Best Canvas Tent – Top 10 Best Rated Canvas Tents Reviews

Every outdoor enthusiast knows that a quality camping tent is essential to enjoying your time in the woods or the mountains. However, not all tents are created equal and finding the right one is a bit of a challenge.

Enter: the canvas tent. These highly durable and versatile shelters are perfect for family camping trips and hunting expeditions where you need a comfortable basecamp to lay your head at night. Canvas tents are certainly some of the best value tents around, but, with so many different options to choose from, it’s understandable if you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed.

That’s where we come in. Up next, we’ve got your ultimate guide to choosing the best canvas tent for all your adventures, complete with reviews of the top models on the market today. So, what are we waiting for? Let’s get to it!

What Is A Canvas Tent?

A canvas tent is any outdoor shelter that’s made of canvas. Canvas is a cotton fabric that’s heavily woven to create a thick, durable, and lasting material. It’s made by tightly weaving cotton threads to create a solid sheet of fabric.

Canvas has traditionally been used to make a whole host of products, such as backpacks, sails, and shoes. When used to make a tent, canvas performs exceptionally well in a whole host of different environments.

Why Choose A Canvas Tent?

With so many different tent options out there, you might be wondering why you should invest in a canvas tent. Well, simply put, canvas is a highly durable, incredibly versatile fabric that’s perfect for use in the great outdoors.

Unlike most other fabrics, canvas has the ability to keep you warm or cool, depending on the conditions outside. Plus, it’s incredibly naturally water-resistant and is perfect for use during the winter months. Cotton canvas is also an easily repairable fabric, so you can keep using your tent for years to come. Oh, and canvas tents look beautiful, so why wouldn’t you want one?

Things to Consider When Choosing Canvas Tents

Before you drop a whole lot of money on a canvas tent, it’s good to know what you’re investing in. Here are some things to look out for when choosing your next tent:

Canvas Weight

There are a whole lot of different canvas tents out there, each made with their own unique materials. One of the most important materials in a canvas tent is, well, the canvas. However, not all canvas is created equal. In fact, there are many different canvas “weights,” and the kind you choose will impact your tent for years to come.

In general, the heavier the “canvas weight,” the more durable the canvas. However, heavier canvas is thicker, less packable, and more expensive. The vast majority of quality tent makers will use a 10.1 oz/sq. yd (340gsm) canvas, which should be considered the general minimum for your tent. We recommend avoiding anything that’s made of canvas less than 8.4 oz/sq. yd (285gsm) if possible, as these are quite low quality and are prone to damage.

Tent Shape

Tent Size

The size of a tent has a direct impact on your camping experience. However, we can’t make any recommendations about what size tent you need, as that all depends on the number of people you go camping with and the amount of gear you bring. If you camp alone, you probably don’t need to spend as much and can get a smaller tent. Alternatively, if you camp with your family and friends, you’ll probably want a larger model.

Overall Weight

While the weight of a tent doesn’t really affect you after it’s set up, it does make a substantial difference to your ability to transport it to and from the campsite. Heavy tents are a burden when it comes to getting them from your garage to your car and finally to the tent platform. However, heavier tents are often made of more durable materials, so you need to decide what’s more valuable to you - durability or ease of transport.

Packed Size

Ease Of Set Up

No one wants to spend their first few hours at a campsite setting up their tent. Indeed, setting up a tent is a major source of anxiety and stress for a lot of people, but it doesn’t have to be that way. While many tents are very complex and tricky to set up, others come with simple, easy to set-up systems so you can spend more time enjoying your camping getaway.

Durability

The last thing anyone wants is to spend a whole lot of money on a canvas tent, only to have it break after one or two camping trips. Thus, durability is of the utmost concern when buying a canvas tent. Often, this comes down to choosing a tent with thick canvas and durable, quality tent poles. This might cost you a bit more in the short term, but in the long run, you’ll save money by having just one tent that lasts for years.

Interior Height

A quality canvas tent is like your home away from home in the great outdoors. So, you want to make sure it’s a tent that you’re comfortable living in for days on end. A simple way to ruin a camping experience, however, is to have a tent with a low interior height.

Tents with low interior heights mean you have less livable space and that the taller people in your group are going to spend a lot of their time hitting their head on the ceiling. Of course, this is less than ideal, so we recommend choosing a tent with a high center height. That being said, tents that are exceptionally tall are less stable in the wind, so you’ll have to be mindful about where you pitch your shelter.

Breathability

If you live in a hot, muggy, environment, you’re going to want to get yourself a canvas tent that’s got a quality ventilation system. Canvas is a thick, heavy material that’s great for trapping in heat, so it’s important that you have some way of cooling the tent down during the warm summer months. Mesh paneling and windows are great for adding breathability to your tent, but they often come at a price of added cost and increased durability.

Cost

Any way you slice it, a canvas tent is likely to run you a significant bill. Tents are expensive, so it’s understandable if you’ve got a budget that you need to stick to. However, when it comes to big-ticket items, like tents, it’s usually best to spend as much as you’ve got in your budget instead of trying to cut corners here. While spending more money doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to get a better tent, if there’s a tent out there that perfectly fits your needs but is slightly over your budget, it’s worth considering the extra investment.

Best Canvas Tent Brands

We know that buying a canvas tent is a major investment, so it’s understandable if you want to find a reputable brand to purchase from. Here are three of the best rated canvas tent brands on the market today:

White Duck Outdoors

White Duck Outdoors is known as one of the top manufacturers of premium canvas tents. They use only traditional 100% breathable cotton canvas fabric in their tents and choose only materials that are proven to last a lifetime.

