The Best 4 Person Non Toxic Tents for Camping: 4 Person Tents Without Flame Retardants [2023]
The best 4-person tents for camping offer a number of benefits to enhance your outdoor experience such as additional space, better ventilation, and easy setup.
Reasons why we love 4 person non toxic tents:
- More spacious and pleasant experience than 2 and 3 person tents.
- Additional living space and headroom.
- Larger windows, doors and vents for better ventilation.
- Easy / quick to pitch.
- Lightweight enough for quick weekend and car camping trips.
- Do not contain fire retardant chemicals that can be toxic to humans.
The Best 4 Person Non Toxic Tents
Best 4 Person Tent for Car Camping: Big Agnes Spicer Peak 4
The Big Agnes Spicer Peak 4 is one of the best tent for car camping, as it provides a well-ventilated living space that feels similar to a cabin tent, with a high-volume design that provides extra headroom and allows people 5’7″ and shorter to stand fully-upright.
Who is this tent best for?
Families and small groups planning on camping for longer periods of time. The spacious floor space of the tent makes it ideal for extended car camping trips. The tent provides up to an additional 20 inches of headroom compared to similarly sized 4 person tents (see the Mountain Hardwear Trango 4).
Who is this tent not right for?
Campers who are planning on doing backpacking or hiking. The tent is too heavy to carry over long distances. It also isn’t good for groups that need private areas within the tent, since it’s one big room.
What chemicals are restricted in this tent?
Big Agnes has banned the following chemicals from all its products and entire supply chain because of the health risks they pose to humans: Antimicrobials, biocides, flame retardants, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
PROS
Dome shape creates a roomy, cabin-like environment
Rainfly covers the entire tent
Fly vents and extra-large vestibules prevent condensation
1500mm waterproof rated fabric
Color-coded webbing and buckles for easy, fast setup
DAC Pressfit Aluminum Poles are rugged and easy to setup
8 tent stakes and reflective, pre-cut guy lines for easy setup day or night
6 internal storage compartments
CONS
Footprint not included
Heavier than other similar 4 person tents
Tent bag not included
Rainfly lacks vents, blocking ventilation when completely covered
FEATURES:
- Seasons: 3 season
- # Doors: 2
- # Vestibules: 2
- # Poles: 3 (easy setup ~10 minutes or less)
- Minimum Trail Weight: 11 pounds, 2 ounces (5 kilograms)
- Peak Height: 70 inches / 5.8 feet (178 centimeters)
- Packed Size: 10.5 x 25 inches (27 x 63 centimeters)
- Floor Dimensions: 92 x 90 inches / 7.6 x 7.5 feet (233 x 228 centimeters)
- Floor Area: 58 square feet (5.4 square meters)
- Vestibule Area: 11 + 11 square feet (1 + 1 square meters)
- Material: Polyester taffeta rainfly, canopy, floor
Best 4 Person Tent for Ventilation: The North Face Wawona 4
The North Face Wawona 4 has been optimized for better weather protection, reinforced stability, maximum breathability and easier set up.
Who is this tent best for?
People camping in rainy or windy weather. This is also a good option for people who need a quality waterproof tent that’s easy to pitch at night or during low visibility. The double-wall, mesh door and ceiling also offer great stargazing and refreshing breezes.
Who is this tent not right for?
Groups that need privacy or separate areas in the tent. Even though the interior is large, there are no privacy options. The tent is also much too heavy for backpacking or hiking trips. The ideal use is for car camping.
What chemicals are restricted in this tent?
As stated on the REI Co-Op website, all North Face tents are made without flame retardants.
PROS
Large interior space is optimal for longer trips
Extra large vestibule for storage
Enough headroom for upright standing
Double-wall design is breathable while also providing robust protection from the elements
1200mm waterproof rated rainfly, floor and canopy
2 wide mesh doors for easy access and airflow
DAC MX tent poles are exceptionally strong and enable the tent to withstand heavy winds around 50 miles / hour
6 ceiling storage pockets
Includes tent duffel bag that fits airline carry-on size
CONS
Footprint not included
Partial rain fly is tricky to set up
Heavy for backpacking trips
FEATURES:
- Seasons: 3 season
- # Doors: 2
- # Vestibules: 2
- # Poles: 3 (easy setup ~10 minutes or less)
- Minimum Trail Weight: 11 pounds, 11 ounces (5.3 kilograms)
- Peak Height: 68 inches / 5.7 feet (173 centimeters)
- Packed Size: 13 pounds (6 kilograms)
- Floor Dimensions: 96 x 90 inches / 8 x 7.5 feet (244 x 228 centimeters)
- Floor Area: 58 square feet (5.3 square meters)
- Vestibule Area: 27.6 square feet (2.5 square meters)
- Material: Polyester rainfly, floor and canopy
Best 4 Person Tent for All-Weather Protection: Mountain Hardwear Trango 4
The Mountain Hardwear Trango 4 is built to withstand the harshest weather, including snow, heavy rain and alpine conditions. This waterproof tent is designed to keep cold wind and water outside, while maintaining an airtight interior.
