decades of use out of it.

These Are The Things To Consider

Before we move on, it’s worth remembering that even the best canvas tents in the world are viewed differently by different campers.

You might dream of an easy setup canvas tent for short trips while your mate is looking for a tough and large wall tent for winter camping.

You can use this handy checklist to keep in mind what’s important for YOU:

• How many people will be using it?
• Will you need a stove jack?
• Do you have a maximum weight in mind for your packed tent?
• How many people will be available to help pitch?
• What weather conditions will you be camping in?
• Do you need room dividers?
• Will you need bug mesh windows and ventilation?
• How much space do you need to store gear?

Once you’ve answered these questions, you should have a really clear idea of exactly what sort of wall tent will suit your needs best.

Combine that information with our TopNotch awards you’re well on your way to finding your Perfect Tent.