For overland adventures, life on the road, or just an elevated and more comfortable campout experience, here are our picks for the best rooftop tents.
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If you&#;ve never slept in a rooftop tent, it&#;s hard to imagine how different it is from sleeping in a traditional tent. In general, we&#;ve found that rooftop tent sleeping has certain key advantages over sleeping in a tent on the ground.
Rooftop tents offer a bird&#;s-eye view of your surroundings, airflow that&#;s unheard of in a ground tent, protection (and peace of mind), and generally superior comfort for sleeping.
The drawbacks: Unlike a ground tent or a tow-behind camper, when your tent is on your roof, you have to break camp before you drive away. And, for those who make nighttime visits to the loo, there&#;s a ladder to negotiate between you and relief (unless you&#;re willing to get creative).
Also, if your dog gets to share the human bed, practice your one-handed ladder climb before you attempt to hoist them up. Multiply that effort if you have more than one dog.
Not every rooftop tent fits every vehicle or every budget. But some tents work for almost every car or truck. Rooftop tents are all pricier than even the plushest backpacking tent, but if you&#;re able to invest, you won&#;t regret it.
Once you&#;ve decided if a rooftop tent is right for you, it can be tricky to pick out the right model. In recent years, the GearJunkie team and our greater network of expert gear testers have researched and sampled all of the leading styles on the market. We&#;ve used these tents for overlanding, car camping, and cross-country roadtripping. We&#;ve closely examined their features at trade shows and expos in far-flung corners of the globe.
After hundreds of nights of elevated sleeping and hours of poring over specs, we&#;ve decided that the rooftop tents on this list are the best of the best. Rooftop tents are still a young development in the world of life on the road. We expect that they&#;ll only get better.
Scroll through to see all of our recommended models. Our handy comparison chart, buyer&#;s guide, and FAQ will help you make an informed purchase.
Editor&#;s note: This guide received an update on April 8th, , and now includes five additional awesome rooftop tents. We&#;ve added the Sparrow 2 and the four-season Falcon 3 EVO from Roofnest to the lineup, along with the rugged iKamper BVD Duo. We&#;re also excited to introduce two new brands to our guide with the inclusion of the unique Dometic TRT 140 Air inflatable RTT and the Sylvan Sport Loft.
Best Overall Rooftop Tent
102" x 101" x 48"
57.5" x 55" x 13"
83" x 51"
46.5"
125 lbs.
N/A
N/A
Fits all vehicles
Ultrafast setup
Mattress may be too firm for some campers
Berne Broudy
Best Rooftop Tent for Maximum Headroom
84" x 48&#; x 40"
85" x 50" x 11.5"
83" x 49"
44"
130 lbs.
650 lbs.
28"
Tent-top storage bag included
Solar panel mount on the roof
Super easy to open
270-degree views, not 360 degrees
The low ceiling at the foot cuts down on internal storage space
Berne Broudy
Best 3-Person Rooftop Tent
96" x 56" x 48"
58" x 48" x 17"
N/A
N/A
115 lbs.
N/A
26"
Super easy to mount
Locks securely to your roof
Lighter fabrics flap more on windy nights
Berne Broudy
Best Four Season Rooftop Tent
83&#; x 50&#; x 58&#;
83&#; x 50&#; x 8&#;
80&#; x 47&#;
58&#;
140 lbs.
650 lbs.
N/A
Four-season ready
Extra aerodynamic
Super slim but able to store bedding
Optional insulation kit
Available in XL
One of the pricier tents
Berne Broudy
Best Rooftop Tent for Overlanding
59&#; x 90&#; x 56&#;
6-¾&#; x 90&#; x 56&#;
83 ¾ " x 53 ¾
200 lbs
n/a
n/a
Four-season
Spacious
Super fast setup
Low condensation
Loads of accessories
Low profile&#;under 7&#;
Heavy
Can sleep in only one direction
One set of ladder pins has to be moved to relocate ladder
Berne Broudy
86&#; x 57&#; x 45&#;
86&#; x 57&#; x 13&#;
N/A
N/A
103.7 lbs.
N/A
28&#;
anti-condensation mat under the mattress
Thin and comfortable mattress
Inside and outside storage pockets
One of the best-vented RTTs
Sets up fast
Extremely compact
The lightest RTT in this roundup
Tool-free installation
Compatible with accessory crossbars
No space for blankets and pillows inside the folded tent
Like anything inflatable, one of the tubes could get a hole if you&#;re not careful
Louder than some others on the roof
Ladder stores outside the tent
Berne Broudy
82.6&#; x 50.7&#; x 41.3&#;
82.6&#; x 50.7&#; x 11&#;
48" x 80"
39"
116.8 lbs
480 lbs
n/a
Compact enough to fit on most vehicles
Sets up and packs down fast
Massive ceiling storage nets
Comes with a fan/light combo
Windows are smaller than in other RTTs
Mattress is more basic than some other RTTs
Mounting hardware is more basic than on some RTTs and it requires tools
Internal storage pockets are hidden behind hydraulic arms
Ceiling storage nets take up headroom
Berne Broudy
84&#; x 48&#; x 40&#;
85" x 51&#;
84" x 48"
40&#;
130 lbs
650 lbs.
n/a
The redesigned shell has internal ribs for increased structural integrity
Ruggedized ABS shell with Line-X ruggedized anti-scratch coating
Bedding fits inside
Can support Roofnest&#;s crossbar system that holds up to 160 lbs of cargo on top
2.8&#; memory foam mattress
On a car without a rear bumper, it&#;s hard to get to the ratcheting close strap
The hook ladder has to be removed before closing the tent which makes it hard for shorter people to close the tent
Want more information on Open Sky Roof Top Tent supplier? Feel free to contact us.
