Outwell Airbeam Tents

Outwell Airebeam tents are among the largest on the market, with multiple rooms, and built from polycotton and synthetic materials. Here you have some of their best examples.

It is easy to get confused with the terminology they use for the fabric. So you will see their tents built from what they call the Outtex Airtech Technical Cotton, and also Outtex polyester. The former is a polycotton fabric, and the latter is synthetic, but as you see they use the same word Outtex.

Outwell Outtex Airtech Technical Cotton fabric

This brand uses a mix of 65% polyester and 35% cotton. This is a breathable material yet at the same time waterproof. This is because of its cotton element, threads of this fabric tend to swell when wet, and this closes the spaces between the yarns in the weave.

They claim this ensures a high degree of water resistance, while still allowing water vapor to escape. The result is a tent free from condensation.

Essential for all this to work properly is weathering. This is a way of speeding up cotton’s ability to absorb water and swell. This is easily done at home, pitch your tent and soak it with the garden hose, and then leave it to dry. Then repeat the process a few times.

Note that they recommend this, though they still write it is not strictly necessary. This weathering will happen naturally in the camp, but you might see some water ingress the first time the tent is exposed to rain.

Seam sealing: It is a natural part of the manufacturing process that sewing can leave noticeable needle ‘holes’ along a tent’s seams. No need to worry about, it will seal themselves in a short space of time because threads and fibers will swell. But if there is still leak after weathering, they suggest using their proprietary Outwell Seam Guard sealer.

Outtex polyester

So this is a synthetic material and with a very high waterproof rating, typically 4000 mm and 6000 mm in the newer models. You will never need more in a family camping tent.

Tents support

The Outwell brand normally has both poled tents and tents with inflatable beams used with their tents. But the focus here is on Outwell air tents, they are far easier to use and one person can easily pitch a tent with such beams, regardless of the tent’s size. Air beams may leak but such issues are extremely rare. On the other hand beams can never break, and this is not so with solid poles.

My list of the best Outwell inflatable tents

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

1. Outwell Chatham 4 Person Air Tent

So this tent is smallest here regarding the official number of users and regarding the floored area. The official capacity is 4 people, but you still have an inner floor area of 131.3 ft² (12.2 m²) and a porch that adds around 65 ft² (6 m²). So the total protected area is huge.

This is a 3-room structure, plus the mentioned porch which is practically a floorless room, completely enclosed and you have solid windows and a door that can be closed.

The tent is here because of its inflatable air beams. The bedrooms are a darkened material to reduce glare, and you also have solid tinted windows and large doors.

The shell fabric is the Outtex 4000 Select, and this means a 70D durable polyester with a 4000 mm waterproof rating. On the floor, you have a double-coated polyethylene with a 10000 mm rating. The inner tent is a breathable polyester.

The peak height is great 82.68 inches (210 cm). The weight is 47 lb (21.3 kg) and its overall dimensions are 20.83 x 10.17 ft (635 x 310 cm). The packed size is 35 x 19 x 19 inches (88 x 49 x 49 cm). It is included also in my list of best 4 person car camping tents.

What I like:

• Huge area.
• Excellent organization.
• 3 Rooms + porch.
• Huge waterproof rating.
• Very tall.
• Great packed size.

What I dislike:

• Heavy.
• Expensive.

2. Outwell Woodburg 6A Air Tent

This tent is a typical tunnel-shaped structure, and its inner area is organized into 4 rooms. But there is also a large porch visible in the picture above. The dimensions are 23.12 x 10.83 ft (705 x 330 cm), and the tent is very tall with its peak height of 220 cm. Inside you have an inner tent that contains two bedrooms for 2 and for 3 people. One large living room is in between these inner rooms and the porch.

The tent is officially for 6 people, but the total floored area is impressive 189 ft² (17.59 m²), and you still have the porch extra. There are 6 separate solid and tinted windows and 2 external doors with their 2 windows. There are 6 inner doors and many storage pouches at various places.

This is a synthetic tent so the shell is the mentioned Outtex polyester with a 4000 mm waterproof rating, and the inner tents are built from a breathable polyester which is a sort of a dark-rest tent. On the floor you gave a double-coated and sewn-in waterproof 100% polyethylene.

The support is with air beam tubes which they call the Rigid Air System frame that allows for a maximum pressure of 9 psi/0.6 bar. They claim it can withstand wind force 9, or 47-54 mph. The weight is 54.7 lb (24.8 kg), and the packed size is 36.6 x 19.3 x 19.3 inches (93 x 49 x 49 cm).

What I like:

3. Outwell Wood Lake 7ATC Air Tent

This is a huge tent with the dimensions 311 x 185 inches (790 x 470 cm). There is an inner tent that contains 3 dark rest bedrooms with removable dividers, and a huge living room. In addition to this, there is a large fully protected porch, so the tent can be described as a 5-room construction.

The fabric is their previously mentioned Outtex Airtech polycotton, the inner tent’s floor is a PU coated taffeta polyester, and there is yet another main floor which is a fully waterproof polyethylene. The tent is supported by 7 air beams with 9 psi (0.6 bar) maximum. I have included this tent also in my list of best Outwell Polycotton Tents.

The official capacity is 7 people, but this is just the number of places in the bedrooms. If necessary, this tent can easily accommodate 7 people more in its large living room. The total floored area is around 269 ft² (25 m²), plus the porch.

One detail that sets the tent apart is its magnetic closure on the inner doors. This means you have magnetic strips sewn into the vertical seam of the inner doors. They allow for quick and quiet bedroom entry. But you still have the option of zips for a more secure closure when required.

Here are a few more numbers. The weight is 125 lb (56.8 kg), the packed size is 41.3 x 25.6 x 25.6 inches (105 x 65 x 65 cm), and the peak height is 86.6 inches (220 cm). Please see more in this video:

What I like:

• The space organization.
• Breathable fabric.
• Ventilation.
• Magnetic doors.

What I dislike:

• The price.

Final thoughts

So this was my selection of Outwell airbeam tents or inflatable tents as people sometimes call them. They are all large, but inflatable beams make them easy to pitch. You always have a manual pump included so the job is easy and relatively fast, one person can set any of them.

You have seen that the official capacities of these tents are 4-7 people, but the differences in their floored areas are huge, by a factor 3 or so. All of them have very useful and fully protected porches which are practically like additional floorless rooms. So these are spaces where you can use all sorts of camping furniture without worrying about the floor, and you can also use them for cooking.

Please check also my list of best Outwell Polycotton Tents. Thank you for reading. let me know if you have questions or comments, there is a comment box below.