BEST 12-Person Tents for Camping with a Large Group in 2023

Last updated: June 24th, 2023

There are tons of low-quality camping tents on the market these days. So much so that you might be fooled into thinking PU 500mm tent fabric is high quality. Ha!

I’ve also found that you’ll come across even more low-quality tents the larger they are and the higher capacity they go. 

Luckily, with my extensive camping experience throughout the years, I have an eye for high-quality tents and features that make a difference to any camping trip. 

And that’s where this guide comes in. 

By the end of this article, you’ll have the full rundown of the top 12-person tents, as well as how to choose the perfect tent for you. 

Note: this article contains affiliate links, which help run this site at no extra cost to you so I can keep providing free travel advice and tips.

#1 CAMPROS 12-Person Tent

Best for Family Camping

Our rating: 4
Floor Area: 180 sq. ft
Weight: 24.3 lbs
Peak Height: 6’
Waterproof: No, but water-resistant
Doors: 2

Ok, there are a few reasons I rated this Campros Tent as the best 12-person tent for family camping. 

Yes, it’s a big tent with two diving panels so you can make up to three separate rooms inside of it. 

However, what really caught my eye is that you can use the dividing panels as a projector screen. 

Because let’s be honest, even if you’re camping to “get away from it all,” most kids want to watch movies at night. 

And yes, the tent comes with an electrical port as well! 

As a bonus, the setup on this tent is uncomplicated, and it’s also very lightweight compared to other large camping tents. 

The lightweight aspect is partly due to the fiberglass poles, which are lighter than steel. 

Another family-friendly feature about the Campros Tent is that it has a one-year warranty on it. 

So if you try it out a few times only to discover that camping might not be practical until your babies are teenagers (at least), there’s no harm done to your pocketbook. 

One of the drawbacks to this family camping tent is the waterproofing rating.

It’s PU 1000mm, the minimum to be considered waterproof. This means that it’s really only a fair-weather tent, even though the manufacturer may rate it as a four-season tent. 

Another small detail I don’t love is that there’s only one storage pocket. I don’t know about you, but I really appreciate multiple storage pockets and/or gear lofts when I’m camping with lots of people.

Finally, this is a tunnel tent, but not a freestanding tent, meaning it won’t hold its shape on its own without being staked down. 

I prefer freestanding tents because I can pick them up and move them around the campground (and show off my “muscles”).  

#2 Ozark Trail 14-Person Tent

Best Budget Tent

Our rating: 3.5/5
Floor Area: 203 sq ft
Weight: 35.7 lbs
Peak Height: 6’5’’
Waterproof: No, but water-resistant
Doors: 3

If you’re trying out camping for the first time or maybe even need a spare “room” in the backyard for a big family get-together, the Ozark Trail 14-Person Tent will be your best bet. 

I chose this tent as the best budget tent on this list because the price is very reasonable, yet the performance is still decent. 

This affordable tent can accommodate three queen air beds with ample storage space to boot (and yes, it has mesh gear pockets – yay!). 

The Ozark Trail 14-Person Tent also has an e-port for an electrical cord and a pocket for an iPad (movies!). 

At 6’5’’, the center height should be comfortable even for your tallest uncle, and there’s plenty of floor space to spread out on.   

This enormous summer camping tent has two separate rooms, with the third screened-in porch acting as a third room if needed. 

All three rooms have a door, which I absolutely love because this means you won’t have to scramble over a bunch of people when nature calls in the middle of the night.  

This Ozark Trail Tent also has a mesh roof beneath the detachable rain fly and eight windows for excellent ventilation. 

The frame material includes fiberglass and steel poles (a good combo of lightweightness and strength), but this is definitely going to be a summer camping tent only. 

The tent material is PU 600mm, so you may want to buy an additional tarp to string over the top in case of a shower. 

If you go with this tent, you might also want to read our guides on how to waterproof a tent and the best tent waterproofing spray. 

All in all, this is one of the most affordable tents on the market while still getting a totally decent product. 

