Cabin tents come in all sorts of sizes and all sorts of configurations which is why they are great as a family tent. There is usually something that will match anyone’s needs. Sometimes the sizes can be a little confusing with all of the manufacturers labeling it as a certain “man tent” and saying that is how many people can sleep in the tent.  Unfortunately, you will probably need a tent that is bigger than the number they suggest because it is often understated.  Size and space is such an important factor in a family cabin tent that you really need to know what you are looking for. 

An 8 man tent is a great option for most families.  Lets say you have two adults and 3 kids and maybe even a dog that you want to bring a long.  The adults want an air mattress, the dog has his own bed and the kids want to sleep on tent cots.  Are you going to fit in a 4 man tent, definitely not?  You could select a 6 man tent but space might be really tight and all those things you were hoping to fit inside your cabin tent probably won’t fit.  A good choice then would be an 8 person tent.  This is really an ideal size tent for people with a medium to large family who don’t want to be confined to a small space.  Inexpensive 8 man tents can be found but they aren’t going to be as cheap as a smaller tent. You should expect to shell out around at least $100 for cheap tents  that sleep 8 campers and much more than that if you want a well built tent that will endure all of the weather you might face and while lasting for many years.
The main drawback with an 8 man tent is their size.  Not all campgrounds will have spaces available to accommodate such a large tent.  Plus, many of these tents have high centers so that they are comfortable and possible to stand in (if you aren’t too tall).  To be able to get standing room in a tent is amazing but it will make applying the rain fly a little more difficult so remember to keep that in mind when you go to set up large cabin tents.  Definitely practice setting it up at home and setting up the rain fly to see what, if any, complications you might have in the process before you get to your campgrounds.

Some 8 Man Tent Options:

 

Coleman Red Canyon 17 foot by 10 foot 8 person modified dome:

$150

Coleman tents are great tents for the casual camper.  They are fairly sturdy and weather resistant assuming you are just needing a nice 3 season tent.  You really want to price around for this tent because I have seen it near $100 making this a very affordable tent.  This comes with all of the Coleman features including their Variflow system and Weathertec System.  For the most part this tent seems to hold up pretty well.  It has a center height of 6 feet so a good height compared to some tents but you taller campers won’t get a lot of room to stand up in.

Coleman Weathermaster 8 Tent: 

$230
I have a post dedicated to the Coleman Weathermaster so you can check it out.  Bottom line is it is a good tent at a decent price and you can feel pretty good about relying on it while you are camping.

Wenzel 8 person tent Klondike Family Cabin Dome Tent:

$180
This is another great affordable tent that Wenzel has made and you should easily be able to find it around $130 or $140.  It’s a two room tent which gives you plenty of space as an extra sleeping room or sun room.  It comes with shock corded tent poles to make it easier to set up.

Eureka Pine Lodge Tent:

$650
Ok, I know this isn’t the cheapest tent but it’s definitely worth mentioning.  This is a colossal size tent that is really built well.  You will have plenty of room including 7 feet of standing space.  This is a great tent for a tall camper to have.  It has a fan style door which is appealing to families camping with kids and is well ventilated.  You can buy an optional awning as well.  Obviously a tent of this size is going to be heavy and this one is close to 45 pounds!  It’s definitely not a tent you want to take on a backpacking trip.

Looking for a new family camping tent that you might want to check out our other post. It has a list of the most popular family camping tents that sell on Amazon. This is a great way to narrow down different choices.