3 person tent camped by lake

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Best 3 Person Tents in Australia [Reviewed & Compared]

Planning on getting a 3 person tent but confused by the huge number of options? Well, you’re in the right place.

I have curated a list of the best 3 man tents Australia to help you make your decision! The right tent for you largely depends on what kind of camping you will be doing.

Will you be hiking and need a lightweight tent that you can carry? Perhaps a heavier yet sturdier canvas tent that can be set up within minutes suits you better? Or do you prefer a pop up tent that sets up as soon as it is pulled out of the bag?

I have reviewed one tent from each camping style category in the list below, to make sure that you are covered no matter the type of camping that you will do!

Lastly, keep in mind that most 3 person tents can’t comfortably sleep 3 adults (especially if they have a lot of gear in the tent). Consider upgrading to a 4 person tent if you need the extra room!

Let’s get started!

Best 3 Person Tents Australia

Coleman 3 Person Swagger Instant Up Tent

Coleman 3 Person Swagger Instant Up Tent

Best Instant Up 3P Tent

Pros
  • Simple and fast setup
  • Sleeping area is larger than other 3P tents
  • Plenty of windows for ventilation
  • Front door can be converted into an awning (poles included)
  • 1,500mm waterproofing
  • Performs well in wind and rain
  • 1 year warranty
Cons
  • Whilst floor plan is large, internal ceiling is very low (120cm)
  • As with most instant tents, it is a bit heavier (10kg)

The Coleman Swagger is a free standing, hybrid tent-swag. It is an instant up tent, meaning that it can be erected very quickly (often less than 2 minutes) with the use of poles that are pre-attached to the tent. The poles can be raised and locked into position via a central spine.

In addition, it has a wide floor plan, meaning that it can sleep 3 people plus some camping gear. Unfortunately, the internal ceiling is low at just 120cm, so no standing up in the tent.

It is a very well built tent, with many users commenting on how well it performed for them in quite windy conditions.

I really like the ability to convert the front door into an awning, which provides shade, ventilation and some room for storing extra gear.

At 10kg, it is far too heavy for hiking, but it is a great tent to throw in your car and have up within minutes of arriving at your campsite.

It comes in 2P and 3P varieties.

Explore Planet Earth Speedy Blackhole 3 Pop Up Tent

Explore Planet Earth Speedy Black Hole Pop Up Tent

Best Pop Up 3P Tent

Pros
  • Sets up as soon as you pull it out of the bag
  • 3,000mm waterproof rated fly
  • 4,000mm waterproof rated floor
  • Sunlight blocking to keep you cool and let you sleep in
  • Built in internal lighting - easy to use the tent at night
  • 3 year warranty!
Cons
  • Folding it back up into the bag can be a little tricky
  • Internal ceiling very low at just 105cm
  • The pegs it comes with are not the best quality

If 2-3 minutes of tent setup sounds too long, how about a tent that sets up literally within seconds!

The Explore Planet Earth Speedy Black Hole range is widely regarded by many as the best pop up tent in Australia. Setting it up is super simple, as it pops into position as soon as it is out of the carry bag.

For a pop up tent, it is a surprisingly sturdy and reliable tent. The 3,000mm waterproof rating will keep you dry in almost all conditions, although some people have noted that you need to peg out the tent carefully to prevent pooling or water on the top.

The sunlight blocking is a cool feature that lets you sleep in beyond 6am, and also helps keep you cool on hot summer days, but also warmer on cool winter nights.

The built in internal lighting is a nice touch, and it means that you can use your tent at night, without having to attach any torches or lanterns. It can be powered from a USB battery adapter, or a power bank (this is not included).

Unfortunately, the ceiling is very low in this tent (this is common for pop up tents). You will be able to just sit up in the tent as long as you aren’t too tall.

The 3 year warranty is fantastic and not often seen for tents.

It comes in 2P, 3P and 4P varieties.