Kodiak Tents

Born in the Rockies, Kodiak Canvas is known for making some of the best canvas tents in the world. A tent from Kodiak Canvas is reliable, comfortable, and durable. Made to last, Kodiak Canvas tents are designed using only the highest quality materials so you can spend less time worrying about your tent and more time exploring the mountains.

Dream House Tents

Dream House Tents was started to help bring people outside by providing them with the highest quality tents on the market. They put a lot of thought and consideration into every aspect of the tents they design and provide a multitude of different options so every camper has the shelter they need to enjoy the great outdoors.

Best Canvas Tents On The Market Review

Here are our reviews of the 10 best rated canvas tents on the market today:

 1. White Duck Outdoors Premium Luxury Avalon Canvas Bell Tent

 2. Kodiak Canvas Flex-Bow Deluxe 8 Person Tent

 3. Unistrength 4 Season Waterproof Cotton Canvas Bell Tent

Made with premium high-strength cotton canvas, this shelter from Unistrength is a great family tent. Unistrength’s canvas tent features a classic bell-shape design with one stove pipe hole that’s surrounded by fire-resistant material for extra safety With enough space to house 6-8 people, the Unistrength canvas tent is a luxury home in the mountains when you’re tired at the end of a day of hiking or hunting.

The tent comes with four large side windows and four vents, each with mesh netting so you can stay cool during the summer months. You can even roll up the sides of the tent for a full 360-degree view on those, particularly nice days. That being said, the Unistrength canvas tent can hold its own in a storm, thanks to its watertight canvas and burly, waterproof groundsheet, which means it's great for use in both bushcraft and as a family tent!

 4. Dream House Waterproof Cotton Canvas Family Tent

One of the best canvas family tents around, this shelter from Dream House is perfect for any camping getaway. Simple in design, the Dream House Canvas Family tent features a single central pole and a classic bell shape, which makes it easy to set up. Plus, the Family Tent has extra sturdy guylines, which allow for better stability in rough weather.

When it comes to keeping you dry, the Family tent has a removable groundsheet and a cotton canvas that’s waterproof tested up to 3000mm with fully sealed seams to weather any storm. It also has four ventilation holes on the top of the tent and the ability to roll up the sidewalls for extra fresh air. With enough room for the whole family, there’s a lot to love with the Dream House Waterproof Cotton Canvas Family Tent.

 5. Kodiak Canvas Truck Bed Tent

 6. White Duck Canvas Wall Tent

Perfect for extended hunting trips and family outings, the uber-spacious White Duck Canvas Wall Tent is the perfect retreat at the end of a long day outside. Multi-functional to the core, the White Duck Canvas Wall Tent is a large canvas tent spacious enough to accommodate up to 10 people (depending on the size you buy) with ease.

Inside this cabin tent, you’ll find a waterproof groundsheet and a stovepipe hole, so you can hunker down in during the colder winter months. Or, you can roll up the canvas coverings and expose the tent’s large triangular windows for a view of the great outdoors. With a peak height of almost 9’, the White Duck Canvas Wall Tent has enough room for the whole family, and all of your gear, for the perfect glamping adventure.

 7. Vidalido Dome Camping Tent

If you love to camp out in the winter months, the double-walled Vidalido Dome Camping Tent just might be the canvas tent you’ve been looking for. Thanks to its conical shape, this tent easily sloughs off snow while keeping you warm and toasty on the inside.

But, just because it can keep you warm in the winter doesn’t mean it’s out of a job come summertime. In fact, the Vidalido Dome Camping Tent features a no-see-um mesh bug net inner that protects you from the creepie crawlies while providing lots of airflow. Oh, and with a quick, easy five minute set up, you’d be hard-pressed to find something to complain about with the Vidalido Dome Camping Tent.

 8. Trek Tents Cotton Canvas Cabin Tent

Simple, yet effective, the Trek Tents Cotton Canvas Cabin Tent is everything you need - no more, and no less. Made from 100% cotton canvas in the walls and roof, this cabin tent features a heavy-duty vinyl-coated canvas floor to help reduce wear and tear over time while keeping you dry.

The tent also has three large screen windows with storm flaps, so you can get fresh air when the weather is nice or stay dry in a storm. Sewn-in interior pockets help you stay organized while you’re in camp while an easy setup system makes things quick and simple when you arrive.

 9. Dream House 4 Season Camping Tent

Incredibly spacious, this four-season tent from Dream House is perfect for large families and groups. With enough space to house up to 10 people, this Dream House tent is great for families that want a single tent that can do it all.

This Dream House tent is made from heavy-duty waterproof cotton canvas and has two large doors and four triangle-shaped windows for extra ventilation. In addition to its heavy-duty fabric, the tent features double stitching all around and extra-reinforced points at place of high wear for maximum durability and in rough conditions of up to 30mph of wind, making it a great choice for years of camping fun.

 10. Danchel Cotton Bell Tent

Built to last, this heavy duty weatherproof bell tent from Danchel is a simple solution to all of your camping needs. The Danchel canvas tent has a single center support pole and one door pole, which allows for easy set up when you get to camp, making it one of the best car camping tent models available.

With two high-temperature resistant stove jackets (one on the top and one on the wall), the Danchel canvas tent makes it easy to stay warm in the cold winter months. The Danchel canvas tent even has a fully waterproof bathtub floor design to help you stay dry in a storm. It also comes with a handy carry bag and an industry-leading 5-year warranty so you can camp with peace of mind

Final Verdict

Ultimately, if we had to choose just one of these tents to take with us on our next adventure, we’d have to opt for the White Duck Outdoors Premium Luxury Avalon Canvas Bell Tent, for its fantastic spacious and functional design. Of course, this comes with a high price tag, but when you find the best canvas tent this luxurious, it just might be worth it.