A tent can change how you spend your free time when out and about, and the whole world becomes somewhere you can pitch up and rest for the night. Then when you’re ready to go again, unzip, head out the door, and you’re back right where you wanted to be!
2 person tents are, of course, designed for smaller groups – any smaller than this, and it’s no longer a group! That means they’re usually relatively small and confined to a single room, but the best 2 person tents still boast ample space for a good night’s sleep and a few indoor activities. Their size means that they’re perfect for carrying around, and they’re usually easy to put up too – great for a spontaneous night under the stars!
How to Choose a 2 Person Tent
After a long day hiking or exploring, the last thing you want to do is pack everything up and head home – especially if you need to do it all again the next day! Tents are one of the first things people think of when it comes to outdoor activities, and they are likely at the top of your shopping list when you realize how much you love spending time out and about!
Our favorite tent of all time is the Wawona 6 from The North Face. While we now spend our nights in our roof top tent, that was our go-to for nights on the ground. However, with its six-person capacity, it might be a little over the top for just two people (unless you want the queen-size bed experience we had), and its size means it isn’t great for slinging over your shoulder.
2 person tents are smaller, easier to transport around on foot, and an absolute breeze to put up. They’re a significant part of any outdoors kit, and if you’re looking to get hold of one, we recommend the following. If you’re still unsure about which one will best suit your needs, don’t forget to check out the buyer’s guide below!
EDITOR’S CHOICE
Crua Duo 2 Person Lightweight Hiking Tent
It might not be the best-looking tent on this list, but the Crua Duo is an absolutely perfect choice for novices and experienced campers alike. It’s designed specifically for two people, so it won’t break your back if you decide to carry it with you while you’re out exploring, but it combines that with the kind of resilience rarely seen in smaller tents.
It’s suitable for just about anything you can throw at it, from hiking, fishing, and backpacking to camping, festivals, and even safaris. It even works with a unique optional extra, the Crua Duo Reflective Flysheet. While by no means essential to get the most out of this fantastic tent, you can adjust the indoor temperature by turning the sheet, so it reflects out to stay cool or reflects inwards to keep you warm.
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Marmot Limelite 2 Person Tent
While the Crua Duo looks about as traditional as it gets in the camping world, the Marmot Limelight 2P Tent with Footprint makes a statement. Let’s just say you won’t struggle to find your way back if you get lost camping in the woods!
It’s not just the striking colors that make the Marmot Limelight an outstanding tent. The unique design and structure mean you can enjoy more space than in a conventional 2-person tent. There are plenty of storage compartments, too – great for anyone like me that likes to know where everything is!
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HEMIPLANET Original
Unless you’ve been camping recently, you probably haven’t ever seen anything quite like the HEIMPLANET Original 2-person tent before! So forget all about putting up a tent in a conventional way – this one blows up like a beachball (although it still has pegs to prevent it going somewhere it shouldn’t!).
Put this tent together once, and that’s the last time you’ll ever need to do it. Roll it out, pump it up like any other inflatable, and roll it up to put it away when you’re done. Solid and stable, it’s reliable in all conditions and also comes with storage space when you need things out of the way.
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Grand Canyone Phoenix M 2 Person Tent
Perhaps the most traditional-looking of our 2-person tent recommendations and supremely budget-friendly, the Grand Canyon Phoenix M is ideal for anyone trying camping for the first time. It’s designed with two or three people in mind, although in practical terms, it’s probably best for two adults and a child at most. With that said, if you like a little extra space, this tent definitely holds its own.
As you might expect at this price point, the Phoenix M isn’t going to change the world or do anything out of the ordinary. However, if you’ve been camping for a long time and like to do things traditionally, you won’t go wrong with this tent in just about any weather.
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Snugpak Scorpion 2 Person Tent
The Snugpak Scorpion 2 looks like it would feel more at home in a barracks than on a campsite, but don’t be fooled. This tent is built to last, and if anything happens to it, there’s even a comprehensive repair kit included!
It’s completely weatherproof and more than capable of standing up to anything you could throw at it. Wind, rain, and even snow mean nothing to this 2-person tent thanks to durable materials and a shape that sees everything that reaches the roof bouncing right off.
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2 Person Tent Buyers’ Guide
Where do you plan to camp?
