Coleman tents · Vs review

Coleman Sundome Tent V.S. Skydome Tent (I Tested BOTH!)

Coleman built the Skydome as an update to the classic Sundome. I own both, and ran 8 side-by-side tests to see whether it is one.

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My overall pick — more for the money
The author's Coleman Sundome Tent

Coleman SundomeThe classic

  • Set up8.5 min
  • Peak59 in
  • Base9 x 7 ft
  • Rain test30–35 min
AmazonDick’sColeman
Roomier, better door, better vented
The author's Coleman Skydome Tent

Coleman SkydomeThe update

  • Set up9.5 min
  • Peak59 in
  • Base8 x 7 ft
  • Rain test15 min
AmazonREI Co-opBackcountryColeman

The short answer

The Skydome fixes real things. The Sundome is still better value.

The Skydome has a little more headroom, a much better door, more storage and better ventilation. It also has less rain protection — mine leaked after 15 minutes against the Sundome's 30 to 35 — costs more, and isn't the quick pitch the bag claims. Until Coleman fixes that rainfly, the Sundome is the better value, and it's very inexpensive.

Side by side

Where they actually differ

Measured (4-person)SundomeSkydome
Set up (1 person)8.5 minutes9.5 minutes
Peak height59 inches59 inchesFeels roomier — pole clips
Dimensions9 by 7 feet8 by 7 feetA foot shorter
Sleeps4 pads or 1 queen4 pads or 1 queen
DoorStandard, 2 tie-back latches4 feet long, plus a door pocket
Pockets2Small2One split into 4
Gear lofts01
Lantern loops11
E-ports10
Mesh walls23
Windows21Front only
Heavy rain test30–35 minutesAbout 15 minutes
What I paidLessSuper inexpensiveMore
My published score7.8 / 106-person Sundome7.3 / 104-person Skydome

✓ = the better result, from my own testing. Every measured row is 4-person against 4-person. The score row is the exception: those are my full reviews of the 6-person Sundome and the 4-person Skydome, and the rain figure is from my 6-person Sundome.

Which applies to you?

Get this one if…

Get the Sundome if…

  • You want the rain protection — 30 to 35 minutes, not 15.
  • You want the bigger floor: 9 by 7 feet, not 8 by 7.
  • You want an e-port and a second window.
  • You want to spend less — it's the cheaper tent by a clear margin.

Get the Skydome if…

  • You want the much better door — 4 feet long, with a door pocket.
  • You want the storage: a split pocket and a gear loft.
  • You want the ventilation — 3 mesh walls, not 2.
  • You'll seam-seal it yourself and you camp in fair weather.
The author inside her Coleman Sundome Tent (left) and Coleman Skydome Tent (right).
My Sundome (left), my Skydome (right).
Video: Coleman Sundome vs Skydome

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

See the 8 tests
  1. Set Up
  2. Headroom
  3. Base Area
  4. Door
  5. Storage
  6. Ventilation
  7. Rain Protection
  8. Price

Set Up

Measured (4-person)SundomeSkydome
Set up (1 person)8.5 minutes9.5 minutes
PolesShort, snag-free sleevesPre-attached at the back only
Pole clipsNone14All clipped by hand
Marketed set-up—Under 5 minutesNot in my testing

The Skydome is sold as a quick pitch — pre-attached poles, fast-fitting feet, pole clips instead of sleeves. It isn't. The poles are only pre-attached at the back, so you still assemble the whole pole and then wrestle the other end into the fast-fitting feet, which is the hard part. Then you clip all 14 pole clips.

The Sundome's pole sleeves are short and genuinely snag-free. I put up even the 6-person version on my own without trouble.

Both tent body poles inserted into the pole sleeves of the author's Coleman Sundome 6 Tent.
The Sundome's sleeves — short and snag-free.
The pre-attached fiberglass poles of the author's Coleman Skydome Tent.
The Skydome's poles, pre-attached at the back only.
The author clipping the pole clips to the fiberglass poles at the front of her Coleman Skydome Tent.
Fourteen pole clips, all by hand.
The carry bag of the author's Coleman Skydome Tent, printed with a 5-minute set up and 20% more headroom.
What the bag promises.

Headroom

Measured (4-person)SundomeSkydome
Peak height59 inches59 inches
Feels roomierNoYesPole clips pull the body up and out

Identical peaks, but the Skydome does feel roomier — its top pole clips pull the tent body upward and outward. Coleman calls it 20% more headroom. I'm not convinced it's that much, but it's a real difference.

