Camping On A Car

Types Of Rooftop Tents

The tents in our review are categorized in several different ways and will have more than one descriptor. Your rooftop tent will either be a fold-out or a pop-up, and it will be either a hardshell or softshell. Clamshell tents like the Roofnest Falcon are pop-up hardshells that open on one side instead of both.

• Fold-out

  Fold-out tents like the iKamper Skycamp 2.0 feature a base panel and an extension panel connected with a hinge mechanism. During transit, the extension panel rests upside-down on top of the base panel. You’ll need to flip out the extension panel to convert this into a tent, typically using the attached ladder. There are several advantages to opting for a fold-out tent: they are spacious, can accommodate skylight windows, and by extending out past the vehicle, their ladder does not block the vehicle’s doors.

• Pop-up

  Pop-up tents like the James Baroud Evasion resemble cargo boxes and open up vertically rather than folding out. Although their ladder often blocks the vehicle’s doors, they can also often be entered from multiple sides, boast supersonic deployment times, and afford extensive views from all four sides.

• Softshell

  These resemble traditional camping tents when deployed and are wrapped with a rugged travel cover during transit. Softshell tents are less aerodynamic than hardshells but are often significantly less expensive.

• Hardshell

  These are amongst the most expensive RTTs, but for a good reason. Their plastic or fiberglass roofs make them ideal for transit. Their shells are also integrated into the converted tent for additional weather resistance and quicker deployment, as there is no need to stow away or roll up the travel cover.
  

How We Judged

To determine the ratings and awards for the 10 tents in our review, we scored them based on four different credentials—comfort, ease of installation, ease of conversion, and durability/weather resistance—that we consider crucial for top performance.

• Comfort

  This may be one of the most important factors when determining your choice of tents. The comfort that your tent can deliver comes down to several elements. The first is interior space: How much square footage and headroom does the tent provide, and will this be an appropriate amount of space for the advertised capacity? The verticality of the walls also comes into play here. Pop-up tents tend to have less headroom, but their walls are also straight up and down, contributing to the interior volume. A clamshell pop-up will have a large degree of headroom on one side, but this number will dramatically drop off as you move toward the hinge of the shell.

  We then move on to the tent’s walls and examine the windows and doors to evaluate how easy it is to access your tent and what views it affords. With specific regard to rooftop tents, certain models may have more versatile layouts that enable them to be accessed from multiple doorways. In contrast, others are designed to be accessed only one way. Being able to mount your ladder on multiple sides will boost convenience when you park at your campsite, as you won’t need to be overly concerned about how your vehicle is oriented.

  Once you’re inside your tent, it’s also important that you’re able to enjoy some excellent views. While pop-up tents can’t accommodate the skylight windows that you’ll find on fold-outs, they can deliver 360° views. Another vital factor is ventilation, which can often be satisfied by an abundance of windows but may also require additional vents near the top of the tent (along with opening the mesh skylight windows underneath the rainfly) when the weather gets rainy and the windows need to be shut.

  One deciding factor unique to rooftop camping tents is your sleeping accommodations. Any rooftop tent that you purchase should include some form of integrated memory-foam mattress. These can deliver varying degrees of comfort that may also depend upon the size of the camper and their preferred sleeping style (side sleepers tend to need just a bit more cushioning). Several of these mattresses are exceedingly comfortable, while others that are overly thin may have you missing your home bed rather soon unless you opt to supplement some of the cushioning with an additional egg crate or mattress pad.

  We also examine what kind of storage options are available. Most tents will feature some form of storage pockets on the interior walls, but you will also find storage nets on the ceiling and boot bags that can be hung outside the tent. Additional comfort features that may be included in your RTT are interior lights or even ventilation fans, along with an exterior awning or annex.

• Ease of conversion

  We’ve provided an estimated setup time for each tent in our review, i.e., how long it will take to convert your tent from travel mode to camping mode. All of our tents should be capable of becoming camp-ready in 5-minutes or less, with some boasting sub-60-second deployment times. Pop-up tents will typically boast the fastest conversion times, while fold-outs require a few additional steps.

