Imagine driving up to your campsite, getting out of your vehicle, and setting up your tent in less than a 1-minute. You are now free to go about your day and enjoy your campsite and its surroundings. Sounds too good to be true, right? Well, actually, it’s totally possible with the Coleman 4-Person Pop-up Tent! It’s so easy you can have your kids set it up and still be done in a minute! Plus, it’s entertaining when you camp with a group and your tent is up in less than a minute, and you get to sit there watching them spend 10 minutes setting theirs up. That’s worth the purchase of the tent all on its own!
Okay, jokes aside, as with every purchase, there are pros and cons. I’ll discuss what led me to purchase this tent and what I like and don’t like about it. If you’re in the market for a new tent, then continue reading to decide if the Coleman 4-Person Pop-up Tent is right for you.
My History of Tent Purchases
Over the years, I’ve gone through a few tents. I started with a cheap dome tent that was probably rated for 4 people but really fit two comfortably. Then I upgraded to a Wenger 4-person tent with shoe ports, little corner pockets, and a place to hang a lantern in the center. It also had better airflow than my cheaper dome tent.
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- Our REI Passage 2 backpacking tent.
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- The Wenger 4-Person Dome Tent.
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- The “big” tent.
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- The cheap dome tent with a beautiful lake view.
Bigger Must Be Better
One day I decided it might be nice to have a tent you could stand up in, perhaps even use cots in and sleep more than two people. So I purchased a large 6-person tent, and we began using it for our annual camping trips with the nieces and nephews. My hubby and I tried the tent for when it was just us, and although it is nice to be able to stand up in the tent and sleep on cots, the time it took to set it up coupled with the amount of time we actually spent inside the tent didn’t make it worth it for us. For a large tent, it’s easy enough to set up, and it works great when we have a large group. However, for the two of us, it just wasn’t the right fit.
Bitten by the Backpacking Bug
Soon though, I got the backpacking bug, and my hubby and I purchased an REI Passage 2 tent. After backpacking the Northern Loop at Mount Rainier, we never did any serious backpacking after that; although there are still plans to do a portion of the PCT, they have yet to materialize. Even so, we found that we loved our new REI Passage 2 tent. It is easy to set up with only two poles. It takes about 5 minutes to have it up and ready to go. Because of this, we continued to use our backpacking tent for our regular camping needs for almost a decade. It also works great when we’re off-roading on our motorcycles.
Because we often camp with groups, it also allowed us to fit our tent and the larger group tents into one campsite as ours had such a small footprint. Then this year, I decided it would be nice to have a little more space. Space to keep our bags with us in the tent and a larger area for sleeping. However, I still wanted something quick and easy to set up. So as I began my research, I came across the Coleman 4-Person Pop-up Tent.
The Coleman 4-Person Pop-up Tent
I started reading about the Coleman 4-Person Pop-up Tent, and to be honest pop-up tents make me think of something you bring to the beach. It sounded a little too good to be true that I’d actually camp in one.
However, the promise of an instantaneous setup lured me in. Plus, at less than $80, it seemed like a risk I was willing to make. So I went ahead and ordered it for an upcoming camping trip with friends. When it arrived, I was anxious to see it in action, so I opened it inside the house. Sure enough, within about 10 seconds, the tent was up and ready to crawl into!
It was a lot of fun when we went camping with our friends because not only were we set up in under a minute, but when it came time to take down the tent, it only took about 2-minutes, thus leaving us with plenty of time to give our good-natured friends some fun (albeit childish) “haha, look who’s done with their tent first” comments. It’s the little pleasures in life.
Coleman 4-Person Pop-up Tent Dimensions
According to Coleman, the tent dimensions are as follows:
- 9 ft. 2 in. x 6 ft. 6 in.
- 3 ft. 4 in. center height
You can fit a queen size air mattress inside the tent. They show four people sleeping in it width-wise. I am a little under 5’9, and I can sleep width-wise. However, if you’re 6′ and above, your head and feet would be hitting the tent. That is unless you’re able to lie completely still while sleeping. I don’t know anyone like that, though, so I recommend lying lengthwise. That is how my hubby and I used it, and that gives you plenty of space plus lots of room for your gear with only two people.
You could also sleep to “average-sized” adults and two kids comfortably. I think four adults under 6 ft could, of course, make it work, but it’ll be cozy! Watch my YouTube video for more information on the size and shape.
