Roof top tent test – 12 ½ roof tents in direct comparison

What’s the best roof top tent, and how much money do you have to spend for a good night’s sleep in the great outdoors? What should you look out for when choosing one, and which one is the right model for you? How can you avoid throwing away your money in the wrong tent? Our big 2024 roof top tent comparison test provides all the answers. We tested 12 ½ roof tents and tried a big variety of concepts on our epic DOWNTOWN road trip. Ladies and gentlemen, roof bars at the ready – let’s go!

1. Times are changing: roof top tents are changing – and so are the people who use them
2. Road trip to paradise – Roof top tent reinvented!
3. The test field: all 12 ½ models at a glance
4. Our epic DOWNTOWN road trip crew: who tested the rooftop tents?
5. Our rooftop tent road trip experience in pictures
6. Buyer’s advice: what roof tents did we test, and what should you look out for when buying a roof tent? Our 7 most important findings
7. The test field at a glance: the loser, the winner, and our Best Buy Tip
8. The Best Buy Tip in our roof tent comparison test: the Decathlon Quechua MH 900
9. The best roof tent in our comparison test: The qeedo Freedom Air 2
10. The loser in our roof tent comparison test: the GentleTent GT Sky Loft
11. Conclusions from the DOWNTOWN roof top tent comparison test

The sound of the waves in your ears; around you, nothing but unspoilt nature. Watching the sun set and spending the night in the most beautiful places in the world – roof top tents promise ultimate freedom, far away from busy roads and polluted cities. In our big DOWNTOWN road trip, we found out for ourselves whether that’s all true, or just a romantic fantasy. Do roof tents really provide the ultimate outdoor experience? On a roof tent holiday, the line between heaven and hell is a thin one.

Stairway to heaven?

Just imagine:

• While travelling by car, you can stop and sleep anywhere, any time, because you’re carrying your bedroom on top of your car.
• You can camp on the edge of a cliff and overlook the ocean from 100 metres above the beach, from the safety of the car roof.
• Your little ones can’t wait to go to sleep.
• When waking up, the first thing you see is unspoiled nature.
• You’re still lying in your tent and already taking the coolest Insta pictures.
• You can set up your tent outside the pub if you’ve had a few too many Aperol Spritz.
• You can crank up your boom box at 6 o’clock in the morning – there’s no one around to complain.
• You can sleep peacefully, knowing that no nasty insects will cuddle up with you in your sleeping bag.
• You’re chilling at the festival, six feet above the muddy ground.
• The distant ringing of cowbells wakes you up in the morning, not the screams of other people’s kids.
• You’ll never have to wait for the wedding shuttle bus again, because your roof top tent is parked right next to the party.

Or Highway to Hell?

Just imagine:

• You want to set up your new roof tent quickly, but the pre-assembly is a total pain, and you have to invite your whole family to help lift it onto the roof. What if they ask to come with you?!
• You want to drive down to the village to buy croissants in the morning – but the roof tent is still up!
• You want to sleep, but every movement of the car shakes the tent – not ideal if you go to bed at different times.
• Goodbye privacy – you’re practically out in the open, outside your sleeping area.
• You’re in the middle of nature – ergo, no showers, no toilets – how’s that?
• You want to get dressed in the morning and all you have is a pair of wet jeans – hello condensation!
• You’re a newbie and the first night is a real shock: you’re freezing cold, you can hear your camping neighbours talking, your partner snores like a bear and the forest keeps you awake with a million strange noises – yes, that’s camping too.
• You want to get home quickly, but you can’t drive at 120 km/h with a tent on your roof.
• You have to put all the bedding from the roof tent back in the car after every night or the tent won’t close.

A car, a ladder, a tent. That’s about it – but can it do magic? We set off on an adventure that proved impossible to plan: The DOWNTOWN Roadtrip Rooftop Tent Test. The only thing we knew for sure was that we were going to have a roof over our heads at night. And, of course, everything we love: cosy Persian rugs, the finest coffee, the smell of woodsmoke from the campfire. We experienced a few freezing nights, unforgettable sunrises, morning dew, cold river swims and the odd big surprise!

