Coleman - Dark Room™ Skydome™ 6-Person Camping Tent

I have one of these from Big 5. The tarp is short on mine and light leaks in below the tarp line (where I'm asleep on a mat). So I'd suggest gluing an extra foot of tarp onto each side. But overall, it works.

For a budget option I’d recommend Coleman Skydome 6p Dark Room (~$120). Taller and a little roomier than the Sundome, similar performance to what you are used to, dark room technology blocks out a ton of light which is nice in the morning, easy to set up. For around $250-$350 both the Wawona and Limestone are solid options. If you want the larger storage space outside the tent then the Wawona is the way to go. If not then the Limestone would be the choice. If you don’t need a tent right now and can wait there should be some sales on more expensive tents (>$350) that will get discounted 20-40% around Labor Day day and Black Friday which will bring them into your price range. A few great examples are the Nemo Aurora Highrise and MSR Habitude / Habiscape, all of which are really nice tents and folks 6’+ tall to stand up in them. I know it’s easy to get analysis paralysis looking at all of the options and reading reviews but you really can’t go wrong with any of the above options. Just make sure to get a footprint (could be a cheap tarp) to put under the tent to help prolong the floor life and provide a barrier against moisture. The Coleman tent probably won’t need one as their floors are pretty heavy duty material.

Love this tent too! How do you fold this thing back up? The directions confuse me

I have this tent! I love it because it really helps getting another hour of sleep on those super sunny mornings. I can say putting it up solo isn't hard, but taking it down and rerolling can be a pain due to the size. I recently bought a smaller popup tent for this reason because it can feel like a chore for less than two nights. Still worth it though.

Got the tent on sale on Amazon for $220 a couple weeks ago, it's back up to $324 now. Couldn't find much about it on Reddit so figured I'd add my review I left it out for a couple days to see how it'd handle the rain. We got pretty substantial rains and 25mph+ winds, here's a video of how it held up in the wind https://streamable.com/42ij07 I didn't know there was wind in the forecast, I used the crappy stakes it came with and made no effort to stake it out thoroughly or hunker it down. Other than the vestibule stakes (which were probably not deep in the ground, it's a rocky lawn) flying out and making the vestibule part ripple, the tent held up perfectly to the sustained winds. Not a drop of water made it within the main cabin of the tent, maybe a cup or 2 worth in the vestibule which likely was from the pooling/rippling from the stake coming out with the wind. Had it been staked down I think it would have stayed bone dry Some Notes: - 6 foot peak height, so no crawling needed and most people can stand fairly comfortably. You do need to crouch a little to get in. -Vestibule is really nice, 2 people (6 foot and under) can comfortably sit in chairs, it's bigger than it looks in the pic. I think it's 8x4ft. Great for a rainy/buggy day chill spot, storing extra stuff, or just as an easily cleanable mudroom -Setup is simple with 2 people, haven't tried solo yet but should be no problem -Its pretty big, 10x12.5. we actually had to buy another, smaller tent when we realized we can't fit it comfortably at some of the locations we have planned. -Dark room is very nice and will help a lot with keeping me from waking up with the sun, which will be nice with a couple campout music festivals this summer. I'm pretty unimpressed with it though, the tub floor is not dark room tech and doesn't block out any light, and it's a really high tub floor so a bunch of light makes it in. If they had blacked out the floor it'd be amazing, hopefully sleeping raised up on cots will mitigate the light more though -Poles feel like they'll explode if you look at them the wrong way. Seeing them hold up against the wind makes me feel a little better, but I can't believe how utterly light and flimsy they feel -The vestibule can't be zipped fully shut, there are 2 zippers that run along the bottom and one vertical zipper in the middle, all 3 zippers meet in the middle and leave a gap. Sure it'll keep most things out, but when you camp in areas where your tent is essentially covered in bugs some will get in, we had a centipede crawl in. I'm thinking of using a permethrin soaked sock or piece of fabric to plug the hole, kind of a hassle to do it each time but worth it. The main cabin can be completely zipped off though, so at least you won't have any night time visitors if you keep it sealed all the time Overall, assuming it holds up for a bit I'm happy with my purchase of it for $220. Unless I REALLY end up liking the dark room feature I don't think the current price of $324 is worth it though, there are far better quality tents for cheaper right now (such as the Marmot Limelight 6p). The vestibule's really nice but in reality a basic ez-up/canopy will serve most of the same purposes and be far less cranped, but it is just a nice extra comfort