#3 CORE 12-Person Instant Cabin Tent

Best Instant Tent

Our rating: 4/5
Floor Area: 180 sq ft
Weight: 47.8 lbs
Peak Height: 6’6’’
Waterproof: No, but water-resistant
Doors: 2

The CORE 12-Person Instant Cabin Tent is the best 12-person tent for instant setup because you can assemble it in under two minutes! 

I can’t even assemble my current two-person tent in under two minutes, so this is pretty impressive.

The thing that makes this tent super fast to set up is the pre-attached poles (genius), so all you have to do is unpack the tent and then snap the legs into place. 

This tent also comes with room dividers so that you can make up to three separate rooms inside the tent. 

And believe me, there’s no way in heck you won’t want room dividers on a 12-person camping trip. 

Another feature I like about this tent is it’s designed to provide extra ventilation. It has ground vents near the base of the tent that allows air to move through easily. 

And again, with up to 12 people using this tent, airflow is insanely essential after your third frank and beans dinner. 

The downside to this tent is that it might not hold up so well against very high winds. 

However, this is a common factor with many cabin-style tents as their square shape doesn’t allow wind to flow over them very well.  

Additionally, there are up to three rooms in this tent, but only two doors, and I generally prefer each room to have its own access point. 

Another minor con is that getting the rain fly on can be challenging due to the tent’s height. 

#4 Skylodge 12-Person Camping Tent

Best Lightweight Tent

Our rating: 4.5/5
Floor Area: 170.5 sq ft
Weight: 34 lbs
Peak Height: 7′
Waterproof: Coleman WeatherTec System
Doors: 1

The Skylodge 12-Person Camping Tent is one of the lightest 12-person tents on this list. It weighs in just above Campros but well below a canvas tent. 

At 34 pounds, this is the best 12-person tent for lugging into the woods. It’s also very reasonably priced and still has excellent reviews. 

So it’s a win-win-win if you ask me. 

The tent can fit up to four queen-sized air mattresses and has a large enough door to get your air mattresses through!

This Coleman Skylodge is more like a cabin tent than a 12-person dome tent, meaning that you have plenty of headroom and you don’t lose space to sloping walls.

It also features fiberglass poles (a sturdy, lightweight material) and interior storage pockets.

And even though Coleman doesn’t list the PU rainproofing rating of the fabric (which you know I’m irritated about), I’ve experienced firsthand that whatever the rating is, the Coleman WeatherTec System works.

Coleman even says that this 12-person tent can withstand 35 mph winds. 

One minor con about this tent is that the rainfly — as water resistant as it might be — isn’t full coverage. It’ll perform best in summer. 

Another small issue is that there is only one door. I usually like having multiple entrance options with this many people. 

#5 NTK Super Arizona GT

Best for Rain

Our rating: 5/5
Floor Area: 200 sq ft
Weight: 39.7 lbs
Peak Height: 6’9’’
Waterproof: Yes
Doors: 2

The NTK Super Arizona GT is the best 12-person tent for rainy weather because of its double-layer PU 2500mm laminated fabric. 

PU stands for polyurethane. It’s a fabric that must be at least 1000mm to be considered water-resistant, so PU 2500mm is actually pretty heavy-duty.

In addition to the high PU rating, it has sealed seams with a polyurethane coating, which are also super important for keeping water out. 

This is a dome tent, but the center height is really high (6’9’’), and the square footage is enormous (20,0 sq. ft), so there should be plenty of liveable space. 

Plus, two doors give the space lots of good in-and-out access. 

The tent is also easy to set up and comes with shock-corded fiberglass poles. Fiberglass poles are lightweight and the shock-cording makes it so they snap together quickly.  

Another thing I like about this 12-person tent is the detachable room divider. 

This feature is great if you like a well-organized tent. It also keeps the inside of the tent clean-looking when you don’t need the divider up. 

Last but not least, this tent features a gear loft and storage pockets, and I loooove these features because you need places to store things inside your tent. 

This is especially the case when you’re camping since you don’t have a regular closet or drawer system.