Times are changing: roof top tents are changing – and so are the people who use them

If you think that the first roof top tent was built some time in the last two decades, you couldn’t be more wrong. Even though travelling with a roof top tent has only become trendy over the past few years, roof top camping has already been a thing for almost 100 years! The first roof top tents, made of wood and canvas, were developed in Italy back in the 1930s, and were soon used for a wide variety of purposes. The advantages of having a sleeping place on the roof of your car were already recognised by a diverse group of users back then, from individual expedition travellers in Africa to adventurers in Europe and mobile military units during World War II. And today? Rudimentary wooden frames have been replaced by innovative, robust constructions, but the idea lives on. Modern roof top tents have become an indicator of the cool lifestyle – whether you’re at a bike park or campsite, at a summer festival or hunting in the wilderness.

There are countless applications – and countless new (future) roof tents. The good news: If you dream of roof tent camping, but are unsure if it’s right for you, you can try it out first! For instance, Land Rover offers the opportunity to rent a Defender (like ours!) with a roof tent – a brilliant way to gain initial experience and find out if 4×4 holidays and roof tent camping will become your new favourite hobby (more details at the bottom).

Road trip to paradise – Roof top tent reinvented!

For this roof top tent comparison test, we put 12 ½ of the hottest roof top tents through the wringer, and took 20 roof tent newbies and veterans, 2 small kids, 2 dogs and 1 giant teddy bear on our epic road trip. The crew was a wild mix of people, including members of our editorial team, their families, friends, and even a few readers who applied for this trip. Our readers Valentin and Lukas travelled all the way from Vienna with their enduro bikes. Paul flew his girlfriend Marizona in from the USA, Daniel and Flo took the plunge with their young daughters, Manne and Theresa brought their dogs and our German-American friend Chris brought along some sweet travel companions: 10 kegs of the finest Franconian beer from the Raab brewery to quench the thirst of the entire crew!

We all had one mission: to have the best time possible, while testing a wide range of roof top tents – or was it the other way round? Either way, during this test, we found out all the relevant facts about the tents to give you a comprehensive and authentic impression of each model, with all its pros and cons. Impressions that are based on real-life experience, to determine which roof tent suits which type of traveller and travel best. What are the differences between concepts, which features are a must, and which ones are superfluous? Needless to say, the focus is on usability, because it marks the difference between fun and frustration, relaxation and stress. While some tents are ready in just two minutes, leaving plenty of time for a few wind-down beers before dinner, others take half an hour before you can even think about sipping on a cold brew. Some even require a lifetime of experience in contortionism and acrobatics to get them installed on the roof bars. 28 minutes difference doesn’t sound like much? Well, it is when you’re balancing precariously on a ladder in a muddy field, in the rain, leaning over your car roof trying to see what you’re doing as the daylight steadily fades, while your kids get increasingly hungry and bored!

How much time do you have to factor in for assembly with each tent? Which ones require help from other people? How long does each tent take to set up, and do you stay dry when climbing the ladder if it’s raining? What’s annoying and what’s fun? We went to great lengths to find out, so it would be easier for you to decide which one to buy: all of the roof tents were tested in the office yard and on a number of private weekend trips before finally, to top it all off, we took them on our epic DOWNTOWN road trip. Expectations were high, as were the arguments between the sceptics amongst us. But as experienced testers, we knew that we could only find the answers by actually using and testing the roof top tents in real life scenarios, and with everything that this entails: screaming children, drunk ladder climbs and late-night shenanigans inside the rickety roof top tents. Anyone who knows us knows that we take our jobs seriously: drunken late-night shenanigans sounds right up our street! We tested the mattresses, the assembly screws, rain covers and the overall level of comfort of the tents through night and day. In the sun, cold, rain, on the road and at night under the cold starry sky, lit up by the Northern Lights.

Our initial realisation: more expensive doesn’t necessarily better (or even good)! Surprisingly, some of the tents we were most excited about didn’t convince us at all, while some of the underdogs blew us away. During this test, we looked for the best all-rounder that is capable of combining ease of assembly, design, usability and price. Before buying, you’ll have to answer countless questions to avoid nasty surprises and wasted money.