Who is this tent best for?
Campers expecting bad weather – cold, rain, snow and wind. The tent floor has an extremely high waterproof rating, and the integrated snow flaps are perfect for keeping out the elements. Mountain Hardwear also applies silicone to both sides of the tent wall, which increases water repellency.
Who is this tent not right for?
Groups of more than 2 people and campers over 5.7 feet in height. The tent is unusually short compared to other similarly sized shelters. This will likely feel pretty cramped over time, so leaving room for extra space is a wise idea.
What chemicals are restricted in this tent?
According to their website, Mountain Hardwear has banned all flame retardants from their products. Their materials are also bluesign® approved, which requires full transparency and traceability of all the raw materials used to create the products. In addition, Mountain Hardwear uses solution-dyes to color their tents. This is more eco-friendly because it requires far less water than traditional dyes. The colors are also more vibrant and long lasting.
PROS
10,000mm waterproof rated floor – one of the highest on the market
1500mm full coverage rain fly with vents
Ideal for car camping
Option to pitch the tent as an open-air shelter. This requires a footprint which is sold separately.
Snow flaps to keep out wind, rain and snow
Double wall design
Dual canopy/mesh doors for ventilation
Front and rear vestibules for maximum storage and ventilation
UVX window lets in light while blocking UV rays
Bathtub-shaped nylon floor prevents leaks during heavy storms
DAC Aluminum Feather Lite poles and J stakes are 15% lighter
Interior tension shelves for storage and organization
Mesh storage compartments all along the interior wall
Includes an easy to carry stuff sack
CONS
Less headroom than other 4 person tents
Footprint not included
Rain fly can become stuffy in hot weather
Heavy for backpacking excursions
FEATURES:
- Seasons: 4 season
- # Doors: 2
- # Vestibules: 1
- # Poles: 5 (moderate setup ~20 minutes or less)
- Minimum Trail Weight: 11 pounds, 7.5 ounces
- Peak Height: 50 inches
- Packed Size: 9 x 28 inches
- Floor Dimensions: 96 x 94 inches (approx. 8 x 8 feet)
- Floor Area: 57 square feet
- Vestibule Area: 16 square feet
- Material: ripstop nylon canopy, nylon taffeta rainfly and floor
Best 4 Person Tent Layout: Big Agnes Wyoming Trail 4
Who is this camping tent tent best for?
Campers that need privacy and separate sections within the tent. The tent offers a lot of floor space and is divided into two sections. This comes is handy for families with children. The adults can hang out while the kids are tucked away in their peacefully in their own private room.
Who is this tent not right for?
Campers who have to travel long distances by air or train, or who do not have the ability to carry a very heavy tent. At 20 pounds, this is the heaviest tent on our list.
What chemicals are restricted in this tent?
See the Big Agnes Spicer Peak 4 above.
PROS
Great for car camping or as a base camp
1500mm waterproof rated rain fly and floor
Double wall design
2 separate rooms, divided by a central with awning doors to create a protected space for socializing in rainy weather or storing gear
Internal and external vestibules
4 doors for easy access and superior ventilation
Center vestibule includes a 2 awning doors to create a protected space for socializing in rainy weather or storing gear
Fast-fly shelter option
Dual zipper doors that are easy to open inside / outside the tent
Aluminum DAC poles
5 interior storage compartments
14 Dirt Dagger tent stakes
CONS
Heavier than other 4 person tents in this category
Very bulky, heavy for backpacking
Headroom is 5-7 inches shorter than other 4 person tents
Footprint not included
Tent bag not included
FEATURES:
- Seasons: 3 season
- # Doors: 4
- # Vestibules: 3
- # Poles: 6 (moderate setup ~20 minutes or less)
- Minimum Trail Weight: 20 pounds, 10 ounces (9 kilograms)
- Peak Height: Tent: 57 inches / 4.7 feet (145 centimeters), vestibule: 70 inches (179 centimeters)
- Packed Size: 25.5 x 16.5 x 9.5 inches (65 x 40 x 24 centimeters)
- Floor Dimensions: 90 x 54 inches / 7.5 x 4.5 feet (228 x 137 centimeters)
- Floor Area: 34 square feet (3 square meters)
- Vestibule Area: 40 square feet (4 square meters)
- Material: Polyester taffeta rain fly, canopy and floor
Most Spacious: NEMO Aurora High Rise 4P
The NEMO Aurora Highrise 4 person tent offers significantly more living space and headroom compared to the average 4 person tent, making it feel luxuriously spacious even at full capacity.
