The Guide to Best Canvas Tents [Review And Buying Guide]

Canvas tents have a reputation as a thing of the past. But that’s only because many people don’t know the benefits of canvas tents.

Canvas tents are extremely durable, have good insulation, and can last a lifetime. Our go-to canvas tent is the Kodiak Canvas Flex-Bow Deluxe.

There are many more canvas tents to choose from. Read on to learn more about why canvas tents are a hidden gem, not a thing of the past.

Review of The Best Canvas Tent

Kodiak Canvas Flex-Bow Deluxe

The Kodiak Canvas Flex-Bow Deluxe is the best overall canvas tent. 

This tent is made with Hydra-Shield, 100% cotton duck canvas. This type of fabric is durable and watertight, yet breathable. The insulation this material offers qualifies this tent as an all-season tent.

The Kodiak Flex-Bow Deluxe has two D-shaped doors, one in the front and one in the back. An 84 x 78-inch awning extends from the tent’s front entrance providing both shade and shelter. In addition, this tent features four large windows that help ventilate the tent.

The Flex-Bow frame of this tent is extremely sturdy. It is made up of ⅜ inch steel poles and is easy to set up. In fact, one person can set the tent up in about five minutes. Once set up, the floor area measures 14 ft x 10 ft, and the center height reaches 6 ft 6 in. 

This tent has great interior organization features. A large gear loft hangs from the ceiling. Multiple large meshes, organizational pockets hang from the walls. And, smaller mesh pockets hang in the sleeping zone of the tent.

Bushtec Adventure Nomad Waterproof Ripstop Canvas All-Season 6 Person Bow Tent

Bushtec Adventure is the market leader of luxury canvas tents. This is why we’ve selected the Bushtec Adventure Nomad Waterproof Ripstop Tent as our luxury pick. Out of all the canvas tents currently on the market, the Nomad Waterproof Ripstop offers the most high-quality features for a luxurious camping experience.

The materials used in this tent are truly top of the line. The fabric is a military-grade 650 gsm canvas with ripstop technology. This type of canvas is extremely durable, waterproof, and even fire retardant. It is resistant to condensation, rot, and UV rays. Bushtec Adventure advertises that their canvas will hold up without color fading for up to 20 years.

This tent features a chimney port and air vents that are built into the double ceiling. In addition, the tent offers accessibility features that allow you to access electrical cords and on-site plumbing. So, you can literally turn this tent into your home away from home.

The Nomad Waterproof Ripstop has a large extended awning, six windows, and a wide front entrance. These elements offer shade, ventilation, and versatility. The floor area measures 23 ft x 17 ft and the center height is 10 ft. Room dividers allow you to section off this space into three rooms.

Boutique Camping Bell Tent

Our canvas tent budget option is the Boutique Camping Bell Tent. It packs a lot of value for a $400 canvas tent.

This tent is held up by sturdy steel poles and can be stabilized with thick guy lines. The cotton canvas is waterproof, breathable, and resistant to mold and UV rays. The tent is ventilated with four, zippered windows and one large screened entrance.

This tent’s sidewalls can elevate, exposing the lower portion of the tent to the open air. Simply unzip the walls from the floor, roll them up, and secure in place. This feature is great for an entertaining or socializing environment. 

This is an all-season tent. Not only is it versatile in climate, but it can also be used for a wide range of purposes. You can take this tent on a rugged camping adventure or use it for an elegant outdoor wedding reception. 

GEERTOP Portable Blackout Tent 6 Person Cabin Tent

We’ve selected the Geertop 4-6 Person Teepee Tent as the best small size canvas tent.

This tent is a double layer tent. The inner tent is made of mesh and the outer tent fly is made of tear-resistant poly-cotton canvas. Together, the two layers provide great insulation, extra weather protection, and an added barrier to keep bugs out. However, the two layers can also be used separately. 

Setting up this tent is extremely simple because it only has one pole. The sturdy steel pole stands in the center of the tent and reaches a height of 6 ft 10 in. The floor area of the tent measures 10 feet round.

This teepee tent has one door. It is a large A-frame door that can be held open with a pole (sold separately) or rolled back against the tent. This door opens wide enough to easily move gear in and out or to use the tent for indoor/outdoor entertainment.

The Geertop 4-6 Person Teepee Tent has received a rating of 9.1 stars.

White Duck Regatta Canvas Bell Tent

The White Duck Regatta Canvas Bell Tent is the best canvas tent for long camping trips.

It comes in two sizes: 10 ft and 13 ft. Each size is structured around one center pole and a second, smaller pole near the entry. 

The interior of the tent is very spacious. White Duck designed the walls of this tent to be taller than the walls on your average bell tent. The sidewalls of the Regatta are 2 ft 7 in, which makes it easy to stand up anywhere in the tent. There are three zippered windows and two large screen doors for ventilation.

Two large organizational pockets hang from the interior walls for small storage space. And, the tent is equipped with a fire retardant stove jack. So you can hook up your wood-burning stove to keep your tent warm.

The White Duck Regatta is made of top quality materials. The poles are made of galvanized steel. The mesh doors and windows are thick and durable. The canvas is 100% army grade cotton. And, the zippers are large and military-grade as well.