The test field: all 12 ½ models at a glance

First off, why only 12 ½ tents? Did the thirteenth get struck by lightning, did the top blow off while blasting along the Autobahn? Not quite – the Thule Outset is a trailer-hitch tent, folding out into a platform on stilts behind the car. It might not be a car roof tent, but it’s still a car tent. We included the Thule Outset in this test because the concept is exciting and innovative and – like its competitors – still requires a car.

Speaking of the concept, we invited a wide variety of roof tents into the test field. Three were inflatable soft-shell tents, also known as folding tents: the Quechua MH900, the qeedo Freedom Air 2 and the GentleTent Sky Loft for six people. Five folding soft-shell tents, also known as folding tents: the Thule Foothill, Thule Approach, Front Runner Feather-Lite, Yakima SkyRise HD Tent and Thule Outset. The other five were hard-shell roof tents: the Arcta Vento, Vickywood Cumaru Light, Naturbummler Alu-Kraftkiste, Intrepid GEO 3.0 and Naturbummler Flitzer I L. All models are designed to cover a wide range of sizes and uses: from one to two people in the Thule Foothill, all the way up to six people in the inflatable GentleTent Sky Loft.

There are more than 100 brands and varieties of roof top tents on the market, which made it impossible for us to take them all on our road trip. That’s why we made a selection of the most relevant brands, while at the same time trying to cover as wide a range of concepts as possible. Each concept has its pros and cons, which we’ll discuss in detail later. Before starting your research, you have to ask yourself a few questions: Which vehicle will it go on? How many people should it sleep? Do I need extra room on the roof for sports equipment? Do I want to leave the bedding inside the tent while travelling? Do I need a lot of additional equipment, or do I want to be as minimalistic as possible while travelling? Do I want to be flexible on my travels and camp in a different place every day, or do I want to set up a more permanent home from time to time? How crucial are quick assembly and disassembly for me?

Disclaimer: a roof top tent is not for the faint-hearted! But if you go for it and simply set off on a road trip – with or without a destination – you’ll discover amazing new places, and maybe find out some new things about yourself along the way. So: definitely give it a try!

Brand	Model	Type	Weight	Closed dimensions	Open dimensions	People	Price
Arcta	Vento	Aluminium hard-shell	85 kg	217 x 131 x 19 cm	217 x 131 x 140 cm	2	€ 2,690
Decathlon	Quechua MH 900	Inflatable soft-shell	45 kg	148 x 77 x 35 cm	145 x 220 x 101 cm	2	€ 1,499
Front Runner	Feather-Lite	Soft-shell	47* kg	133 x 125 x 33 cm	244 x 122 x 133 cm	2	€ 1,199
GentleTent	GT Sky Loft	Inflatable soft-shell	57 kg	166 x 146 x 16 cm	340 x 200 x 140 cm	5-6	€ 4,159
Intrepid	GEO 3.0	Aluminium hard-shell	85 kg	225 x 160 x 18 cm	225 x 160 x 137 cm	3	€ 4,999
Naturbummler	Alu-Kraftkiste	Aluminium hard-shell	88 kg	210 x 130 x 23 cm	210 x 130 x 145 cm	2	€ 2,690
Naturbummler	Flitzer	Hard-shell	60 kg	218 x 130 x 28 cm	218 x 130 x 105 cm	2	€ 2,490
qeedo	Freedom Air 2	Inflatable soft-shell	52 kg	154 x 108 x 30 cm	225 x 168 x 148 cm	2	€ 2,199
Thule	Approach M	Soft-shell	61 kg	124 x 143 x 28 cm	240 x 143 x 102 cm	2+1**	€ 2,699
Thule	Foothill	Soft-shell	55 kg	210.8 x 61 x 24 cm	213 x 119 x 93 cm	2	€ 1,699
Thule	Outset	Towbar-mounted soft-shell	70 kg	144 x 74 x 90 cm	264 x 144 x 178 cm	2+1**	€ 3,999
Vickywood	Cumaru Light 127 ECO	Aluminium hard-shell	75 kg	223 x 127 x 15 cm	223 x 127 x 130 cm	2	€ 2,790
Yakima	SkyRise HD Tent MD	Soft-shell	52 kg	122 x 142 x 41 cm	243 x 142 x 122 cm	2+1**	€ 2,199

* Tent weight with attached ladder
** Adults + child up to approx. 120 cm

Please note that a heavier tent isn’t necessarily worse than a lighter one, because it’s often also wider, thus offering more sleeping space for more people. It’s also clear that a tent for 6 people will take longer to set up than one for just 2. And a hard-shell tent for 3 people is obviously going to be heavier, bulkier and more expensive than one for 2 people.