Berne Broudy
122" x 76" x 51"
76" x 47" x 11.5"
92.5" x 74.8"
N/A
148 lbs.
770 lbs.
N/A
(Photo/4 Wheel Parts)
Great price
Some reported quality control issues
For some racks, the provided hardware was too short
Berne Broudy
The GearJunkie team is composed of overlanders, auto experts, and seasoned car camping fanatics. Over many years, we have tried and rigorously tested nearly every kind of camping gear on the market &#; including rooftop tents.
Our lead tester for rooftop tents is Berne Broudy. Based in Vermont, Berne has amassed over 20+ years of hiking, cycling, climbing, ski touring, and overlanding. Berne&#;s broad portfolio of outdoor activities has added up to many nights of camping outdoors &#; many spent in a rooftop tent.
To compile this list of the best rooftop tents of , Berne and the rest of our team combed the market and compared the pros, cons, and specs of dozens of models. We&#;ve mounted tents on rigs of all shapes and sizes &#; from compact sedans to full-sized trucks. We&#;ve spent many nights &#; some glorious and others full of tosses and turns &#; testing the quality and comfort of rooftop tent mattresses.
Our assessment process is detail-oriented. No subtle feature or flaw goes unnoticed. On this list, we&#;ve included a wide variety of excellent rooftop tents to meet all sorts of needs. From compact SUV drivers to large-family road trippers, at least one of the models on this list should be a good fit.
For more info on car camping options, take a look at GearJunkie&#;s guide to truck campers and motorhomes.
Checking out the window awnings on the Roofnest Sparrow 2 (photo/Berne Broudy)Buyer&#;s Guide: How to Choose the Best Rooftop Tent
Not every rooftop tent will fit every vehicle. Know the load capacity of your roof rack, and the distance between your roof rack bars to determine if a specific rooftop tent will fit. The spread of the bars is the distance between the front roof rack crossbar and the back one. Most rooftop tents have a &#;minimum bar spread&#; spec. Before purchasing a rooftop tent, be sure to physically measure your rack&#;s spread to ensure your rack and tent are a match.
When in doubt, contact the rooftop tent manufacturer and verify that your planned setup will be safe and sound. Many tents on this list can work with sedans, trucks, trailers, and everything in between &#; provided you&#;ve got the proper rack and mounting system.
Some rooftop tents require you to carry the access ladder inside your car. Other tents incorporate the ladder directly into the tent&#;s packed-away design. Some tents have accessory options, including awnings and extensions. Typically, these will need to be stored separately inside a car or truck bed.
As for sleeping bags, and pillows, many rooftop tents can be fully folded and tucked away with the bedding stored inside. This feature is more common in hardshell models.
Some rooftop tents with smaller footprints leave extra space on your roof for bikes, boats, and other gear. Of course, the square footage of your leftover roof space will depend on the size of the tent and the dimensions of your rack.
Some hardshell rooftop tents provide gear storage on top or space to mount a solar panel. In most cases, you&#;ll need to purchase additional racks to utilize the roof of your tent&#;s shell for storage space.
Hardshell rooftop tents are sleeker looking when compressed and more aerodynamic. They also tend to be lower clearance when packed &#; an important consideration for those planning to park in a garage.
In general, hardshell rooftop tents are quick and easy to set up and pack up. Most come use hydraulic struts that do most of the heavy lifting for you. Softshell tents typically come with traditional aluminum or fiberglass poles that require assembly. Inflatable tents are relatively new to the market. They&#;re almost as quick and easy to set up as a hardshell, and can be spacious inside.
Some hardshells have useable storage space on top of the outer shell. But many are wedge-shaped and don&#;t give you 360-degree views.
Softshell rooftop tents are generally similar to traditional camping tents. They tend to be less expensive and harder to set up. But they usually have great airflow and some are large enough to accommodate three to five people.
Rooftop tents typically sleep two to five people and fit a double to a king-size mattress. The bigger the tent and mattress, the heavier and more cumbersome the rooftop tent.
Most rooftop tents weigh between 100 and 200 pounds &#; an important spec to know, especially in relation to your roof rack&#;s recommended capacity.For a family of three or a couple with a dog, we like the Roofnest Falcon 3&#; a roomy and comfortable option with a plush wall-to-wall mattress.
If your roof space is limited and you&#;re looking for a svelte on your roof, full size when unfurled sleeper, the Dometic TRT 140 Air is compact and well suited to smaller rooftops.
The Dometic TRT 140 Air gets structural support from inflatable tubes. (photo/Berne Broudy)Some hardshell rooftop tents lift with a gentle nudge, whereas most softshells have to be flipped open manually and the awning bars inserted. Rooftop tents with gas struts that lift the tent open are becoming more common. They often cost more, but they&#;re convenient &#; especially when you&#;re setting up your tent in the rain.
Whatever tent you buy, initial assembly can be challenging with a steep learning curve. Some tents offer the option to ship fully unassembled. That can save you up to $400, and it can take hours and tools to build the tent platform and attach the tent to it before you load it on your roof.
Once assembled, rooftop tents require a heavy lift to get the tent onto a vehicle&#;s roof rack. Pan to get a hand from a friend or two depending on the weight of the tent and the height of your roof. While you can repeatedly install and uninstall, it&#;s always an awkward operation.
Rooftop tents are a major investment &#; they can cost up to $. Take care of your investment, and it will last for many years.
We recommend storing your rooftop tent in a dry, covered place when not in use. When the tent isn&#;t on your roof, place 2x4s or 4x4s on saw horses to mimic your roof bars and store the tent on top in the same orientation that the tent was on your roof. Go easy on the zippers, struts, ladders, and poles &#; these intricate mechanical components tend to break first. And always thoroughly dry the inside of your tent after use.
