Coleman tents · Vs review

Coleman Sundome Tent 6-Person V.S. 4-Person V.S. 2-Person (TESTED!)

I own the 6-person and the 2-person. 7 side-by-side tests, with every 4-person figure marked as the estimate it is.

This page contains affiliate links, and that means that I may earn a commission if you buy something, at no extra cost to you. You can find my full disclosure policy here.

My recommendation
The author's Coleman Sundome 6 Tent

Coleman Sundome 6Stand-up headroom

  • Set up11.5 min
  • Peak74.5 in
  • Base area92.6 sq ft
  • Weight16.0 lbs
AmazonDick’sColeman
Quickest and lightest
The author's Coleman Sundome 2 Tent

Coleman Sundome 2Lightest and cheapest

  • Set up5.5 min
  • Peak48.5 in
  • Base area32.1 sq ft
  • Weight6.4 lbs
AmazonColeman

The short answer

Get the 6-person, unless weight or price rules it out.

All three Sundomes are the same tent in three sizes, same 2 windows, 1 door, 3 vents, 2 pockets, 1 lantern loop, 1 e-port. The Sundome 2 wins on every portability measure: quickest up, lightest, smallest, cheapest. But only the Sundome 6 lets me stand upright: 74.5 inches at the peak, and 92.6 square feet that swallows two queen beds. That's the difference that decides it for me.

Side by side

Where they actually differ

MeasuredSundome 6Sundome 4Sundome 2
Set up (1 person)11.5 minutesAbout 8.5 minutesEstimated5.5 minutes
Take down10 minutesAbout 7.5 minutesEstimated5 minutes
Peak height74.5 inchesI can stand uprightAbout 59 inchesEstimated48.5 inchesKneeling only
Length9 feet 8 inches8 feet 8 inches6 feet 9 inches
Width9 feet 7 inches6 feet 9 inches4 feet 9 inches
Base area92.6 square feet6 pads or 2 queens58.5 square feet4 pads or 1 queen32.1 square feet2 pads or 1 queen
Weight16.0 lbsAbout 10.0 lbsEstimated6.4 lbs
Packed size27 x 12 x 9.5 inchesNot measuredEstimated24 x 9 x 6 inchesThe 6 packs 2.5x bigger
Windows / doors / vents2 / 1 / 32 / 1 / 32 / 1 / 3
Pockets / loops / e-ports2 / 1 / 12 / 1 / 12 / 1 / 1
What I paidAbout $100In betweenUnder $50
My published score7.8 / 10Not reviewedEstimated7.5 / 10

✓ = the better result, from my own testing of the 6-person and the 2-person. I do not own a Sundome 4. Every figure in that column is either Coleman's marketed number or my own estimate from the tents either side of it, and is marked as such.

Which applies to you?

Get this one if…

Get the Sundome 6 if…

  • You want to stand up: 74.5 inches at the peak.
  • You want the space: 92.6 square feet, 6 pads or 2 queens.
  • The tent lives in a car, so 16.0 lbs doesn't matter.
  • You'll pay about $100 for it.

Get the Sundome 4 if…

  • You want the middle ground: 58.5 square feet, 4 pads.
  • You accept you still can't stand up at about 59 inches.
  • You want a weight and price between the other two.
  • You're fine with estimated figures. I haven't tested this one.

Get the Sundome 2 if…

  • You're carrying it: 6.4 lbs and 24 x 9 x 6 inches.
  • You want it up in 5.5 minutes and away in 5.
  • You want the cheapest. I paid under $50.
  • You'll sleep on a 4-inch pad, not a 9-inch airbed.
The author in her Coleman Sundome 6 Tent (left) and her Coleman Sundome 2 Tent (right).
My Sundome 6 (left), my Sundome 2 (right).
Video: Coleman Sundome 6 vs 4 vs 2

If you prefer watching to reading, check out my video here instead.

See the 7 tests
  1. Set Up
  2. Take Down
  3. Peak Height
  4. Base Area
  5. Weight & Packed Size
  6. Other Features
  7. Price

Set Up

MeasuredSundome 6Sundome 4Sundome 2
Set up (1 person)11.5 minutesAbout 8.5 minutesEstimated5.5 minutes
Extra parts vs the 24 pole clips, 1 stake loop, 4 guylines——

The pitch is almost identical whatever the size. The 6-person just has more of it: four extra pole clips, an extra stake loop under the door, and four extra guylines. That's the six minutes.

The author securing the rainfly to the top of her Coleman Sundome 6 Tent.
Securing the 6's rainfly.
The author guying out her Coleman Sundome 2 Tent.
The 2 takes half as long.

Take Down

MeasuredSundome 6Sundome 4Sundome 2
Take down + pack10 minutesAbout 7.5 minutesEstimated5 minutes

The reverse of the set up, and it scales the same way.