One downside to the NTK Super Arizona GT is that, since it’s a higher-quality tent, it’s a little more expensive than some other models. 

Additionally, the manufacturer doesn’t include a ground cloth with the tent, so you’ll need to find your own tarp. 

Finally, the windows zip from the outside, which I think is silly and inconvenient. Who would want to get out of the tent in the middle of the night to zip the mesh windows closed?

Even with these slight cons, I’d still rate this as one of the best tents on the market, especially for rainy weather.  

Read our guides on how to waterproof a tent, best tent waterproofing spray, and best waterproof tents.

#6 Tahoe Gear Prescott 12-Person Tent

Best Tunnel Tent

Our rating: 3.5/5
Floor Area: 200 sq ft
Weight: 31.6 lbs
Peak Height: 6’6’’
Waterproof: No, but water-resistant
Doors: 2

The Tahoe Gear Prescott is a 12-person tunnel tent, meaning it has hoop-shaped poles that form a tunnel shape rather than the boxy shape that many other cabin-style tents have. 

One of the benefits of a tunnel-shaped tent is that it’s more aerodynamic (meaning the wind flows over the tent rather than hitting the sidewall and potentially toppling the tent). 

The tent is also big enough to fit three queen-sized air mattresses, has gear pockets for organization, and an electrical port. 

Additionally, the Tahoe Gear Prescott Tent has a mesh roof and would be ideal for a fair-weather, summer camping trip.

The tent has a 1200mm waterproof rating, which is actually really good for such an affordable tent, and all the seams are sealed. 

The center height of this tent is also rather tall – 6’6’’ to be exact – and the door sizes are big enough to haul in those large air mattresses or camping cots. 

Overall, this is a very affordably priced 12-person tent. However, it’s not freestanding, meaning it must be staked out to hold its shape. 

And, in general, tunnel tents can be a little tricky to set up, so plan to have a friend or family member ready to help you set up camp. 

Lastly, the tent has a room divider, but the divider isn’t located in the middle of the tent. 

Instead, you end up with one room larger than the other. This isn’t necessarily bad, depending on your purposes, but just something to know. 

#7 Ozark Trail 12-Person Cabin Tent with Screen Porch

Best Tent with a Screen Porch

Our rating: 4/5
Floor Area: 171.5 sq ft
Weight: 37.5 lbs
Peak Height: 7’5’’
Waterproof: No, but water-resistant
Doors: 2

The Ozark Trail 12-Person Cabin Tent has a 50 square foot vestibule screened in with mesh, making it a large enough spot to hang out with friends but not with the bugs. 

In terms of other features, this cabin-style tent comes with a single room divider that allows you to separate the tent into two rooms. 

And it has a handy media pocket that can hold a tablet (think movie night). 

This tent also features four mesh windows, which help with ventilation, and an electrical port, which is great for charging phones and other devices. 

Another notable feature about this 12-person tent is the super tall center height. 

Unless you’re camping with a professional basketball team, everyone should be comfortable walking around in here. 

This tent is marketed as a three-season tent, but you’ll want to avoid camping in rainy weather with this one. The waterproofing is 600mm, which means it might not keep you super dry. 

Another thing to note – and this can be a pro or a con depending on how you look at it – is that the screen room in the front doesn’t have a floor.

Overall, the Ozark Trail Cabin Tent is reasonably priced while still a quality tent with excellent reviews (yes, even from some people camping in the rain with it). 

#8 Ozark Trail 12-Person Base Camp Tent with Light

Best Tent with LED Lights

Our rating: 3.5/5
Floor Area: 256 sq ft
Weight: 49.08 lbs
Peak Height: 7’ 6’’
Waterproof: No, but water-resistant
Doors: 1

Ok, what will they think of next?? I didn’t even know tents with lights built in were a thing until recently, and now I think they’re super cool. 

The Ozark Trail 12-Person Base Camp Tent is a 12-person dome tent with a string of LED lights powered with a small power pack (or 3 D batteries). 

As a bonus, the lights have three settings so that you can control the brightness. 