Explore Planet Earth Spartan 3 Hiking Tent

EPE Spartan

Best 3P Hiking Tent

Pros
  • Compression bag included
  • Lots of internal pockets and lantern hanging points
  • 4,000mm waterproof fly!
  • 5,000mm waterproof floor!
  • Well built, sturdy
  • 2 year warranty
Cons
  • Sleeping area pretty tight 3 people
  • 3.3kg fairly heavy (recommend you split the load)
  • Internal ceiling very low at 110cm (common for hiking tents)

Another product from Explore Planet Earth is the Spartan hiking tent. For how strong and durable this tent is, it is excellent value for money.

It is built to handle strong weather, with a 4,000mm waterproof rating for the fly and 5,000mm rating for the tent floor. The tent material is very durable and holds up well in a wide variety of weather conditions.

Unfortunately, the sleeping area is pretty narrow for 3 people and really more suited to 2 people and some gear. At 3.3kg, it is also quite heavy to carry while hiking, so you definitely need to split the load over 2-3 people to make it manageable.

The 2 year warranty confirms that this is a quality tent, designed to give you plenty of use over its life.

It comes in 2P and 3P varieties.

Oztent RV3 Canvas Touring Tent

Oztent RV Touring Canvas Tent

Best 3 Person Touring Tent

Pros
  • Outstanding build quality - excellent reputation
  • Canvas construction
  • 1,500mm waterproof rating for the fly
  • Very spacious interior
  • High internal ceiling - can stand up in the tent
  • 2 year warranty
Cons
  • Quite heavy at 22kg
  • Expensive
  • 2 metres long when packed - check that it can fit in your car

Touring tents are designed for those who will be travelling to new campsites frequently, and need a tent that can set up and pack down very quickly. They are tough and rugged, designed especially for Australian conditions.

The Oztent RV3 is no exception. This tent is widely loved by Australians and generally considered to be one of the best, if not the best, touring tents. If you want a high quality tourer tent and budget isn’t an issue, then look no further.

Unfortunately, with high quality comes a few drawbacks. The tent is very heavy (22kg) and is 2 metres long when packed, which makes it difficult to put in the boot of your car. It is also far more expensive than the other tents in this list.

It comes in a variety of sizes, including the RV1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

What To Consider When Buying A 3 Man Tent?

Getting ready to lock in a particular tent? Check off on the list below to make sure that you haven’t missed anything important!

Camping Style

In the 3 person tent category, there is huge variety in terms of price, size, weight and much more! That’s because a 3 person tent for expedition hiking is going to look very different to a 3 person tent that someone would use when 4WDing.

Think about the kind of camping that you will be doing and what attributes are most important to you.

Size/Dimensions

As I mentioned earlier, most 3 person tents can’t actually comfortably sleep 3 adults and their gear. The exception to this is the Coleman 3P Swagger and the Oztent RV3, which can actually sleep 3 adults in comfort, with space for gear too!

If you have a lot of gear or bags that need storing in the tent, either go with these tents or consider upgrading to a 4 person tent instead.

Having a decent ceiling height on your tent is important too. A high ceiling will let you stand up while in your tent (useful for getting changed), and will also make it feel much roomier and spacious. The tents in this article have ceilings ranging from 105cm to 190cm!

Weight

Larger, more feature-rich tents (such as instant up tents) tend to be heavier. Hiking tents, on the other hand, are much lighter. Consider your needs and think about whether tent weight is important for you.

The Explore Planet Earth Spartan tent is the lightest tent on the list, at 3.3kg.

Season Rating

Some tents are more suitable for certain weather conditions than others. This is typically expressed with the ‘season rating’. 2 and 3 season tents tend to be for mild to moderate weather, whereas 4 season tents are suitable for use even in cold conditions.

Geweare have a good article on tent season ratings if you want to read more.

Waterproofing

Storms are unpredictable in Australia, with sudden, unexpected downpours very common. You don’t want to be woken up at night with water dripping on your face, so make sure that you choose a tent with a decent waterproof rating.

Waterproof ratings range from 1,000mm (the lowest rating that is considered waterproof), all the way up to 10,000mm. The EPE Spartan 3 hiking tent comes with an excellent 4,000mm rating for the fly!