Yeah this tent would be nearly perfect for my uses if I had more faith in the poles holding up, I honestly felt like they were going to snap just bending them to form the dome arc. The reviews did have a good amount of people reporting failures, but no more so than any other more budget-friendly tent I'm surprised more tents don't have the screened in porch, makes it feel really homey and has real practical use. For some reason lots of other ones (Coleman included) don't have rain flys that cover the porch or windows that zip up, so they just get flooded when it rains. That was a major selling point of this one for me, that it could be fully covered. Hopefully it lasts me awhile! My "backup" tent ended up being a Marmot Limelight 4p for $300. The 6p was just slightly too big for the tent platforms that are common in my area, but I've heard really good things about the tent and wanted something reliable for bad weather trips, as well as something comfortable when space is more limited

When I set it up before this review and the winds got to at least 25mph, I think the screen room was facing the direction the wind was coming from and it held up really well. Had it at a festival recently though in 20-30mph winds and the thing was almost collapsing, I'm amazed the poles didn't break. This was during the day while we were sitting out, if it was at night with us inside we would've been getting hit by the side walls I think with the height of the tent and the weak poles it's just not great with wind, unless you get the exact right angle or whatever went right the first time I set it up when it held up to the wind

We have a cheap 6 person Coleman blackout for 2 of us and we go full glamp with a full foam folding mattress too. The front "porch" leaks a bit as do the corners at the seams...but that was when it full on poured for 2 days straight. We still had one of the driest tents that trip and other people ended up crashing with us at night since their tents flooded. A friend of mine does a 20' canvas bell she got second hand. She does a huge air mattress, brings sets of drawers, the works. She runs a propane heater too. I highly recommend indulging in space and "luxury" for car camping. In contrast, I use a little Kelty 2 person with camping pads when I'm by myself with the dog. Total opposite than on group trips.

Coleman Sundome 4person. I use a 6 person blackout and it is enough for 2 adults on cots.

Coleman darkroom Skydome, 6 or 8 man. The poles are fiberglass but it’s a good tent. I had a Stoic Madrone and I gave it away because water leaks in through the floor. Not a problem with the Coleman.

A Sundome or Skydome is still easier to set up and a lot more waterproof. The fact that they added an extra sold separately rainfly to the Instant shows it’s bad.

Coleman Sundome and Skydome are both super easy

I recommend a 6 man (or 8 man) Coleman blackout Sundome or Skydome. Check out Ollie’s if you have one for deals on Coleman

100% worth it for car camping. We are looking at getting a Wawona 6. We already use a Coleman Skydome 6p for the two of us.

Coleman 6 person Skydome for my car camping, REI half dome for my backpacking/solo car camping.

I bought a Skydome 6-person tent for $70 at Ollie's for my wife and I, and occasionally our niece, and it's the right size.

All of these are car camping tents. The Wanona and Homestead are 13 lbs, and they're absolutely massive when packed. The skydome 6p is enormous and weighs 19 lbs. You wouldn't ever want to hike with these tents. The North Face tents suffer from outdated design philosophies. There are no clips. You have to feed all of the poles through sleeves. The fabric can bunch up, so you have to be mindful while feeding the poles through. Slow to set up, slow to take down. The Wanona 4P performs well in the rain. It's lovely in the rain, but not so terrific to set up or break down in the rain. These taller tents don't do well in high winds. They're like giant sails, and the poles tend to bend. Questions to ask yourself: What type of camping do you envision for yourself? How many people will you be camping with? Do you plan on thru-hiking? Your ideas about camping will evolve as you gain experience with equipment.

