Coleman

Dark Room™ Skydome™ Camping Tent

Coleman Dark Room™ Skydome™ Camping Tent

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Overall

#345 in

Camping Tents

according to Reddit Icon Reddit

Sentiment score73% positive
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2
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Top Pros

Top Cons

Last updated: Jun 27, 2026

Reddit Reviews

Reddit Iconmanic-pixie-attorney
2 months ago

I can put up my 8 man Coleman Darkroom Sundome by myself in about 15 minutes. (I have to jump to attach the center hook). I’d recommend a 4 man Darkroom Skydome for what OP is looking for

8 months ago

Coleman 8 man Darkroom Skydome. The shorter rainfly works just fine. A tent doesn’t help you stay warm in cold months; they are not insulated.

3 months ago

Skydome is great. I have an 8 man darkroom I bring to festivals. It’s survived severe thunderstorms with no leaks without any guy outs. I can set it up myself, and there is 6 foot plus height

3 months ago

Exactly. Coleman is great, even if it isn’t fancy. If you’re not backpacking, Coleman is a good choice

6 months ago

My 8 man Skydome has kept me dry through multiple severe thunderstorms without additional waterproofing or even being guyed out (it’s my music festival tent.) Just set it up in the backyard and see how it does through a rainstorm.

4 months ago

Well, it’s probably not a “tent house” but a 6 or 8 man Coleman darkroom Skydome is a good tent, easy to set up, and durable and waterproof through storms. The Boy Scouts often use Coleman Sundomes because they are so durable.

8 months ago

I had a stoic madrone 4 and water came in through the floor. On the other hand, my 8 man darkroom Sundome keeps me totally dry in severe thunderstorms even though the rainfly doesn’t reach the ground. The tent body is also waterproof.

17 days ago

The Coleman Darkroom Skydome is a great festival tent, and cheap, and waterproof even with the shorter fly unless you get a defective one. I use an 8 man as my festival tent and everything stays dry even though I don’t guy out (so no one trips)

2 months ago

It’s decent, but you might consider the blackout version. Even without the “full fly” it’s still waterproof and the blackout feature helps me get more sleep

12 months ago

I didn’t bother to buy it after testing the instant tent in the rain. But my Sundome and Skydome are great in bad weather

5 months ago

Coleman Sundome and Skydome are cheap, easy to set up, and sufficient for all of my car camping needs

4 months ago

I would go with Coleman over CORE. The Sundome and Skydome are both pretty easy set up. I’d recommend a darkroom tent also.

about 2 months ago

Yes, a Coleman darkroom Sundome or Skydome will be very reliable

20 days ago

So does the Skydome. Go for a blackout version Just make sure nothing is touching the walls in the rain

16 days ago

The Coleman Sundome and Skydome are very easy to set up. I like the blackout variations. I can set up the 8 man Skydome in about 15 minutes by myself, but a 4 or 6 man would be even easier. They are very waterproof and there is a reason that they are very commonly used for scouting. If you buy from Amazon, check for a cheaper “used” version - it won’t be

Reddit IconITrCool
about 2 months ago

Four. - Cabela’s Alaskan Guide 8-person dome tent (my largest and strongest for sure) - Columbia Mammoth Creek 8-person cabin tent - Coleman Slydome 8-person tent with Darkroom rain fly - REI Half Moon SL3+ 4-person tent May also pick up a one-man bivvy, eventually. Also have an ENO hammock set.

about 2 months ago

Love it! It’s my workhorse tent! Easy to set up and tear down solo. The bag it came with was cheap and tore within a couple uses so I got a sturdy duffel to keep it in. I also like that you don’t have sunlight shining right into your face and also no headlights glaring at you at night in campgrounds.

about 1 month ago

I've got a Coleman SkyDome Darkroom tent (8-man model) that's super-easy to set up. I can do it solo within 20 minutes. As a 6'2" dude, it's nice having a tent that's tall enough to stand up in so I'm not craning my neck or crawling everywhere inside. If you need something smaller and portable, check out REI's Half Dome 3 tents. I've got one in the sky-blue color and it's pretty easy to set up quickly and pack away.

