Coleman SunDome 7-Foot by 7-Foot 3-Person Dome Tent

This is only the second tent I’ve ever owned. The first one was a real crappy sub $20 from Sports Authority. That $20 one worked fine for that one night I used it for but I vowed spend a little more next time and hope for much better quality. The 2-person $20 leaked a bit, was terribly cramped and was awfully humid inside. All of those problems went away with this Coleman. Here are just a few reasons why I’m very happy with my purchase:

First, the price was pretty reasonable. If you find another brand with a similar design for a little less, that’s fine and all but I was happy to pay what I paid and get a Coleman – even someone that has never been camping before knows Coleman is pretty trusted when it comes to things like tents, coolers and anything you use outdoors.

Second, I thought most of the other reviews here were pretty favorable. I’m just a guy that wants to head to a campsite 2-3 times a year and spend a night or two with my girlfriend. There was another review here about how it fit a guy and his fiancée with a queen size air mattress very well. That review pretty much sold me and it was spot on. I also learned that a queen size air mattress is actually a little smaller than a regular size full size you’d have in your home. That’s still fine for two people but just don’t think you’re going to fit a giant mattress in there. The “queen” Coleman air mattress I purchased fit very well with ample room to spare.

Third, I like the colors of this tent – definitely not a great reason to base your choice of shelter but I still like the way it looks.

Fourth, It poured rain as we slept the first night. It was a pretty bad thunderstorm and it came down hard. There were not any leaks I could find. It also probably helped that this was a brand new tent, I’m pretty sure all tents will spring leaks as they get older and require seam sealer.

Fifth, Ease of use – this thing goes up and comes down pretty easily. A child can figure this thing out and it fits in a bag that’s pretty small and easy to manage.

So if you’re like me and just need a nice little tent for the occasional camping trip, this is a great choice. You can see how it looks in my pics compared to a giant 8 person tent too.
Rating: 5 / 5

It is a nice tent for the price. $40 is a great price for a 7×7 tent.

Unfortunately, mine is defective. The first time I put it up, I noticed that one of the black straps that hooks the tent body to the poles had not been sewn on correctly. So, the strap was frayed, and there was a hole in the seam that went clear through.

I called Coleman to ask about their warranty, and they told me that I have to pay shipping to have it repaired! I told them that their policy seemed unfair, but they didn’t seem to care. They gave me the choice of paying for shipping or paying someone to repair it locally. Either way, they would not reimburse.

They told me that other companies require customers to pay for shipping both ways. I really don’t care what other companies require. If a product is obviously defective on the first use, the company should take full responsibility for it.

Rating: 3 / 5

My son & I went mountain camping in North Carolina. On the first night, it was windy, raining and the temp dropped to 25 degrees ( the rain turned to snow & sleet). The tent kept us completely dry and out of the wind. It was easy to put up and actually stores easily back in the original tent bag it comes in. We also had enough room for two adult males and our two back packs. Again, for $57 it is a very good tent and I would recommend it to anyone that does casual camping a few times a year.
Rating: 5 / 5