Best Rooftop Tents: Enjoy the Outdoors from Your Vehicle
Here’s our top list of rooftop camping convenience and comfort.
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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.
Tepui Explorer Kukenam Rooftop Tent
- Good overall construction
- Fairly easy to set up and use in any weather conditions
- Comfortable interior
- Pricey compared to many other similar roof tents
- Might not fit all roof shapes and sizes
Smittybilt Overlander Tent
- Fairly straightforward installation that can be done alone
- Good overall quality
- Popular, well-regarded brand
- The cover is prone to tearing in windy weather
- Might incur damage over time from careless assembly and dismantling
Dometic TRT 140 AIR Inflatable Rooftop Tent
- Inflatable design makes for quick n' easy setup and takedown
- Sturdy all-weather construction
- Spacious
- Includes ladder
- Priced out of many budgets
- Heavy
- Not all consumers may need the many included accessories
Summary List
- Best Overall: Tepui Explorer Kukenam Rooftop Tent
- Best Value: Smittybilt Overlander Roof Top Tent
- Honorable Mention: Dometic TRT 140 AIR Inflatable Rooftop Tent
- Honorable Mid-Level Mention: Rugged Ridge Roof Top Tent
- Honorable High-Level Mention: Yakima Skyrise HD Rooftop Tent
- Best Ultra-Lightweight: Roofnest Meadowlark Roof Top Tent
- Best No-Compromise: Roofnest Sparrow XL Roof Top Tent
Our Methodology
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
This tent is our top choice not only due to the rave reviews its received, but also due to its relative light weight to its size, great price for its options, and intuitive design. It's also quite sturdy due to being constructed of quality, heavy-duty materials such as 600D rip stop and a 260 g poly-cotton blend fabric. Thanks to its tough poly-cotton construction and excellent overall ventilation, it makes for a great Summer or generally warm-weather environments, such as our great nation's beautiful Southwest.
- Occupancy: 3-person
- Material: Cotton/Mesh
- Weight: 135 Lbs.
Specs
- Occupancy: 3-person
- Material: Cotton/Mesh
- Weight: 135 pounds
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
Smittybilt's been in the value-minded off-road gear game for a long time, and their Overlander rooftop tent is a testament to that: It's a great overall piece of kit for the price. It's a straightforward design and is made from quality, durable materials. That being said, the outer cover is prone to tearing in high-wind environments, so it's important to be mindful of proper, secured assembly. Finally, the whole unit could incur damage during setup and takedown, so it's important to do so with tender, loving care.
- 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
This top-shelf option by popular outdoor outfitter Dometic is a great option for someone after a no-fuss, everything-included setup. In fact, speaking of setup, that's one of its high cards: Its simple inflatable design takes a lot of guesswork out of a quick preparation. It includes a pump, yet also a perfectly matched ladder. To top it all off, it comes with nicely sized external storage compartments to keep gear protected from the elements.
- Occupancy: 2-person
- Material: Polyester
- Weight: 147 Lbs.
Pros
Inflatable design (includes pump) makes for quick easy setup and takedown
Sturdy all-weather construction
Spacious
Includes ladder
Cons
Priced out of many budgets
Heavy
Not all consumers may need the many included accessories
This prime option by Rugged Ridge is constructed of durable, 600D poly-coated polyester and is designed to deal with the toughest environments, especially if you're inclined to camp at a wide variety of elevations in a single expedition. Its sturdy aluminum base means its 3-person capacity can deal with up to 660 pounds of occupants. It also includes a three-inch foam mattress for added comfort, has a wider-than-average ladder for increased stability, and is backed by a five-year warranty.
- 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
Yakima's been in the roof rack game for a long time, so it's no surprise that their Skyrise HD's frame is made of durable aluminum construction, requires no tools for installation, and has an easy-to-deploy action. This means setup in the worst weather is a snap. It includes a foam mattress, plus guy lines and cords to easily secure gear to its outer shell.
- 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
Not everybody's planning on venturing out into the wild, off the grid for days or weeks at a time. Sometimes you just want to post up at your favorite mountain bike trail so you can swoop in on an early morning session and then head home. That's where the Meadowlark comes in.
It's incredibly lightweight and small, in fact it's the smallest on our list. It's not as comprehensively durable as other options we've listed, but it still has great resistance to wind and water, it's incredibly lightweight, and will fit on any sub-big-off-roader rig. Heck, just check out the photo, Subaru fans. For someone after easy portability who doesn't need a bunch of features, it could be the best cover for a weekend getaway.
- 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)
The Sparrow XL is the spacious next-step-up over the Meadowlark above. Or, maybe its larger nestmate?
Bird references aside, this thing is one cozy nest: Its square design and large footprint means its cozy inside for 2 people, yet fits on many non-truck platform off-roaders. Its got lots of headroom, has a pop-up action for easy preparation, and is made from 280GSM coated polycotton with good weather resistance. The hard carrying shell is made of fiberglass-reinforced ASA/ABS plastic, too, to keep the weight down, though it's still a tad on the hefty side. Foam mattress included!
- 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 Verdict on the Best Rooftop Tents
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.
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.
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.
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