Reddit Icons_spectabilis
12 months ago

I have the coleman skydome 8 with 'dark room' covering. Our toddler needs pitch black, and the tent worked very well for that. We took heavy rain and even with the rainfly, the side corners leaked a little bit, like beads of moisture so my pillow got damp. Our dog also caught her leg while walking out of the porch and it ripped the fabric off the zipper for like 18 inches in the lower corner, it's pretty fragile.

Reddit Iconibelievetoo
4 months ago

Depends on the car you have. We have self inflating mattress from decathlon and a coleman 8p skydome. Everything else like the tarps, blankets, kitchen, cooler, water, firewood, misc stuff, etc all fit just enough in the car. If i change anything i would change my tent into a 8P darkroom instant/fast pitch tent from coleman. The darkroom tent should keep thing dark specially with the early sunrise here in canada. Also the fast pitch tent, i would spend less time installing the tent. The mattress have made a huge change, and i need to take better sleeping bags, but again not sure if all would fit in my car. To add.. The mattresses that i have are double and they fit in the 8p tent. So, if you are planning to get double mattress or even queen, you should go with a 8p tent. If your sleeping system is different, then yea, 6p may work.

4 months ago

Depends on the car you have. We have self inflating mattress from decathlon and a coleman 8p skydome. Everything else like the tarps, blankets, kitchen, cooler, water, firewood, misc stuff, etc all fit just enough in the car. If i change anything i would change my tent into a 8P darkroom instant/fast pitch tent from coleman. The darkroom tent should keep thing dark specially with the early sunrise here in canada. Also the fast pitch tent, i would spend less time installing the tent. The mattress have made a huge change, and i need to take better sleeping bags, but again not sure if all would fit in my car. To add.. The mattresses that i have are double and they fit in the 8p tent. So, if you are planning to get double mattress or even queen, you should go with a 8p tent. If your sleeping system is different, then yea, 6p may work.

Reddit Iconjeswesky
10 months ago

I have a variety of tents based in the situation I am camping in. Backpacking -REI half dome 2SL Car camping short trip - Ozark trail 6 person instant tent (used to have a core instant tent that was better quality. Started leaking on a trip after around 100 nights of use and did a quick replace at Walmart due to continued rain in the forecast. This is also the one I lend out to friends when needed.) Car camping longer trip - Coleman 8person skydome Car camping but walk in site of 1 mile or less Core 6 person dome tent with vestibule.

6 months ago

If you are car camping, go big on the tent. The space is great. I use a 6-8 person tent for myself and two dogs. I can fit a queen sized cot, side table, and double camp chair in the tent with plenty of space left over. Really nice when there is bad weather. Plus being able to stand up and move around in a tent is great. The exped megamat is one of the most comfortable sleeping pads you can get. I recommend putting it on a cot to get yourself further off the ground. I don’t bother with an electric cooler and just have a good Rotomolded cooler from Ozark trail. Can hold ice for a 5 day trip when packed correctly. For cooking I bring a Coleman stove and a tripod so I can good over the fire or on the stove depending on what I’m making. Between that and a cast iron pan and a pot I can make just about anything. I just bring my pillow from home. I’m by my car so space isn’t an issue. Especially since I switched to a minivan this year. Even with two large dogs along I have a ton of space to pack. I used to have a small sedan and packing was a bit more interesting in that. A roof bag came in handy. For water I bring a 7 gallon igloo container that I put under the table. I have a USB powered faucet and a hose runs down to the container. Works out great and so much easier to use. I get a lot of heat on sale, second hand, and from Sierra. My tents are Coleman and Ozark trail. The Ozark trail one is a 6 person instant tent that I bring if it’s a quicker trip and good weather. The Coleman is an 8 person but not instant. Has better weather resistance though so if rain is in the forecast I bring that one.

Reddit IconTheRealGuncho
2 months ago

Get the Coleman Skydome 8 man from Costco for $300.

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