The following is a list of the greatest rooftop tents, ranging from inexpensive options to the best stiff and soft side options, as well as ones that are the easiest and most spacious to put together.
If you’re looking to take your car camping to the next level, a rooftop tent is the way to go. A tent that rests on top of your truck has many benefits over a standard camping pad.
It elevates you off the ground, which improves climate control and air circulation, adds protection from wildlife, provides greater vistas, and can hold a much better mattress.
The best ones have enough room for many campers, a soft mattress, and many windows and skylights to let in natural light. But don’t worry—we’ve got the best options for hard-shell campers, soft-shell campers, big and small vehicles, and people who prefer to bring their bikes or kayaks instead of just their tents.
We made note of every tent’s pitch time, ease of installation onto a sport rack, and features that enhance camping, such as large windows, easy-entry doors, and external and internal storage options, when we were deciding which ones to recommend.
Austin Tucker, Yakima’s Brand Manager, was also consulted for guidance.
Medium Yakima SkyRise
The Medium Yakima SkyRise rooftop tent is easy to set up and doesn’t require any equipment for attachment to your roof rack. It has enough room inside for three campers and a thick 2.5-inch wall-to-wall foam mattress for a comfortable night’s sleep.
With its 210D, PU-coated nylon, pre-set, robust aluminum poles, and enough mesh panels to reduce overheating, this tent is lightweight and durable, just like its backcountry counterparts. The tent can be fastened to the rack using the included telescopic ladder and is compatible with Yakima’s tent attachments.
The tent’s versatile design allows it to fit onto a wide range of vehicles; whether you’re driving a sedan, SUV, or truck, it will slide over the rear of your vehicle for the most compact setup. You can easily enter and exit because of the doorway’s pleasantly large size.
Once inside, you may close the mesh windows with solid panels and zip them shut for cooler nights to keep in the heat. Extra perk: you may throw the mattress cover in the washing machine if you want to.
Front Runner
In spite of its affordable pricing, the Rooftop Tent Front Runner is crafted from top-notch materials. It features a 260-gram cotton/poly rip stop tent and a 400D poly Oxford fully covering, resistant to UV ray rainfly, so you won’t have to worry about poor quality.
It raises the tent with a single, effortless move. Inside the tent, you’ll find a 2.25-inch foam high-density mattress protected by a washable, mildew-and moisture-resistant poly Oxford cotton cover. To reach the tent’s interior, you can use the sliding aluminum ladder.
With a weight of just 95 pounds, it’s one of the most lightweight rooftop tents on the market. When folded, the tent only stands 13 inches tall, making it easier to drive with less drag. On cooler evenings, you can seal the skylight vent windows that are built into the roof, and you can also zip closed the side windows to make them more private.
The tent comes with a heavy-duty PVC-covered 650-gram nylon protect, which is a clever feature that will prolong the product’s life; but, if you want to remove it frequently, they do offer a 4-piece quick-release tent attachment kit.
Camping World Trusted Hard Shell
Camping World’s Trusted Rooftop Tent Hard Shell has an incredibly straightforward design. It unfolds to a compact 13 inches when not in use, but when pitched, it becomes a roomy rectangle measuring 82 by 50 by 13 inches, providing more than enough room for two campers.
The 7.5-foot extensible aluminum ladder that is included is tall enough to accommodate most automobiles, and it takes less than two minutes to set up. This four-season tent is perfect for outdoor adventures in all-weather thanks to its completely waterproof design, which includes an ABS bottom and a hard top.
It is also reinforced with honeycomb panels, insulation, and a felt lining to keep the inside at a comfortable temperature and reduce noise. Internal straps at the top may accommodate extras like a lantern, and there is a large entrance and a pair of windows with mesh shutters to increase ventilation during hotter camping conditions.
Not only can the Trustmade serve as a cargo box, but it also comes without a mattress, so you’ll require sleeping pads. This is a feature that sets it apart from most models.
Smittybilt Gen2 Overlander
The Smittybilt Gen2 Tent Overlander, which comes with a full-sized bed, is compatible with any car type and can fit up to 3 campers. The 420D Oxford rainfly and the 600D ripstop polyurethane-impregnated/polyester roof provide bomber shelter from the elements, as well as pitch fast.
A combination of springy steel fly pillars and metal tent frame poles makes it durable even in heavy winds; while no-see-um insect screens assist regulate the temperature.
It comes with a cover made of durable 200D PVC 1040-gram with waterproof and resistant to UV ray velcro straps and is one of the slimmer alternatives available, measuring only 11 inches tall when packed. In addition to the other camping gear, it has an LED strip built right in to provide ambient light.
Tepui Foothill Tent x Thule 3-season
The Thule Foothill occupies just over half of the length of your shelf, which means that you have more room to carry your bicycle or additional gear. This is in contrast to the majority of rooftop tents, which often take up the full roof of your vehicle and frequently stretch outward as well.
Setting up the tent is an easy breeze; all you have to do is unfold the canvas and deploy the telescoping poles. It is designed to accommodate two smaller and camper vehicles such as sedans, and it folds down into a compact rectangle measuring 9.5 inches in length.
As soon as you step through the expansive door, you will be greeted by panoramic windows that run the entire length of the tent. Additionally, there are two enormous skylights that enhance the flow of air and make it possible to perform some outstanding stargazing.
The window design is among the most generous discovered in rooftop tents. In addition to mesh inside pockets that store goods that are close at hand within reach, and outside connection points that allow you to latch on gear, the floor is cushioned with a low-profile mattress that is four centimeters in height and has a cover that can be washed in a machine.