Which Bell Tent Is Right For Me?

Before selecting a bell tent, ask yourself: What will I be using this tent for? Is it for general camping? If so, how many people will be sleeping in it? Will I want to add a stove? Is the tent for glamping or extra accommodation on a property? Can I manage its weight? What vehicle will I use for transport, and where will I store it?

Is Bigger Always Better?

When customers visit our showroom, they’re often surprised by the sheer scale of our larger bell tents. While going big can be tempting, it’s essential to consider your needs. Larger tents are heavier, require more setup space, and – especially in our heavyweight canvas—can be more challenging to transport.

As bell tents increase in size, both their diameter and height expand, significantly increasing the available living space. The difference between a 4m and a 5m tent is particularly striking. With an apex height of 3 metres, the 5m bell tent offers a vast interior, making it a favourite for glamping businesses and pop-up accommodation. For most camping situations, our 4m or 4.5m bell tents are ideal.

A 4m bell tent comfortably accommodates four adults with room for gear, making it perfect for couples and families. If you need extra space, consider the 4.5m model, which suits larger families or those who prefer a more spacious setup.

Weighing over 40kg, our 5m Classic tent is best suited for accomodation on property, groups, glamping operators, hot tenters or very large families.

Size Recommendations:

• 4m* bell tents will comfortably accommodate up to 4 adults and is perfect for a couple and a stove or a family of 4 or 5.
• 4.5m* bell tents will comfortably accommodate up to 6 adults and is an excellent choice for those who want some extra room or a larger family.
• 5m* bell tents will comfortably accommodate up to 8 adults. It’s the perfect size for a larger family or group and the size favoured by accommodation businesses as there is plenty of room for a king or queen-size bed (or two!) and/or furniture.

*NOTE: A bell tent shape is not circular – it is an irregular shape with 13 sides that vary in length including a large door section. Therefore, the tent size is derived from the longest diagonal length across the tent (refer to the diagrams below). Due to the nature of our small production scale, measurements are for general purposes and may vary slightly with each individual product. Whilst we try to ensure each item is to spec, variations may occur during the pattern cut and sewing process resulting in marginal differences in the actual tent measurements (we estimate no more than 5% ).

Additional requirements to consider:

• Transport and storage requirements for different sizes
• Setup space needed at your camping location
• Whether you’ll be using camping furniture or sleeping mats
• Seasonal usage (you might want extra space for wet weather)
• How much gear will you want to have in your tent

Planning to Use a Stove?

If you’re adding a stove to your bell tent, consider safety and spacing. We recommend allocating 20–25% of the tent’s floor area for the stove and ensuring at least one metre of clearance in front of it for safe movement. This is especially important when selecting a tent size, as it affects your usable living space.

Touring vs Classic – Which One is Right for You?

For most campers, the Homecamp Touring Bell Tent is the best choice. It retains nearly all the features of the Classic model but with a key difference in canvas material. The Touring Bell Tent is made from 285 GSM CottonGuard™ canvas, while the Classic Bell Tent uses 385 GSM CottonGuard™ canvas.

The heavier canvas in the Classic model adds approximately 5–7kg compared to the Touring version – an important factor for those frequently packing and unpacking or concerned about vehicle weight limits.

Many believe a thicker canvas is always better, but that’s not necessarily true. Traditional 100% cotton canvas requires a heavier weight to resist tearing under high tension, such as in strong winds. However, our technical fabric, CottonGuard™, is nearly twice as strong as equivalent-weight 100% cotton canvas. It offers a superior weight-to-strength ratio, better resistance to mould and UV damage, and maintains breathability. A further benefit of this lighter-weight canvas is that it’s easier to season (see our article on seasoning your tent here).

The Classic range also includes an additional fire-resistant treatment during the production of the canvas, providing an extra layer of precaution for those who want to hot tent. This feature is especially important for commercial businesses that may need to comply with fire prevention regulations or with family camping where safety is the priority.

The Touring Range now features a fireproof stove jack, which provides adequate precaution for most campers.

Unless you need a tent for semi-permanent accommodation, group camping or snow camping, we recommend our Touring range – there’s simply no downside to this canvas.