The BEST 8 Person Instant Tents [2024] – Core vs Coleman vs Ozark Trail
Looking for the best 8 person INSTANT tent?
Stop searching; this is the right guide for you!
We’ll see the best 8 person INSTANT tents available on the market today, with complete reviews & comparison.
Let’s get to it!
No Time to Waste? Here’s My #1 Favorite!
- Waterproof
- Instant setup
- Big mesh windows
The Perfect 8 Person Instant Tent for YOU
- CORE: Core 9 Person Instant Cabin Tent
- Coleman: Coleman 8 Person Instant Tent
- Ozark Trail: Ozark Trail 8 Person Instant Tent
- Gazelle Tents: Gazelle T4 Plus 8 Person Pop Up Tent
So there you have it, your list of the best 8 person tent instant setup style you can buy today.
If you want more info about each of these tents, including key features, reviews & photos, keep reading below!
The Best 8 Person Instant Tents – Product Reviews
An 8 person tent simply defines the size of the tent. But there are actually quite a few different 8 person tents, all with their own features, and which one will be best for you depends a lot on what you’ll use it for.
In this guide, we’re looking exclusively at the 8 person INSTANT tents: tents that take very little time to set up, and that are categorized as “8-person”.
We’ll be looking at the 4 best products in the category, and compare them to each other based on 6 features + pros & cons.
Which one you’ll choose will come down to personal preferences & personal needs; you can’t really go wrong with any of these, they are all the best rated & best selling tents in the 8 person instant tents category.
Let’s see the reviews!
CORE: Core 9 Person Instant Cabin Tent
- Instant Pop Up Technology: Pre-attached poles lock into place for setup in 2 minutes or less
- Sleeping Capacity: Measures 14x9 feet with a 78-inch center height; fits two queen-size air beds;...
- Weather Protection: H20 Block Technology with 1200mm water-repellent fabric, fully taped rainfly,...
The Core 9 Person Instant Cabin Tent is the first tent we’ll be reviewing.
It’s a sturdy tent made by CORE, a small company based in the Midwest, privately owned and known for great designs. It’s also the best selling 8 man pop up tent on the market.
Check out the Youtube video below to see this tent in action:
Coleman: Coleman 8 Person Instant Tent
- Spacious 14 ft. x 10 ft. tent fits 4 queen-size airbeds
- WeatherTec features include a tub floor with welded corners, protected seams, and covered zippers to...
- Instant setup in about 60 seconds thanks to pre-attached poles
The Coleman Instant Tent 8 Person is our second contender for the title of best 8 man instant tent.
It’s made by Coleman, a household name in the camping industry: they produce some of the best-rated outdoor equipments on the market.
With over 1,000 5-star reviews, you really can’t go wrong with the Coleman 8 man instant tent.
Ozark Trail: Ozark Trail 8 Person Instant Tent
The Ozark 8 Person Instant Tent is the best value for money out of the 4 tents we’re reviewing today.
It’s manufactured by Ozark Trail, a private-label brand owned by Walmart.
Gazelle Tents: Gazelle T4 Plus 8 Person Pop Up Tent
- Has space to sleep 4-8 people with plenty of room for additional gear
- Convertible screen room for additional leisure or sleeping area
- 78” tall allowing you to move around freely
And finally the Gazelle T4 Plus Instant Tent 8 Person which is the last tent we’re reviewing in this best instant tents for 8 people comparison.
Gazelle Tents was funded in 1960, and it focuses specifically on instant tents.
So there you have them, the 4 recommended instant 8 person tents available on the market today; I hope you’ll find one that is perfect for what you need!
If you want to know more about the selection process for these tents, or to have more info to help you decide on which one to pick, keep reading below.
Product Comparison: Which Tent is Best for You?
When looking for the best 8 person instant tents, there are a few things you should check to see if it fits your needs. I’ve listed the different criteria below, to give you more info on how I selected these tents to be featured as the best of their category.
This might also help you decide on which tent is the best for you.
| Features | CORE | Coleman | Ozark | Gazelle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comfort | 7/10 | 7/10 | 8/10 | 6/10 |
| Waterproof | 9/10 | 7/10 | 8/10 | 7/10 |
| Ease of setup | 10/10 | 9/10 | 8/10 | 7/10 |
| Size & Weight | 8/10 | 6/10 | 7/10 | 4/10 |
| Durability | 7/10 | 6/10 | 7/10 | 9/10 |
| Convenience | 8/10 | 6/10 | 7/10 | 9/10 |
Breakdown by Features – Best 8 Man Pop Up Tent
In order to see which of these tents is the best in its category, we’ll go over 6 ranking factors:
- Comfort
- Waterproof
- Ease of setup
- Size & Weight
- Durability
- Convenience
For each of these 6 factors, we’ll compare the different tents to find out which one is the best. The tent with the highest combined score will win the title of “Best Tent” in its category.