In our experience, all of the rooftop tents on this list offer competitive durability when properly cared for.
Take extra care with moving parts such as ladders and gas struts; (photo/Berne Broudy)What is the benefit of a rooftop tent?
Rooftop tents get you off the ground, providing a great view. In most situations, they also provide more airflow than you&#;ll get when you&#;re sleeping in a tent on the ground.
When your tent is on the roof of your vehicle, you&#;re also out of the dirt and away from creepy crawly things on the ground. That makes a rooftop tent feel more secure.
Most rooftop tents are super quick and easy to set up. And when your tent is on your roof, it&#;s always with you, which can inspire some great impromptu adventures.
Rooftop tents typically come with a mattress and some can store bedding even when the tent is packed.
Can you put a rooftop tent on a car?
Many rooftop tents are designed to be mounted on cars. But not every tent will fit every car. The size and weight of the tent need to match the size and carrying capacity of your car&#;s roof rack.
For best results, use aftermarket bars, not standard factory-installed racks. Also, check the automaker&#;s and the roof rack manufacturer&#;s websites for compatibility.
Why are rooftop tents so expensive?
Rooftop tents are more expensive than most ground-staked tents because of the materials required to build them. Rooftop tents are built on a strong and stable base. In some cases, that base folds for storage without losing structural integrity. Rooftop tents must withstand weather off the ground, where winds and rain can be severe. And they have to be weather-proof as a semi-permanent fixture on your roof. That&#;s a whole lot more complicated than creating a structure with a fabric floor that gets placed on the ground. They come with a mattress and a ladder too.
What is the cheapest rooftop tent?
You can buy a rooftop tent for under $1,000. It&#;s also possible to pick up a used one at a significant discount. As with campers, some people get excited about the idea of owning a rooftop tent, but they end up selling the tent because they don&#;t use it as much as they thought they would.
If you&#;re buying used, don&#;t forget that not every tent will fit every vehicle.
Will a rooftop tent affect my gas mileage?
Yes. In our testing, we saw up to a 20% drop in fuel efficiency with a rooftop tent on the car and a mix of highway and local driving.
If I want to bring my dog into my rooftop tent, how do I do it?
Historically, the best way to get your dog into the rooftop tent with you is the one-handed underarm carry or a harness carry. Keep in mind that once your dog is up, you&#;ll need to get it down too, both when you&#;re breaking camp and when your furry friend has to pee. If you have a big dog or a squirmy dog, consider letting it sleep in the car.
My rooftop tent ladder hurts my feet. What should I do?
Rooftop tents all come with a ladder that clips or hooks to the tent. If it feels harsh on your feet, or you&#;re not 100% comfortable climbing a ladder, get iKamper&#;s HC Steps. The HC Steps are a fabric covering that Velcros over the rungs of your rooftop tent&#;s ladder, turning each ladder rung into a step
Should I buy an awning?
Depending on the tent, an awning can turn your rooftop tent into a full basecamp, providing an enclosed area out of the wind, sun, rain, and other weather for cooking, gearing up, and hanging out. The biggest downside besides the cost is that adding an awning adds setup and breakdown time.
How hard is it to install a rooftop tent on my car?
How hard it is to install a rooftop tent on your vehicle depends on the tent, and what you&#;re driving. Plan to have at least one other helper, and preferably three to lift your tent onto the roof of your vehicle. If you drive a truck and the tent is going on top of the cab or cap, make sure to recruit tall friends.
Once the tent is on top of your vehicle, you&#;ll have to install brackets and bolts. Many rooftop tents now boast tool-free installation. Some still require ratchets or wrenches. To install bolts in the rooftop tent frame you&#;ll need to lift the corners while sliding those bolds into their designated slots. It&#;s helpful to have a second person to help.
Depending on the tent model, some assembly is often required. For example, some tents come with noise-reducing inserts you only have to install the first time you use the tent.
Can I heat my rooftop tent?
Yes! Many rooftop tents have a special port for a diesel or electric heater. Follow the manufacturer&#;s instructions for safe heater use inside your rooftop tent. Some electric climate control units will heat and also cool your tent.
What&#;s the best roof top tent, and how much money do you have to spend for a good night&#;s sleep in the great outdoors? What should you look out for when choosing one, and which one is the right model for you? How can you avoid throwing away your money in the wrong tent? Our big roof top tent comparison test provides all the answers. We tested 12 ½ roof tents and tried a big variety of concepts on our epic DOWNTOWN road trip. Ladies and gentlemen, roof bars at the ready &#; let&#;s go!
The sound of the waves in your ears; around you, nothing but unspoilt nature. Watching the sun set and spending the night in the most beautiful places in the world &#; roof top tents promise ultimate freedom, far away from busy roads and polluted cities. In our big DOWNTOWN road trip, we found out for ourselves whether that&#;s all true, or just a romantic fantasy. Do roof tents really provide the ultimate outdoor experience? On a roof tent holiday, the line between heaven and hell is a thin one.
Just imagine:
Just imagine:
A car, a ladder, a tent. That&#;s about it &#; but can it do magic? We set off on an adventure that proved impossible to plan: The DOWNTOWN Roadtrip Rooftop Tent Test. The only thing we knew for sure was that we were going to have a roof over our heads at night. And, of course, everything we love: cosy Persian rugs, the finest coffee, the smell of woodsmoke from the campfire. We experienced a few freezing nights, unforgettable sunrises, morning dew, cold river swims and the odd big surprise!
