South African brand Alphago has made a name for itself in rugged, explore-anywhere camping trailers that haul big, inflatable living spaces up above. A small-packing, insta-inflatable tent seems a natural extension of that product area expertise, and the company outdoes itself with The Cube. The stretched, oversized glamping tent features an air tube frame designed to inflate within minutes at the push of a button. Want to make a cube city? Simply zip multiple tents together into a sprawling air-beam compound.
We at first mistook the new Cube tent as a rebadged version of the French-designed Exod Air Station Pod-01, but while there are some undeniable similarities between the two, Alphago's take on a big, inflatable camping hut also has some bits that distinguish it from Exod's. The most noticeable of those is The Cube's larger, breezier form factor loaded with oversized-porthole windows between each air beam frame member of the sidewalls. Exod's tent has only two such windows.
Part of the reason for the extra windows is that, while quite similar in style, The Cube measures in more than 50% larger than the Pod-01 in terms of floor space. At 2.5 m wide by 3 m deep (8.2 x 9.8 ft), it has a floor area of 7.5 square meters (81 sq ft), compared to the Pod-01's 4.2 sq m (45 sq ft).
That floor, plus a 6.6-foot (2-m) height, give the Cube loads more interior space to work with, and Alphago likes to envision the tent as an open-air cabana-style shelter with all the windows and doors flung open and, often, with an interior kitted out as a roomy solo/couple's base station with tall inflatable day bed, nightstand and desk.
As for more conventional on-the-ground overnighting, Alphago doesn't list an estimated capacity, but using the 20 sq ft (1.9 sq m) per person allotment Kampgrounds of America and other sources suggest as a minimum, you'll get about four people in there comfortably before things start feeling more claustrophobic than they should in a large, vertically walled 2-m-high glamping inflatable.
The Cube looks intimidating to set up from afar, but it actually couldn't be simpler ... or faster. At just under 32 kg (71 lb), the full kit can be carried to the pitch spot by one or two people in the included duffel bag. A single person can easily set it up by unraveling the floor, closing all the extra air valves, and staking it out before simply securing the electric pump included in the "Pro" package. He or she can then go about unloading the car or setting up other parts of base camp while the tent inflates into form on its own, a process Alphago says takes about four minutes.
From there, it's just a matter of unrolling the integrated front awning and supporting it with the two poles and guy lines, assuming you want it set up. Otherwise, you can just dive into the tent, adjust the windows to your liking and spend the night (or afternoon) in comfort.
Each of the large circular windows features a swappable set of mesh screens and transparent PVC panes for weatherproof visibility. They also include an outer waterproof-breathable privacy covers for zipping up in cold or inclement weather. Integrated HVAC ports through the tent's 150D Oxford fabric, meanwhile, allow for the use of external heating or air conditioning units.
Alphago doesn't go so far as to claim a lofty 56-mph (90-km/h) wind capability like Exod does with its Pod-01 tent, but it does note that the Cube should be comfortable in wind levels between 23 and 35 mph (37 and 56 km/h). It includes a full array of staking points and comes with four sand bags for use on the beach and other soft ground.
One cool Cube feature that Alphago doesn't highlight in its photos but does mention in its introductory video is a modular design that allows campers to connect tents into full-on camping colonies. The tents aren't quite as modular as four-way designs we've seen, but users can connect each tent's large front and rear entry with separate Cube tents, creating something like a miniaturized camping version of Saudia Arabia's infamous Line skyscraper project.
Alphago uses the example of of setting up a kitchen tent, a bedroom tent, a lounge tent, etc, all interconnected into a seamless sheltered space. At some point, all those tents zipped together might defeat the purpose of "spending time outside," but campers can identify that point for themselves.
The Cube Explorer Pro Edition launched in September with an MSRP of ZAR32,995 (approx. US$1,925). The first production run sold out quickly, but Alphago has launched the second run for preorder at a discounted price of ZAR24,995 ($1,450).
Alphago is also offering the simpler 28-kg (62-lb) Cube Standard Edition for a discounted price of ZAR22,000 ($1,275), which comes with only a hand pump and a shorter three-year warranty instead of five. It also does not include the extended awning or ground sheets that come packaged with the Pro Edition. Alphago announced on Facebook this week that it just began shipping out the next round of Cubes.
While Alphago appears to have its hands full keeping up with domestic orders in South Africa, it has noted on social media that the Cube tents can be shipped to other countries. Buyers will want to contact it for more information and shipping rates specific to their country.
Source: Alphago
