Camp in comfort: The best three-person tents of 2024

Coleman Tent Coastline 3 Plustent takes the top spot on our list, and it's all thanks to its excellent balance between value and quality. A spacious three-person tunnel tent that comfortably accommodates campers with plenty of ventilation, we think the Coastline 3 is ideal for those looking for a sturdy lightweight tent that'll endure the unpredictable UK weather.

With a large open vestibule, you get extra living room with plenty of light and extra storage space. We particularly like the raised groundsheet that will keep out minor floods and the overall waterproofing to 3000mm HH. All that said, at 7.2kg it's slightly heavy weight and its large packed size does rule out suitability for backpackers. However, we think it's perfect for those bound for a free and easy time at campsites without worrying about ventilation or leaks. All in all, we think the Coleman Tent Coastline 3 Plus is an excellent choice for trips with family and friends.

We think this is the ultimate budget three-person tent. It's convenient for day trips or campsites – and it's even a low-hassle pop-up model. The Amflip camping tent is tough, looks fantastic, and is less than £100. Made to endure tough weather, the pop-up camping design isn't your typical camping tent: We particularly like the tough fibreglass poles and rigid structure, providing lots of strength gains against harsh gales and more. But, of course, for the money it's the amazing pop-up action that makes it a winner for us.

As convenient as it is, however, we do find the large packed size and weight to be a little more cumbersome for camping than some. And that's down to its pop-up design with no option to disassemble into separate loads. So, one camper is likely to be saddled with the whole thing. The Amflip has no porch space, so you'll be sleeping next to your belongings on your adventure. However, for its price, the Amflip camping tent is an incredibly sturdy pop-up tent that's well-designed and perfect for beginners on a budget looking to take the hassle out of camping.

If you're heading to a festival, like the muddy fields of Glastonbury, you'll need a tent that's easy to set up, pack away and lug around. It'll also need to be spacious enough for comfort. We think that the Cflity camping tent might be the perfect tent for your next festival outing.

This three-person version can be set up instantaneously, without the hassles of threading tent poles and wrestling with flysheets. It uses a pop-up mechanism that's fast and easy. Highly waterproof and perfectly affordable, it's incredibly light for its design at only 2.5kg. Although the larger pack size might be a little more unwieldy than others, for us the Cflity camping tent is probably one of the best festival tents available this year. Well-designed with its dome shape and highly waterproof, you'll be festival-going in style with this practical tent.

For us, the Eurohike Cairns 3 DLX Nightfall Tent is a wise choice for budget buyers searching for comfort at a great price. Well-made with a solid design, it'll withstand stiff wind and rough UK weather with ease. Best of all, we love the space on offer here. It's not the roomiest in its class, but the Cairns 3 DLX's porch space and sizeable bedroom are perfect for a night's sleep with ample leg room. Plus, the Cairns 3 DLX is made with great blackout potential, so you're not likely to be disturbed by morning light or nearby sources throughout the night.

If we were to nitpick, we'd like the packed size to be smaller and lighter, which would make it more viable for wild camping. That said, it's certainly not the heaviest. Perhaps closer to one of the best four man tents in size, we think the Cairns 3 DLX is perfect for a comfortable venture into the wilderness without a worry in the world.

We love this Darwin 3 Plus from Coleman for its perfect blend of features, quality, and size. But, the reason we picked this as the best dome tent is that not many look as great as this one. This tent isn't just very well constructed, it looks smart too with its duotone grey outer and green highlights. At 4.9 kg, it’s not the lightest, but it's manageable for most campers. We also appreciate its compact pack-down size. Space-wise, although it can sleep three, it's perfect for two people who prefer extra space at events or on holiday.

Featuring a waterproof rating of 3,000mm, you'll get solid mid-range protection against rain – perfect for tackling the unpredictable British weather. But it also has great ventilation. Its sturdy frame provides excellent stability and simplifies the setup. The tent also includes a porch, offering additional space for supplies, making it suitable for short festivals and long weekends away. But what's the advantage of a dome tent? Well, a dome shape contributes to stability and is generally easier to put up. Overall, the Coleman Darwin 3 Plus is a striking and practical dome tent option.