1- Comfort
Perhaps one of the most important factors for a tent: comfort. We judge the comfort of a tent on several things: how much space per person in the tent, can you fully stand up, is there enough ventilation, does it protect from the sun, and will it keep you warm?
Comfort for the CORE
7/10
Size: 14ft x 9 ft / 4.2m x 2.7m
Center height: 78 inches / 1m98
The CORE tent is comfortable, originally made to sleep 9 people, there is plenty of space for 8.
It has a full mesh roof, and huge mesh windows, perfect for ventilation during those hot nights.
Comfort for the Coleman
7/10
Size: 14ft x 10ft / 4.2m x 3m
Center height: 79 inches / 2 meters
The Coleman Instant 8 is spacious and the big mesh windows are perfect to let the air in.
The tent is made of a rugged double thick fabric, that will keep you warm during cold nights.
Comfort for the Ozark Trail
8/10
Size: 15ft x 13ft / 4.5m x 4m
Center height: 80 inches / 2m3
It’s the biggest size out of the 4 we’re reviewing.
With 7 mesh windows and a full mesh roof, the Ozark trail has great ventilation.
Comfort for the Gazelle
6/10
Size: 14ft x 7.8ft / 4.2m x 2.3m
Center height: 78 inches / 1m98
It’s the smallest size out of the 4 tents in this comparison.
It has a nice mesh roof, mesh walls in the first room, and small windows in the second room, making for great ventilation overall.
2- Waterproof
Being woken up in the middle of the night by water dropping on your face is one of the worse feelings. Yep, I’ve been there.
Want to avoid it? Make sure your tent is waterproof is you’re planning to camp in rainy areas!
Obviously if you’re planning to camp only in hot & dry areas, disregard this ranking factor.
Waterproof for the CORE
9/10
The CORE has an included rainfly that can be removed if needed. The seams are heat sealed for extra protection.
There’s no bathtub floor, meaning water could come through at the angles if the ground gets really wet.
Overall a good waterproof tent.
Waterproof for the Coleman
7/10
The Coleman Instant Cabin 8 will be fine under light rain, but there is no rainfly included; under heavy rain, the water will all stack on the roof of the tent, and it will start to feel damp and might even drip through in the tent.
Waterproof for the Ozark Trail
8/10
It has an included rainfly, and the 7 mesh windows can be zipped up to prevent rain from entering.
Waterproof for the Gazelle
7/10
The Gazelle also comes with an included rainfly that you can put over the mesh roof. The rain fly can be rolled down over the side windows, but you might get a bit of rain in the first room if you’re experiencing strong winds that blow the rain sideways.
3- Ease of setup
A good tent allows you to fully enjoy the outdoors, without having to spend 2 hours trying to set up the tent, only to give up & end up sleeping in your car; it sucks.
Same goes for packing away the tent, it should be easy to fold the tent and put it bag in the carry bag, to be ready to leave as quick as possible.
Ease of setup for the CORE
10/10
Setup time: 60 seconds to 3mn with rainfly
Pack away: 3mn, easy to fit back in the bag
Ease of setup for the Coleman
9/10
Setup time: 60 seconds
Pack away: can be hard to fit back, but the bag can be expanded
Ease of setup for the Ozark Trail
8/10
Setup time: 2 minutes to 5mn with rainfly
Pack away: 10mn, a bit tougher to pack back than the other tents in this list
Ease of setup for the Gazelle
7/10
Setup time: 2 minutes to 8mn with rainfly
Pack away: 15mn + hard to fit back in bag the first times
4- Size & Weight
We’re looking at the packed size & weight of the tent to see if it’s easy to carry around with you.
Too heavy? Not ideal if you’re planning to go on a backpacking trip where you carry your tent in your bag. But probably not a problem if you go car camping.
Too big? It probably won’t fit in your backpack, and it might not even fit in your car.
Then again, if you drive a massive truck and can fit any tent in your trunk, these don’t apply.
Size & Weight for the CORE
8/10
Size: 48″ x 11.5″ x 11.5″ / 122cm x 29cm x 29cm
Weight: 30.5 lbs / 14kg
The CORE is the lightest tent among the 4, making it easier to carry around to the campground.
Size & Weight for the Coleman
6/10
Size: 52″ x 13″ x 12″ / 132cm x 33cm x 30.5cm
Weight: 38.2 lbs / 17kg
Size & Weight for the Ozark Trail
7/10
Size: 42″ x 12″ x 12″ / 106.7cm x 30.5cm x 30.5cm
Weight: 36 lbs / 16kg
The Ozark Trail is the smallest tent, making it easier to fit in a small car.
Size & Weight for the Gazelle
4/10
Size: 63″ x 11″ x 11″ / 160cm x 28cm x 28cm
Weight: 47 lbs / 21kg
The Gazelle is the biggest and heaviest out of the 4; you’ll need a big car to fit it, so make sure you measure the space you have in your car beforehand.