If you think that the first roof top tent was built some time in the last two decades, you couldn&#;t be more wrong. Even though travelling with a roof top tent has only become trendy over the past few years, roof top camping has already been a thing for almost 100 years! The first roof top tents, made of wood and canvas, were developed in Italy back in the s, and were soon used for a wide variety of purposes. The advantages of having a sleeping place on the roof of your car were already recognised by a diverse group of users back then, from individual expeWar IIdition travellers in Africa to adventurers in Europe and mobile military units during World . And today? Rudimentary wooden frames have been replaced by innovative, robust constructions, but the idea lives on. Modern roof top tents have become an indicator of the cool lifestyle &#; whether you&#;re at a bike park or campsite, at a summer festival or hunting in the wilderness.
There are countless applications &#; and countless new (future) roof tents. The good news: If you dream of roof tent camping, but are unsure if it&#;s right for you, you can try it out first! For instance, Land Rover offers the opportunity to rent a Defender (like ours!) with a roof tent &#; a brilliant way to gain initial experience and find out if 4×4 holidays and roof tent camping will become your new favourite hobby (more details at the bottom).
For this roof top tent comparison test, we put 12 ½ of the hottest roof top tents through the wringer, and took 20 roof tent newbies and veterans, 2 small kids, 2 dogs and 1 giant teddy bear on our epic road trip. The crew was a wild mix of people, including members of our editorial team, their families, friends, and even a few readers who applied for this trip. Our readers Valentin and Lukas travelled all the way from Vienna with their enduro bikes. Paul flew his girlfriend Marizona in from the USA, Daniel and Flo took the plunge with their young daughters, Manne and Theresa brought their dogs and our German-American friend Chris brought along some sweet travel companions: 10 kegs of the finest Franconian beer from the Raab brewery to quench the thirst of the entire crew!
We all had one mission: to have the best time possible, while testing a wide range of roof top tents &#; or was it the other way round? Either way, during this test, we found out all the relevant facts about the tents to give you a comprehensive and authentic impression of each model, with all its pros and cons. Impressions that are based on real-life experience, to determine which roof tent suits which type of traveller and travel best. What are the differences between concepts, which features are a must, and which ones are superfluous? Needless to say, the focus is on usability, because it marks the difference between fun and frustration, relaxation and stress. While some tents are ready in just two minutes, leaving plenty of time for a few wind-down beers before dinner, others take half an hour before you can even think about sipping on a cold brew. Some even require a lifetime of experience in contortionism and acrobatics to get them installed on the roof bars. 28 minutes difference doesn&#;t sound like much? Well, it is when you&#;re balancing precariously on a ladder in a muddy field, in the rain, leaning over your car roof trying to see what you&#;re doing as the daylight steadily fades, while your kids get increasingly hungry and bored!
How much time do you have to factor in for assembly with each tent? Which ones require help from other people? How long does each tent take to set up, and do you stay dry when climbing the ladder if it&#;s raining? What&#;s annoying and what&#;s fun? We went to great lengths to find out, so it would be easier for you to decide which one to buy: all of the roof tents were tested in the office yard and on a number of private weekend trips before finally, to top it all off, we took them on our epic DOWNTOWN road trip. Expectations were high, as were the arguments between the sceptics amongst us. But as experienced testers, we knew that we could only find the answers by actually using and testing the roof top tents in real life scenarios, and with everything that this entails: screaming children, drunk ladder climbs and late-night shenanigans inside the rickety roof top tents. Anyone who knows us knows that we take our jobs seriously: drunken late-night shenanigans sounds right up our street! We tested the mattresses, the assembly screws, rain covers and the overall level of comfort of the tents through night and day. In the sun, cold, rain, on the road and at night under the cold starry sky, lit up by the Northern Lights.
Our initial realisation: more expensive doesn&#;t necessarily better (or even good)! Surprisingly, some of the tents we were most excited about didn&#;t convince us at all, while some of the underdogs blew us away. During this test, we looked for the best all-rounder that is capable of combining ease of assembly, design, usability and price. Before buying, you&#;ll have to answer countless questions to avoid nasty surprises and wasted money.
First off, why only 12 ½ tents? Did the thirteenth get struck by lightning, did the top blow off while blasting along the Autobahn? Not quite &#; the Thule Outset is a trailer-hitch tent, folding out into a platform on stilts behind the car. It might not be a car roof tent, but it&#;s still a car tent. We included the Thule Outset in this test because the concept is exciting and innovative and &#; like its competitors &#; still requires a car.
Speaking of the concept, we invited a wide variety of roof tents into the test field. Three were inflatable soft-shell tents, also known as folding tents: the Quechua MH900, the qeedo Freedom Air 2 and the GentleTent Sky Loft for six people. Five folding soft-shell tents, also known as folding tents: the Thule Foothill, Thule Approach, Front Runner Feather-Lite, Yakima SkyRise HD Tent and Thule Outset. The other five were hard-shell roof tents: the Arcta Vento, Vickywood Cumaru Light, Naturbummler Alu-Kraftkiste, Intrepid GEO 3.0 and Naturbummler Flitzer I L. All models are designed to cover a wide range of sizes and uses: from one to two people in the Thule Foothill, all the way up to six people in the inflatable GentleTent Sky Loft.
There are more than 100 brands and varieties of roof top tents on the market, which made it impossible for us to take them all on our road trip. That&#;s why we made a selection of the most relevant brands, while at the same time trying to cover as wide a range of concepts as possible. Each concept has its pros and cons, which we&#;ll discuss in detail later. Before starting your research, you have to ask yourself a few questions: Which vehicle will it go on? How many people should it sleep? Do I need extra room on the roof for sports equipment? Do I want to leave the bedding inside the tent while travelling? Do I need a lot of additional equipment, or do I want to be as minimalistic as possible while travelling? Do I want to be flexible on my travels and camp in a different place every day, or do I want to set up a more permanent home from time to time? How crucial are quick assembly and disassembly for me?
