How Big Are Pop Up Tents? (I Measured All 7)

I’ve been camping for over a decade and using pop up tents for 4 years, and I’ve bought 7 of them in that time. I measured every one of them myself rather than trusting the box.

Part 1 of 4

Camping pop up tents

Four things decide how big a camping pop up tent actually feels: the capacity, the peak height, the base area and whether it has a vestibule. Here are all four across my seven, smallest floor first.

Pop up tent	Capacity	Peak height	Length	Width	Base area	Vestibules
Teton 1-Person Vista Quick Tent	1-Person	33 in	6.67 ft	3.0 ft	20.0 sq ft	1
Fresh & Black 2-Person Tent	2-Person	38 in	6.75 ft	4.25 ft	28.7 sq ft	None
Quechua 2 Seconds 2-Person Tent	2-Person	39 in	6.83 ft	4.33 ft	29.6 sq ft	None
Coleman 2-Person Pop Up Tent	2-Person	32.5 in	7.58 ft	4.5 ft	34.1 sq ft	None
Teton 2-Person Vista Quick Tent	2-Person	40 in	6.92 ft	5.17 ft	35.7 sq ft	2
Fresh & Black 3-Person Tent	3-Person	39 in	6.75 ft	6.33 ft	42.8 sq ft	None
Coleman 4-Person Pop Up Tent	4-Person	39 in	9.08 ft	6.67 ft	60.6 sq ft	None

What the capacity number actually means

Manufacturers call a tent 4-person if 4 people fit shoulder to shoulder, with nothing spare for gear. So I recommend going 2 capacities up from your group size. So if you are camping with your partner, go for a 4-person tent.

My adviceThe Coleman 4-Person isn’t really a 4-person tent. Its base is oval rather than rectangular, so you lose space at the sides. I could fit 3 regular pads, not 4. Two adults very comfortably, or 2 adults and 2 kids.

Peak height, and what mattress fits

None of these let you stand up. The thin fiberglass poles can’t support that much height, so you get enough room to sit up and lounge and no more.

• 32.5 to 33 inThe Coleman 2-Person and Teton 1-Person. Use a sleeping pad no more than about 2 in thick.
• 38 to 40 inThe other five. A camping mattress up to about 6 in works.

The Teton 2-Person has the most headroom at 40 in. On a 6-inch airbed I could lie down and sit up comfortably with a couple of inches left over, though I’m 5’3” so I’m not exactly testing the limit.

Which brands are generous with floor space

Base area on paper doesn’t tell you everything, because shape matters. The Teton Quick Tents are the most generous of mine in practice.

The Teton 2-Person is also the only 2-person pop up tent of mine that takes a full-sized mattress. My almost-queen Vertex airbed fit with a few inches spare by the door, though a true 80 x 60 in queen would use all of it.

Vestibule space

Only the Teton Quick Tents have vestibules, and that space is on top of the base area in the table above.

Pop up tent	Vestibule length	Vestibule width	Vestibule area
Teton 1-Person Vista Quick Tent	6.67 ft	1 ft	3.33 sq ft
Teton 2-Person Vista Quick Tent	6.92 ft	1.25 ft	8.65 sq ft

Part 2 of 4

Instant camping tents

If a pop up tent is too small for you, this is where to look. Camping pop up tents top out around 4 to 6 people. Instant tents go to 10 to 12, because thick steel poles hold up far more fabric than thin fiberglass ones.

Instant tent	Capacity	Peak height	Base area
Outdoor Products 10-Person Instant Cabin	10-Person	77.5 in	135.8 sq ft
Coleman 10-Person Instant Dark Room	10-Person	73.5 in	135.7 sq ft

Both fit 10 regular sleeping pads, or 4 queen mattresses. Personally I’d put 4 to 6 people in one and enjoy the space.

My adviceIf you’re camping with family of 4 or more and still want a fast set up, get an instant tent rather than a pop up tent. For two people or fewer, a pop up tent is great.

Part 3 of 4

Privacy pop up tents

These come along on camping trips for changing, showering or bathroom needs rather than sleeping. Capacity is 1 to 2 people.

The floor is small, because it isn’t for sleeping. The peak height is the opposite, around 6 ft, because standing up is the entire point.

If you are tallDo check the peak height before buying. At 6 feet and over, not every privacy tent will fit you, including the one I own.

2-person privacy pop up tents exist too, though they’re not as common. I don’t own one, so I can’t tell you how they hold up.

Part 4 of 4

Canopy pop up tents

Canopies are the outlier here, because they aren’t for sleeping at all. Most run between 8 x 8 ft and 10 x 10 ft, and the largest go to about 10 x 30 ft.

They’re for dining, shade, hosting, even running a stall. What makes a good one is plenty of usable space underneath, good ventilation, and being easy to put up and take down.

I don’t own a canopy tent myself, so I’ve got no tested figures to give you on those.

If what you actually need is something to sleep in, go back to the camping pop up tents above. That’s where all my own testing is.

Common questions

Pop up tent size FAQs

How big is a 2-person pop up tent?

Mine range from 28.7 to 35.7 sq ft of base area, with peak heights of 32.5 to 40 in. The Teton 2-Person is the roomiest of them.

Can you stand up in a pop up tent?

No. The tallest of my seven peaks at 40 in. The thin fiberglass poles can’t support enough height to stand.

What size mattress fits in a pop up tent?

Up to about 6 in thick in the taller ones, and no more than 2 in in the Coleman 2-Person or Teton 1-Person. Only my Teton 2-Person takes an almost-queen mattress.

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Every dimension here was measured by me with a tape, on tents I bought with my own money. Nothing on this page is sponsored.