Best Polycotton Family Tents

If you need a camping shelter for every climate and all seasons, you need to check out this selection of the best polycotton family tents with incredible features and comfort.

What Is A Polycotton Fabric Tent?

Polycotton is a blend of polyester and cotton, and in the case of tents, the ratio of the two components may vary. Polycotton tents are a sub-group of canvas tents, and the fabric includes the best components.

What’s The Difference Between Polycotton And Cotton Tents?

Polycotton is usually more resistant to wear and tear than pure cotton. If you search around, you will find the claims that it is about durability. But it is fair to say that many factors, like stitching, zippers, and lots more, play a role.

Are Polyester Or Polycotton Fabrics Better For Tents?

Polyester alone is less durable than polycotton; it degrades faster. Also, structurally, polycotton is much stronger than polyester. Polycotton is also heavier and bulkier than polyester but quieter in windy conditions.

So it depends on the purpose. You wouldn’t want a polycotton tent to carry on the trail, but they are a better choice for family camping.

Our List Of The Best Polycotton Tents

The tents in this list are ordered by floor area, from smallest to largest.

Some of these tents are pretty unique, and you will also see they include some incredibly useful features. This includes air beams instead of classic poles, insulation, solid windows, excellent ventilation, and more.

1. Crua Tri 3-Person Thermo Insulated Waterproof Family Tent

• Packed weight: 48 lbs
• Dimensions: 126″ x 79″
• Peak height: 62″
• Floor area: 68.5 ft²
• Packed size (L x D): 33″ x 24″ x 19″

This tent is officially for 3 people, offering 68.5 ft² (6.36 m²) of the total covered area. This includes an inner floored sleeping area of 19.5 ft² (4.6 m²) and a fully covered and protected vestibule, almost like a floorless front room.

This unique construction with an inner insulated cocoon tent gives it an R-value of 4. This cocoon also has dark rest technology, so it’s completely dark during the day. Because of these features, we have also included it on our list of extreme cold weather camping tents.

Best Insulation

Pros:

• Dark rest design
• Plenty of ventilation
• Very well insulated
• Made with durable & tough materials

Cons:

• Very expensive
• Too heavy for long distances
• Too big for a backpack

Available from:

AMAZON

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The overall structure is tunnel-shaped and supported by 4 loops. But it’s the fabric that earnt it a place on this list; it uses a high-quality waterproof, but breathable mixture of 80/20 cotton and polyester. The waterproof rating is 5000 mm.

There are three separate vents equipped with dual stiffeners and Velcro tabs. The door has a full-size mesh as one layer, and it runs under the porch, so you can keep it with mesh as long as you want, dependent on the season and climate.

Here are some numbers. The weight is 48 lb (22 kg), and its packed size is 33 x 24 x 19 inches (85 x 61 x 48 cm). The dimensions are 126 x 79 inches (318 x 200 cm). The peak height is 62 inches (160 cm).

2. Crua Cottage Premium Quality 4-6 Person Family Tent

• Packed weight: 172 lbs
• Dimensions: 295.2″ x 295.2″
• Peak height: 98.4″
• Floor area: 188 ft²
• Packed size (L x D): Not Stated

The fabric of this tent is an 80:20 breathable polycotton mix used for the inner tents, while the shell is a 70:30 breathable polycotton. On the floor, you have fully waterproof polyethylene.

You have two side rooms, essentially bedrooms, and one large living area is under the central dome. And that’s not all; you also have a separate Sun Room. This room doesn’t have flooring, but it is fully protected from the elements. It is designed as a space for sitting and enjoying.

Best For Families

Pros:

• Dark rest design
• Insulated sleeping rooms
• Made with top-quality materials
• High-level craftsmanship

Cons:

• The price is a bit steep
• The weight and packed size

Available from:

AMAZON

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

The bedrooms are insulated, and this makes them perfect dark-rest rooms. Because of this, it is also on our list of the best dark rest camping tents. You should never have issues with ventilation, the fabric is breathable, and they’ve added two-floor vents and two-wall vents.

