It proved to be a fun year for tents. We tracked new tent designs of all styles, shapes and sizes a little more closely than we have in the past and saw a whole lot of innovation and activity. The year brought the further expansion of high-performance freestanding ultralight tents from boutique brands, the preponderance of covetable inflatable tents ranging from backpack size to multi-tent base camp size, the refinement of comfier, fuller featured rooftop tents, and the launch of a few flat-lying hammock tents designed for increased comfort and stability, from ground to air. Here's a look at our staff and reader favorites from 2025.
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July 22, 2025 | C.C. WeissThe new Gazelle T4 Overland EXP tent serves as a simple, all seasons-ready camping solution. It sets up in minutes via a fast-pitch hub frame and includes enhanced adjustability, multiple climate control options, and a stabilized foundation. -
December 13, 2025 | C.C. WeissAfter years of admiring iKamper as the modern innovator behind the expandable three/four-person rooftop tent (RTT), we think we've found a new favorite family-size RTT. The Vision XL from Topoak offers a thoughtful design for less than half the MSRP. -
July 16, 2025 | C.C. WeissZpacks offers one of the world's lightest lineups of backpacking tents. Its new Duplex Pro combines that same ultralight construction with a comfortable build that adapts to each backcountry explorer to offer more personalized performance per pound. -
September 07, 2025 | C.C. WeissThe new Wild Land Sky Rover rooftop tent aims to bring a little more RV comfort to the car top. In fact, it boasts a few features some small camper vans and trailers don't, including an automated pop-up system and even a toilet ... kind of. -
July 07, 2025 | C.C. WeissThe new Anymaka Hammock Tent drops out of the trees and brings its portable folding stand. Use it on the beach, open lawns, tundra, desert and anywhere else you can't find a single tree, let alone a perfectly spaced pair. -
June 02, 2025 | C.C. WeissPerhaps the best part of spending a night outdoors in a tent is enjoying a clear view of the stars. Sky View Tents looks to optimize the experience with a new style of high-visibility tent with unique interior rainfly. -
May 06, 2025 | C.C. WeissDurston Gear follows up its value-packed X-Dome 1+ ultralight backpacking tent with the new X-Dome 2, adding full two-person sizing at a minimal weight penalty. The X-Dome 2 also packs storm-shedding stability for everything up to snow squalls. -
November 18, 2025 | C.C. WeissAlphago's stretched, oversized The Cube 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. -
September 11, 2025 | Ben CoxworthWhile there are now a ton of hammock tents to choose from, most of them take the form of not much more than a covered hammock. The HoverTent is actually a full flat-bottomed hanging tent, plus it can serve as just a hammock or just a ground tent. -
May 08, 2025 | C.C. WeissWe're starting to see a new tier of rooftop tents that are more like self-contained tiny campers. The Oztent Apex RT-P-1600 tent is the latest, boasting motion-activated camp lighting, active cooling and even an RV-style electronic command center.