5- Durability
What’s worse than paying a hefty sum of money to buy a tent? Buying a tent only to see it break on your 2nd camping trip. Oh yeah, I know you can picture the rage of the situation.
If you want to invest in a good tent that you will be able to use several times for your camping trips, then a good durable tent is what you’re looking for.
But if you only plan to use the tent one or twice a year, that’s probably not something you’ll have to worry about.
Durability for the CORE
7/10
Made of durable tent fabric and sturdy steel tent poles, the CORE is a durable tent that you can use time & time again.
You will however need to replace the stakes that come included, as they are not the best quality.
Durability for the Coleman
6/10
There are a lot of customers saying the pole didn’t last long for the Coleman tents instant 8. The bad news is that there are no replacement parts, so if it breaks you’ll have to get a refund or an exchange.
Durability for the Ozark Trail
7/10
The Ozark trail needs to be tied down with the guy lines to remain durable. if anything goes wrong, you can replace the poles with replacement parts (around $20), and I recommend buying an extra pole just to be safe.
Durability for the Gazelle
9/10
The most durable tents out of the 4, but you’ll need to buy better stakes if you camp in windy/rainy areas.
6- Convenience
And finally our last judging factor is convenience. What do we mean by “convenience”?
It’s all of these little details that takes your experience to the next-level, and really make you enjoy your trip even-more.
Examples are dividers for rooms, extra doors for easy access, pockets for storage, a screen room for your pets or your gear, included lights, hole for an electric cable, and much more neat little features.
Convenience for the CORE
8/10
Features:
- 1 room divider
- wall storage pockets
- electrical cord access port
- adjustable air vents
- big front door + 2 side doors
Convenience for the Coleman
6/10
Features:
- storage pockets
- 1 year warranty
The great thing about the Coleman 8 Person Instant Cabin Tent is the 1 year warranty that will allow you to get a refund or a new tent if anything bad happens to your tent.
Convenience for the Ozark Trail
7/10
Features:
- storage pockets
- gear loft in ceiling
- electrical cord access port
Convenience for the Gazelle
9/10
Features:
- main door and back door
- removable floor for easy cleaning
- durable YKK zippers
- 2 removable gear lofts
- 2 large side storage nets
- 3 wall mounted pouch pockets
Features Count
CORE 9 Instant Tent review: best in 3/6
Coleman 8 Person Instant Tent review: best in 0/6
Ozark Trail 8 Person 2 Room Instant Cabin Tent review: best in 1/6
Gazelle T4 Plus 8 Person Instant Tent review: best in 2/6
Pros and Cons
Now that we’ve seen the breakdown of all the features that make a great tent, let’s see the pros & cons of each one, in one table so that you can easily make the comparison between the tents at a glance.
| Tents | PROS | CONS |
|---|---|---|
| CORE | great value for money waterproof big mesh windows | no straps to store opened windows included stakes are not the best |
| Coleman | huge mesh windows great for cold nights | not waterproof included stakes are not the best |
| Ozark | budget tent waterproof mesh roof | not the most durable |
| Gazelle | waterproof front & back entrance removable floor | hard to fit back in bag big & heavy |
There you have them, the pros & cons of each of the tents of this product comparison!
I hope that all the info in this post will allow you to choose the best tent for you, and that it’ll be easier for you to make a choice (I know it’s hard!).
Things to Know About Tent Size
Tent size is a tricky subject.
Most of the time, tents are grouped by size, depending on how many people can sleep inside: 1 person tents, 2 person tents, 4 person tents, and so on.
But how do tents manufacturers define how many people can sleep inside?
They just see how many people can lay down inside the tent, taking all space available.
This means sleeping in a camping bag, with almost no space between people, and it might mean sleeping with heads next to feet.
It also means there will be no extra space for your gear.
Want to be comfortable in your tent? Then you will often have to buy a bigger size tent to make sure that:
- you have enough space to be comfortable
- you have space for your gear
- you can fit inflatable beds
With that being said, some tents are very spacious. It might be listed as a 4 person tent & be very spacious, meaning you’ll fit as 4 + your gear.
If you’re going on a backpacking trip, then size & weight of the tent are very important; in this case, you’ll probably want to get the regular size.
Now that you know what to expect for tent size, you’ll find below guides for other tent sizes that you might want to check out:
1 person:
2 person:
3 person:
4 person: Guide to the best 4 Person Instant Tents
6 person: Guide to the best 6 Person Instant Tents
8 person: The Best 8 Person Tents
10 person:
12 person: Full Buyer’s Guide for 12 Person Tents
Final Thoughts
All of the 8 person tents included in this guide are solid choices, and which one will be the best for you depends on your specific needs.
After a full review of the best 8 person instant tents available on the market, our overall best choice is the Core 9 Instant Cabin Tent.
It’s a great value for money product, extremely easy to set up (under 60 seconds), waterproof, and you will definitely love spending time outdoors in this tent with your friends & family!
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