• Ease of installation

  While not the most substantial factor, it’s still important to consider how easy or difficult it may be to mount and dismount the tent from your vehicle’s crossbars or roof rack. We also must analyze the steps required to prepare your tent upon first purchase. Many of our hardshell tents are essentially ready to go out of the box, while others will require some assembly. A handful of these tents will need to have mounting rails installed, with multiple orientations depending upon how you would prefer to mount it on your car (“off the side” or “off the back”). Remember that every tent in our review will require at least two people to safely lift it onto your vehicle’s crossbars.

• Durability & weatherproofing

  For each tent in our review, we’ve listed the materials used for the floor, canopy, the rainfly, and the hardshell where applicable. Given the significant price tag associated with these tents, you must be confident in their build quality and ability to handle Mother Nature’s many curveballs. Not only should your tent’s fabrics be capable of tackling wind and rain, but they should also feature ample ventilation for stifling summer days.

Other Important Factors

• Optional extras

  Many of these tents come with a handful of accessories to improve your camping experience. Options abound in the world of RTTs, as many can be outfitted with awnings and annexes or additional storage options. Some have even more exotic offerings like solar panels and supplemental insulation.

• The bottom line

  When considering all of these categories mentioned above, we must then analyze how these factors contribute to the product’s overall value when considering its price compared to comparable products. Essentially, we’re determining how much bang you’re getting for your buck or if the product’s low price isn’t worth the associated pitfalls. If we feel that a similar tent gives you more for your money (or more for less money), we’ll be sure to tell you.

Finding The Right Rooftop Tent

Best of the Rest

iKamper Skycamp Mini

Roofnest Sparrow

Roofnest Falcon

Thule Tepui Explorer Autana 3

Front Runner Roof Top Tent

Roofnest Condor XL

Best Overall Rooftop Tent

Roofnest continues to set a high standard for rooftop camping with the Condor XL, a roomy RTT in a sleek package. This fold-out hardshell RTT has a roomy interior, a lightning-fast deployment system, and an aerodynamic structure, along with a plush integrated mattress and some clever extras that up the appeal. At $3,495, the Roofnest Condor XL is a direct competitor to the $3,899 iKamper Skycamp 2.0, with an eerily similar design but at a slightly lower price point. Its attractive features, premium build quality, and competitive price were enough for us to name the Condor XL our Best Overall Rooftop Tent.

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iKamper Skycamp 2.0

(Runner-Up) Best Overall Rooftop Tent

The iKamper Skycamp 2.0 combines the ruggedness of a hardshell RTT with the spaciousness of a fold-out and can accommodate either 3 adults or 2 adults and 2 small children. At $3,899, the iKamper SkyCamp 2.0 is a sizeable investment as far as RTTs go. It’s the second most expensive on our 2021 list, and more than one of its competitors can be purchased for less than a third of the price of the iKamper. However, the Skycamp 2.0 implements several user-friendly design features that go a long way toward justifying its price, which is why we named it Runner-Up for Best Overall Rooftop Tent.

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Thule Tepui Explorer Kukenam 3

Best Bang for Your Buck

The Thule Tepui Explorer Kukenam 3, often just called the Tepui Kukenam 3, is a fold-out softshell with a three-person capacity. At $1,899.95, it is significantly less expensive than its hardshell counterparts. It’s built to last thanks to its high-quality materials and construction. The interior is spacious, and the mattress is comfortable. Most of all, the price feels quite appropriate for its value. While we did find that the initial installation and conversion took just a bit more work than some other tents, these are rather negligible qualms in the grand scheme of things and would not deter us from purchasing this tent. For those campers who aren’t fixated on having a hardshell, the Kukenam 3 may just be one of the best RTTs on the market. As such, it was the natural choice for our “Best Bang for Your Buck” Award.

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James Baroud Evasion

Best 2-Person Rooftop Tent

When only the best will do, there’s one name you can be sure to count on in the world of RTTs: James Baroud. One of our favorite offerings in the James Baroud lineup is the Evasion, a pop-up hardshell that will accommodate 2 adults and one child. They say you can’t put a price tag on quality, but at $4,149.95, the Evasion certainly tries. For those that plan to spend a great deal of time in their RTT, this could very well be money well spent, but it’s far from the most economical choice for casual campers. Despite the substantial price tag, there was simply no other product compared to the Evasion, which is why we named it our Best 2-Person Rooftop Tent.

