Coleman Dark Rest Tents (BlackOut Tents)

Coleman dark rest tents or BlackOut tents block up to 99% of sunlight, and they build them in a variety of shapes as dome and tunnel type tents.

There are several globally known brands that build dark rest tents or blackout tents as Coleman calls them. But Coleman is one of the best known for tents with such a technology. I would say that they use the appropriate term ‘blackout’ because their tents are practically completely dark inside even during a broad daylight.

I have made a collection that includes a variety of sizes and shapes, so you will be able to choose what suits you best. There are tents here with solid poles and also with air beams.

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My list of the best Coleman dark room tents

The tents in the list below are ordered by the floor area, from smaller to larger:

 

Perhaps you do not know, but Coleman is a brand that has been around for more than a century, and in all these years they were making outdoor equipment.

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1. Coleman 8-Person Carlsbad Dark Room Dome Camping Tent with Screen Room

The official blocking of sunlight in this Coleman 8-Person Carlsbad Dark Room Dome Camping Tent with Screen Room is 90%. This you have in its back sleeping area.

But this tent also has a nice screen room visible in the picture above. This is a great place for sitting while being protected from flying insects. But there is no full rain protection in this front area, the fly does not protect its sides, and there are no inner panels. The floor in the screen room exists, but it is with a mesh section to drain water.

As for materials, there are 4 fiberglass shock-corded poles here, and this is what Coleman describes as the Fast Pitch technology. The meaning is that the poles are pre-attached to the hub element on the top, and there is also a fast fit feet design. The fabric is with an impressive 3000 mm waterproof rating. The floor is strong and bathtub type.

The peak height is 6 ft (183 cm), and the weight is 26.55 lb (12 kg). The inner area is around 108 ft² (10 m²), and the screen room area is around 70 ft² (6.5 m²).

What I like:

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2. Coleman 8-Person Dark Room Skydome Camping Tent

Here you have a very simple fully freestanding tent. The fly is a partial coverage type and this allows for the window on the upper part of its only door shown in the picture.

Obviously, the tent is here because of its dark rest design that blocks up to 90% of sunlight. Note that for a simple dome, this is a very tall tent, the peak height here is 6 ft 4 in (193 cm). The walls are with pre-bent poles so there is plenty of volume inside.

The tent is very easy to use and to handle. The packed size is 25.5 x 10 x 10 inches (65 x 25 x 25 cm), and the weight is very reasonable 22.1 lb (10 kg).

The floor area is 108 ft² (10 m²), and its official capacity of 8 people does not look realistic. You would have 13.5 ft² (1.25 m²) per person, and there are no storage spaces. The poles are fiberglass and this is normal to expect in view of its incredible price.

What I like:

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3. Coleman Tent Meadowood Air 4 Person

The Coleman Tent Meadowood Air 4 Person is a tunnel-type tent with inflatable beams instead of classic poles. This is a 3-room structure with an inner tent that has a removable divider, and a large living room in front of it. The sleeping area is a BlackOut Bedroom technology, they claim it blocks up to 99% of daylight.

The tent is tall, the peak height is 78.74 inches (200 cm). You have 2 doors and several solid windows. One of the doors is with the drop-down barrier free design.

The shell is a 75D polyester, and its waterproof rating is impressive 4000 mm. The floor is a  fully waterproof and sewn-in bathtub style polyethylene. The inner tent has its own extra floor. This means two floors one upon another. There are two E-cable ports, plenty of wall pouches for storage, and a lantern loop.

The weight is 43 lb (19.5 kg), and the floored area is 118 ft² (11 m²). So this is plenty of fully protected space, the official capacity is 4 people but it can accommodate at least 6 users. The packed size is 29.5 x 20.9 x 15 inches (78 x 53 x 38 cm). This tent is also in my list of Coleman Air Tents.

What I like:

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4. Coleman Rocky Mountain 5 Plus Tent

This Coleman Rocky Mountain 5 Plus tent is supposed to block 99% of the daylight, and they claim that its bedrooms are up to 5°C cooler during the day. They also write that the tent offers SPF 50 protection level.

You have an inner tent with a removable divider, and this is the mentioned dark rest sleeping area. But there is also a third room, a large living room in front of the sleeping area. The tent is tunnel-type and it is supported by three fiberglass loops.

They give official rating for its shell and it is impressive 4500 mm. The floor is a fully sewn-in durable polyethylene with welded seams. So the tent can be described as a 3-season type.

There are 4 solid windows and they are with inner shatters for privacy. The door is a large full-height double-layer construction with a mesh and with a panel. Note that you have a drop-down bottom section for a totally flat entrance, this is suitable for wheelchairs and for kids running around.

The inner floored area is around 120 ft² (11 m²), and the official capacity is 5 people. The tent weighs 37 lb (16.8 kg), and its packed size is 27.5 x 12.6 x 11.8 inches (70 x 32 x 30 cm).

What I like:

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5. Coleman Cabin Tent with Instant Setup 10 Person

Here you have a very typical cabin-style tent and this is mentioned also in the name of the tent. They claim that it reduces the sunlight inside the tent by 90%. But this is also and instant setup type, and this means that the frame is pre-attached to the tent. So the official setup time is 60 seconds only, and one person can do this easily. I have added it also to my list of best 10 person instant camping tents.

The tent offers an area of 140 ft² (13 m²), and it is a tall structure with its 79 inches (201 cm) peak height. You have a removable divider included, so the tent is formally a 2-room structure. There is also a minimal fly that covers only the ceiling, but his is why you have views around. This also makes the tent fully freestanding.

There are two doors and five windows, so this is a very pleasant camping tent. One more interesting detail here is that one of the two doors is a hinged door. This means that the door is with a frame created by poles in its perimeter sleeves. This is very convenient if you do not like to deal with zippers all the time.

The packed size of this tent is 42 x 9 x 9 inches (107 x 23 x 23 cm), and its overall dimensions are 14 x 10 ft (427 x 305 cm). The weight is 42 lb (19 kg). It is best suited for calm weather and for summer camping. Though, they claim it can withstand winds over 35 mph.

What I like:

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Final thoughts

So this was my list of the best Coleman dark rest tents or BlackOut tents. As you realize, you have all three basic shapes represented here, and this means dome, tunnel, and cabin-style tents. Some of these tents were initially built for the EU market, this is is why they have a very high waterproof rating for a full rain protection.

Editor’s Choice

The tent shown below as my choice tent is quite new on the market. It is very easy to use and with excellent features and space organization. It is perfect for small families. Its official rating is only 4 people but this applies to the sleeping area only. Its large living room is also fully protected and if necessary it can accommodate 2 people more.

You might want also to see my selection of the best rated OLPRO tents for a three season camping. When you are in the camp, it is very useful to have an annex for sitting and cooking. So check my list of best instant screen houses for camping. Let me know if you have questions, there is a comment box below. Thank you for reading.