Choosing the Best Instant Screen House

Here’s our list of the best instant screen houses. All these items are easy to use, functional, reliable, affordable, and all from the best outdoor brands.

So what is an instant screen house?

An instant screen house is an outdoor shelter with the frame pre-attached to the fabric so that its setup time is incredibly short, you can have these structures up and ready in a minute or two. In this sense, instant screen houses are completely similar to instant camping tents.

The frame design is also the same as in an instant tent, so it can be with telescopic poles, folding poles, or this can be a specific spring-type pop-up design.

Most instant screen houses are freestanding. This means that the structure is fully self-supportive and you can rotate it and move short distances after you raise it from the ground.

But this does not imply that they are completely wind-resistant and stable. So never avoid staking your screen house to the ground and securing it against sudden winds.

Why would you need an instant screen house?

Screen houses in general are functional and versatile. You can use these shelters as annexes to camping tents, and inside you will have a place for sitting in the shade while being protected from flying insects. In such a space you can also cook and keep your stuff that will be partly protected from the rain.

Now, with an instant setup, everything is easier of course, so you can have extra shelter ready in no time next to your tent, and usually, one person can do the job with ease.

Bear in mind that screen houses are not necessarily shelters from the rain, but most of them have waterproof roofs for a bit of protection. For some of them, it is also possible to find removable walls that add to protection and privacy, but such items are a bit rare.

Our list of best instant screen houses

The screen houses in the list below are ordered from smaller to larger:

1. Coleman Screened Canopy Tent with Instant Setup

Note that this screen house is also known under the name Coleman 12 x 10 Back Home Instant Setup Canopy Sun Shelter. It is quite roomy because of its completely vertical walls. The base is a hexagon, so the structure is supported by 6 legs that are connected to the roof poles, and they all together are pre-attached to the fabric.

This is a tall structure with an impressive 8 ft 4 in (254 cm) peak height. So this is again one feature that sets it apart from most other shelters of this type. But note also that it is quite heavy, it weighs 45.2 lb (20.5 kg).

Best Seller

Pros:

• The height.
• 2 Doors.
• Vertical walls.

Cons:

• The weight.

Available from:

AMAZON

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The official setup time is up to 3 minutes and this is indeed realistic. The shelter has two doors on opposite sides. The poles are telescoping, and they extend and lock into place with the help of what they call the pinch-free Comfort Grip technology.

On the roof, you have their UVGuard material and they claim it offers 50+ UPF protection, they call it the Polyguard 2X and this is a thick fabric material that offers rain protection.

Here are a few more numbers. The dimensions are 12 x 10 ft (366 x 305 cm), and the area is around 90 ft² (8.4 m²). The packed size is 48 x 13.8 x 10.2 inches (122 x 35 x 26 cm).

2. Gazelle Tents 21500 G6 Pop-Up Portable 6-Sided Hub Gazebo/Screen Tent 8 Person

The Gazelle Tents 21500 G6 Pop-Up Portable 6-Sided Hub Gazebo/Screen Tent 8 Person is an instant-setup structure with a design specific to this brand. They use it in their tents as well. It is freestanding but you have 12 steel stakes included to secure it properly.

Best Seller

Pros:

• Very cool design.
• Vertical walls.
• Easy to setup.

Cons:

• The packed length.

Available from:

AMAZON

If you click this link and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.

There is one door here, the walls are vertical, the base is a hexagon, and the roof is waterproof. This is one of the screen houses where you can order accessory walls as well.

The frame is fiberglass and the poles are pre-attached. The zippers are top-quality from YKK. It weighs 34 lbs (15.4 kg) and the area is 92 ft² (8.5 m²). The overall dimensions are 124 x 124 inches (315 x 315 cm), and the height is 86 inches (218 cm). The packed size is not so great, it is very long, and the dimensions are 73 x 8 x 8 inches (185 x 20 x 20 cm).

3. Coleman 10×10 Instant Screen House

This Coleman 10×10 Instant Screen House follows the same design used in their famous instant cabin tent. So this is the same construction just with different fabrics used. You have angled walls supported by telescopic poles, and its official setup time is 60 seconds. You simply unfold it and extend the four legs poles and this is all.

Best Seller

Pros:

• The weight.
• Ease of use.
• The price.

Cons:

• The folded length.

Available from:

AMAZON

If you click this link and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.

There are two zippered doors and the mesh around offers full protection from flying insects. This is a tall structure with a 7 feet (213 cm) peak height. The roof is a 60D polyester taffeta. The frame is simple, 4 legs and 4 roof poles, and this is steel.

But the screen house is quite light, it weighs 19.84 lb (9 kg). The dimensions are 10 x 10 ft (305 x 305 cm) and the area is 100 ft² (9.3 m²). Note that it is a bit long when folded, the packed size is 48 x 10 x 10 inches (122 x 25 x 25 cm).

4. Core Instant Screen House Canopy Tent 12 x 10

This tent has two instant screen houses built in the same style, so this is the larger one. The dimensions are in the name, so you have 12 x 10 ft (366 x 305 cm) and the area is 120 ft² (11.2 m²). The peak height is quite typical for such structures, you have 84 inches (213 cm).

There are two doors here and the walls are mesh, but there is the taffeta skirt on the perimeter and on the roof you have a 68D polyester. The frame is steel.

Best Seller

Pros:

• Ease of use.
• Steel frame.
• Very reliable brand behind the product.

Cons:

• The weight.

Available from:

AMAZON

If you click this link and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.

This large structure you can raise in one minute. It is freestanding, but you have stakes and guylines included in the package. There are several storage pouches inside and a lantern hook. A carry bag is included.

The weight is substantial at 27 lbs (12.2 kg), and the packed size is 38 x 6 x 6 inches (97 x 15 x 15 cm). So this is an elongated but thin tube, and you need a car for transportation.

5. Coleman 15 x 13 Instant Screen House

This is a hexagonal structure and the dimensions are given in the name. This implies an area of 146.14 ft² (18 m²). So it is large, but you can still have it ready in under 60 seconds. The space is large enough to accommodate 6 people with tables and chairs.

Best Seller

Pros:

• It’s lightweight.
• Plenty of headroom.
• Well-priced.
• Good size.

Cons:

• The folded length.

Available from:

AMAZON

If you click this link and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.

The structure is tall, you have a peak height of 7 ft (213 cm). It is fully freestanding with its 6 legs, and it has two identical doors with zippers. It is surprisingly light for its size, it weighs 18.24 lb (8.3 kg). The poles are 28 mm in diameter. The packed size is 52 x 10 x 10 inches (132 x 25 x 25 cm).

They write that the roof is their UVGuard material that offers 50+ UPF protection from the sun, which is excellent on the protection scale. The fabric is their Polyguard 2X double-thick.

Final thoughts

We hope you have enough options here to choose from. For our money, these are the best instant screen houses that are currently on the market. They are all easy to use and offer more or less the same level of protection from insects and from the sun.

Footnote: You might want to also check out some of the instant tents that we viewed on our site.