This is an incredibly tall tent; the peak height is 8.2 ft (250 cm). Other features include no less than 10 solid windows and 2 doors. The base is T-shaped and supported by steel poles, and it also offers an RV connection.

As for the capacity, this tent is officially for 4-6 people; you have 4 rooms, and the total floored area is 188 ft² (17.5 m²), plus the Sun Room with an area of 67.3 ft² (6.25 m²). This tent is also on our list of best canvas tents with a porch.

3. Wildcat Outdoor Gear Lynx 640 Air Inflatable Camping Tent

• Packed weight: 108 lbs
• Dimensions: 211″ x 138″ 
• Peak height: 73″
• Floor area: 207 ft²
• Packed size (L x D): 38″ x 18″ x 17″

This Wildcat Outdoor Gear Lynx 640 Air Inflatable Camping Tent is built from a polycotton canvas, and inflatable beams support it. The tent includes many great features.

This is a 4-room construction with a modular design. It includes an inner tent within the shell, and this inner area is with a removable divider. There is also a large living room under the shell tent and a side room zipped to the tent. This side room you can attach this on either of the two sides. 

Best Multi-Room

Pros:

• Breathable fabric
• Quality materials
• Incredible organization
• Very pleasant and livable

Cons:

• It is tricky to set up alone
• Can flap around in the wind

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 7 windows, some mesh with panels, and some are solid tinted. The tent is very tall, with its 6’11” (211 cm) peak height. The floored area is around 207 ft² (19.2 m²), plus the porch area visible in the picture where you have 32.3 ft² (3 m²).

The tent weighs 108 lb (49 kg), which is heavy, but this is normal given its incredible size and features. The packed size is 38 x 18 x 17 inches (97 x 46 x 43 cm). This tent is also included in our list of the best 4-room family camping tents.

4. Berghaus Air 6XL Polycotton Tent

• Packed weight: 108.5 lbs
• Dimensions: 238″ x 177″
• Peak height: 86.6″
• Floor area: 244 ft²
• Packed size (L x D): 37.8″ x 23.6″ x 21.7″

You have a blend of 65% polyester and 35% cotton. Overall dimensions are enormous, 238 x 177 inches (605 x 450 cm), and the inner floored area is around 244 ft² (22.7 m²). The tent is with an 86.6 inches (220 cm) peak height.

There is an inner tent within the floored shell tent; it includes 3 separate bedrooms. One additional huge living room is under the shell. The living room offers around 129 ft² (12 m²), and you also have complete protection from the elements. The large porch in the picture provides 48 ft² (4.5 m²). So this tent can accommodate two times more people than what its official capacity tells you.

Top Pick

Pros:

• It’s made with high-quality materials
• Easy to pitch considering the size
• You have so much room inside
• It’s extremely breathable

Cons:

• It’s very expensive
• You need a car to transport it

Available from:

SOLD OUT

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The tent doesn’t use solid poles. Instead, you have 5 long high-performance TPU air beams featuring spring-loaded, quick-release air valves, and it comes with a 2-way double efficiency stirrup pump with a gauge. This tent is heavy and bulky, weighing 108.5 lb (49.2 kg). But it comes with a robust wheeled carry bag with adjustable buckles.

There are plenty of ventilation options. You have three large doors with full-size zippered mesh plus zippered panels. They have added many vents on the long sides and the rear side behind the inner tent.

The shell, inner tent, and groundsheet are fully fire retardant and tested to the European EN 5912 safety standard.

Final Thoughts

So this was our selection of the best polycotton family tents, with great features and various sizes. The difference between the smallest and largest floor area is by a factor of 5.

They all come with great features, but you have many differences here too. Some don’t have solid poles, and some are insulated and designed as dark rest tents. All of them are suitable for year-round use and in any weather conditions.

The common feature is the shell fabric, which is why all these tents are pretty heavy and bulky, but this is expected, given what they offer.