The White Duck Regatta Canvas Bell Tent has soaring customer satisfaction ratings. So much so that this tent has earned a 9.9-star rating.

White Duck Avalon Canvas Bell Tent

The White Duck Avalon Canvas Bell Tent is just as glamorous as it is durable. It has a beautiful aesthetic appearance, high quality materials, and convenient interior features. This is why the Avalon Bell Tent is the best canvas tent for glamping.

The Avalon is quite similar to the Regatta. Like the Regatta, the Avalon is a teepee canvas tent structured primarily around one galvanized steel pole. However, the Avalon has heightened features that make this tent slightly more elegant and luxurious. One of which is the A-frame pole that creates a large, structured entrance.

The Avalon offers a more spacious interior. Its side walls rise 3 feet off the ground, and the tent’s peak reaches over 9 feet tall. 8-12 windows (depending on the tent size you choose) align the walls of the tent. And, a large double door entry lined with a screen opens up wide for entertainment or ventilation. A 5″ stove jack is positioned near the back of the tent.

White Duck uses 100% cotton on their Avalon Bell Tent. More specifically, the material is a grade-A premium, double fill army duck canvas. This material is breathable, durable, and waterproof with rot-resistant qualities. The groundsheet is heavy duty in order to resist punctures and can be zipped on or off. 

The White Duck Avalon Canvas Bell Tent is highly praised among reviewers.

Bushtec Adventure Delta Zulu Combo

Bushtec Adventure brings us another heavy-duty canvas tent. The Bushtec Adventure Delta Zulu Combo is the best tent/canopy combo. 

The tent and canopy are two individual structures.  The Zulu 1200 Gazebo and Delta Zulu 3000 Chalet Tent combine to create an overhead covering and veranda overtop of a four-person tent. The two combined creates added weather protection as well as increased ventilation. 

Bushtec uses the best military-grade canvas on the market in the construction of their tents. The canvas is ripstop, fire retardant, and resistant to mold and UV rays. The top quality features don’t end there. The zippers are large YKK zippers that will outlast the tent itself. And, all windows and doors have double flaps for weather protection.

This tent is spacious for a 4 man tent. It measures 9 ft x 6 ft with a peak height of 7 ft.

Bushtec Adventure Alpha Kilo 4000

The Alpha Kilo 4000 by Bushtec Adventure is the best standard pitch canvas tent.

Bushtec Adventure refers to this tent as a bow tent, which means it is a traditional dome-shaped tent. The Alpha Kilo 4000 is a six-man tent, and a large one at that. The floor area measures 10 ft x 10 ft, and the ceiling height reaches 7 ft.

Just like all Bushtec Adventure canvas tents, the Alpha Kilo 4000 is made of premium, military-grade canvas ripstop. This canvas is the best of the best and has been tested to last more than 15 years.

This tent has one door that zips down the center, two large windows, and a roof vent. All doors and windows have an exterior canvas flap that can be rolled up or zipped close, depending on conditions.

The Alpha Kilo 4000 is structured around two steel poles that arch and cross over each other at the top. These steel poles provide much more stability than the standard, fiberglass poles. Compared to a baseline tent in windy conditions, the Alpha Kilo 4000 remains still while a baseline tent whips in the wind.

TETON Sports Sierra Canvas Tent

Teton Sports launched their brand new, Sierra Canvas Tent. It’s modern design, durable materials, and user-friendliness make this the best canvas tent for festivals.

The Teton Sports Sierra Canvas Tent has a beautiful aesthetic appearance. Its tri-color scheme intensifies its design elements by making the angles pop. This tent is held up by one center pole and one A-frame door pole. Several guy outlines pull the tent taught and provide added stability.

The Sierra Canvas Tent comes in a variety of sizes ranging from 12-20 feet round. This range of sizes can sleep about 10-12 people, max. No matter the size, the Sierra has one large door and four windows. The simple design also has roof vents, but no stove jacks.

The door and window flaps can all be rolled back and neatly secured. Another amazing feature of this tent is its ability to transform into a canopy. The floor unzips from the walls. The walls can then roll up and secure in place to create a beautiful floating canopy. The canopy option comes in handy for community camping and outdoor entertaining.

Danchel Canvas Bell Tent

Our pick for the best cold weather canvas tent is the Danchel Canvas Bell Tent.

The Danchel Bell Tent comes in a variety of sizes ranging from 10 ft round to 20 ft round. Every size has two stove jacks to heat the tent in cold conditions. Both jacks are located at the front of the tent. One jack is on the sidewall, and the other is on the roof. A high-temperature resistance strip, tested in 500-degree temperatures, is secured for safety around each jack.

This tent is structured around one center pole and one A-frame pole at the entrance. The poles are steel poles that will hold up over time.

The Danchel Bell Tent features a large screened entrance and several windows along the side walls. Bathtub style floors prevent water from seeping in the bottom of the tent in a storm. And, the waterproof canvas protects from rain.

What Types of Canvas Material are Available?

