While both the Sundome and Skydome have just 1 door each, I love the extra big door in the Skydome Tent. The 4-Person Skydome Tent’s door measures a whopping 4 feet in length, making it really easy to walk in and out of the tent. I really wanted to recommend this as an affordable entry level tent. Outside of dry weather campouts in the backyard, coleman screen tent there are better alternatives to be found. Plan C was to venture out beyond the bounds of our campsite for a little stealth camping and maybe some smoother ground. The same day I planned to find a place to pitch the tent, a norovirus hit 13 of our 53 scouts, so the remainder of the day was spent making rounds checking on the kids.
If there are four people in the tent, there will be absolutely zero space for anything else. Sure, there may be better tents out there in this size, but they come at a harder to pay price as well. However, if you are just doing the occasional holiday or one weekend a month type of camping, then the Sundome will serve you well. A family of four will fit in this tent, but it is going to be tight with only 63 sq ft of floor space and no vestibule.
It won’t come as a surprise to those who go camping regularly that the capacity of a tent is based on the maximum number of people you could squeeze in, rather than a size that prioritizes comfort. Since then, have used it in various weather conditions ranging from hot humid temperatures to heavy rain storms. I can now recommend this tent as a good choice for summer. However, I didn’t quite like that the rainfly pole over the front of the Skydome Tent doesn’t extend outward enough, and that I needed to add seam sealant on my own. As for the Skydome Tent, even though 3 sides of the tent have a decently long rainfly length, the front of the tent has a much shorter rainfly length. The 59-inch peak height in the 4-Person Skydome is about the same as a regular Sundome, but surprisingly you get 1 foot less in length.
For smaller groups or those confined by small campsites, Coleman offers three other size options. For groups in the two to three-person range, we think the Sundome four-person should be just about right. If you are camping solo or with a furry friend, we’d recommend opting for the three-person or two-person models.
The storage bags for the poles, stakes, and tent are all great. I like the make of the storage bag, it is zippered instead of being made like a stuff sack with a draw string. With the zipper open it is easy to fit the tent, poles and stakes back inside. This is a decent 3-season tent, it’s not great, but it’s not bad either.
So, keeping in line with what Coleman calls a four person instant tent, I went along the same lines once again while choosing our new tent. I’m not quite sure of what four people the company was referring to when they say it ‘sleeps four’. The upside, it still looked brand new and cosmetically didn’t really show any wear at all. The downside, the poles that support it are made of what appears to be a fiberglass material that with age have started to disintegrate.
So if you’re looking for a tent guaranteed to keep you dry, the sundome 4 man model might not be the best choice. This means any camping gear or equipment has to be stored inside the main body of the tent, cutting down on space for campers to sleep. Festivals aren’t the safest campgrounds for your tent, so a low-cost, reliable model might be a good investment. It’s also very easy to set up which is a plus for festivals as well. The products are low-cost but like the Coleman sundome that doesn’t mean they are low-quality.
I cant stand up inside this tent but with 59″ of headroom it’s much taller than my 2-person tent. Also with a footprint of 9 by 7 feet I have all kinds of room. As with most budget-oriented products, there are bound to be shortcomings, and the Sundome 6 is very limited in terms of storage. In stark contrast to premium models like REI’s Base Camp 6 and its 14 interior pockets of varying sizes, the Sundome 6 features a paltry two pockets.
To gauge livability, we brought along two adults, a portable crib, and a dog, and found that the Sundome 6 provided more than enough room for summertime adventures. We were able to move around comfortably, the sleeping space easily accommodated the aforementioned crib and a double-wide, 52-inch mat, and the generous amount of mesh made for an airy feel overall. In practice, we almost always recommend sizing up your tent, and we think the Sundome 6 work bests with groups of three to four people. Coleman also offers the Sundome 4, which we think is ideal for two campers and a dog.
For $69 this is an affordable entry level tent for a someone new to camping in mild conditions (more on that in a sec). The power port is pretty convenient and the vent window located near the ground allows for air circulation. Sundome 2 has a good sized carry bag and it holds the tent with room to spare. In the bag, you’ll find the tent body, two long poles for the tent body, one short pole for the rain fly, a small “welcome mat” and (9) stakes.