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Smittybilt Overlander

Best Budget Rooftop Tent

For those interested in venturing into the world of RTTs but don’t want to break the bank with a $3K investment, Smittybilt offers a more budget-conscious option that won’t leave you regretting your choice. At $1,190.99, the Smittybilt Overlander is a 3P fold-out softshell that offers many of the same comforts you’ll find with comparable Tepui models at roughly half the price. Although the Overlander is not without its flaws, it also includes a handful of unique features to up its appeal. Its solid construction makes it more than capable of lasting countless seasons. We loved the Smittybilt Overlander (and its LED light strip) so much that we bestowed it with our Best Budget RTT Award.

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Best of the Rest

iKamper Skycamp Mini

The iKamper Skycamp Mini is an attractive option for camping couples or even solo campers that don’t own a large SUV. Its aerodynamic hardshell design provides extra protection from the elements. It improves gas mileage while closed, while the fold-out design is an innovative feature that both saves space during transit and deals more out while camping. However, iKamper is not the only player in the RTT game, and there are several competitive alternatives worth considering. Although we didn’t love the price point of the Skycamp Mini, we were enamored with its design and build quality. It would be a welcome addition to our next camping retreat.

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Roofnest Sparrow

For two-person camping, you simply can’t go wrong with the Roofnest Sparrow, a pop-up hardshell retailing for $3,095. Although this tent was not without its flaws, we were still very impressed with its user-friendly design. It boasts a quick setup, a comfortable interior, and the sort of durability you’d expect from a pop-up hardshell. It’s also the least expensive hardshell RTT in our review without compromising on features or build quality. While we would like to see some improvements to the awnings or the addition of an optional annex, there was nothing about the Sparrow that would inspire us to spend an additional $400 on the iKamper Skycamp Mini or an extra $1,000 on the James Baroud Evasion.

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Roofnest Falcon

Along with Roofnest’s pop-up hardshell, the Sparrow, and the fold-out hardshell, the Condor, RTT company Roofnest also has a third design in its Falcon series. This pop-up clamshell tent is built for rugged adventuring and can comfortably accommodate two campers. At $3,495, it’s certainly not a frugal investment, as there are several other hardshell RTTs at slightly lower price points and countless softshell tents at a significantly lower cost. We loved the versatility and build quality of the Falcon, but we still aren’t sure if the price tag is justifiable. Its rugged construction and crossbar compatibility make it a great companion for kayakers and cyclists. However, tamer solo campers may find some of these features to be a tad overkill, given the Falcon’s hefty price tag. To those people, we’d recommend the Sparrow EYE, which has a similar design and a slightly smaller interior for $400 less than the Falcon.

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Thule Tepui Explorer Autana 3

The Thule Tepui Autana 3 has everything we’ve come to love from Tepui RTTs. It is well-built with a comfortable interior and a rugged exterior that can handle anything that Mother Nature throws at it. Its extended canopy entrance with removable annex provides extra protection and privacy, so although it does cost a bit more than other fold-out softshells, there’s also a lot of value attached to the price tag. The covered ladder is also an excellent boost to the overall weather protection, even if it does add a bit of time to the conversion process. Our only real issue with the Autana 3 is that most of the things we loved about it can also be found in the Thule Tepui Explorer Kukenam 3, all for $400 less. If these are a huge selling point for you, the Autana 3 would make an excellent purchase.

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Front Runner Roof Top Tent

If you’re in the market for a rooftop tent that’s easy on your wallet and your vehicle’s roof rack, Front Runner may just have you covered. At only 93 lbs and $1,099, the Front Runner Roof Top Tent is both the lightest and least expensive RTT in our 2021 review. This fold-out softshell will accommodate up to 3 people and converts quickly from travel mode to camp mode. However, we did encounter issues with its build quality and comfort. These two factors weigh heavily into a substantial purchase like a rooftop tent. When you’re spending over $1,000 on a piece of camping equipment, there’s a certain point where pinching pennies can be more trouble than it’s worth, and such may be the case with the Front Runner. If given a choice, we’d be more likely to spend an extra $90 on the Smittybilt Overlander, which has a similar design but is exponentially more rugged.

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