Our epic DOWNTOWN road trip crew: who tested the rooftop tents?

Paul’s girlfriend Marizona travelled all the way from the USA to attend our roof top tent road trip. Before that, Paul had already spent four weeks in Australia with a roof top tent, and found it great to have so many models to compare on this road trip. The two of them specifically wanted to test a hard-shell tent like the Arcta Vento, because Paul wanted to have as low a superstructure as possible on his Cayenne to allow him to drive into underground car parks etc. without nasty surprises.

Theresa currently lives as a digital nomad, commuting between Berlin and Arezzo. Her CLK and her dog Filo are always with her. She loves cool cars and cool locations. As a rooftop tent newbie, she found the Decathlon Quechua incredibly practical – and of course incredibly attractive given the price.

DOWNTOWN editor Mike is an outdoor veteran. When racing enduro bikes or exploring the backcountry, the Defender is his second home. The Front Runner roof tent is a good addition for him, especially in an off-road vehicle, because it leaves more room for bikes and equipment. His tip for road trips: always take some old overalls with you for emergency roadside repairs.

As a passionate camper, DOWNTOWN editor Felicia has tried everything, having spent many family holidays in a rooftop tent on a campervan. She now uses most of her free weekends to explore the most beautiful single pitches in southern Germany with her Grand California. On our road trip, she looked back to her roof-tent past with a little nostalgia, and felt particularly comfortable in the qeedo folding tent.

As an experienced van camper, DOWNTOWN editor Juli has packed the six-person GentleTent Sky Loft onto his Bully: together with the two additional sleeping spaces in the van, this creates a mobile hotel for (theoretically) up to eight people. Since he doesn’t have kids, the tent becomes a huge hostel for Juli to invite friends, or to use as a play area with his girlfriend. Here you can sleep comfortably crossways, lengthways and diagonally. The time-consuming assembly and disassembly makes it a nice long-term camping solution that requires you to use a bike or longboard to go to the shops.

Bike, backgammon, folding kayak and half a kitchen, including copper cooking pots and porcelain crockery. DOWNTOWN founder Robin took everything that’s fun (and heavy) with him on our rooftop tent test. He packed the huge Intrepid GEO onto a Defender and strapped the Orbea Wild, the best e-mountainbike of 2024, on top. The result is a little tower, a mechanical version of “The Bremen Town Musicians”. Only Pablo Escobear, the giant teddy, was allowed down on the passenger seat.

The only thing Pablo needed after the exhausting cargo bike test in Paris was a good chill-out binge. On our road trip, he bed-hopped from one tent to another and tested most of them. His conclusion: the most important thing is to have someone to cuddle next to you.

Felix is always there when there’s something new to try out – as long as it has something to do with 4 wheels. As comfort-loving hotel holidaymakers, Felix and Lena were extremely sceptical before this road trip, as they both hate camping, and found the first night in the roof tent awful. The turning point came after the second night.

As a passionate e-mountainbike enthusiast and former scout, Manne is up for anything to do with the outdoors. Andrea enjoyed the overnight stay in the Flitzer so much that she spontaneously set off again into the wilderness without Manne, taking her dog and her bike. Her tip for a roof top tent trip: shoes that are easy to slip in/out of, and a thermos flask of hot tea.

Originally from California, Chris is the outdoor pro in our crew. He packed firewood, an axe and a never-ending supply of 5-litre beer kegs onto the back of his Land Rover. Chris leaves nothing to chance, and always has a solar panel and large battery pack with him to power and charge electric devices.

Our ENDURO readers Lukas and Valentin applied for the road trip from Austria. Both are enduro riders, and they came to us straight from a race in Poland. The two Viennese friends love the spirit of roof top tent camping and being outdoors. Nevertheless, it’s important for them to have their own bed with them while travelling, so it needs to fit a mattress and bedding inside.

