Best premium tents (over £1,001)
WINNER
2018: Karsten
2017: Karsten
HIGHLY COMMENDED
2018: Vango, Outwell
2017: Outwell, Vango
2018 Tent Owner Satisfaction Awards update
Our definition: At prices from £1,000, this is a sector that defines itself. Buyers are more likely to be experienced tent campers who know what they want – and are prepared to pay for it.
It’s victory again for Karsten as the top premium marque, with more mainstream brands Vango and Outwell switching places this year (compared with last). Karsten’s achievement is all the more impressive for the overall satisfaction rating it got – 99% is, by any stretch, an amazing result.
Even so, runners-up Vango and Outwell weren’t so far behind, with 90% and 85% respectively.
And with our minimum response cut-off point, these were the only three brands to make the Premium grade.
From its range of premium quality inflatable-tube and traditional poled tents, it was the family-sized Model 350 from Dutch manufacturer, Karsten – an inflatable-tube design with the facility to add additional, poled sections – that garnered the greatest number of responses. This model alone had an overall satisfaction rating of 93%. The only slight cloud is that figure has slipped slightly from 95% in our first Tent Survey.
If Karsten might be seen as a little exclusive (it has a single UK distributor, Camping Travel Store), Vango and Outwell tents enjoy excellent distribution throughout the UK tent retailer network. For both manufacturers, only a select few of their portfolios start off retailing at more than £1,000 – inflatable-tube ranges such as Diablo, Homestead, Illusion, Inspire, Maritsa, and Serenity are the names to look out for from Vango. From Outwell, there are models in its Smart Air, Air Comfort, Air Polyester (all inflatable tube versions) and Premium and Elan (traditional poled) line-ups.
Please note: The proportion of responses from purchasers of tents costing more than £1,000 actually rose for the 2018 Survey – 14% compared with the previous year’s 11%.