Disclaimer: a roof top tent is not for the faint-hearted! But if you go for it and simply set off on a road trip &#; with or without a destination &#; you&#;ll discover amazing new places, and maybe find out some new things about yourself along the way. So: definitely give it a try!
Brand Model Type Weight Closed dimensions Open dimensions People Price Arcta Vento Aluminium hard-shell 85 kg 217 x 131 x 19 cm 217 x 131 x 140 cm 2 &#; 2,690 Decathlon Quechua MH 900 Inflatable soft-shell 45 kg 148 x 77 x 35 cm 145 x 220 x 101 cm 2 &#; 1,499 Front Runner Feather-Lite Soft-shell 47* kg 133 x 125 x 33 cm 244 x 122 x 133 cm 2 &#; 1,199 GentleTent GT Sky Loft Inflatable soft-shell 57 kg 166 x 146 x 16 cm 340 x 200 x 140 cm 5-6 &#; 4,159 Intrepid GEO 3.0 Aluminium hard-shell 85 kg 225 x 160 x 18 cm 225 x 160 x 137 cm 3 &#; 4,999 Naturbummler Alu-Kraftkiste Aluminium hard-shell 88 kg 210 x 130 x 23 cm 210 x 130 x 145 cm 2 &#; 2,690 Naturbummler Flitzer Hard-shell 60 kg 218 x 130 x 28 cm 218 x 130 x 105 cm 2 &#; 2,490 qeedo Freedom Air 2 Inflatable soft-shell 52 kg 154 x 108 x 30 cm 225 x 168 x 148 cm 2 &#; 2,199 Thule Approach M Soft-shell 61 kg 124 x 143 x 28 cm 240 x 143 x 102 cm 2+1** &#; 2,699 Thule Foothill Soft-shell 55 kg 210.8 x 61 x 24 cm 213 x 119 x 93 cm 2 &#; 1,699 Thule Outset Towbar-mounted soft-shell 70 kg 144 x 74 x 90 cm 264 x 144 x 178 cm 2+1** &#; 3,999 Vickywood Cumaru Light 127 ECO Aluminium hard-shell 75 kg 223 x 127 x 15 cm 223 x 127 x 130 cm 2 &#; 2,790 Yakima SkyRise HD Tent MD Soft-shell 52 kg 122 x 142 x 41 cm 243 x 142 x 122 cm 2+1** &#; 2,199* Tent weight with attached ladder
** Adults + child up to approx. 120 cm
Please note that a heavier tent isn&#;t necessarily worse than a lighter one, because it&#;s often also wider, thus offering more sleeping space for more people. It&#;s also clear that a tent for 6 people will take longer to set up than one for just 2. And a hard-shell tent for 3 people is obviously going to be heavier, bulkier and more expensive than one for 2 people.
Paul&#;s girlfriend Marizona travelled all the way from the USA to attend our roof top tent road trip. Before that, Paul had already spent four weeks in Australia with a roof top tent, and found it great to have so many models to compare on this road trip. The two of them specifically wanted to test a hard-shell tent like the Arcta Vento, because Paul wanted to have as low a superstructure as possible on his Cayenne to allow him to drive into underground car parks etc. without nasty surprises.
Theresa currently lives as a digital nomad, commuting between Berlin and Arezzo. Her CLK and her dog Filo are always with her. She loves cool cars and cool locations. As a rooftop tent newbie, she found the Decathlon Quechua incredibly practical &#; and of course incredibly attractive given the price.
DOWNTOWN editor Mike is an outdoor veteran. When racing enduro bikes or exploring the backcountry, the Defender is his second home. The Front Runner roof tent is a good addition for him, especially in an off-road vehicle, because it leaves more room for bikes and equipment. His tip for road trips: always take some old overalls with you for emergency roadside repairs.
As a passionate camper, DOWNTOWN editor Felicia has tried everything, having spent many family holidays in a rooftop tent on a campervan. She now uses most of her free weekends to explore the most beautiful single pitches in southern Germany with her Grand California. On our road trip, she looked back to her roof-tent past with a little nostalgia, and felt particularly comfortable in the qeedo folding tent.
As an experienced van camper, DOWNTOWN editor Juli has packed the six-person GentleTent Sky Loft onto his Bully: together with the two additional sleeping spaces in the van, this creates a mobile hotel for (theoretically) up to eight people. Since he doesn&#;t have kids, the tent becomes a huge hostel for Juli to invite friends, or to use as a play area with his girlfriend. Here you can sleep comfortably crossways, lengthways and diagonally. The time-consuming assembly and disassembly makes it a nice long-term camping solution that requires you to use a bike or longboard to go to the shops.
Bike, backgammon, folding kayak and half a kitchen, including copper cooking pots and porcelain crockery. DOWNTOWN founder Robin took everything that&#;s fun (and heavy) with him on our rooftop tent test. He packed the huge Intrepid GEO onto a Defender and strapped the Orbea Wild, the best e-mountainbike of , on top. The result is a little tower, a mechanical version of &#;The Bremen Town Musicians&#;. Only Pablo Escobear, the giant teddy, was allowed down on the passenger seat.
The only thing Pablo needed after the exhausting cargo bike test in Paris was a good chill-out binge. On our road trip, he bed-hopped from one tent to another and tested most of them. His conclusion: the most important thing is to have someone to cuddle next to you.
Felix is always there when there&#;s something new to try out &#; as long as it has something to do with 4 wheels. As comfort-loving hotel holidaymakers, Felix and Lena were extremely sceptical before this road trip, as they both hate camping, and found the first night in the roof tent awful. The turning point came after the second night.
