Coleman tents · Vs review
Coleman Pop Up Tent V.S. Skydome Tent (I Tested Both Tents!)
Both 4-person, both mine, run through 9 side-by-side tests.
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The short answer
Pop Up for a fair-weather backyard. Skydome for actual camping.
The Pop Up 4 is up in 1.5 minutes and away in 2, and nothing else Coleman makes comes close. Past that it isn't a great tent: 20 inches less headroom, one pocket, no vents at all, no bathtub floor, and it's 50% bulkier packed. The Skydome 4 is the better tent by a distance — and it packs far smaller despite weighing 2.2 lbs more.
Side by side
Where they actually differ
| Measured (4-person) | Pop Up | Skydome |
|---|---|---|
| My score | 6.9 / 10 | 7.3 / 10 |
| Set up (1 person) | 1.5 minutes15 seconds to pop open | 9.5 minutes |
| Pack up | 2 minutes | 7–10 minutes |
| Peak height | 39 inchesSitting only; 6-inch mattress max | 59 inchesAlmost standing |
| Base area | 60.6 square feetOval — 3 pads max | 54.2 square feetFits 4 pads |
| Door length | 41 inchesTie-up latches | 48 inchesDoor pocket |
| Pockets | 1Split in 2, 17 by 8 inches | 2One split in 4, 24 by 7 inches |
| Gear lofts | 0 | 1 |
| Lantern loops | 0 | 1 |
| E-port | 0 | 0 |
| Vents | 0 | 3 mesh wall vents |
| Heavy rain test | About 10 minutes | About 15 minutes |
| Bathtub flooring | None | 6.5 inches |
| Weight | 8.2 lbs | 10.4 lbs |
| Packed size | 36 x 36 x 2.5 inches50% bulkier | 25 x 9 x 9 inches |
✓ = the better result, from my own testing of both tents. Both leak through a flooring seam first; seam-seal the Skydome's and it should manage a couple of hours of heavy rain.
Which applies to you?
Get this one if…
Get the Skydome 4 if…
- You want headroom — 59 inches against 39.
- You want it to pack small: 25 x 9 x 9 inches, not a 36-inch disc.
- You want ventilation — 3 mesh wall vents against none.
- You want storage: 2 pockets, a gear loft and a lantern loop.
Get the Pop Up 4 if…
- You want it up in 15 seconds and packed in 2 minutes.
- You're camping in the backyard in fair weather.
- You want the lighter tent: 8.2 lbs against 10.4.
- You'll sleep 3, not 4 — the oval base won't take a fourth pad.
Set Up
| Measured (4-person) | Pop Up | Skydome |
|---|---|---|
| Pops open in | 15 seconds | — |
| Total set up | 1.5 minutes | 9.5 minutes |
| Pole clips | None | 148 front, 6 back |
The Pop Up is the easiest Coleman tent to pitch, full stop: out of the bag, strap off, throw it, and it opens with the rainfly attached. Fifteen seconds, plus a minute and a quarter of staking and guying.
The Skydome's poles are pre-attached at the back only, so you still assemble both poles, fight the other end into the fast-fitting feet, clip 14 pole clips, then attach and guy the fly. 9.5 minutes — about the same as a regular Sundome, and nowhere near the Pop Up.
Pack Up
| Measured (4-person) | Pop Up | Skydome |
|---|---|---|
| Pack up | 2 minutesFold to a taco, fold the taco | 7–10 minutesFaster if you remove the bag's bottom strip |
The Pop Up folds into a taco and then the taco folds down — two minutes once you've done it a few times. The Skydome needs folding in half three times, rolling, folding the fly, then squeezing it all back in.
Peak Height
| Measured (4-person) | Pop Up | Skydome |
|---|---|---|
| Peak height | 39 inchesSitting only | 59 inchesAlmost standing |
| Thickest mattress I'd use | 6 inches | — |
Twenty inches apart. In the Pop Up my head touched the roof sitting upright on a 6-inch airbed, so that's about the ceiling. In the Skydome I can almost stand.
