Best Roof Top Tents: Enjoy the Outdoors from Your Vehicle

Here’s our top list of rooftop camping convenience and comfort.

byPeter Nelson|
Best Roof Top Tents: Enjoy the Outdoors from Your Vehicle
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BYPeter Nelson/ LAST UPDATED ON March 21, 2023

There's nothing quite like experiencing the great outdoors from the comfort of your own vehicle. Especially with a commanding view from its roof—which is why we especially like rooftop tents, as they have all the convenience of camping without leaving the premises of your own vehicle.


Finding the right rooftop tent requires a little bit of research beforehand, so here's our handy guide to get you started.

Best Overall
Tepui Explorer Kukenam Rooftop Tent

Tepui Explorer Kukenam Rooftop Tent

Summary
A great rooftop tent designed to survive all four seasons.
Pros
  • Good overall construction
  • Fairly easy to set up and use in any weather conditions
  • Comfortable interior
   
Cons
  • Pricey compared to many other similar roof tents
  • Might not fit all roof shapes and sizes
Best Value

Smittybilt Overlander Tent

Summary
A standard-size tend with a good degree of weatherproofing to keep the rain out in the spring and summer.
Pros
  • Fairly straightforward installation that can be done alone
  • Good overall quality
  • Popular, well-regarded brand
Cons
  • The cover is prone to tearing in windy weather
  • Might incur damage over time from careless assembly and dismantling
Honorable Mention

Front Runner Roof Top Tent

Summary
This quality two-person tent fits well on a variety of vehicle sizes, and is priced very competitively against competing products.
Pros
  • Ample comfort
  • Spacious
  • Lightweight
  • Sturdy vinyl main layer
Cons
  • Priced a little high for its features
  • Weak cover
  • Weak zipper that can get caught on material

Summary List of Rooftop Tents

Our Methodology for Selecting Rooftop Tents

Why Trust Us

Our reviews are driven by a combination of hands-on testing, expert input, “wisdom of the crowd” assessments from actual buyers, and our own expertise. We always aim to offer genuine, accurate guides to help you find the best picks.

Learn more

We scoured the world wide web for well-reviewed products and determined the best mix of value, ease-of-use, strength, and weatherproofness at varying price levels. These are all top-name companies, too—there are plenty of cheap products out there, but considering the fact that competition is currently so good among well-known names, we erred on the side of sticking with what any outdoor enthusiast would call a household name.

For more on how we came up with our lists of products, read more about our methodology here.

Best Rooftop Tents Reviews and Recommendations

Specs

  • Occupancy: 3-person
  • Material: Cotton/Mesh
  • Weight: 135 Lbs.

Pros

Good overall construction

Fairly easy to setup and use in any weather conditions

Comfortable interior

Cons

Pricey compared to many other similar roof top tents

Might not fit all roof shapes and sizes

Specs

  • Occupancy: 3-person
  • Material: Polyester
  • Weight: 145 Lbs.

Pros

Fairly straightforward installation that can be done alone

Good overall quality

Popular, well-regarded brand

Cons

The cover is prone to tearing in windy weather

Might incur damage over time from careless assembly and dismantling

Specs

  • Occupancy: 2-person
  • Material: Vinyl
  • Weight: 137 Lbs.

Pros

Ample Comfort

Spacious

Lightweight

Sturdy vinyl main layer

Cons

Priced a little high for its features

Weak cover

Weak zipper than can get caught in its material

Honorable Mid-Level Mention
Rugged Ridge Roof Top Tent
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Specs

  • Occupancy: 2-person
  • Material: polyester
  • Weight: N/A

Pros

Strong aluminum base for stability

High load capacity

Includes mattress

Sturdy outer shell

Cons

Optional annex sold separately

Might not fit all roofs

Honorable High-Level Mention
Yakima Skyrise HD Rooftop Tent
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Specs

  • Occupancy: 2-to-3-person
  • Material: polyester
  • Weight: N/A

Pros

Guy lines and D-rings for attaching gear and accessories

Sturdy ripstop polyester construction

Included mattress

Easy to deploy

Cons

One of the most expensive options

Too many features could confuse some users

Specs

  • Occupancy: 2-person
  • Material: polycotton
  • Weight: 90 lbs.

Pros

Very lightweight

Great value

Simple construction

Cons

Not the most weatherproof or sturdy option

Lack of features (though, this could be a benefit for someone embracing the no-frills life)

Specs

  • Occupancy: 2-3-person
  • Material: Coated polycotton
  • Weight: 155 lbs.

Pros

Roomy

Solid construction

Included gear storage

Included features for attaching gear

Cons

The most expensive of the entire lot

Boxy shape might struggle in high winds

Heavy

Our Rooftop Tent Verdict

The pick of the litter when it comes to rooftop tents is the Tepui Explorer Kukenam Rooftop Tent. It's an overall easy-to-set-up unit with good protection from the elements, is built to last, and is worth its higher price.

Rooftop Tent FAQs

You've got questions. The Drive has answers.

Q. What are some tips for selecting a rooftop tent?

A. Keep in mind that you will need the right roof racks for the tent to fit properly and securely on the top of your vehicle. Be sure to keep an eye on the weight of the tent and its occupants. Most roof racks are designed to take a few hundred pounds alone. Select a four-season tent if you want some weatherproofing for harsh climate conditions all year.

Q. How do I install the tent?

A. Because each tent is different in the particular installation process, but most secure to the roof racks using supplied hardware and (sometimes) tools.

Q. What is the maximum weight of the roof?

A. This depends on the roof racks you have. Most are limited to a few hundred pounds, so you will need the right rack or platform to hold more than 500 pounds if necessary.

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