Another thing to like about this tent is the reasonable price and the huge floor space. 

This tent also comes with color-coded poles to assist with setup, but even so, this tent can be a bit challenging to set up. 

The interior is big enough for 12 people or three queen-sized mattresses. Due to the dome shape of the tent, this is also a good choice for high wind.  

#9 TETON Sports Sierra Canvas Tent

Most Durable Tent

Our rating: 4.5/5
Floor Area: 400 sq ft
Weight: 79.5 lbs 
Peak Height: 11’2’’
Waterproof: Yes
Doors: 1

If you’ve never thought about using a canvas tent before, let me tell you, they’re kind of the bomb. 

Canvas tents are incredibly durable, waterproof, spacious, and with proper care, they can easily last for decades. 

That’s why I chose the Teton Sports Sierra Canvas Tent as the best 12-person tent for durability – canvas is just inherently much stronger than nylon or polyester. 

And the interior of this tent is enormous, so you can definitely qualify it as the best 12-man tent that will last for years. 

Canvas is naturally breathable, but this tent model also has roll-up sidewalls for extra ventilation.  

Now, even though canvas tents are awesome, there are a few downsides to consider. 

First, they’re heavy. There’s no way around it. The thick, waterproof material they’re made of just weighs more. 

Second, setup can be a little trickier than the instant nylon tents. And finally, because you’re paying for higher quality material, canvas tents are more expensive than nylon ones. 

However, if you’re looking for the best 12-person tent that’s waterproof, durable, and that’ll last for years, you can’t go wrong with the Teton Sports Sierra Canvas Tent. 

#10 Ozark Trail 12-Person 3-Room Instant Cabin Tent

Best Tent with Rooms

Our rating: 4/5
Floor Area: 256 sq ft
Weight: 61 lbs
Peak Height: 7’
Waterproof: No, but water-resistant
Doors: 2

The Ozark Trail 12-Person 3-Room Instant Cabin Tent is one of the best 12-person tents with rooms mainly because it’s enormous. Rounding out at 256 square feet, the three rooms inside the tent are very spacious. 

Each room can easily fit a queen-sized air mattress with space for additional belongings. 

In addition to the three rooms, there’s also an option to extend the awning out and give yourself even more outdoor space to enjoy. Honestly, this thing is palatial. 

One of the features I especially like about this tent is the screened-in porch area. 

Unfortunately, even though I hate mosquitos, they love me. So anytime a friend has a screened-in area to hang out, I want to be there. 

Although this tent has a unique L-shape, it has pre-attached poles, so the setup is rapid and easy. The tent also has an e-port to support your electronics.  

Additionally, the Ozark Trail 12-Person 3-Person Instant Cabin Tent has seven windows to provide adequate ventilation. And as a bonus, all of the windows are covered with mesh, as is the roof. 

Overall, this tent is built for those who want plenty of storage space on their camping trip. 

The one downside? Although the L-shaped design makes for a mansion-like feel, the blocky design doesn’t do well in high winds. 

#11 KTT Extra Large Tent

Best Cabin Tent

Our rating: 3/5
Floor Area: 140 sq ft 
Weight: 32 lbs
Peak Height: 6’ 5’’
Waterproof: No, but water-resistant 
Doors: 3

The KTT Extra Large Tent is a cabin-style 10-12-person tent. This tent features a straight-wall design which means there’s more usable room in the tent than tents with sloped roofs.

One of the features I really like about this family camping tent is the screen room ( aka the “mudroom”) with an awning. 

The screen room has optional no-see-um mesh, making it a perfect place to leave muddy boots or wet jackets. And it’s simply a nice place to hang out to get out of the elements. 

The interior of this 12-person tent has two room dividers to create up to three separate rooms, as well as a mesh roof for stargazing.  

This is also one of the lighter large tents on the market, weighing in at just 35 pounds. 

One issue I’ll note with this tent is that the fabric specs aren’t listed on Amazon, which I usually interpret as being a summer camping tent only. 

The floor plan of this tent may also leave a little to be desired. 

