Coleman

Skydome XL

Coleman Skydome XL

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Overall

#464 in

Camping Tents

according to Reddit Icon Reddit

Sentiment score60% positive
3
1
1

Top Pros

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Last updated: Jun 26, 2026

Reddit Reviews

Reddit Icondummkauf
about 1 month ago

No screened in porch, but this is what I use when camping with 3 kids. https://www.coleman.com/camp-sports/tents-by-size/skydome-12-person-camping-tent-xl-blue-nights/SP_271281.html Can fit 4 full sized air mattresses on each end with room to spare, so I assume 4 queens will fit, and also leaves room in the middle to bring in chairs and one of my heavy duty Rubbermaid bins to use as a table when it rains. When the chairs aren't inside it leaves plenty of room to change clothes. Only drawback is it's too big for some camp sites, but given your requirements I assume size isn't a concern where you plan to camp. Also took 2 bottles of seam sealer to seal all the seams.

Reddit IconPeaches5893
6 months ago

Hot take, but one big tent is the right choice. The tent I grew up camping with was a 10 person dome tent from Cabela's. It was huge, a pain to set up and tear down, and indestructible. Fond memories of putting that tent up with my dad from a very young age, and it was very novel to sleep in one giant space with my parents, brother, dog, and whichever friends came along. It definitely taught me how to set up basically any tent without instructions and with an abundance of patience. Pick a dome tent without pole sleeves, only clips. The hardest part of large tents is getting the poles through any sleeves at the top of then tent, then making sure nothing snags as you're lifting it. Clip pole attachments don't have that problem, and you can lift the bulk of the tent in stages, which is convenient if you're setting up alone or with a tiny helper. The Coleman Skydome 12 person tent is currently available at Sierra for a good price and only has clips.

Reddit IconAshDogBucket
about 1 month ago

Honestly, my backpacking tent is only for backpacking. The #1 criteria for backpacking tents for me is lightweight. I have a 1- person REI brand lightweight backpacking tent that works just fine for me and my large dog. I'll never use it for car camping at campgrounds. For non backpacking - i have a 2 person Sierra designs tent, a 4- person made by Taurus, and a new 12- person made by Coleman. They are all for different types of excursions. I wouldn't use any of them backpacking unless my spouse were going with me, in which case we would share the weight. Or if I were just going out for one night and back the next day. A 25-50 mile backpack trip is no joke. Having a pack that's too heavy isn't great. Good luck!

Reddit Iconlax20attack
about 1 month ago

I just got the Coleman instant 5 minute setup. Pretty easy but a little heavy.

about 1 month ago

Really? I've never had an issue. I actually fold up my base tarp with it. My bag came with a white tear-away lining on the bottom that expands the bag.

Reddit IconAcingSpades
5 months ago

Sundome is much lower quality than the other options. If you're looking at Coleman, step up to at least the Skydome. Funny enough I was going to recommend the Basecamp. Ventilation isn't great with the fly on but that's very common with cheap tents. I like wooded campsites anyway where you can angle the mesh portions of the tent into the trees and keep the non-mesh facing the walkway for privacy. Kelty kinda owns the cheap-but-mostly-quality space. The Discovery Trail 3P is very meshy which helps with ventilation but still a lack of fly vents. If you can stretch the budget or find a good sale, the Kelty Rumpus 4 is a killer deal. Lots of ventilation, vented fly, and a great vestibule that you can keep wide open to help with ventilation. The Teton looks fine. I like the look of the higher denier fabric and vented fly. Teton has historically been a cheap crap brand but they've really made some improvements in the last few years. I don't love that their "lifetime warranty" explicitly mentions that things like bent poles are considered normal wear. The marmot is an excellent option if you can get it at a good price and you're genuinely okay with a 2p.

6 months ago

Skydome is a worthy upgrade over the sundome and flatwoods. Several different variations of skydome so you should be able to find one on sale somewhere. 6 person is usually the minimum person size to get standing height.

Reddit Iconbedlamnbreakfast
5 months ago

I am also in a family of 4 and have always appreciated a larger tent. This was especially the case when the kids were young. You might even want to consider 8-person tent. Plenty of room for the family and gear. Skydome is good but, IMO, not as durable as I would like. The Wawona is good. I have an REI Base Camp 6. It is easy to set up between two people very wind resistant.

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