Not all tents are created equal, and what might be perfect for the beach or back garden wouldn’t necessarily be suitable for forests and mountains. Consider whether you need a freestanding tent or perhaps one with a tougher floor to ensure that it’s not affected by the state of the ground underneath.
Your chosen location might also not always lend itself to standing out. On the other hand, if you prefer to spot your tent from a distance, then brighter colors matter. This visibility comes in handy if you’re the kind of person that likes to pitch up when you arrive then go for a wander. It’s less critical with so many apps and GPS tools out there but think about actual use before deciding on the right 2 person tent for you.
Weather
There’s no point even pitching a tent if it won’t protect you from the elements. Different 2 person tents have different standards and protections. Some are designed for the beach, meaning warm, clear weather and protection from slight breezes. However, those same tents wouldn’t be ideal for an overnight stay in the rain.
Again, it’s best to look at your specific use cases. If you want a multi-purpose tent that’s as reliable as your home no matter where you are, go the extra mile for the best possible protection. Features like these do come at an additional cost, so if you’re only planning to experience light rain at worst and never intend to leave the house in the snow, you can usually go for a cheaper option.
Gear Considerations
If there’s one thing camping’s not, it’s an opportunity to travel light! Ideally, you’ll be able to park near your tent, and anything you don’t need overnight or that won’t fit can stay in your vehicle. However, if you don’t drive everywhere and need to keep everything you’ve got with you at all times, let this help your buying decision.
When it comes to 2 person tents specifically, you usually won’t have additional dedicated storage space like you would on larger ones. At best, you’ll have compartments or pockets inside the tent for small items. That means you’ll need somewhere to keep your daypack and any other supplies you’ve got with you.
Set Up and Take Down
I don’t think anyone has ever come back from a camping trip saying that putting up the tent was their favorite part of the adventure! Most people want it to take as little time as possible. Furthermore, even if it takes a bit longer, they want it to be easy.
For those that have been camping for decades, you don’t have to go to the extreme lengths of yesteryear to put up your tent well enough that it won’t blow away. Most new 2 person tents available today have some kind of design feature or unique mechanism to make setup a breeze.
Just as with storage, extra features are priced in, so your budget will often play a part in how user-friendly the arrival and departure periods will be.
Price and Performance
While touched on variously throughout this buyer’s guide, remember that tents are much like anything else you can buy for your outdoor activities. While there are some premium brands out there, you get what you pay for for the most part.
The best tents aren’t necessarily the most expensive, but the bigger your budget, the more features you can expect. As always, you should also factor in your experience level – don’t go spending thousands on a tent if you’re not sure whether you enjoy camping yet! At the same time, don’t go too cheap, as a poor quality tent can put you off camping for a long time and that would be really unfortunate.
Size
It’s common to categorize tents based on the number of people that can fit in them. That’s precisely what we’ve done in highlighting the best 2 person tent, and it serves as a great guideline.
However, if you were to pick out two couples on the street, the chances are they wouldn’t be exactly the same size. Two smaller people will always be more comfortable in a space than two big ones! Use the capacity as a guide, but make sure to look at the measurements too.
As a quick reminder, don’t forget to consider the space your gear needs as well, depending on how you plan to spend your trip.
Conclusion
We’ve reached the end of our guide to the best 2 person tents, and I must say it flew by! I can’t overstate how impressed I was by the Crua Duo, and while it might not be the best-looking tent in the world, it feels like it was designed by someone that wanted to use it.
Camping is all about flexibility, and the Crua model’s lightweight construction, plus a whole host of optional extras, means that you can customize it to your exact specifications.
The Marmot Limelight ran it incredibly close, and I love the color! It’s also great for those that need just a bit more space – not for them and their companion, but for their gear.
The right tent can make or break any camping trip, and it makes perfect sense to explore all the available options before deciding on which one to buy. There’s more to setting up the ideal home away from home than deciding you need a tent and using the first one you come across.
The right investment today can result in a tent you can rely on for years to come. As long as you can visualize how and when you intend to use it and what you need it to protect against, you’ll be ready for hundreds of trips away. The buyer’s guide covers everything you need to think about for the perfect 2-person tent, and I’d love to hear how you got on if you decide to use any of the great ones featured here!
Don’t forget to read our Best Ever Guide to Wild & Free Camping!
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