Tent Base
| Measured (4-person) | Pop Up | Skydome |
|---|---|---|
| Base area | 60.6 square feetOval | 54.2 square feet |
| Regular sleeping pads | 3The oval won't take a fourth | 4No room left for gear |
| Queen bed | Yes80 x 56 inches, room to spare | YesRoom to spare |
The Pop Up has six more square feet on paper and fits one fewer sleeping pad, because its base is an oval and the corners are dead space. Both take a queen bed with room left for gear.
Door
| Measured (4-person) | Pop Up | Skydome |
|---|---|---|
| Doors | 1 | 1 |
| Door length | 41 inches | 48 inches |
| Open door stows via | Latches at the topFumbly | Door pocket |
The Skydome's door is a full four feet long and has a pocket at the side to stuff the fabric into. The Pop Up's is several inches shorter and you tie it up with latches, which takes more fumbling every time.
Storage
| Measured (4-person) | Pop Up | Skydome |
|---|---|---|
| Pockets | 1Split in 2, 17 by 8 inches | 2One split in 4, 24 by 7 inches |
| Gear loft | 0 | 1 |
| Lantern loop | 0I hung mine off a door latch | 1On the gear loft |
The Skydome has a pocket behind the door pocket, a second split into four compartments, a gear loft, and a lantern loop on top of it. The Pop Up has one pocket and no lantern loop at all — I ended up hanging my lantern off a door latch.
Ventilation
| Measured (4-person) | Pop Up | Skydome |
|---|---|---|
| Mesh walls | Ceiling mesh only | 3Plus a window |
| Vents with the fly on | 0 | 3 mesh wall vents |
| Windows that open | 0The one window is part of the door | 1Crack it open if there's no wind |
This is the widest gap of the lot. The Skydome has three big mesh walls plus a window, and with the fly on those become three mesh wall vents that keep working in heavy rain. The Pop Up has ceiling mesh, one window that's part of the door, and no vents whatsoever — so with the door shut, no ventilation at all.
Heavy Rain Test
| Measured (4-person) | Pop Up | Skydome |
|---|---|---|
| Time to first leak | About 10 minutes5–10 min of light-to-moderate rain | About 15 minutes |
| Where it leaked | Taped floor seam | Un-taped flooring seam at the front |
| Bathtub flooring | None | 6.5 inches |
Neither is a storm tent, but the Pop Up is the weakest Coleman tent I own in heavy rain. My 4-person leaked through the taped seam after just 5 to 10 minutes of light-to-moderate rain; my 2-person was completely soaked through after 15 minutes of heavy rain — door pouring water, seam leaking, all the fabric wet, even the underside of the rainfly.
The Skydome's fly is long on three sides and short at the front, which is where it went at 15 minutes, through the inverted un-taped flooring seam. Seal that seam and it should take a couple of hours. It also has a 6.5-inch bathtub floor; the Pop Up has none.
Weight & Packed Size
| Measured (4-person) | Pop Up | Skydome |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 8.2 lbs | 10.4 lbs |
| Packed size | 36 x 36 x 2.5 inchesA 3-foot disc, 50% bulkier | 25 x 9 x 9 inches |
The Pop Up is the lighter tent by 2.2 pounds and the far more awkward one to carry — it packs into a three-foot circle, 50% bulkier than the Skydome's ordinary bag.
My recommendation
I love how fast the Pop Up goes up and comes down — one to two minutes, tops. There isn't much else to say for it: much lower peak height, storage is lacking, ventilation isn't great, it's bulky, and it's my weakest Coleman tent in heavy rain.
The Skydome isn't the 5-minute quick pitch its bag claims, but the set up and pack up are still simple, the door is genuinely user-friendly, storage beats an average Coleman tent, ventilation is very good, and it handles heavy rain well once you add a little seam sealant.
If you want a fast pitch for fair-weather backyard camping, the Pop Up will do fine. Otherwise you're better off with the Skydome. Full reviews: the Pop Up 4 and the Skydome 4.
Bonus: Before you buy either, read the post where I compare both of these against more than 10 other Coleman tents.
Every figure on this page comes from my own measurements of the tents I bought and tested.
