Coleman Sundome Tent Review

Founded in the year 1900, Coleman is one of the world’s most successful makers of recreational, camping, and outdoor gear.

The Coleman Sundome 4-Person Tent is a 9’ x 7’ tent that can comfortably fit a queen-sized air mattress. This tent has Weathertec technology, a door awning, and a rain fly. It weighs 10 pounds and comes in a variety of color combinations. Coleman offers the Sundome with optional Dark Room Technology.

What we like

The Sundome is roomy, with 63 square feet of floor space and 4’11” interior height at the center. It’s the perfect size for an adult couple and one or two children, or two or three adults with some gear. We preferred the slightly rectangular shape over a square tent (like an 8’ x 8’) as it wastes less space.

The tent stays airy and well-ventilated thanks to two windows, a ground vent, and a screen window that you can reveal by unzipping the top of the door. Despite letting in plenty of fresh air, the Sundome keeps insects out.

Coleman’s Weathertec technology keeps rain and moisture out. The tub floor features patented corner welds, and the entire tent has protected seams. The tent has a well-designed moisture-wicking door awning as well as an optional Polyguard rain fly for more torrential downpours. Users have reported some incredible experiences with Weathertec; for example, even with several inches of rain on the ground, the corner-welded tub floor stayed dry. 

The tent is tested to withstand winds up to 35 miles per hour. Along with the Weathertec waterproofing, this feature makes the Sundome a top choice for camping comfortably in stormy weather.

If you choose to get Coleman’s optional Dark Room Technology, the tent will keep about 90% of sunlight out. This feature is perfect for putting the kids to bed early, catching up on sleep during a camping trip, or even sleeping in past dawn after a late night at a festival.

Coleman designed an innovative new safety feature called Illumiline reflective guylines. These highly reflective guylines make the tent visible at night, which is good for two reasons: you can find the tent easily at night, and other people stumbling around at night won’t bump into it by accident!

The Sundome takes under ten minutes to set up. Coleman has put a lot of thought into the structural design of the tent: snag-free Insta-Clip suspension, pin-and-ring connections, and continuous pole sleeves all make setup and breakdown easier than most competitor models.

We had an easy time using the expandable carry bag. The nice thing about it is that it’s roomy enough you don’t have to fumble to fit the tent inside it.

Another place the Sundome shines is in its interior design features. The tent features mesh gear pockets inside, which help conserve the floor space. It also has a lantern ring on the ceiling. Coleman’s E-Port feature is a nice touch that allows an electrical extension cord in through the lower wall to power devices inside the tent.

The Sundome comes with a one-year limited warranty, which is generous for a higher-end budget-priced tent. If you frequently camp as we do, a lot can happen in one year.

What we wish was different

The biggest issue with the Sundome seems to be quality control. While most feedback is excellent, most negative feedback comes from users who got a lemon. If you plan on going camping with this tent, test your Sundome before you take it in the field. 

Users described issues ranging from unsealed seams to leaky tents, to holes in the tent roof. That’s not the kind of problem you want to discover in the field. If you do get a dud, Coleman’s warranty has you covered – but we hope they will step up their quality control to prevent this issue altogether.

It is accurate to describe the tent as a “four-person tent,” but not as a “four adult tent,” unless (as one user put it) you “plan to get cozy.” We understand the need to market a product in the best light possible, but some people may be confused or disappointed if they think they can comfortably fit four full-grown people in the tent at once to sleep.

Our last two issues are both with the structural design. The zipper is flimsy and seems to be the first part to fail for a lot of users. The mesh siding, while great for ventilation in warmer seasons, means the tent loses precious heat in fall and winter. While Coleman doesn’t market the tent as a four-season tent, it would be nice if the Sundome could withstand colder weather better.

What other customers say

Anne C. had never been camping before and brought her new Sundome to a music festival. Although rain was in the forecast, her tent didn’t let her down. 

According to experienced camper Marcel A., his Sundome has held up well in numerous heavy rainstorms; even with several inches of water standing on the ground, no moisture came inside the tent.

Brooke W. says it’s the perfect tent for her family outings at the campground.

Wrapping up

The Coleman Sundome 4-Person Tent is at the higher end of the bargain tent price range. Keeping that in mind, it has a whole lot to like. Here are our favorite features:

• Airy and well-ventilated
• Sturdy and easy to set up
• Efficient use of space
• Weathertec, the door awning, and the Polyguard rain fly provide excellent performance in wet conditions
• Withstands windy conditions better than comparable models
• No competitors offer Dark Room Technology
• Innovative interior features

The positives outnumbered the negatives, but here’s what you should be aware of before you buy:

• Some users have reported quality control issues (check your Sundome before you take it camping)
• Four people can fit comfortably, but not necessarily four adults
• The zipper is flimsy
• The mesh means the Sundome isn’t ideal for cold weather

As long as you understand the slight downsides, you can’t go wrong with the Sundome. It’s an excellent specimen of a higher-end budget tent.

The Coleman Sundome is currently the #1 tent on our list of the Best Camping Tents.

Purchasing the Coleman Sundome

Amazon generally has the lowest price on the Coleman Sundome 4 Person Tent. The table below automatically updates every 12 hours and grabs the most recent pricing info.