The Coleman Elite Sundome 6-Person Lighted Tent is a three-season tent that sleeps up to six people. The tent features two doors and an integrated light.
The Coleman 6-Person Dark Room Sundome Tent is a wallet-friendly, unadorned camping tent designed to allow sleep no matter the time of day. Coleman’s Dark Room Technology keeps 90% of exterior light from entering the tent, perfect for those long, summer days spent outside. Snag-free continuous pole sleeves and insta-clip suspension make camp setup a breeze so you can spend more time doing the things you love.
Contents
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Comfort & Space
The 6-Person Dark Room Sundome Tent measures 10’ by 10’ (3 m x 3 m) and offers an ample 100 square feet of floor space. The peak height is a respectable 6’ (2 m). However, like any dome tent, it loses its height as you drift away from the center of the tent and provides less shoulder room around the exterior due to the inward cave of the domed walls.
While the tent can impressively fit two queen-sized beds, it does cram up the space, especially when considering there is only one doorway and no additional vestibules. Leave room for gear, supplies, and other essentials by maxing out with four adults. Adding in fur babies or real babies won’t do damage unless you don’t like to snuggle.
Where this tent truly shines is in its ability to block out sunlight. Coleman boasts 90% of sunlight is blocked out and reviewers have agreed: in the Dark Room Sundome tent campers willingly hit snooze, even in the midst of an open, sun-drenched field. Since it blocks out sun rays, the interior temperature of the tent remains much cooler than in other tents on the market. Perfect for summer festival goers looking for a midday snooze or those looking to take a break from the rays on the beach.
Breathability & Ventilation
With the rainfly in place, the Dark Room Sundome has one door and one window. Remove the rainfly and say hello to your surroundings as the mesh windows begin about halfway up the walls, making room for a nice breeze and an open view.
As with most tents, the Dark Room has a dual-zip door to keep the bugs out and ventilation maximized. To keep consistent airflow with the rainfly up, the window and door must stay open.
Weather Resistance
Coleman’s WeatherTec system seems to have missed the mark. They advertise tub-like flooring with special protected seems and patented flooring to keep the rain out but reviewers have found this to be shy of idyllic. The tent should make it through a light rainstorm, but if you expect a downpour, we recommend caution with this tent. Curved sidewalls allow the rain to slide down easily, and the tub-like flooring (which means the flooring stands a few inches into the wall) is designed to keep the interior dry.
The rainfly reaches down two-thirds of the tent and can be staked out further to provide more coverage from the rain and reduce the damp feeling that often comes from weathered camping.
Due to its domed ceiling, this tent holds steady in high winds and you can be sure that with proper securing of the stakes you can return to camp with a standing tent.
Durability
The tent is crafted with Polyguard polyester walls ensuring durability and longevity while staying light enough to easily carry. The same can be said about the WeatherTec polyester flooring material, which is taped around all seams to maintain adhesion, dryness, and resilience.
The poles are 11 mm each and constructed with fiberglass making them light but not as durable as aluminum poles. Fiberglass poles are typically found in more budget-friendly tents that aren’t used as frequently. Once fiberglass bends, it often cracks and you cannot bend it back like aluminum. This being said we couldn’t find a single reviewer commenting on their poles breaking! If you only camp a handful of times a year, fiberglass poles are nothing to worry about.
Ease of Use
Another area this tent shines is in its ease of use. Reviewers rave about how fast the Dark Room is assembled with its criss-crossed, snag-free, continuous sleeves for the two poles to glide through. Simply snap the poles to the bottom of the tent with the insta-clip suspension design, put the rainfly on and you’re done. It is hard to screw up.
There’s no need for color-coded poles, as both can be used interchangeably. Once they’re through the sleeves, simply slide the metal pin (which is sewn into a corner of the tent) into the bottom of the pole on all four corners and the tent should be standing. Add stakes if you have particularly blustery conditions.
The rainfly has its own pole that runs north and south on the tent, ruling out the initial confusion of which way to orient it. The tent also comes with four stakes and extra guy-lines for security during inclement weather and wind.
All in all, this tent can be pitched by one person in under seven minutes.
Packed Size and Weight
The Dark Room Sundome weighs in at 17 pounds (7.7 kg). This tent is made for car camping and comes with a no-frills carrying case that has extra room for those days you just want to scurry home without neatly folding things up.
In comparison to other six-person tents on the market that aren’t specifically designed for backpacking (are six-person backpacking tents a thing?!) this tent is slightly lighter, with other tents averaging 20 pounds (9kg). The Coleman 4-Person Dark Room weighs in at 11 pounds (5 kg) and has only fifty-six square feet of flooring.
The carrying case makes this tent fantastic for car camping and a breeze to store in the garage or closet after your weekend in nature.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- This is one of the best budget-friendly tents on the market for its size and ease of use. You can find it for as little as $150.
- For festival goers and desert dwellers, it is arguably the best choice for its dark room technology and cooling interior.
- It is incredibly quick to set up, take down, and store, and it can sleep you and your friends.
Cons
- On the flip side, the Dark Room Sundome isn’t as durable as some other tents on the market. It is geared toward those who don’t get outside every single weekend.
- There is no extra vestibule to store gear, there is only one door and one window, and the rainfly only allows for about a foot of extra room in front of the door.
- Most reviews complain about the tent leaking and its inability to withstand the rain.
- The fiberglass poles aren’t as resilient as aluminum poles and can break after frequent use or improper packing.
Rating
| Comfort and Space | 9 |
| Weather Resistance | 5 |
| Durability | 6 |
| Ease of Setup | 9 |
| Size and Weight | 8 |
All in all, the Coleman 6-Person Dark Room Sundome Tent is a lovely option for those looking for a basic, budget-friendly tent. The dark room technology will allow you to put the kids to bed early and sleep in as late as you’d like. The quick and easy set-up is sure to provide users with more time to relax and enjoy the great outdoors.
