How Much Should You Spend On A Tent?

When looking into buying a tent, it’s not so clear how much you need to spend to get a decent tent that’ll fit your needs and last you a long time. There are a lot of things to consider. So how much should you spend on a tent?

Standard tents range in price from $60 to $200, depending on sleeping capacity, weight, and special features. Dedicated tents, such as ultralight or 4-season tents, can cost several hundred dollars.

But there’s more to buying a tent. For most people simple tents will do, so they can go for an affordable model. People with more specific needs should sometimes get a more expensive model that’ll fit their criteria.

How Much Do Tents Cost?

As I’ve mentioned above, you can expect to spend between 60$ and 200$ on a tent. But that depends on your specific needs with the tent.

I’ve gathered information from an online retailer((Analysis based on public data gathered from REI)), and looked into the pricing of different tents.

Tents can vary in price quite a bit. The price of tents depends on the design, material used, and other factors.

By the way, the sleeping capacity of tents is usually inaccurate. If you’re choosing a tent, make sure to read my post on what size tent you should buy.

Let’s consider the different usages for tents, and how much you should expect to spend on tents in that category. Of course, there are other possible usages for a tent, but I’ve covered the common ones.

Camping tents

Camping tents are the simplest and cheapest type of tents. Most people who use camping tents usually drive to the camping location and spend a few days there.

This means that the weight and quality of the material are less important in camping tents.

Camping tents vary in price by sleeping capacity. Here’s a table of average and lowest camping tent prices by the sleeping capacity:

Camping Tent Sleeping CapacityAverage Camping Tent PriceCheapest Camping Tent Price
2-person14663
4-person463110
6-person515200
The average and cheapest camping tent price, by the sleeping capacity

This shows that bigger tents cost a bit more, but if you’re looking for a budget option, you can find a good deal even on a bigger camping tent.

Backpacking tents

Backpacking tents are usually designed for hikers, who use the tents in camping locations while trekking, usually for a few days.

This means backpacking tents are usually lighter and a bit more reliable but are a bit pricier than camping tents. They also come in a bigger variety of smaller sizes than camping tents.

Here’s a table of the average and lowest prices of backpacking tents, based on their sleeping capacity:

Backpacking Tent Sleeping CapacityAverage Backpacking Tent PriceCheapest Backpacking Tent Price
1-person26297
2-person408185
3-person470120
4-person574299
The average and cheapest backpacking tent price, by the sleeping capacity

We can see that backpacking tents are a bit pricier than camping tents, but for the added cost you get a lighter and more versatile tent.

Ultralight hiking tents

Ultralight hiking tents are usually specifically designed for multi-day ultralight hikers. These hikers are very concerned with weight, because they’re trekking for a lot of days, and every pound limits their ability to continue.

These tents are usually high quality and very light but are usually much pricier than standard tents. They’re usually smaller in the sleeping capacity as well, to reduce weight.

Here’s a table of the average and lowest prices of ultralight tents, based on their sleeping capacity:

Ultralight Tent Sleeping CapacityAverage Ultralight Tent PriceCheapest Ultralight Tent Price
1-person310195
2-person413244
3-person733400
The average and cheapest ultralight tent price, by the sleeping capacity

So, you can expect to pay significantly more for an ultralight tent. For the additional cost, you’ll get a very lightweight, high-quality tent.

Winter hiking tents

Some hikers like hiking in winter, so they need better temperature-rated tents. These tents are designed to handle lower temperatures, keeping the camper warm.

These tents are usually called 4-Season tents (whereas most tents are called 3-Season tents).

Here’s a table of the average and lowest prices of 4-season tents, based on their sleeping capacity:

4-Season Tent Sleeping CapacityAverage 4-Season Tent PriceCheapest 4-Season Tent Price
2-person596400
3-person700450
4-person663440
The average and cheapest 4-season tent price, by the sleeping capacity

So 4-season backpacking tents are usually much more expensive than the alternative, but they are good for camping in winter.

Are cheap tents worth it?

Some low-cost tents are quite good and worth buying. While camping tents under $100 are often less versatile, some are adequate as first tents for summer camping.

Quality does vary, especially from brand to brand. If you’re getting a budget tent, I’d suggest going with a well-known brand, to ensure you’re getting a good product, even if they cost a bit more.

If you plan to go out camping often, I think spending a bit more is well worth it. Spending 200$ on a tent that’ll last you years is probably better than spending 35$ on a pop-up tent that’ll break after a few trips.

If you’re planning to use the tent when hiking, you should focus on getting a light tent, even if it costs a bit more. Every pound counts when you carry all your equipment.

Are expensive tents worth it?

Tents over 500$ usually offer no significant benefits, for most campers, over cheaper models.

With that said, for special purposes, like ultralight hiking and winter hiking, buying quality but expensive tents can be well worth it.

Most campers use tents very occasionally, in warm climates, without carrying them. In that scenario, unless you need a huge tent, spending more than a few hundred dollars will not be worth it for you. You’ll be paying for features you don’t need.

It’s all about how you’re going to use the tent.

Final thoughts

We’ve covered the price range of common types of tents, and hopefully, by this point, you know how much to expect to spend on a tent.

It’s all a matter of how eventually you’re going to use the tent. There’s always a compromise. Like anything, finding the best tent for you is all about weighing the different aspects, and deciding what’s important and what’s noise.

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