Cotton Canvas

Cotton canvas is the original go-to material for tents. There are many great elements of cotton canvas that make it practical for outdoor use. It is breathable and absorbent, which also makes it a good insulator. Additionally, cotton canvas is resistant to damage caused by UV rays.

With that being said, cotton is an organic material so it is not indestructible. Cotton canvas can shrink. To avoid this it needs to be weathered before use. The loose weave of cotton canvas makes it vulnerable to mildew and rotting if stored in a moist environment. Lastly, cotton canvas is heavy and can be pricey. 

More: The Best Inflatable Tent On The Market [Review and Buying Guide]

Poly-Cotton Canvas

Outdoor engineers created poly-cotton canvas to combat some of the unfavorable attributes of 100% cotton canvas. Poly-cotton is a blend of polyester and cotton that is nearly foolproof when used in a tent. The polyester intensifies the UV resistant factors of cotton and adds resistance to mold and mildew.

Poly-cotton is lighter and stronger than 100% cotton. Modern tent designs tend to use poly-cotton over 100% cotton because of its increased strength and durability. 

Why Choose a Canvas Tent?

Breathability

Canvas is a highly breathable material. It has a looser weave than polyester, which allows more air to flow through the fabric. More airflow means less condensation inside the tent. This will allow you to stay dry inside the tent and breathe in crisp, fresh air.

Of course, mesh is more breathable than canvas, so many canvas tents are designed with sidewall windows. Sidewall windows are a nice feature because they can quickly ventilate your tent when you need it.

All tents on this review are made of breathable canvas materials. However, the White Duck Avalon is one tent that has an exceptional amount of windows. The added breathability on this tent makes it great for hot or cold camping.

More: The Best 10 Person Tents and How to Find Them

Built-in UV Protection

Overtime, the sun can ruin a tent by causing the color to fade and weakening the material. Cotton canvas is naturally resistant to UV rays. Some canvas tents can even resist color fading and UV damage for 15-20 years.

The Bushtec Adventure tents are especially resistant to UV rays. Customer reviews confirm that these tents hold up for 20 years.

A Quieter, More Insulated Space

Most of us have been kept awake by the flapping of tent fabric in a storm. If you haven’t, consider yourself one of the lucky few. Canvas is both heavier and softer than the polyester found on most tents. This means that it doesn’t flap in the wind as much, and when it does, it is rather quiet. 

The thickness and softness of the material also allows cotton canvas to insulate the tent better than polyester. This means your tent stays cooler on hot days and warmer on cold days.

Some canvas tents even have double-layered walls to better insulate. The Geertop Teepee Tent has a thin mesh wall underneath the canvas tent body. And, all three Bushtec Adventure tents on this review come with overhead canopies that aid in insulation.

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Incorporate a Wood-Burning Stove for Hot Tenting

Because of the insulating capabilities of canvas, canvas tents are rated as all-season tents. Canvas tents have a reputation for cold weather camping, especially. Many canvas tents come with stove jacks that enable you to use a wood-burning stove inside the tent.

Stove jacks are safely designed into the tent with fire retardant materials. If you want to take further precautions, you can even lay down a fire retardant sheet underneath your stove. Incorporating a wood-burning stove is especially convenient for long term camping. If you’re going to be tenting for a while, you might as well make yourself comfortable.

The insulation of the canvas will keep the heat from the stove inside your tent, so you stay warm and toasty. Several tents on this review are equipped for wood-burning stoves. The Danchel Canvas Bell Tent has two stove jacks near the front of the tent. And, the White Duck Regatta and the White Duck Avalon have stove jacks near the middle of the tent.

More: Best 12-Person Tent For A Family Camping Trip [Review & Buying Guide]

Seasoning and Waterproofing Your Tent

For optimal weather protection, it is recommended that you weather —or season— your tent before putting it to use. Canvas tents, whether cotton or poly-cotton, have a loose weave and small pinholes from the manufacturing process. Upon the first contact with water, the threads in the weave swell and then shrink, making the canvas watertight. However, water can leak through the canvas during this process.

This is why you do not want to use your tent without manually weathering it. If you were to let it weather naturally while you were using it, then you’d become victim to the water leakage.

You can easily season your tent at home by submerging it in water, leaving it out in the rain, or spraying it with a hose. Make sure to let the tent dry completely before packing it back up.

Seasoning is not the same as waterproofing. Waterproofing is necessary a little further down the road once the canvas has worn down a bit. At this point it is important to remember the breathable nature of canvas.

Coating the tent with any of the waterproofing products will seal the material and hinder its breathability. There are special waterproof coatings specifically for canvas tents that will waterproof the tent without significantly decreasing breathability. It is recommended that you only use these types of products on your canvas tent.

More: The Best Tent for Summer Camping

Which Canvas Tent is the Best?

If you ask us, the best canvas tent is the Kodiak Canvas Flex-Bow Deluxe. This tent has top-quality materials and a sturdy structure. You get all the features of a traditional canvas tent with a few modern flares such as an outdoor awning and interior organization.

If you’re looking for a canvas bell tent, our top pick is the White Duck Regatta. This tent is extremely versatile and can be used for anything from wilderness camping to an elegant event.