Just back from an eight-month sabbatical, during which he trained as a yoga teacher, amongst other things, Benedikt brought along his yoga mat. And even more importantly: his Atherton bike. That’s why he opted for the narrow Thule Foothill for his Porsche 911, leaving enough room on the roof for the bike.

Max usually prefers to stay in hotels rather than camping out in the wilderness. After the first night with claustrophobia attacks and what felt like zero minutes of sleep, the DOWNTOWN founder saw the light and spontaneously extended the trip and added another night with his girlfriend Ines. His conclusion: if the interior height is right, then a roof tent is an option too – and that was the case with the Intrepid GEO.

Florian took along his daughter Marlene, plus her bike, a high chair, cuddly toys and lots of other toddler-related paraphernalia. With such perfect equipment, the night in the Vickywood roof tent was the highlight of Marlene’s year. Her nickname for the Pinzgauer: the fire truck.

Daniel is first and foremost a car fan, and he enjoys tinkering with old Beemers. He’s not really a camping fan and was rather sceptical about the whole experience. He doesn’t know whether it’s worth buying a roof tent, or whether he would travel often enough to justify the purchase. Four-year-old Magdalena, on the other hand, knows very well that she wants to have at least one more rooftop tent adventure with dad and the Yakima (with red rain cover).

Our rooftop tent road trip experience in pictures

What makes a successful rooftop tent trip with over twenty people? The most beautiful locations? The coolest cars? The best rooftop tents? Ten kilos of potato salad and 50 litres of draught beer? In the end, we all agreed: the beer! Nah, it’s the people. Everyone was really keen to embark on a road trip adventure, everyone was easy-going, although the test crew was as colourful as grandma’s old Persian rugs (which we brought along too!). We travelled all together, yet still had a relaxed time. Everyone could do what they wanted – whether it was a trekking bike tour with the kids, drinking beer on the Isar, cruising around on a folding kayak, or drifting through the snow on a mountain bike. Whether the crew members met for the first time or had been friends forever, good vibes dominated this road trip from the beginning to the end. The route: from the DOWNTOWN headquarters in Leonberg, through the Allgäu region to the icy cold Isar river at the foot of the Karwendel mountains. Here we go!

Buyer’s advice: what should you look out for when buying a roof tent? Our 7 most important findings

1. Hard-shell versus soft-shell: what do you really need?

Team Softie or hardcore camper? Before you decide, check out the pros and cons of both concepts. In a nutshell, there’s no bad-shell! The decisive factors are what you want and how you want to move! Hard-shell roof tents are the optimal choice for frequent set-up changes and big, tall vehicles. Soft-top tents offer more sleeping space and fit on many vehicle types. Think about what suits your camping habits best!

Hard-shell tents

A hard-shell roof tent has a fixed cover plate, which is made either of plastic or aluminium. The size is fixed and corresponds to the sleeping area. It relies on gas struts or hinges to open up.

Soft-shell tents

A folding tent, also known as a soft-shell tent, can be folded out into a fan shape, with the ladder supporting the floating section. To pack up the tent, the floor folds back in on top of the base. During transport, it’s protected by a cover.

2. Thule: 3 concept-models

As you might have realised, the market for roof tents is huge, so buying a roof tent requires lots of research. Using the example of the Thule roof tents, we’ll show you how many options and concepts there are, and why it makes sense to think about it beforehand. We tested 3 Thule models, all of which were developed for different target groups.

Thule Outset:
To be honest, this isn’t a roof tent, but rather a free-standing tent for a trailer hitch. Nevertheless, it’s an exciting concept that’s also interesting for electric cars like the ID Buzz. This also means that you don’t have to sleep on the roof.

Thule Foothill:
Despite being the narrowest tent in the entire test field, the Foothill leaves plenty of space on the car roof, which makes it the ideal choice for athletes and minimalists.

Thule Approach:
The Approach is more of an all-rounder: a high-quality folding tent for two adults with or without a small child.

3. Assembly on the car roof:

Spoiler alert! Installing a roof tent on roof bars is no fun! That’s right, the lifting, bolting and endless fiddling isn’t exactly a great start to an adventure. But with our tips and tricks, you’ll overcome this hurdle faster than you thought – sweating and swearing included. So, let’s tackle it!