I still have my 6 person coleman dome tent from 10yrs ago, used it for about 40-50 nights and it’s held up very well. I’ve gotten down to a 2 person tent now, but I miss having that large bowl style tarp floor which keeps all the water out

My first 2 tents were 6 person Coleman dome tents and I really miss having that huge tarp like bottom because they always kept us dry. I agree with the other comments to get 2 four person tents because 6 people in one tent sounds a little cramped. Pair those tents with a good tarp above and it will keep the water away no problem.

I ended up going with a skydome today!!

Coleman Dark Sky in 2 & 6 person sizes (two for solo camping with the dog, 6 for the fam of 4). Super easy to assemble and pretty easy to get back into the sleeve.

We have a colman 6 person dome. With two cots there is still plenty of room for bags & standing room for changing, etc.

$400 is overkill. Id say get two 6 person Coleman dome tents instead of one really big one. It'll give you a lot more versatility and convenience at half the price Besides what other people have said, making sure your tent is properly setup is the #1 most important thing to make it waterproof. Making sure all parts are taut and there's nowhere for water to pool. I've used everything from $40 Walmart tents to expensive backpacking tents in some pretty terrible storms (including every forest since 2017) and I've never had a tent leak. I've never used waterproof spray but I suppose it couldn't hurt

Meh, I usually get at least a few years out of my Coleman's, and that's with not taking super good care of them either. Realistically, OP asking this question here means they're not super experienced and are relatively new to camping. They probably don't know how much of a PITA setting up a large tent can be, especially when you don't have that many people. A Coleman is a great entry level tent where you can decide from there if you want to make a bigger investment (I promise I don't work for coleman)

I don’t know what’s available in UAE, but I like the Coleman 6-person dome tents. There are a few variations on a theme, but they’re what I use for my family and for my Girl Scout Troop. The interior is 10x10 so it fits 4 cots or 2 queen size blow ups. I can stand up in them (5’7”). The dome tents are easy to pitch. They fold down into a reasonable size and are easy to transport.

The nice thing about dome tents is that they all pitch the same. I have a little kid one that I use to teach the process even as young as 5, and then when they’re taller and can physically manage a larger tent, they already know what they’re doing,

This is a great idea.  Coleman is stupid easy to set up and huge and the blowup beds are key. If you already have a vehicle and don’t have to hike in too far, this is so easy and takes a lot of stress away.  I have a big family and actually sunk money into a very fancy 6 person tent. That we never use (as a family) ever. We use the stupid Coleman at least twice a month in the summer and fall. It’s easy. It’s big. You don’t have to think about it. Also the kids like to set it up for at-home “camping” because they can put it up themselves. 

I got one of the Coleman tents with dark room technology 2 years ago and when I tell you it’s so worth the investment! Stays cool/dark enough to sleep in once the sun comes up if you want to.

You’ll definitely want a canopy, I’ve always had my dark room tent partially under one to help protect from the sun even more. You can probably place a pickup order for a canopy at a Walmart in Indio.

I have a Coleman Dark Room that fits 8 and has a rain fly that covers all mesh areas. I use it solo and love having basically a studio apartment to myself. 

It lived a long life of many camping trips and festivals. I tore the bottom when I set it up carelessly and then I should have patched it but figured I’d do it later. Then there was a storm, and a lot of water….and it was still my house for the week with a big silver tarp over it. There was also a dead toad. I recycled it into a truck tarp for the return trip and now I have a Coleman Darkroom.

Coleman darkroom tents are the best you can get for the price, I think.

Let the 9 year old help keep an eye on the 4 year old. My kids have had their own tent since they were 4 (twins). We put a bell on the zipper so we could hear if they opened the flap. Never had any issues and they’re 11 now. They started in a little 2 man adult backpacking tent I had, then graduated to the Coleman 6 man tent that my wife and I were using, and we got a nice big cabin tent.

Depends on what you like to do, for car camping I have a Coleman 6 man & for backpacking I have a 2 person Xmid from durston. I’ve never had any issue with either, the Coleman was about 1/3rd the price of the xmid and it comes in very handy when a friend or two wants to tag along on a weekend

I bought a $90 6 man Coleman that works great. And if my dog accidentally puts a hole somewhere I’m not overly upset.

