If tent camping has never been a favored pastime for you, glamping may change your mind. You won’t be required to pitch a tent, stoke the fire, or even roll out a sleeping bag in a glamping tent.
In fact, when you rent a glamping tent, someone else creates your entire camping experience for you! You’ll simply step into the role of being pampered when you embrace this high-end lodging treat!
Whether you’re seeking a weekend away or wanting to buy your own glamping tent, we’ve got the details for you here. Read on!
What Is Glamping?
A unique mixture of camping and glamour creates the experience we call glamping. Those who love exploring incredible destinations but don’t want to give up their creature comforts of shelter can enjoy this luxurious lodging indulgence. Glamping often offers opulently appointed tents, treehouses, yurts, and teepees in exotic locations.
You can find today’s “glampgrounds” hanging from trees in a forest, lining the Serengeti, or sitting beside a mountain hot spring. It’s virtually anywhere humankind can find adventure and beauty intertwined.
If you book a glamping experience, you’ll likely enjoy full services varying from breakfast in bed to trail rides to sleeping in a luxurious treehouse. Many tent facilities have ensuite bathrooms and deluxe bedding materials that complement the outdoor scenery.
Pro Tip: Glamp in style in a yurt. Get the inside scoop on What Is Yurt Camping?
What Are Glamping Tents?
Think of a generic glamping tent as the cross between a Hyatt Hotel room and a Coleman tent set in the scenic locale of your choice. This “outdoor room” can be a traditional canvas tent or yurt.
Some unique glamping experiences might take the shape of a giant orb hanging in the woods or a teepee overlooking a wildflower meadow. Even a shiny Airstream RV parked on a secluded beach might be considered a glamorous camping destination.
But a traditional glamping tent is much more prevalent at glampgrounds. These tents come as bell-shaped canvas shelters with a center pole and low sidewalls that, once raised, take on the appearance of a bell.
No matter the shape or size, glamping tents offer luxury in adventurous locations around the world. These single “room” lodging facilities provide private shelter amidst natural destinations, where campers can experience nature at its best, then retreat to their abodes for rest and a bit of pampering.
Pro Tip: We took a closer look at how the company AutoCamp is helping people try glamping in Airstreams.
Most authentic glamping “tents” are self-standing units made of canvas, PVC, glass, or wood. They’re supposed to be solid shelters that can stand against the elements without major intrusion into their natural surroundings. Some include attached bath facilities, fireplaces, sitting areas, and even a dining space, while others simply have those amenities nearby.
How Much Does a Glamping Tent Cost?
When shopping for official glamping tents, you’ll find prices ranging between $300 to $13,000, depending upon the size and quality of materials used.
Smaller options include those with diameters of 8ft to 10ft, with midrange prices correlating to 13ft to 16ft tents. For larger event-style, bell-shaped glamping tents, diameters might get as large as 23ft in diameter.
Of course, if you’re searching for unique glamping setups like RVs, cabins, and covered wagons, the costs can vary wildly.
Popular Glamping Tents
Let’s take a look at the most popular glamping tents available. This will give you an idea of opportunities when designing a glampground, and it will show you what to expect when booking a stay in a glamping tent.
Lotus Belle Tents
Price: $2,250 to $4,000
About: Lotus Belle Tents give your camping experience a Middle Eastern flair. You’ll feel as though you’ve set up camp at the Algerian Casbah in this bell-shaped canvas tent with elegant arched supports.
Ranging in diameter from 13ft to 20ft, Lotus Belle offers traditional pole-supported glamping tents and inflatable ones that require no poles. With meshed windows and doorways, campers can enjoy luxurious stays in the outdoors without buggy irritants!
All tents have velcro groundsheets and carrying cases, and various styles offer windows, backdoors, and expanded ventilation. There are even “stargazer” models for those in dark sky locations.
Fernweh Bell Tent
Price: $1,590
About: Built much like a teepee, the Fernweh Bell Tent might be called a “canvas cottage.” With 29in mesh walls, there’s room for a queen-sized bed or two, and the waterproof enclosed floor will stand up to any moisture.
You can install a wood stove for heat, as the Fernweh comes with a stovepipe vent. The center pole measures 9ft 8in with transparent PVC windows surrounding it at the top. And the four zippered windows on the walls will make it easy to bring the outside in! You can purchase a tent rain fly and groundsheet separately.
Inflatable Bubble Tent
Price: $1,400
About: In this inflatable bubble tent, you’ll experience life in a ‘glass’ house that’s not at risk of shattering. This unique tent inflates and seals off the rest of the world with its robust and transparent PVC exterior. It comes with a strong blower that consistently keeps the bubble ‘afloat.’
With a diameter of almost 10ft, campers have a 360-degree view of surrounding landscapes with protection from weather, insects, and temperatures.
Cocoon Tree Bed
Price: $12,400
About: What would you think of a spherically shaped treehouse? The Cocoon Tree Bed takes glamping in a whole new direction with suspended round tents hanging from branches throughout a forest!
One capsule measures almost 10 feet in diameter and weighs approximately 530 pounds (empty). You anchor it with ropes to several trees or set it on the ground on pod feet. The supporting frame is lightweight aluminum with a laminate floor inside, and a water-resistant membrane stretched across the exterior.
Pros of Glamping Tents
Glamping tents have several significant benefits over traditional camping tents. A large canvas shelter can give you a feeling of safety and separation from the outside world.
Because of the thickness of the material used, glamping tents are usually a little warmer than a traditional nylon tent. And some higher-end models have flooring available with the tent, offering a product that can be more permanent at its location, as well.
These tents are usually designed for standing, unlike dome and backpacking tents, which leave little headroom for their inhabitants. You could use glamping tents as an entire bedroom, with space for a queen-sized bed and even a sitting area.
Cons of Glamping Tents
Glamping, by definition, is a high-end version of camping. So costs will most likely be higher than traditional tent camping. However, prices can vary wildly, and because of the sheer size of a glamping tent, users will need to have more space available for setup.
Another drawback may be the lack of water resistance, but you can alleviate that somewhat by applying a water repellent substance to the canvas material.
Are Glamping Tents Worth It?
When traditional camping has lost its attraction for you, taking your camp experience to the next level may place tenting in a new light. Make good use of a glamping tent to create a “spare bedroom” for visitors, or set up a permanent outdoor living area in your yard. You will find a variety of uses for this new twist on camping.
➡ Another unique camping experience is renting an RV through Airbnb. Learn more here: Can You Airbnb an RV Rental?
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