Who is this camping tent best for?
At 6.5 feet in height, this tent is a dream for tall campers. The shape closely resembles a dome tent, which provides a lot of evenly distributed headroom. This gives the tent a huge, spacious feeling which adds to the comfort.
The provides a lot of value and has a great weight to space ratio – you get a lot of space for a weight of a less than 14 pounds.
Who is this tent NOT right for?
People who need a lot of internal storage pockets. Anybody who camps regularly understands how important internal storage is, especially for longer trips. This tent only offers 4 mesh storage compartments – less than all the other tents on our list.
What chemicals are restricted from this tent?
The NEMO website says that the company uses durable fabrics that meet standards for flame resistance without using harmful chemicals.
PROS
5-7 inches more headroom than the average 4 person tent
Vertical sidewalls created expansive interior space
Protected side windows with mesh screens lets in light and airflow, while keeping out bugs and rain
Doors have clips to easily keep them open for sunlight and ventilation
DAC aluminum poles are industry leaders for strength and stability
Multiple interior storage pockets
Duffel style carrying bag that meets airline carry-on size requirements
CONS
Footprint not included
Not waterproof rated
Heavy for backpacking
One of the two doors only opens halfway
FEATURES:
- Seasons: 3 season
- # Doors: 2
- # Vestibules: 2
- # Poles: 4 (easy setup ~10 minutes or less)
- Minimum Trail Weight: 13 pounds, 12 ounces
- Peak Height: 75 inches (6.5 feet)
- Packed Size: 8.5 x 25 inches
- Floor Dimensions: 100 x 90 inches (8.3 x 7.5 feet)
- Floor Area: 62.5 square feet
- Vestibule Area: 19.5 sq. ft. + 19.5 sq. ft. square feet
- Material: Polyester taffeta rain fly, canopy and floor
Best Budget: Big Agnes Rabbit Ears
Affordable, spacious tent that is perfect for families because of its easy setup and comfortable layout.
Who is this camping tent best for?
Small groups of 1-2 people who are traveling very light, backpackers, hikers, campers who want a high-quality, chemical-free tent under $200.
Who is this tent NOT right for?
Larger groups of 2-3 people. This tent does not have a vestibule, which significantly reduces the amount of livable space because all your gear needs to be stored inside the tent. People over 5 feet may also have difficulty in this tent because of its low peak height.
PROS
Lightweight and easy to carry for backpacking trips
Extra wide door with a screened mesh window
1500mm waterproof rated rainproof fly and tent floor
Double wall design
2 fly vents, 2 windows and zippered mesh walls for extra ventilation
Aluminum DAC poles with press-fit connections
Freestanding, reflective guy lines for extra stability and nighttime visibility
6 interior mesh compartments for storage
10 aluminum hook stakes with oversized stake-out loops
Guy lines and tensioners already cut and connected to the rain fly
Includes duffel storage bag that also fits airline carry-on size
CONS
5-10 inches less headroom than other 4 person tents
Footprint not included
Tent bag not included
Only 1 door
Does not have a vestibule
FEATURES:
- Seasons: 3 season
- # Doors: 1
- # Vestibules: 0
- # Poles: n/a (easy setup ~10 minutes or less)
- Minimum Trail Weight: 8 pounds, 5 ounces (3.6 kilograms)
- Peak Height: 60 inches (152 centimeters)
- Packed Size: 7.5 x 23.5 inches (19 x 59.7 centimeters)
- Floor Dimensions: 90 x 96 inches (228 x 224 centimeters)
- Floor Area: 60 square feet (5.6 square meters)
- Vestibule Area: n/a
- Material: Polyester rain fly and floor
Best for Sub Zero Weather: The North Face Bastion 4
The North Face Bastion 4 person tent is made with high-performance, technical materials and designed for extreme weather conditions, including heavy wind and snow.