As a passionate e-mountainbike enthusiast and former scout, Manne is up for anything to do with the outdoors. Andrea enjoyed the overnight stay in the Flitzer so much that she spontaneously set off again into the wilderness without Manne, taking her dog and her bike. Her tip for a roof top tent trip: shoes that are easy to slip in/out of, and a thermos flask of hot tea.
Originally from California, Chris is the outdoor pro in our crew. He packed firewood, an axe and a never-ending supply of 5-litre beer kegs onto the back of his Land Rover. Chris leaves nothing to chance, and always has a solar panel and large battery pack with him to power and charge electric devices.
Our ENDURO readers Lukas and Valentin applied for the road trip from Austria. Both are enduro riders, and they came to us straight from a race in Poland. The two Viennese friends love the spirit of roof top tent camping and being outdoors. Nevertheless, it&#;s important for them to have their own bed with them while travelling, so it needs to fit a mattress and bedding inside.
Just back from an eight-month sabbatical, during which he trained as a yoga teacher, amongst other things, Benedikt brought along his yoga mat. And even more importantly: his Atherton bike. That&#;s why he opted for the narrow Thule Foothill for his Porsche 911, leaving enough room on the roof for the bike.
Max usually prefers to stay in hotels rather than camping out in the wilderness. After the first night with claustrophobia attacks and what felt like zero minutes of sleep, the DOWNTOWN founder saw the light and spontaneously extended the trip and added another night with his girlfriend Ines. His conclusion: if the interior height is right, then a roof tent is an option too &#; and that was the case with the Intrepid GEO.
Florian took along his daughter Marlene, plus her bike, a high chair, cuddly toys and lots of other toddler-related paraphernalia. With such perfect equipment, the night in the Vickywood roof tent was the highlight of Marlene&#;s year. Her nickname for the Pinzgauer: the fire truck.
Daniel is first and foremost a car fan, and he enjoys tinkering with old Beemers. He&#;s not really a camping fan and was rather sceptical about the whole experience. He doesn&#;t know whether it&#;s worth buying a roof tent, or whether he would travel often enough to justify the purchase. Four-year-old Magdalena, on the other hand, knows very well that she wants to have at least one more rooftop tent adventure with dad and the Yakima (with red rain cover).
What makes a successful rooftop tent trip with over twenty people? The most beautiful locations? The coolest cars? The best rooftop tents? Ten kilos of potato salad and 50 litres of draught beer? In the end, we all agreed: the beer! Nah, it&#;s the people. Everyone was really keen to embark on a road trip adventure, everyone was easy-going, although the test crew was as colourful as grandma&#;s old Persian rugs (which we brought along too!). We travelled all together, yet still had a relaxed time. Everyone could do what they wanted &#; whether it was a trekking bike tour with the kids, drinking beer on the Isar, cruising around on a folding kayak, or drifting through the snow on a mountain bike. Whether the crew members met for the first time or had been friends forever, good vibes dominated this road trip from the beginning to the end. The route: from the DOWNTOWN headquarters in Leonberg, through the Allgäu region to the icy cold Isar river at the foot of the Karwendel mountains. Here we go!
Team Softie or hardcore camper? Before you decide, check out the pros and cons of both concepts. In a nutshell, there&#;s no bad-shell! The decisive factors are what you want and how you want to move! Hard-shell roof tents are the optimal choice for frequent set-up changes and big, tall vehicles. Soft-top tents offer more sleeping space and fit on many vehicle types. Think about what suits your camping habits best!
A hard-shell roof tent has a fixed cover plate, which is made either of plastic or aluminium. The size is fixed and corresponds to the sleeping area. It relies on gas struts or hinges to open up.
A folding tent, also known as a soft-shell tent, can be folded out into a fan shape, with the ladder supporting the floating section. To pack up the tent, the floor folds back in on top of the base. During transport, it&#;s protected by a cover.
As you might have realised, the market for roof tents is huge, so buying a roof tent requires lots of research. Using the example of the Thule roof tents, we&#;ll show you how many options and concepts there are, and why it makes sense to think about it beforehand. We tested 3 Thule models, all of which were developed for different target groups.
Thule Outset:
To be honest, this isn&#;t a roof tent, but rather a free-standing tent for a trailer hitch. Nevertheless, it&#;s an exciting concept that&#;s also interesting for electric cars like the ID Buzz. This also means that you don&#;t have to sleep on the roof.
Thule Foothill:
Despite being the narrowest tent in the entire test field, the Foothill leaves plenty of space on the car roof, which makes it the ideal choice for athletes and minimalists.
Thule Approach:
The Approach is more of an all-rounder: a high-quality folding tent for two adults with or without a small child.
Spoiler alert! Installing a roof tent on roof bars is no fun! That&#;s right, the lifting, bolting and endless fiddling isn&#;t exactly a great start to an adventure. But with our tips and tricks, you&#;ll overcome this hurdle faster than you thought &#; sweating and swearing included. So, let&#;s tackle it!
8 Assembly tips:
When you arrive at your camping spot late at night, you want to go to bed as quickly as possible. But how quickly can you do this, and which steps should you take first? Our tip: Before setting off with your tent for the first time, do a trial run, perhaps in a mate&#;s garden, so you won&#;t be left standing in the rain at night on Lake Garda, surrounded by a horde of camping veterans telling you how they would&#;ve done it differently!
Of course, the difficulty level of the setup depends on the tent you choose, but a little practice helps with all models.
A rooftop tent isn&#;t just a tent, only on the roof. Seriously, a roof top tent is an investment and there are so many different models and options that it&#;s worth checking beforehand. Here are a few important usability features to help you find the perfect roof top tent for your needs:
Sense of space
Your perception of space is crucial for your comfort. Do you want it bright and airy, with lots of windows for good ventilation? Or do you prefer it dark and cosy? Consider whether you want to see the stars through the skylight, both with and without a rain cover.
