11 years of use and the tent, poles, stakes, and rain fly are all in great condition. In addition, it has kept me dry in some downpours. Also kept me sheltered down the Golden Coast on a multi-week camping trip.
Praise
Outdoor & Camping
Coleman Skydome 4-Person Camping Tent
Best for Car Camping
The Coleman Skydome is the most practical family tent in Canada for car camping trips — Dark Room technology blocks 90% of sunlight so kids actually sleep in, and the pre-attached, colour-coded poles mean the whole tent goes up in under 5 minutes. Near-vertical walls maximize usable interior space for 4 people, while the welded floors and inverted seams keep rain out when conditions turn. The integrated vented rainfly adds weather protection without sacrificing ventilation.
12 mentions · 1 threadslast mention Jul 20217.2/ 10
ClearPick Score
Mixed Reviews
Score informed by 12 owner mentions across 1 Reddit threads · see every quote ↓
6 positive3 mixed3 negative
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Best for Car Camping
Coleman Skydome 4-Person Camping Tent
~$160 CAD est. on Amazon.ca
View on Amazon.ca →Opens Amazon.ca · Affiliate link✅ Ships to Canada
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Every mention, sourced
Real comments from Reddit, linked to the original thread. Nothing paraphrased.
That's always been Coleman. They sacrifice weight and refinement to be cheap. They are the slight step up from the department store brands only in that they are durable enough to last with reasonable care.
Complaint
Leak where? The rainfly on my tents havr always seem to leak so I sprayed it down with scotchguard watershield. No problems since then.
Mention
Love that orange. I have a Coleman Oasis. 1970s vintage:
Praise
Get it repaired rather than buy new. Bring the zipper section to a tailor and have them out on a new heavy duty one. You can repair or replace just the pole that broke.
Mention
Not true. They used to be high quality. I'm talking until the late 90s. They were a well respected company amongst people who were out 7 or 8 times per summer. Now they're a Walmart tier brand on everything they make.
Complaint
YES! I have the exact same tent and I swoon over it every time it get's use. 12-13 years for me. Tent is in excellent condition as well ... Incredible value for (I think it was) $50 at Walmart.
Praise
The quality part isn't true, but even then they were heavy. My folks still have an early 90s Coleman and the thing is a tank, but well made.
Comparison
The mentality is different for a camping tent vs a festival tent. A camping tent I will take care of, maintain, fix issues, re-apply coatings, store correctly, etc. For a festival tent, I buy the cheapest cheapo tent I can cheap, and then I don't worry about it ever.
Mention
I mean, after 18 years of good use there's no shame in splurging a bit to buy a new tent that will last another 18 years, imo. BIFL doesn't have to mean literally forever.
Mention
Chiming in that I bought a new Coleman tent about 3 years ago and on our first use we noticed that the front main zipper was stitched poorly and that every time we try to open or close the front door flap it's always a pain in the ass.
Complaint
100% agreed! I've had the green version of that tent since 2003. It's served me well, and I can always rely on it. To those BIFL folks who are looking to purchase BIFL items being sold now: Coleman makes some solid and durable tents.
Praise
✅ What Works
- One long-term owner reports 11 years of reliable use and staying dry through downpours
- Described by multiple commenters as heavy but genuinely well-made ("a tank")
⚠️ Worth Knowing
- Seen as heavier and less refined than premium/boutique tent brands
- Sample is now just 3 mentions from a single thread, not broad ownership feedback
ClearPick Verdict
This page's score previously drew from one Reddit thread (12 mentions, all from a single r/BuyItForLife conversation) that skewed positive, which has now been corrected to a capped, diverse sample of 3 highest-upvoted, sentiment-spread comments from that same thread. The surviving quotes still lean favorable: one owner reports 11 years of use with the tent, poles, and rain fly all in good condition, and dry through downpours; others describe older Coleman tents as heavy but well-made "tanks," while one commenter frames Coleman generally as a step up from department-store tents but a step below refined, lighter options. Read together it's a believable but thin picture of a durable, no-frills tent rather than a top-tier one. This remains a small, single-thread sample — directional, not a settled verdict.
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