Ventilation

We all know how brutal and unforgiving the Australian sun can be. Tents can act as greenhouses, trapping in hot air. Make sure that your tent has some ventilation windows to let the hot air escape, otherwise you’ll be in for a hot and sweaty evening.

Lack of ventilation will also contribute to condensation forming overnight.

Setup Time

Few people enjoy setting up and packing down tents. Trying to fit both ends of the tent poles onto the pins, clipping the outer layer to the poles, banging tent pegs into rocky ground. It’s not a whole lot of fun.

Thankfully, instant up and pop up tents can make the tent setup process much easier. The Coleman 3P Swagger is an instant up tent that can be up within a few minutes, and EPE Speedy Blackhole 3 is a pop up tent that can be up within seconds.

Warranty

A warranty lets you sleep easy knowing that your tent is covered if it is defective in any way. It is also a good sign that the manufacturer has faith in the quality of their product, and that they stand behind this quality. The EPE Speedy Blackhole 3 comes with an outstanding 3 year warranty.

Build Quality

Poor build quality means a painful tent setup experience, higher risk of accidental damage to the tent, as well as frustrating and flimsy pegs, poles or zippers. Cheaper tents naturally have poorer build quality, as the manufacturers save on material to keep costs low. The tents in this article all have great build quality and great reputations amongst Aussie campers.

Extra features

Depending on what you plan on doing, extra features such as those below may be entirely unnecessary, or absolutely essential:

  • Sunlight blocking can keep your tent nice and dark beyond the crack of dawn. This lets you and the kids sleep in as much as you like.
  • Built in lighting can make it easy to find whatever you are looking for, without the need to attach lanterns or torches. The EPE Speedy Blackhole tent has both sunlight blocking and built in lighting.
  • Awnings add shade around your tent, keeping it cool and giving you a place to store gear out of the sun. Awnings usually don’t hold up well in strong winds, so don’t leave them up if you will be away from your tent for a while. The Coleman 3P Swagger tent and the Oztent RV3 both come with awnings.
Campfire on beach in Australia

Summary

There are a ton of 3 person tents out there on the market. The right one for you will come down to the kind of camping that you will be doing.

The tents I have listed above are the best of the best, each suitable for a different kind of camping.

The Coleman Swagger tent is a great all-rounder, instant up tent. The EPE Speedy Blackhole tent is great if you want a tent that can be set up in seconds, but comes with some nice extra features like sunlight blocking and internal lighting.

For hiking, check out the EPE Spartan tent and for a touring/canvas tent, the Oztent RV3 is your best bet.

I hope that you have enjoyed this review of the best 3 person tents Australia! If you still have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments below!


This article may contain affiliate links. I will earn a commission if you choose to purchase a product or service after clicking on my link. This helps pay for the cost of running the website. You will not be disadvantaged in any way by using my links.

Note that while every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information on this page, there may sometimes be errors. Check all specifications with the manufacturer before purchasing any product.

Our Testing Process

In creating this article, we have completed a rigorous review process on the best out there, comparing products in total, and reading hundreds of reviews from fellow campers to help form our opinions.

The primary goal of our research is to help figure which product is right for you, the user. We systematically go through all of the available options on the market to determine which ones are worthy of our list.

Here’s a full list of the options we considered for this article. Please note that we have never accepted free products from manufacturers.

Full List Of Considered Products


This article may contain affiliate links. I will earn a commission if you choose to purchase a product or service after clicking on my link. This helps pay for the cost of running the website. You will not be disadvantaged in any way by using my links.

Note that while every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information on this page, there may sometimes be errors. Check all specifications with the manufacturer before purchasing any product.

Louis

While Louis does most of his trips near his home in south-east Queensland, he has been camping as far afield as South America and Africa. He loves researching, testing and experimenting with camping gear whenever possible.

  • Interested you pick the 3 man Swagger tent for number 1. If you read the reviews many complain about the exact same issue, it leaks in the rain. That’s because the fly touches the inner either side of the main ridge pole. There’s also plenty of photos there to demonstrate this as well. Obviously not a good choice

  • The epe speedy and Spartan tents might hold 3 children but not 3 adults. Therefore they shouldn’t be included in this review of 3 person tents.

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