Mosquito nets
Mosquito nets are a must in every roof tent. They protect you from insects and should always be well closed. Make sure that the nets are of good quality and easy to handle.
Darkening and insulation
Can the interior be darkened out completely? This is a particularly important point if you prefer an undisturbed night&#;s sleep. Some models, like the Yakima, rely on an extra layer of fabric insulation and are therefore also suitable as all-season tents. Alternatively, you can buy a thermal inner tent as an accessory, for example from qeedo.
Space to store sleeping bags and pillows
A practical aspect: can you leave your sleeping bags and pillows inside the tent while travelling? If not, you&#;ll have to have enough space in your car to store them. Think about how much storage space you need and how you&#;ll organise it.
Sleeping comfort
One aspect that is often neglected: sleeping comfort. Plan enough time for a trial night to make sure you&#;re comfortable and can sleep well. Also pay attention to how the zips work, and whether there are any annoying poles or other elements inside the tent.
Drying time and air circulation
After rain, it&#;s important that a tent dries fast. Good air circulation is a decisive factor here. Think about how long your tent needs to dry, and whether the air circulation is sufficient.
Stability
A robust roof tent has to withstand a lot &#; whether it&#;s children playing during the day or other activities at night. Pay attention to the tent&#;s stability and the quality of the materials to ensure that your tent can withstand the demands.
Ladder comfort
Barefoot on a ladder &#; how does it feel? A comfortable ladder is a plus, especially if you get in and out frequently. If it gets dirty, it&#;s helpful to have a bag or sack with you to store the ladder.
Roof height and overall height
The overall height of your vehicle (including the roof tent) is a decisive factor, especially when parking in underground car parks. Measure the total roof height beforehand to make sure that you can drive into an underground garage with a max. height of 2 metres without any problems. And believe us: we speak from our own experience!
Care and cleaning
In bad weather, roof tents quickly become your only living space. Spillages and stains are inevitable. Make sure to get a tent with a removable and washable mattress cover.
Hard-shell tents are usually a good match for bigger cars, as the base area must fit on the vehicle. Otherwise the boot can&#;t be opened, or the tent protrudes too far beyond the windscreen, restricting visibility. It&#;s important to observe the manufacturer&#;s instructions, especially the required distance to the railing. If you have a smaller car, folding tents are the better choice: lightweight, flexible, and always within the roof load limit.
And what about the fuel consumption with a tent on the roof? The only way to work this out accurately is testing it in a lab. Generally speaking, however, the flatter the roof tent, the lower the air resistance, and the better the fuel consumption. All of the testers on our road trip only reported slight increases in fuel consumption, which is possibly due to the fact that you often drive slower with a large object on your roof &#; also for safety reasons. In a nutshell, your driving style has a significant influence on fuel consumption. And make sure that the tent doesn&#;t hang over the windscreen, as this can significantly increase air resistance and therefore fuel consumption.
And now it&#;s time to get down to business! Here&#;s a brief overview of all the roof tents in this test and a short version of our final verdict. You can look forward to Best in Test, our Best Buy Tip, and the loser in this test. One thing should be clear by now: choosing the right roof tent depends primarily on your own preferences and circumstances, for example in terms of intended use, number of people and vehicle type. It&#;s our job to provide you with comprehensive information to help you with your individual purchase decision. So, let&#;s get to the results!
The Front Runner Feather-Lite is a solid folding tent with all of the basic functions you&#;d expect from a roof tent. At &#; 1,199, it&#;s the cheapest competitor in the entire test field, appealing to budget travellers and beginners alike. The low 47 kg system weight including the ladder also makes the Front Runner roof tent an interesting option for couples who don&#;t want to depend on others to set up the tent. Click here for the full review.
For just under &#; 2,700, the Thule Approach roof tent is a high-quality folding tent for two adults, with space for a small child. Alongside the proven Thule quality, the undisputed highlight is the ease of assembly, which spares you any unnecessarily stressful moments on holiday. However, unlike many of their competitors, Thule skimp on the standard equipment and literally leave customers out in the rain on the ladder (unless you buy some seriously pricey accessories). Click here for the full review.
The GEO 3.0 sleeps 3, and it&#;s the luxury liner amongst the roof tents we tested &#; once it&#;s been assembled. Unlike its hard-shell competitors, it has a hinge in the roof that provides more space on the inside; it&#;s easy to handle, stable, and has a high-quality finish. It also offers countless options for attaching gadgets. The slightly smaller GEO 2.5 still costs slightly less than &#; 4,500. All in all, you pay a hefty price, but get a first-class travelling experience &#; and that&#;s never been cheap! Click here for the full review.
Hiding under the slim cover of the Thule Foothill roof tent is a fully-fledged folding tent for 1-2 people, that can keep up with the biggest tents in terms of functionality. Since it&#;s only half as wide as most roof tents when collapsed, it&#;s the ideal choice for adventurers who need additional room on the car roof for sports equipment and luggage. However, the Foothill calls for some compromises in terms of handling and internal height. Click here for the full review.
With the &#; 2,690 Alu-Kraftkiste hard-shell tent, Naturbummler deliver a robust overall package with good features, that offers room for up to two adventurers, and is quick and easy to set up and take down. Compared to its direct triangle competitors, the Arcta and Vickywood, the Naturbummler roof tent might be slightly heavier and narrower, but scores points with its special lifting mechanism, which creates extra room for your feet, along with an additional ventilation shaft. Click here for the full review.