Pros and Cons of the Coleman 4-Person Pop-Up Tent
After camping in the Coleman 4-Person Pop-up Tent, these are some of the pros and cons I’ve discovered.
Easy Set-up
This is by far the biggest “pro” for purchasing a pop-up tent. It takes less than 30-seconds to unzip the tent case, remove the straps, and voila! The tent is ready to go!
Fast Storage
Initially, putting away a pop-up tent can be challenging for most people. I know it was for me. You feel like you’re wrestling some unwieldy creature that keeps trying to get away from you. However, with practice putting your pop-up tent away should only take 1-2 minutes to do.
The Downside
Well, putting it away, as I just mentioned, can be a challenge. However, probably the main downside for some would be the shape of the pop-up tent. Most tents come in a long round shape that makes them good for backpacking or shoving into tight spaces in the back of the car. The Coleman 4-Person Pop-up Tent packs into a large disc shape. This makes them pretty much a no-go for backpacking. There is a smaller Coleman 2-Person Pop-up Tent option that might work for this or cycling, but again, I think it would be hard to pack due to the disc shape.
Packing the Car
It also means you need to rethink how you pack your car. Normally I might put the tent in first with some of my longer items like camping chairs. However, due to its disc shape, I ended up putting it in last and laying it on top of my other camping gear. Also, if you have a small trunk space, you might have to carry it behind your front seats as it’s possible the disk might not fit in your trunk. You’ll want to measure this ahead of time to make sure.
Summer to Early Fall: Seasonal Use
This is not a 4-season tent, probably not even a 3-season tent, and although I have yet to try it in the rain, I doubt it would do well in heavy rain. However, for a summer camping experience, it works great.
We first camped in our Coleman 4-Person Pop-up Tent in late May on the Olympic Coast. We were sleeping on a thin backpacking-style air mattress and a blanket underneath for a layer between us and the cold ground. It was cold and damp in the morning and evenings, and the sides of the tent felt a little wet from dew. We, however, stayed dry and warm in our sleeping bags.
Tent Footprint
The Coleman 4-Person Pop-up Tent does not come with its own footprint. They also don’t appear to sell one specifically made for it. I purchased a cheap tarp that was roughly the same dimensions as the tent floor. Make sure you don’t purchase one that is too big. Otherwise, it will collect water. I learned that lesson early on as a kid.
Review Summary for the Coleman 4-Person Pop-Up Tent
So, to summarize this review. I really enjoy the simplicity of the Coleman 4-Person Pop-up Tent. It makes car camping so easy! If you’re looking for a tent for summer camping and maybe late spring and early fall, then the Coleman 4-Person Pop-Up Tent is worth considering.
You can purchase the tent by click on this link or the photo below.
We will continue to use ours for weekend car camping trips when we want a little more space than our tiny backpacking tent. I think we’ll also bring it for road trips when we’re only camping for a night or two. It will make set-up and takedown much quicker when we need to get back on the road.
I recommend spraying the tent down with Scotch Guard or some other type of waterproofing spray. I always do this with outdoor gear and wouldn’t even consider camping in the rain in this tent without it.
All in all, I am happy with my purchase. If you have any questions regarding this tent or the camping gear I use, please let me know. Also, if you’ve used this tent or the 2-person version, I’d love to hear what you think about it.
Happy Camping!
Note: This post contains affiliate links. When you make a purchase using one of these affiliate links, we get paid a small commission at no extra cost to you.
5 Comments
I didn’t find the link for the tent.
I’m sorry, I put an embedded link in the first paragraph of the article, but I should have created a more prominent link for anyone interested in purchasing it. Here is the link: https://amzn.to/3fQVcKW I will also add another link in the above article. Thank you for your feedback!
Thanks so much!
Just got this 2 weeks ago, and set it up in the yard to get used to it/treat it as I also do waterproofing on all my gear(am older an experienced camper)
using Silicone waterguard from wallyworld(soak it liberally,leave it up for 2 days to get rid of smell..but it Works Very Well!) and Thank you for your review which I did see before I bought it. Do watch videos on how to setup/pack it up, as you learn if you don’t stake it our right the zippers won’t work.
Hi Jay, I’m glad you like the tent. Thanks for the tip about the silicone waterguard. I usually use Scotchguard on my tents, but I’ll have to look into the silicone stuff next time I need some. Happy camping!