The author packing up her Coleman Sundome 2 Tent.
Packing the 2 away.

Peak Height

MeasuredSundome 6Sundome 4Sundome 2
Peak height74.5 inchesStanding, with headroom to spareAbout 59 inchesEstimated48.5 inchesSitting or kneeling
Thickest mattress I'd use9 inchesAnd still stand on it—4 inches9 inches feels much tighter

I'm 5'3" (160 cm). In the 6-person I stand upright with plenty of room left above me. I can stand on a 9-inch airbed and still have headroom. In the 2-person I can sit or kneel and that's it.

For the 4-person, Coleman quotes about 59 inches, and that matches what I measured across my other 4-person tents: Skydome 59 inches, Carlsbad 60, Instant 61. I couldn't stand up in any of them.

The author standing under the peak height of her Coleman Sundome 6 Tent, reaching the top with her arm.
Standing easily in the 6.
The author kneeling under the peak height of her Coleman Sundome 2 Tent.
Kneeling is the ceiling in the 2.
The author standing upright on a sleeping pad inside her Coleman Sundome 6 Tent with her arms stretched out.
Standing and stretching out in the 6.
The author squashed against the side of her Coleman Sundome 2 Tent while inflating a queen mattress.
Inflating a queen mattress inside the 2-Person Sundome Tent can be a pain.

Base Area

MeasuredSundome 6Sundome 4Sundome 2
Marketed10 by 10 feet9 by 7 feet7 by 5 feet
Measured9 ft 8 in x 9 ft 7 in8 ft 8 in x 6 ft 9 inEstimated6 ft 9 in x 4 ft 9 in
Base area92.6 square feet58.5 square feet32.1 square feet
Sleeping pads642
Queen beds21Lots of room spare1Right up against the walls

Every one of them runs a few inches under its marketed size. That's normal for Coleman. Even so, the 6-person took six regular pads or two almost-queen mattresses, the 2-person took two pads or one queen with the sides touching the walls.

Two queen beds inside the author's Coleman Sundome 6 Tent.
Two queens in the 6.
The author's Exped MegaMat Duo 10, 74 by 43 inches, inside her Coleman Sundome 2 Tent with a few inches of space around it.
A double pad in the 2, inches to spare.
Six regular sleeping pads laid out inside the author's Coleman Sundome 6 Tent.
Six pads in the 6-person.

Weight & Packed Size

MeasuredSundome 6Sundome 4Sundome 2
Weight16.0 lbsAbout 10.0 lbsEstimated6.4 lbs
Packed size27 x 12 x 9.5 inchesAbout 2.5x the 2-personNot measuredEstimated24 x 9 x 6 inches

Two and a half times the weight from smallest to largest, and the 6-person's bag is roughly two and a half times the volume of the 2-person's. I never measured a 4-person, so I'm not going to guess at one.

The author carrying her packed-up Coleman Sundome 2 Tent.
6.4 lbs is a one-hand carry.
The author's packed Coleman Sundome 6 Tent beside her packed Coleman Sundome 2 Tent and a 32-ounce Nalgene bottle.
Sundome 6, Sundome 2, Nalgene for scale.

Other Features

MeasuredSundome 6Sundome 4Sundome 2
Windows / doors / vents2 / 1 / 32 / 1 / 32 / 1 / 3
Pockets / loops / e-ports2 / 1 / 12 / 1 / 12 / 1 / 1

Identical across the range, which is the surprise. I expected the 6-person to get more pockets and more lantern loops for its extra 60 square feet. It doesn't.

The author measuring the dimensions of a pocket inside her Coleman Sundome 6 Tent.
Same two pockets, whatever the size.

Price

MeasuredSundome 6Sundome 4Sundome 2
What I paidAbout $100In betweenEstimatedUnder $50

Under $50 for the 2-person, about $100 for the 6-person, and the 4-person sits between them when I checked.

My recommendation

If weight, packed size and price aren't issues for you, I recommend the 6-person Sundome over both smaller ones. Standing upright at the peak is one thing; being able to stand on a thick air mattress, stretch out and even bounce around with headroom left is another. It feels genuinely roomy.

I couldn't stand upright in the 4-person or the 2-person, and both felt tight because of it. That's the biggest factor in my call. If you're carrying the tent or watching the budget, the 2-person is quicker, lighter, smaller and cheaper. Just go in knowing you'll be kneeling.

The Sundome 2 also has a pop-up rival. I compared them in my Pop Up vs Sundome comparison.

Full reviews: the Sundome 6 and the Sundome 2. I haven't bought a Sundome 4, so I haven't reviewed one.

Bonus: Before you buy, see how these Sundomes compare against more than 10 other Coleman tents in the post where I bought and tested the best Coleman tents.

See all my Coleman tents

Every figure on this page comes from my own measurements of the tents I bought and tested.

Similar Posts