Yes, it has three doors, but they’re all located on the sides of the screen room in the front. This means that when the room divider is zipped up, the people in the back room have to go through the front room to get out. 

Lastly, this isn’t an instant tent, so just know that setup may be a little tricky. 

#12 Ozark Trail Dark Rest Instant Cabin Tent

Best Dark Room Tent

Our rating: 4.5/5
Floor Area: 200 sq ft
Weight: 53.4 lbs
Peak Height: 6’6’’
Waterproof: No, but water-resistant
Doors: 2

Finding a tent that keeps light out is definitely a pro camping move I never considered when I was buying my first tent, but it’s definitely a luxury feature I would invest in today. 

I’m a pretty light sleeper, so when the sun comes up, my little eyeballs want to spring open too. 

Enough mornings of that, and I turn into a less-than-happy camper by the end of the trip. 

Not only does the light disturb my sleep, but having a thicker tent wall also means the inside stays cooler in the summer. 

The Ozark Trail Dark Rest Instant Cabin Tent is made with Ozark Trail’s proprietary Dark Rest technology to help you sleep later. 

The roof panel has clear plastic panels with covers on them so you can adjust how much light gets in, and the rain fly has sealed seams to keep moisture out. 

Due to the pre-attached poles, I’d also rate this as one of the best 12-person tents for easy setup. 

As a bonus, the dividing panels in this tent give you the option of making it up to a three-room cabin that can fit up to four queen-sized air beds.

There’s also electrical port access and several storage pockets (which you know I love). 

One downside to this 12-person instant tent is the weight – it’s just over 50 pounds. 

Additionally, it only has two doors, but up to three rooms. As I mentioned before, I like each room to have a door for convenience’s sake. 

Buying Guide: How to Choose the Best 12-Person Tent for Camping

What to Look for in a 12-Person Tent

Size and Weight

The reported size of a tent can sometimes be off. As in, they used alien stick figures to count how many people can fit into a tent. 

Be sure to read reviews on the reported vs. actual size, or make sure the tent comes with a warranty, so if you need to return it for an even larger tent, you can. 

The weight of 12-person tents is usually not a huge make-or-break factor. If you’re using an item this large, you almost certainly are car camping in the front country and not going far with the tent. 

That said, the weight of a 12-person tent ranges on the low end from about 20 pounds to the higher end of 80 pounds for large canvas tents. 

Packed Size

The tent’s packed size refers to its size once it’s stuffed into a carrying bag. Generally, the larger the packed size, the harder it’ll be to carry or shove into a backpack. 

Freestanding 

A freestanding tent holds its shape without needing to be staked down. Freestanding tents are nice because you can easily pick them up and move them around the campground.

I also find this convenient for shaking out all the dirt at the end of a camping trip. 

Many nylon tent designs are freestanding, but you likely won’t find freestanding canvas tents. 

Rooms

Many large multi-person tents have a room divider or two to create separate rooms inside of the tent. 

Sometimes the dividers can zipper shut, sometimes they just hang, and sometimes there are little hooks to put a privacy curtain up. 

If you’re looking to camp with up to 12 people, you’ll usually want to divide the space up a bit, so keep this in mind when purchasing a large tent. 

Vestibule

A tent’s vestibule, or porch, is a life-saving feature if you ask me. 

Some tents come with a screen room vestibule that makes for an excellent place to hang out sans mosquitos. 

They also act as great mud rooms and can sometimes be turned into an additional sleeping space. 

Waterproof Rating

The waterproof rating of tent material is the PU (polyurethane) and is measured in millimeters. Don’t get bogged down on the math of how they figure that number out.  

Just know that there’s a polyurethane coating on the surface of the tent, and the minimum rating to be considered waterproof is PU 1000mm. 

The more waterproof the material, the more expensive it is. 

Denier Rating

A Denier is a unit used to measure how heavy the thread is that’s used to make tent material. 

The higher the Denier (marked as 40D, 75D, etc), the stronger the material and heavier. 