The Arcta Vento roof tent retails at &#; 2,690 and is super quick and easy to assemble/disassemble. In this comparison test, it takes on the competition with great features, from an anti-condensation mat for the mattress to an LED light strip. In the direct race between the three nearly-identical triangle hard shell tents, it performs better than the Vickywood, which costs &#; 100 more and has fewer features. Compared to the Naturbummler, the Arcta roof tent comes out on top with a shorter set up time and bigger sleeping area, but loses out in terms of volume and internal accessory transportation. Click here for the full review.
At 15 cm tall, the Vickywood Cumaru Light 127 Eco roof tent is the flattest tent in the entire test field, and therefore very aerodynamic. With its 75 kg system weight, it&#;s comparatively light for an aluminium hard-top tent. Two individually controlled light strips allow for customised lighting in the evening. The sustainable approach of the Bavarians is undoubtedly a plus point that users have to pay for &#; and rightly so! In direct comparison with the other two, nearly-identical alloy hard-shell tents, which accommodate 1 to 2 people, the Vickywood costs &#; 100 more and has slightly fewer features. Click here for the full review.
The Yakima Skyrise HD Tent is a solid, well-made folding tent for three people. However, not only is the pre-assembly time-consuming, but also the assembly and disassembly &#; installing all the poles takes a little while, and nerves of steel. On the other hand, Yakima&#;s huge optional accessory range and the sky views included in the &#; 2,199 price make it a real keeper. Click here for the full review.
A hard shell tent with a roof that lifts straight up, just like the classic Maggiolina roof tent: with its panelled roof, the Naturbummler Flitzer I L ensures a spacious, living room-like feeling and scores points with breath-taking, 360° panoramic views and a system weight of 60 kg, which is very reasonable for a hard-shell tent. All in all, a very solid tent for two people and &#; 2,499. Click here for the full review.
With the Outset, Thule offer a rather rare solution: a tent for a trailer hitch, which is ingenious if you don&#;t want to put anything on your car roof, yet still need to leave space for other things in your boot. In this comparison test, we included it as the &#;half&#; tent, because it combines the best of both worlds &#; the comfort of a roof tent and the freedom of a free-standing ground tent. However, at &#; 3,999, some of you might be asking whether cheaper stilt tents without trailer hitch attachments might be a more reasonable option. Click here for the full review.
Easy to set up, good details and an attractive price point &#; the Quechua MH 900 bags a well-deserved Best Buy Tip. At just under &#; 1,500, Decathlon&#;s inflatable folding tent for two people isn&#;t only interesting for roof tent beginners, but also offers camping veterans and experienced roof tenters a well thought-out overall concept. You&#;ll have to make a few compromises in terms of comfort and bling: the mattress could be better, and there&#;s no panoramic 360° view but, in return, the compact pack size leaves plenty of room on the roof for additional luggage. Click here for the full review.
With the Freedom Air 2 inflatable tent, qeedo deliver an all-round carefree package for two people with countless useful details, straight out of the box. No other manufacturer can match this, which is why the qeedo secured our coveted Best in Test badge. At &#; 2,199, it&#;s also a suitable option for beginners with a moderate budget, who want plenty of freedom of movement and great all-round views. Everything, including the superstructure, is really well thought out &#; in true German tinkerer style! So you can focus on your holiday and, of course, your Insta pictures. Click here for the full review.
With their inflatable, six-person GT Sky Loft, GentleTent offer a challenging concept that somehow keeps it out of the race in our roof tent comparison test, mainly due to the high number of people it can accommodate. For &#; 4,159, the Austrian manufacturer offers plenty of light and space for bigger families, and groups of friends. However, the concept of the GentleTent roof tent isn&#;t exactly flawless. It requires plenty of effort to set up, pretty much preventing you from using your car during your holidays, and making it hard to change camping spots. With a retail price of &#; 4,159 without a mattress, this is anything but a convincing overall package. As a result, the GentleTent is the clear loser in our roof top tent comparison test &#; mainly due to conceptual differences. Click here for the full review.
Our extensive rooftop tent test wouldn&#;t have been the same without the Land Rover Defender. This powerhouse was perfect for testing our team&#;s large and heavy rooftop tent models. The Land Rover Defender 130, affectionately called &#;the Mothership,&#; accompanied us in its impressively long 130 variant &#; yes, that&#;s the wheelbase in inches &#; and literally pulled us out of the mud multiple times!
With 300 horsepower from the largest diesel in its class, it was our reliable partner on the road. The air suspension levelling function was a real game changer. Levelling chocks? A thing of the past! This feature was a blessing on uneven terrain. Plus, the spacious interior and integrated fridge in the centre console &#; perfect for a refreshing drink on the go.
Thinking about buying a rooftop tent? Why not take it for a test run first? Rent a Defender with a rooftop tent for a weekend or longer and kick off your own adventure. Or are you only occasionally hitting the road but still craving big adventures off the beaten path? Land Rover has you covered: rent a Defender with a rooftop tent. It&#;s a smart way to gain first-hand experience and see if rooftop tenting and 4×4 road trips are your new favourite hobbies.
Our learnings from the big roof top tent comparison test: rooftop tents are incredibly practical and come with an immeasurable sense of freedom, but also some challenges. The first hurdle is to find out what concept suits you best, and which one you (really) need! The collective experiences of our road trip members should serve you as a rough guide to help you navigate through the wide-ranging world of rooftop tents, so you can find one that&#;s your personal stairway to heaven. Ready for the ultimate road trip? Your adventure starts here!
Feeling the urge for a roof tent getaway? Get more tips and insights from our roof tent test here!
Words: Susanne Feddersen, Felicia Nastal Photos: Mike Hunger, Robin Schmitt
For more information, please visit Open Sky Roof Top Tent wholesaler.