Coleman Skydome 4-Person Tent

May 11, 2023

The Coleman Skydome 4-Person Tent is a favorite among campers who need a lightweight, quick-to-set-up, 3-season tent. The tent is spacious and affordable, has storage space, and is durable.

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Comfort and Space

When choosing the best 4-person tent for camping purposes, the floor space, livability, and storage space are vital factors to consider. Let’s see how the Coleman Skydome lives up to comfort and space expectations.

Floor Space

The Coleman Skydome 4-Person Camping Tent has a total floor space of 56 square feet (5.2 square meters), measuring 8 feet (2.44 meters) by 7 feet (2.13 meters). When comparing similar tents, the Coleman Sundome 4-Person Tent has a total floor space of 63 square feet and the NEMO Aurora Highrise 4P Tent has a bigger total floor area of 62.5 square feet. All in all, the Skydome is spacious.

The tent also has a wide door design, so you can easily move your gear in and out of the Skydome.

But is it spacious enough? While 4 people may be able to fit inside the tent, the tent only has space for 1 queen-size airbed that fits 2 adults and maybe a toddler. However, there is some internal storage space so you don’t have to leave your belongings in the car. What’s great about the tent is that it offers a gear loft and mesh storage pockets to keep smaller items and gadgets organized.

Shoulder Space

The Coleman Skydome has a center height of 4.8 feet (1.46 meters). While most adults won’t be able to stand fully upright inside the tent, they will be able to comfortably sit without rubbing their shoulders. This tent has 20% more headroom than the traditional Coleman tents, thanks to the nearly vertical walls.

Number of Rooms/Vestibules

The Coleman Skydome 4-Person Tent only has a single interior room in which campers can rest and relax. The dome tent is more suitable for short car camping trips, so 2-3 people sharing the single room shouldn’t be a problem; however, this is something to consider when you go camping and share sleeping space with friends.

The tent doesn’t have any vestibules or screen porches, and you don’t need a mudroom since there’s enough space for your gear if you place a twin, double, or queen-sized airbed inside. There is a small awning by the single door that provides some sun protection.

Coleman Skydome 4-Person Tent gear loft and mesh storage pockets

If you prefer a vestibule, Coleman has a Skydome 4-Person Camping Tent with Full-Fly Vestibule option that offers more storage space and weather protection.

Breathability and Ventilation

In terms of breathability and ventilation, the Coleman Skydome doesn’t have the best features. It has some airflow vents and an extra-wide door you can leave open, but when the door is closed, only the vents can allow air to flow into the tent.

This will likely be a problem on warm summer nights when there is no breeze, but if you feel safe enough, you can unzip the door to increase ventilation.

Weather Resistance

Coleman Skydome 4-Person Tent WeatherTec system

The dual-layer Skydome has been made with their proprietory WeatherTech technology, featuring tub-like floors, welded corners, and inverted seams to keep wind and water out so everything inside the tent (including you and your family) remains dry.

According to the manufacturer, the Skydome should be okay in winds of up to 35 miles per hour, but this depends on how you pitch the tent, too. The Skydome does have 7 guylines, helping to keep the tent stable. You can also adjust the guylines to steady airflow, ensuring more stable temperatures inside the tent.

However, note that the fiberglass poles may not be able to hold out for long periods in high winds, but camping with this tent in nice weather conditions is ideal.

Durability

The Skydome tent is double walled with Nylon. The fly canopy (or rainfly) is made from 65 Denier 190T polyester with a PU coating and the bathtub floor is made from a heavy-duty 1000 denier polyethylene. These are durable materials.

The poles are fiberglass, which is fine regarding durability if you only go on camping adventures every now and again. While Coleman states the tent can withstand winds of 35 miles per hour, take care when pitching your tent and consider the best practice when setting up camp.

Ease of Use

The Skydome 4-Person Tent is easy to set up. You only need 5 minutes, and it can even be set up in low light conditions.

The frame is external, which is why pitching the Skydome is so easy and quick.

To set up the Skydome:

Lay out your tent and stake one corner.
Extend the pre-attached poles, crossing them from one corner to the other.
Raise the tent poles by placing them in the front corner pockets of the tent.
Where the poles cross, connect them with the middle clips and connect the clip to the tent poles.
Pull the rainfly over the tent. The Coleman logos should be on the sides and fly pole sleeve in the front.
Use the S hooks and attach the rainfly to the tent’s black plastic rings on each corner.
Slide the pole for the rainfly through the sleeve, add the ends to the grommet, and then secure the poles with the attachments.
Finish staking down the tent and stake the rainfly’s guylines.

Packed Size and Weight

The packed size of the Coleman Skydome 4-Person tent is (LxWxH) 24 inches (60.96 centimeters) by 9 inches (22.86 centimeters) by 5 inches (12.7 centimeters) with a packed weight of 10.10 pounds (4.58 kilograms). Luckily, the Skydome comes with a carry bag for the tent and poles.

While carrying and storing the Skydome is convenient, it isn’t the most lightweight tent on the market. Backpackers can use the tent if the trail isn’t too tough or long. The Coleman Skydome 4-Person Tent is ideal for car campers or those who camp at established campgrounds.

In comparison, the Skydome 4-Person Tent with the Full-Fly Vestibule weighs 13.7 pounds (6.12 kilograms) and measures (LxWxH) 24.5 inches (62.23 centimeters) by 9 inches (22.86 centimeters) by 9 inches (22.86 centimeters) when packed.

The Skydome 6-Person Tent weighs 16.16 pounds (7.33 kilograms) and, when packed, measures (LxWxH) 25.5 inches (64.77 centimeters) by 9.5 inches (24.13 centimeters) by 9.25 inches (23.49 centimeters). So the Skydome 4-Person tent is more compact and weighs less.