How do you choose your inflatable tent?

Has your neighbour’s inflatable tent piqued your interest? Here’s some advice on how to choose your own!

Were you intrigued by your neighbour’s inflatable camping tent last year? Did you envy how quickly it was pitched and the cosy feel of this tent? Whether you’ve stepped in to an inflatable tent before or not, this type is becoming increasingly popular. They offer a genuinely comfortable alternative that’s easy to pitch compared to pole tents. Ideal for fixed-spot camping with your family and friends... it’s sometimes hard to choose between the various models, especially when you’re often making quite a significant investment in it! Let’s try and clarify things for you.

Summary

Why choose an inflatable tent?
How to choose the right inflatable tent
Recognise a high-quality tent
Choosing the right size of inflatable tent
Choose the right type of inflatable tent
How do you find an inflatable tent that’s not too expensive?
How do you kit out an inflatable tent?

How do you choose your inflatable camping tent?

How do you choose the right camping tent for you?

If you’re here, it’s because you’re interested in inflatable tents for your next camping trip. But if you haven’t yet fully decided between a pole tent, a pop-up tent or an inflatable tent, we have a more general article to help you find the right tent for camping or trekking here.

If you’re still busy reading this, it’s because you want to know more about inflatable tents, and for very good reason! Let’s discover their features to help you choose the inflatable tent that will house your next camping memories.

Why choose an inflatable tent?

No tent is perfect: let’s review the benefits and drawbacks of the inflatable tent.

What are the benefits of a tent with an inflatable structure?

These tents are like the little bouncy castles of camping. The main benefits they offer are:

• Pitching ease: you just have to inflate (and lay down a few pegs). At Quechua we’ve simplified the pitching process to the max, with an all-in-one inflatable structure with pre-assembled bedrooms and flysheets.

• Pitching time: for a 6-people inflatable tent like the Quechua Air Seconds 6.3 tent (6 people, 3 bedrooms), allow a few minutes to inflate it and attach it to the ground and that’s it, you’re all set up!

• Pitching time: no need to rush or stress when vacating your pitch, dismantling is as quick and easy as setting up.

• Comfort: Thanks to the inflatable structure, our engineers and designers have been able to create beautiful interior spaces with lounges for standing, spacious bedrooms, and even super-clever storage spaces.

Find out more about Quechua’s Air Seconds technology

What are the drawbacks of inflatable tents?

Despite their many advantages, inflatable tents clearly also present some drawbacks. Up to you to consider the balance between your needs and constraints to find out if the advantages outweigh the disadvantages or not.

• Price: for an equal number of places, the purchase price of an inflatable tent is higher than that of a classic pole tent. You also need to buy a special pump, but you can then use the same one for your mattress.

• Sensitivity to punctures: even if you escape breaking an arch, you could face punctures. At Quechua, all of our tents are repairable. And to protect our inflatable tents, all of our inflatable arches have a dual-layer structure: a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) air chamber and a 600-denier polyester cover. In addition, we’re so confident about them, that our inflatable tents are guaranteed for 5 years.

Inflatable tents: ideal for camping as a family or with friends

Inflatable tents are ideal for offering beautiful living spaces during your camping trips with your tribe. It offers a living room you can stand in and separate bedrooms (adjoined so you can chat in the evenings, or separated by a central living room so you can each have your own space). What’s more, at Quechua, we offer magnetised doors to prevent the strident sound of "zips", a mosquito net window and even storage in the bedrooms and lounge.

And although inflatable tents are heavy, you can easily find a spot for them in your car or in the train thanks to their carry case. The height of luxury, Quechua polycotton inflatable tents can be stored in a wheeled transport bag.

How to choose the right inflatable tent?

There are a variety of inflatable tent models. To help you to find the right one, we’re going to concentrate on: the tent canvas, the number of people to be accommodated and the type of inflatable tent.

1. Choosing an inflatable tent with a high-quality canvas

Having an inflatable structure is extremely practical. But the quality of the tent fabric still needs to follow!

Check the waterproofing level of the tent fabric

An inflatable tent must be able to withstand the same outdoor elements as a pole tent. And this will depend on each brand and each model. Check on the inflatable tent’s product specifications sheet what it’s waterproofing level is. This is expressed in Schmerber or in litres of water per hour per m2. The average pressure of rain is somewhere between 1,000 and 2,000 Schmerber; the higher the value indicated, the more waterproof the fabric is.

At Quechua and Forclaz, we test our tents in the laboratory and in the field.

You also need to differentiate the waterproofing value of a particular fabric and the tent as a whole. The way in which the components are assembled (especially the cuts and zips) will effect the waterproofing level of the tent overall: a highly waterproof material that is poorly assembled results in a tent that will become nothing short of a sieve in stormy weather.

Find out more about the measures for testing the waterproofing level of tents

Fresh & Black technology, for lie-in mornings, even in an inflatable tent

No need to present it anymore: Fresh and Black technology is the guarantee of happy lie-ins, cool and protected from light (with 99% darkness!). And as the inflatable tent is synonymous with comfortable camping, we have equipped our inflatable tents with Fresh and Black technology by default, except for our polycotton tents (but you will understand why in the next paragraph!).

