When spring arrives, we always want to start making use of the good weather up and down the country, especially if winter has been particularly cold. One of the best and easiest ways to enjoy the outdoors is a picnic in a park or out in the bush.
Outdoor gazebos are a great way for you and your family to enjoy an afternoon outdoors, but still have a shady space for sun protection or eating and relaxing or can be a great addition to a campsite.
Whether it’s a short trip or a long camp, gazebos fill a little niche we sometimes never knew we needed and here are some of the best ones you can buy.
| Wanderer Ultimate Heavy Duty Gazebo | OZtrail Deluxe 2.4 Gazebo V4 | Adventure Kings Portable Gazebo | Coleman 2.4 Lighted Instant Up Gazebo | Outdoor Connection Breakaway Gazebo w/ Canopy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Our Pick  | Best Value  |  |  | |
300 x 300 x 330 cm | 240 x 240 x 305 cm | 290 x 290 x 310 cm | 240 x 240 x 250 cm | 300 x 330 x 320 cm | |
168 x 21 x 21 cm | 135 x 27 x 22 cm | 160 x 25 x 25 cm | 119 x 28 x 22 cm | 165 x 25 x 25 cm | |
420D polyester,steel | UVTex® 300D polyester, steel | 420D polyester | 150D Polyester, steel | 420D polyester, steel | |
330 cm | 175, 190, 205 cm | 332 cm | 250 cm | 322-340 cm | |
23 kg | 20 kg | 22.6 kg | 17.6 kg | 29 kg | |
1 year | 1 year | 1 year | 1 year | 1 year | |
Side walls | Side walls, portico tent | Side walls, gazebo tent, hub tent | Side walls | Side walls |
Best Camping Gazebos Australia
Wanderer Ultimate Heavy Duty Gazebo 3x3m
Best For A Sunny Backyard
The Wanderer Heavy Duty Gazebo is a slightly larger sized tent frame than some of the other brands and has been designed and produced to provide full sunshade for you. It is easy to set up and has a square design with heavy-duty canvas.
The majority of customers love their Wanderer gazebo, however, there is a significant proportion who have found their experiences are not what they expected. It seems the Wanderer does not like rain and if you keep it set up as a rain shelter – it can fall over.
Water tends to pool on top and then the frames bend. Some users have had their whole gazebo collapse after a heavy storm. As such we recommend the Wanderer for backyard or sunny day use over longer-term camping.
OZtrail Deluxe 2.4 Gazebo V4
Our Pick
OZtrail makes a wide range of quality camping equipment and their deluxe gazebo is no exception. It is a heavy-duty gazebo that not only provides full sun cover, but has also been designed to take some wind and not fall over and, more importantly – stand up solidly in the rain.
It provides slightly less total coverage than the Wanderer, however, you can adjust the height and the OZtrail Deluxe comes with additional walls, at extra cost, that are easily attached so you can also turn it into an awning or tent too.
Almost every user loves this gazebo with the only negatives being it’s a little difficult to set up alone due to the weight. In our opinion, it’s the best gazebo for camping.
Adventure Kings Portable Gazebo 3m x 3m
Best Value
The Adventure Kings Portable Gazebo is the lowest priced gazebo on our list. It's a great gazebo that is easy to set up and provides full shade and protection from the rain. Like the OZtrail, the Adventure Kings unit comes with the option of additional side walls to turn it into a tent too.
As this is very easy to set up, it’s quite popular amongst people who like to use a gazebo for additional shade for a BBQ, picnic or while doing some repairs on your truck.
Overall this is a great gazebo with the only downsides being that it is not quite as sturdy as the OZtrail and the plastic frame feet don't stick to very hard ground. For flexibility and reliable shade anywhere, this gazebo is worth a look.
Coleman 2.4 Lighted Instant Up Gazebo
Best For Night Use
The Coleman 2.4 Lighted Instant Gazebo can be set up (and packed down) quickly and easily with a spring-loaded system and is as sturdy as they come, being tested in winds at over 100 km/ph.
It can be used for anything you need shade protection for, by itself or in conjunction with other tents. It’s also the most expensive gazebo on this list, but not by much and is well worth the extra cost.
Outdoor Connection Breakaway Gazebo with Canopy 3M x 3M
Best For Wet Weather
If you live in an area of Australia that receives more rain than others, you will know the importance of having a tent or gazebo that can hold out the water. The Outdoor Connection Breakaway Gazebo has been designed with this in mind with a 4,000mm water head and heat-sealed taped seams to ensure you stay dry.
Couple this with an easy to set up the frame and you have a flexible and durable gazebo for any occasion. This is a new product and as such there are not many reviews to go by, however, the only negative we could find was it's not as sturdy in high winds as the Coleman. Overall this is a great gazebo, even if it comes in quite a bit heavier than some of the other products.
What To Look For When Buying Camping Gazebos
At first glance, all the gazebos look very similar to each other and that’s because they aim to fill a fairly narrow niche. There are differences however and some of the areas to look at are as follows.
Waterproofing
This is not something that all the gazebos do well. They are all great at shade, but not all of them are great in the rain, like the Wanderer that has issues with pooling. Others like the Outdoor Connection are much better suited for wet conditions.
UV Resistance
If you'll be spending long periods of time under your gazebo in the midday sun, you'll want to make sure that it is able to protect you from the sun's harsh rays.
Check the UV resistance of the canopy material before you make a purchase!
Wind
This is another issue worth considering and if you live in particularly windy places, you may be better off looking at a beach tent, which is designed to deal with wind.
Some Gazebos like the Coleman Instant are set up to deal with it, others like the Wanderer are not and nothing will ruin your afternoon more than your gazebo blowing away.
Frames
These are not always equal and it's good to know if you have an easy set up system with springs like the Coleman or a heavier duty frame like the OZtrail.
The latter will stay in place better but is more difficult to set up unless you have someone helping you. Frames also assist with wind and rain reduction.
Length Of Use
This is also a very important factor as the longer the gazebo is set up, the more varied the weather it will have to deal with.
If you like to move your gazebo around a lot, take it to the park or the bush or use it just for the odd afternoon at home, then a lighter system like the Adventure Kings would be most suited to you.
Conversely, if you want to leave it up for a week (or a year) – a sturdier and heavier model like the OZtrail deluxe or the Outdoor Connection would be a much better purchase.
Camping Gazebos FAQ
Are gazebo tents good for camping?
Gazebos are not specifically designed as a tent, but more of an open-air shade and water protection.
Some do have sides that can be attached to turn it into a traditional style tent, but the best use for a gazebo when camping is as an add-on to an actual tent to increase your space.
Are Coleman gazebos good?
Yes, in fact, the Coleman Lighted Instant Up Gazebo is one of the best on this list as they are made from quality materials, and are durable and flexible.
Final Thoughts
Gazebos are a great way to take shade with you for an afternoon picnic like the Adventure Kings or a week-long camping trip with the Coleman.
They provide an open air space in the shade that is especially useful in Australia and can be used as a stand-alone or in conjunction with a tent or awning giving you flexible options to keep yourself, your friends or your family out of that hot sun and in a nice shady space.
If none of these really took your fancy, you may want to look at a caravan awning, or a privacy screen instead. The privacy screens in particular are cheaper and simpler than these gazebos.
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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.
used your info to buy adventure kings Gazebo because of weight, should have checked your info as item actually weighs 22.1KGs, not very light.
Sorry about that – I have updated the article now!