A Denier of 150 would be considered a pretty good, heavy-duty rating. 

Thread Count

I have to mention thread count because you will likely see it listed as a number with a capital T after it (e.g. 140T). The thread count measures the number of horizontal and vertical threads in a square inch of fabric. 

A higher thread count usually means a lower Denier rating (because a higher Denier rating means bigger pieces of thread). 

Generally, I’d look at the Denier rating over the thread count as a measure of quality. You can have a really high thread count, but if the material is low-quality, it won’t do you much good. 

Types of 12-Person Tents

When it comes to 12-person tents, there are four basic shapes/types. 

Tunnel Tent

The 12-person tunnel tent is exactly what it sounds like; it’s shaped more or less like a tunnel and is made of hoop-shaped poles. 

The benefit of the tunnel shape is that wind rolls over it, and rain rolls off the sides with ease. 

This type of 12-person tent is best for those who live in rainier, windier areas, but be warned, some tunnel tents are not freestanding, and their shape can make them slightly tricky to set up.

Cabin Tent

The 12-person cabin-style tent has straight up-and-down walls rather than a curved tunnel-style ceiling.

The benefit of the straight walls is that they give you more livable space than if the walls curve in. 

The cabin tent is good for those who might have trouble stooping, like grandma and grandpa or your very tall cousin. 

Dome Tent (Sometimes Called a Basecamp Tent)

The dome-style 12-person tent is, unsurprisingly, shaped like a dome! 

You don’t see this shape too often in very large tents. The one exception on this list is the Ozark Trail 12-Person Base Camp with Light. 

One of the major benefits of a dome-shaped tent is that it does really well in high wind. 

That’s why I recommend this tent shape to anyone who doesn’t mind the slightly inconvenient shape and wants performance over everything else. 

Canvas Tents

Ok, so canvas is a tent material, not a tent shape, and canvas tents come in all different shapes (cabin and bell are two common shapes). 

Canvas tents are a very different animal when it comes to large tents, but you should know they exist and that they’re awesome. 

All the previous tent shapes I mentioned are usually made from nylon or polyester, which are excellent lightweight, water-resistant fabrics. 

Canvas stands alone, however when it comes to durability and waterproofness. 

So, if you’re interested in having a very durable setup capable of withstanding harsh weather, opt for canvas. 

FAQs About Large Tents

What are the average dimensions of a 12-person tent?

The average dimensions for a 12-person tent are 190 square feet of floor space with a 6’2’’ center height.

What’s the quality like for 12-person tents?

The quality of 12-person tents varies considerably, and sometimes you get what you pay for. 

That said, with proper care, most 12-person tents should last for at least a few camping seasons. 

How much should I expect to spend on a 12-person tent?

Large, 12-person tents can range from around $150 to $700 depending on the features included, the size, and the type of material used. 

How many people could comfortably sleep in a 12-person tent?

If the reported interior size of the 12-person tent is accurate, 10-12 people should be able to sleep in a 12-person tent comfortably. 

Looking for more tent options? Check out our guides to the best one-person tents, 2-person tents, 4-person tents, 6-person tents, 8-person tents, 10-person tents, 12-person tents, family tents, large camping tents, 3-room tents, instant tents, pop-up tents, inflatable tents, tunnel tents, canvas tents, waterproof tents, winter tents, insulated tents, tents with stove jacks, glamping tents, SUV tents, motorcycle tents, tents for wind, tents with an AC port, tents with a screen room, and cabin tents.

Conclusion: Our Pick for the Best 12-Person Tent

My pick for the best 12-person tent is the NTK Super Arizona GT Tent and the TETON Sports Sierra Canvas Tent.

The NTK Super Arizona GT is just a great quality tent that is well-designed. 

The PU 2500mm coating on the fabric is impressive, making it durable against the rain, and I love the well-placed doors, storage pockets, and gear loft. 

I also can’t leave the TETON Sports Sierra Canvas Tent off my top two. 

Canvas tents are incredibly waterproof yet breathable, and the bell-shaped design is spacious and aesthetically pleasing. 

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