2 man Lynx for just me or me and a kid. 4 man Timberline for me and the wife or me and a few kids. 6 man Coleman for me and all 3 kids and dogs. 25yr old 23ft camper (with the bathroom ripped out and bunk beds added) if it's all of us for more than a few days lol.

Yes! It’s a game changer. We have an older Coleman 6 person tent for car camping opposed to a half dome for backpacking. When we’re feeling particularly bougie, we’ll bring an air mattress with us and put that down inside of our bigger tent. Makes for a much better sleeping experience

My husband and I use a 6 person coleman tent with a 6' center height. We sleep on cots and like the extra space.

we are about to replace our coleman 6 person because we've used it SO much. had it since 2016. we bought it for a festival, and it's become our car camping tent ever since. we have kelty, alps mountaineering, and rei smaller tents, and love this coleman for everything, not back country.

It's not a two person but we have a 6 person Coleman tent my 6 ft husband can stand up in. Let me know if you want me to post the link

Coleman doesn't make them like they used to. We have a giant 2 room Coleman we picked up more than 10 years ago, and it's fantastic. I recently bought a 6 person one for $200 and the hem of the rain fly detached during set up. I returned it.

I have a 6p Coleman I got from Goodwill for $20 that I used for my two daughters and me. We each had an air mattress/pad and it was really comfy. Gotta remember that if you aren't comfortable, why are you doing it? Only reason not to get one is if you are limited on space. Also, think of this as your hotel room. If you are willing to spend $200-400 for a weekend hotel getaway why not spend that on a nice tent that you'll use over and over. That being said, I have since upgraded to a king size roof tent and have never slept better, lol.

For car camping I like Coleman 6p tents. They’re heavy but durable. I use mine for 2 adults on a queen sized deep air mattress. Have two dogs, a Shepard and a beagle each with their own beds. Plenty of room for us

we have a 6P coleman. it's advertised to fit two queens and while I haven't tried it, I believe it. my family of 4 fits just fine. I think 6p is kind of the practical limit of a camping tent. once you get larger they start to get really unwieldy to set up and you can't always find a spot to fit them.

Wouldn’t go to big. Honestly 6p is a great mid range the Coleman is wicked. I just upgraded to a 10p Blackwolf 450 and honestly I prefer the 6p and I have a family of 4. We put two double mattresses in the 6p with a bit of room left for clothes. The Coleman also has a small vestibule we had a mat and shelves for medicine books sunblock etc. Takes me about 45mins to setup the 10p with a bit of mucking around the 6p about 20minutes.

This is the way, I did the same thing and regretted it. I guess you really have to experience it before you know. We have family of 4 and 6p was great.

I’ve used all kinds over the years. I currently have a 6 person Coleman car camping tent and my backpacking tents are all Big Agnes. If I go solo I use a 2p tent and a 3p tent when my wife tags along. We also use 25 inch wide sleeping pads.

Dude, my first two tents were coleman. Shit man, I still got them and they still work great. Oldest one close to 15 years. I went from a 4P Coleman to 6P Coleman when I had kids. So if you can get one in good condition or buy it.. go for it. I got my coleman sundome for like a 100 bucks. If you don't want a coleman, you can sang one of these from costco for a 100 bucks - https://www.costco.com/core-6-person-lighted-dome-tent.product.100892929.html Now a days I have a Marmot 6P, recognize that this is 500$ tent. Don't spend this kind of money for your first tent unless you have money to spare or plan on going a lot of camping. The difference between a 100$ tent vs a $500 tent are: - More indoor pockets - High quality tent poles - No snag YKK zippers - Easy to pack bag - better ventilation But from a core tent/sleeping POV, its the same. IF and WHEN you are ready to go backpacking, it would be good to invest in lighter smaller gear. A decent backpacking tent is pretty expensive.

I’ve had instant tents from core and Ozark Trail and a Coleman dome tent. Any will do fine for getting into camping. I always stress not spending a lot when you get started. I’ve known people to start camping then quit after a few times or decide to buy a camper or get into back packing inside. Go budget amid use as much stuff that you already have to start out