What are the benefits of polycotton?

Polycotton, also called technical cotton, is loaded with benefits. It offers better UV-resistance and better breathability than traditional polyester. It also offers longer life (it does however require more maintenance, and it must never be stored if it’s still damp). It’s also lighter than 100% cotton. Finally, it offers a more appealing living environment, muting noise, for example.

In short, although less efficient than Fresh and Black regarding darkness, polycotton is much cosier and more pleasant on a daily basis.

2. Choosing a large or small inflatable tent depending on the number of people

Tents often advertise a specific number of people, or a specific number of rooms. At Decathlon, we name our tents so you can quickly identify both the number of people and the number of rooms. For example, a"6.3" inflatable tent can accommodate up to 6 people in 3 separate bedrooms.

1 or 2 bedrooms? 2 or 6 places? How do you choose the right inflatable tent for you?

Inflatable tents generally start as 4-people tents. You can, however, treat yourself to luxury (while you are there) as a couple by transforming one of the bedrooms into a storage room for your belongings.

If you store all your belongings in a separate pop-up tent, or everything fits in your living room (congrats!), then look at the number of people. If you’re camping with kids, count them in as adults (are we know that a kid going on holiday travels with their weight in luggage and toys, if not, more). In other words, a family of five with three kids will not be sufficiently accommodated in an inflatable 4-people tent. Thereafter, at your own risk…

If you want to dedicate one of your bedrooms to storage, look at the number of bedrooms and simply deduct one. Note that a bedroom can accommodate 2 to 3 people, depending on its dimensions.

Finally, take the size of your mattress into account! Products of the same brand and same range are designed to work together. But if you have purchased mattresses a long time ago or from another brand, check the measurements of the mattresses and the bedroom. This will prevent the situation where you find yourself with overlapping mattresses (camping is social, but sleep is also sacred).

3. How do you choose between an inflatable tunnel tent, bubble or rooftop tent?

Yes, the inflatable structure is so practical that it’s starting to become available in various forms: the classic tent, rooftop tent or even bubble tent camping is no longer stuffy!

The classic inflatable tent to accommodate your entire tribe

This is the great classic that looks exactly like classic pole tents, especially tunnel ones. These models are the most spacious, and can accommodate up to 8 people. Several configurations are available: 2 bedrooms sandwiched together that you can sometimes merge into a large giant bedroom, or 2 bedrooms, one at each end of a central living room.

The second configuration is ideal for your kid or teenager in need of their own space (and for your own peace of mind), or if you are travelling with several couples. The living room then becomes a social area where everyone meets up before going to sleep on their own side.

The inflatable rooftop tent, to gain height in small groups

If you want to combine the comfort of the inflatable with the freedom of a road trip, opt for Quechua’s Fresh and Black MH900 inflatable tent. Easy assembly and autonomy are yours, whatever your car, as long as you can install roof bars. All set to go on sporting adventures with the bikes at the back of the car, inflatable kayak in the boot and your hiking gear stashed away on the rear shelf.

The bubble tent: a tent that inflates for your stargazing experiences.

For unique nights, discover the Air Seconds SkyView camping tent which, as its name suggests, allows you to observe the stars from the comfort of a small polycotton cocoon. This is the perfect tent for escape from everyday life, leading you into a world of tranquillity and relaxation.

An inexpensive inflatable tent choosing rental or second hand.

If price is your main obstacle in trying an inflatable tent, there are some specific solutions for this!

Why rent rather than buy?

Instead of investing a significant amount of money in a tent that you’re only likely to get out seven days a year, rather consider rental. This will also spare you from having to store and maintain your tent. On our website you can rent rather than buy, directly on the product specifications sheet, a number of Quechua brand inflatable tents. We’ve also worked with campsites to offer you turnkey camping rental solutions. All you have to do is arrive at one of our partner campsites, and everything’s there for you!

How do rentals work at Decathlon?

At Decathlon, we give our products a second life using our Decathlon Seconde Vie rental platform. This is an excellent option for getting a high-quality inflatable tent at a more advantageous price, reconditioned by experts. This helps you to prolong the duration of the product’s life and reduce their environmental impact while going easy on your pocket.

Camping as if on a cloud, is also made possible by the furniture and choice of mattress.

It would be a pity to have an inflatable tent but have to sleep on an uncomfortable mattress. For an all-round comfort experience, furnish your inflatable tent to meet your standards.

To do this, opt for foldable furniture that will find a spot in your boot or trailer, while offering you the maximum comfort. This ranges from the essential table where you can share your meals and create memories, to the bedside table where you can place your holiday reading. To discover more about camping in comfort, we suggest you read this article. And to see our range of camping furniture directly, take a look here.

At the end of the day, a good sleep is key! To this end, discover the range of Air Seconds mattresses, or self-inflatable mattresses for the more time-pressed. Go to bed in your inflatable tent in a "bed" that will make you feel at home with a cotton sleeping bag and an inflatable bed base.

Now you know more about the many advantages and some of the drawbacks of inflatable tents. So, simply a curious mind or an ardent fan of glamping, don’t hesitate to come in store and visit our inflatable tents displayed in our showrooms.

Agathe

A mountain hiking enthusiast

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