If you're less concerned about journeying into the wilderness and more inclined to get a good night's sleep near a well-established campsite, the Coleman Tent Coastline 3 Plus is the perfect tent for you. If you're armed with barbecues, food coolers and ice boxes, you're going to want some porch space for storage, and the Coleman Tent Coastline 3 is perfect for that. Its tunnel design with large windows offers ample living space with great ventilation, and its fine mosquito nets ensure that your slumber won't be disturbed by any pesky insect intruders throughout the night.

Beautifully designed to withstand three seasons, you'll have no problem getting a cosy night's sleep, even in drizzly weather. Bright, airy, and with two rooms, we think that this is perfect for an enjoyable weekend in the sunshine. However, the Coleman Coastline 3 Plus is much larger than a typical three-man tent, and it has the additional weight to prove it. At 7.2 kg, you're not going to want this for a backpacking adventure. But, for us, this is a strong choice for a very comfortable campsite stay.

We love a tent that likes to travel light, and the OEX Jackal III tent is perfect for a backpacking adventure. This highly compact tent sits well in most camping backpacks, and its load can be split into separate sections for easy transportation too. It is, however, a little more tricky to set up than some others, taking over 10 minutes – although colour-coded poles do make this somewhat easier.

Once set up, the design of the OEX Jackal III is spacious with a large porch space, and an even larger bedroom for a comfortable night's sleep. It's also one of the most waterproof tents we've ever come across, with an extremely high 5,000 mm HH flysheet that'll keep you and your belongings perfectly dry. Combined with the rigidity of the OEX Jackal III's aluminium poles, we think the OEX Jackal III is one of the ultimate tents for outdoor exploration.

If you're less concerned about additional spaciousness and ultra-high waterproofing from the toughest weather, then the NEMO-Dagger OSMO is a fantastic choice for you. We think this is an excellent tent for summer trips with a backpack. Ultra-lightweight, it's an easy-to-pitch three-man tent that doesn't sacrifice rigidity for compactness.

We also love the attractive design. The NEMO Dagger OSMO is a favourite among those looking to explore hotter climates thanks to its lower insulation, too. Although, without porch space or additional rooms, it might be slightly snug. That said, the sheer convenience of its weight makes it the ultimate choice for brave wanderers looking to fill their summer with memories; making it a perfect tent for wild camping.

The perfect tent for making camp on a warm day, the Portal three-person tent is ideal for comfortable camping in the sunshine, all without boiling in the heat. We're impressed with its open design that aids ventilation. It's also easy to assemble, making the Portal camping tent perfect for beginners in need of a cheap, simple tent for a relaxed day out.

With a Hydrostatic Head rating of 4,000 mm (flysheet and groundsheet), you won't be caught off-guard by stormy British weather. This tent will keep you and your belongings safe and dry, even in tough conditions. But, for those looking to take off into the wilderness, be aware that the Portal tent is over 5kg, which is a considerable load to take along with a backpack. That being said, there are far heavier options to choose from. All in all, we find this to be a simple-to-set-up camping tent with plenty of ventilation.

We do like a four-season tent for those times when you want to head off the beaten track. The Exped Venus II Extreme is the perfect tent for the intrepid adventurer and the grizzled survivalist as well as anyone looking for all-year reliability. We think this could be the ultimate three-person tent, as it's woven for incredible water resistance and supported by some of the strongest yet lightweight tent poles on the market: DAC Featherlite.

At 3.6 kg, this lightweight tent with a small packed size is ideal for backpacking, too, making it an incredibly portable, tough shelter. Once inside, you'll find plenty of space in the Venus III Extreme, so three occupants aren't too snug while sleeping. However, we do think that its mighty insulation and lower ventilation might prove challenging in the height of summer; Unsurprising, since it's designed for all-year use, including harsh winter conditions. All in all, as one of the best tents for wild camping, the Exped Venus III Extreme is the tent to beat for proper outdoor survival.