Coleman Sundome 4 Tent Evaluate

Bottom Line

The Coleman Sundome 4 prioritizes affordability above all else. However, it still offers a good value for those looking to find a no-frills tent. The Sundome 4 lacks modern features, uses average materials, and has an outdated design. That said, we were pleasantly surprised by how functional it is, especially given its budget-friendly price. It also fills a niche that’s becoming increasingly rare in the outdoor industry – good $100 tents.

The Sundome 4 is easy to set up, packs away without hassle, and offers ample space for two campers, with the ability to squeeze in four if needed. Despite its limited rainfly coverage, the tent performs admirably in various weather conditions. However, it’s not built for heavy or frequent use. 

This tent is best suited for occasional campers who want an affordable option for a few family trips a year. If that sounds like you, the Coleman Sundome 4 could be just what you’re looking for.

To explore more of our top-performing camping tents, check out our gear guide for the Best Camping Tents of 2024.

Comfort

The Sundome 4 is marketed as a four-person tent. Although it can technically accommodate four, it’s a tight fit. At 9′ x 7′, it works better as a roomy two-person tent with space for gear. If you do fit four people, expect minimal room and no space for equipment inside. When Gear Analyst Ben Dawson tested this tent with his wife and two young children, it felt cramped, and they had to store gear outside to save space.

With a peak height of 4′ 11″, most campers can sit up comfortably but won’t be able to stand. However, there’s enough room to kneel and move around without feeling overly restricted.

The Sundome 4 is best suited for mild weather. Ventilation is limited, even with its windows, and it can get uncomfortably hot inside.  If camping in warm conditions, set it up in the shade to keep the interior from becoming stifling.

Durability

The Sundome is a light-duty tent, and there’s no denying that. It’s not low-quality, but Coleman made it with lower-cost materials that aren’t designed to withstand heavy or frequent use. That said, we haven’t encountered any major issues with the quality of our tent, aside from a few bent stakes. However, this is common when camping on rocky Colorado soil. If you’re in a campground and take care when pitching your tent, you can likely avoid bending the stakes despite their lack of durability.

The weakest point of this tent is its thin fiberglass poles. Fiberglass has its place in camping tents, but we’d like to see thicker poles included with the Sundome. Using too much force during setup or teardown can easily result in a broken pole.

Overall, if you handle the Sundome with care and limit its use to occasional summer weekends, it should last for a few seasons.

Weather Resistance

When we first tested the Sundome 4, our expectations for its performance in a rainstorm were pretty low. We even brought a backup tent, anticipating the Sundome might turn into a swimming pool when the rain hit. With unsealed seams, visible daylight through the corner stitching, and minimal rainfly coverage, it didn’t inspire much confidence.

Then the rain came—and the tent stayed dry! Even after another rainy day, it still held up, which was honestly surprising. We assumed water would seep through the corners, but somehow it stayed completely dry. Well, almost.

It’s not all sunshine, though. The small rainfly left the windows vulnerable to blowing rain during wind gusts, forcing us to close them entirely and sacrificing the already minimal ventilation. Speaking of wind, the Sundome doesn’t perform well. The thin fiberglass poles struggle against even moderate winds, causing the tent to flex and the fly to whip noisily. For windy conditions, it’s best to pitch this tent in a sheltered spot.

Ease of Setup

The Sundome 4 is one of the easiest tents we set up during our side by side tests of the best camping tents. It features two main poles that connect at the corners and slide through pole sleeves near the top of the tent. Plastic clips then secure the tent body to the poles. The rainfly is small, with minimal material, making it easy to attach as well. A third, smaller cross-pole fits into webbing on the fly to keep it taut. Additionally, two guylines can be staked to further secure the fly. The fly attaches at the corners using large plastic hooks, completing the setup process.

At a relatively low height, this tent can easily be set up by a single person in about 5 to 7 minutes, and even faster with a partner. Its straightforward design and minimal components make it an excellent option for those seeking simplicity in their camping gear.

Features

The Sundome 4 isn’t exactly packed with features like some of the more premium tents we’ve tested. One area where it falls short is storage. If you’re camping with four people, finding a place to store your gear inside will be a challenge. Like us, you may end up keeping your gear outside, but if so, be prepared for good weather. The tent lacks vestibules, and we’ve had to move our gear into the car more than once when rain rolled in while camping in Colorado’s foothills.

Inside the tent, you’ll find two small mesh pockets, each just big enough for a headlamp, phone, and maybe a charger or two. There’s one pocket on each side, along with a single loop at the tent’s peak for hanging gear or a light. Ventilation comes from two half-moon-shaped zip-down windows—one on the door and one on the rear wall opposite it.

The Sundome’s most unique feature is Coleman’s E-port, a flap in the corner of the tent that allows you to run an extension cord inside if you’re camping near an outlet. Even though the features are decent for the price, we’d love to see more interior storage options.

Should You Buy the Coleman Sundome 4 Tent?

The Coleman Sundome 4 fills a specific niche that not many tents cater to. It’s a light-duty option, meaning it’s not designed to withstand heavy use or harsh conditions. If you camp frequently or in challenging environments, this isn’t the tent for you. However, for occasional campers who plan to venture out a few times a year to campgrounds or well-established backcountry sites, it could be an excellent fit.

For summer camping and infrequent trips, there’s little need to spend a lot of money on a tent that will spend most of its time in storage. The Sundome 4 is ideal for two campers but can accommodate a family of four, provided two of them are small children. If you’re looking to enjoy the outdoors a few times a year without breaking the bank, the Coleman Sundome 4 might be the perfect choice for you.

What Other Camping Tents Should You Consider?

For more options, please see our complete guide to the best camping tents.

Kelty Wireless 6 – The Wireless 6 is a great alternative, offering more space and higher-quality materials. Although it’s more expensive than the Sundome, it’s an excellent choice if you plan to camp more frequently or need additional space and dual vestibules for gear storage.

Marmot Tungsten 4 – If you prefer a four-person tent with a similar footprint to the Sundome but want higher-quality materials that can better withstand the elements, the Marmot Tungsten 4 is worth considering. It features fully taped seams, 7000-series aluminum poles, and two vestibules for gear storage.