The pole clips at the top of the author's Coleman Skydome Tent.
These clips are what pull the walls outward.

Base Area

Measured (4-person)SundomeSkydome
Dimensions9 by 7 feet8 by 7 feetA foot shorter
Sleeping pads44Or 2 doubles, no room spare
Queen beds11Plenty of room spare

The update lost a foot of length. In practice both still take four regular pads or two doubles, or a single queen with room to spare — but the Sundome has the bigger floor.

Two double sleeping pads inside the author's Coleman Skydome 4 Tent.
Two doubles fill the Skydome.
A queen bed inside the author's Coleman Skydome 4 Tent.
A queen leaves room to spare.

Door

Measured (4-person)SundomeSkydome
Doors11
Door lengthStandard4 feet
Open door stows via2 tie-back latchesFumblyDoor pocketStuff it in and go

This is the Skydome's best idea. The door is big enough to walk through comfortably, and the pocket at the side swallows the fabric when it's open. Regular Coleman doors make you tie the fabric up with two latches, which is more fumbling every time.

The author tying up the door fabric of her Coleman Sundome 6 Tent to keep it open.
Tying the Sundome's door back.
The author ducking to get through the door of her Coleman Skydome Tent.
The Skydome's 4-foot door.

Storage

Measured (4-person)SundomeSkydome
Pockets2Small, whatever the tent size2One big one split into 4
Gear loft01
E-port10

Regular Sundomes get two small pockets no matter how big the tent is. My Skydome adds a large pocket split into four compartments and a gear loft at the top. It loses the e-port, though — all my Sundomes have one.

The e-port of the author's Coleman Sundome 2 Tent.
Every Sundome I own has an e-port.
The main pocket of the author's Coleman Skydome 4 Tent, split into four compartments.
The Skydome's split pocket.

Ventilation

Measured (4-person)SundomeSkydome
Mesh walls23
Mesh wall vents (fly on)2Plus a small ground vent3
Windows2You can look out with the fly on1Front only

Three big mesh walls beat two, both with the fly off and with it on, where they become mesh wall vents. The Sundome answers with a second window, so if you like the fly on and a view out, it's the better one — but on airflow the Skydome wins.

The author's Coleman Sundome 6 Tent with the rainfly off.
Two mesh walls on the Sundome.
The author lying inside her Coleman Skydome Tent without the rainfly.
Three on the Skydome.
The author inside her Coleman Sundome 2 Tent with the back window open.
The Sundome's second window.
The window at the front of the author's Coleman Skydome Tent, seen from outside.
The Skydome only has the front one.

Rain Protection

Measured (4-person)SundomeSkydome
Time to first leak30–35 minutesTested on my 6-person SundomeAbout 15 minutes
Rainfly coverageAbout a third of the bodyLong on 3 sides, short at the front
Shade over the doorAdequateNot enough — roof water drips inside

This is where the update goes backwards. The Sundome's fly covers about a third of the tent body and it held for 30 to 35 minutes under my hose. The Skydome's fly is decent on three sides but short at the front, and water was seeping into the flooring seam after 15 minutes.

There's a second problem: the Skydome's rainfly pole doesn't reach far enough over the door. Open the door in rain and the water sitting on the roof drips straight inside, which is just silly.

The author using a water hose to spray down her Coleman Sundome 6 Tent.
Hosing the Sundome.
The front of the author's Coleman Skydome Tent under heavy rain.
The Skydome's short front fly.
Water dripping straight into the author's Coleman Skydome Tent through the open door.
Open the Skydome's door in rain and this happens.

Price

Measured (4-person)SundomeSkydome
What I paidLessSuper inexpensiveMore

The Skydome is the dearer tent, and that's the last strike against it here.

My recommendation

The Skydome is a real improvement in places: a little more headroom from those pole clips, a much more user-friendly door and door pocket, better storage, better ventilation. I like all of that.

What I don't like is the rainfly pole that doesn't extend far enough over the front, the seam sealant I had to add myself, and the “quick pitch” that isn't. Until Coleman fixes the rain issue with a longer, better rainfly, the Sundome offers more value for money — especially at how little it costs.

Full reviews if you want the detail: the Sundome 6, the Sundome 2 and the Skydome 4.

Bonus: Before you buy either, read the post where I compare both of these against my other Coleman tents.

See all my Coleman tents

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

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