8 Assembly tips:

• Tip 1: Allow time: rushing the installation doesn’t work in your favour and can lead to mistakes.
• Tip 2: Remember the weight: having as many strong helpers as possible makes life a lot easier, particularly because many roof tents have to be lifted repeatedly to thread in screws.
• Tip 3: Be smart! Use a ratchet with locking bolts to avoid mental meltdowns, and place a piece of cardboard on the car roof to prevent the paint from getting damaged when you inevitably drop something.
• Tip 4: The screws should all be tightened by the same person to ensure consistent torque across the roof.
• Tip 5: A drop of threadlocker (e.g. Loctite) prevents the screws from loosening with the vibrations while you’re driving.
• Tip 6: If you install and remove the roof tent on the same car on a regular basis, you can shorten the screws to a suitable length. This will save time during installation.
• Tip 7: Make your own life easier: With heavy hard-shell tents, a winch contraption in your garage can be extremely helpful.
• Tip 8: If you can, leave the roof top tent on the roof throughout the summer season. This will save your nerves, and allow you to take off on trips more spontaneously.

4. Assembly and disassembly

When you arrive at your camping spot late at night, you want to go to bed as quickly as possible. But how quickly can you do this, and which steps should you take first? Our tip: Before setting off with your tent for the first time, do a trial run, perhaps in a mate’s garden, so you won’t be left standing in the rain at night on Lake Garda, surrounded by a horde of camping veterans telling you how they would’ve done it differently!

Of course, the difficulty level of the setup depends on the tent you choose, but a little practice helps with all models.

5. Usability

A rooftop tent isn’t just a tent, only on the roof. Seriously, a roof top tent is an investment and there are so many different models and options that it’s worth checking beforehand. Here are a few important usability features to help you find the perfect roof top tent for your needs:

Sense of space
Your perception of space is crucial for your comfort. Do you want it bright and airy, with lots of windows for good ventilation? Or do you prefer it dark and cosy? Consider whether you want to see the stars through the skylight, both with and without a rain cover.

Mosquito nets
Mosquito nets are a must in every roof tent. They protect you from insects and should always be well closed. Make sure that the nets are of good quality and easy to handle.

Darkening and insulation
Can the interior be darkened out completely? This is a particularly important point if you prefer an undisturbed night’s sleep. Some models, like the Yakima, rely on an extra layer of fabric insulation and are therefore also suitable as all-season tents. Alternatively, you can buy a thermal inner tent as an accessory, for example from qeedo.

Space to store sleeping bags and pillows
A practical aspect: can you leave your sleeping bags and pillows inside the tent while travelling? If not, you’ll have to have enough space in your car to store them. Think about how much storage space you need and how you’ll organise it.

Sleeping comfort
One aspect that is often neglected: sleeping comfort. Plan enough time for a trial night to make sure you’re comfortable and can sleep well. Also pay attention to how the zips work, and whether there are any annoying poles or other elements inside the tent.

Drying time and air circulation
After rain, it’s important that a tent dries fast. Good air circulation is a decisive factor here. Think about how long your tent needs to dry, and whether the air circulation is sufficient.

Stability
A robust roof tent has to withstand a lot – whether it’s children playing during the day or other activities at night. Pay attention to the tent’s stability and the quality of the materials to ensure that your tent can withstand the demands.

Ladder comfort
Barefoot on a ladder – how does it feel? A comfortable ladder is a plus, especially if you get in and out frequently. If it gets dirty, it’s helpful to have a bag or sack with you to store the ladder.

Roof height and overall height
The overall height of your vehicle (including the roof tent) is a decisive factor, especially when parking in underground car parks. Measure the total roof height beforehand to make sure that you can drive into an underground garage with a max. height of 2 metres without any problems. And believe us: we speak from our own experience!

Care and cleaning
In bad weather, roof tents quickly become your only living space. Spillages and stains are inevitable. Make sure to get a tent with a removable and washable mattress cover.

6. Which car and user type is a tent suitable for?

Hard-shell tents are usually a good match for bigger cars, as the base area must fit on the vehicle. Otherwise the boot can’t be opened, or the tent protrudes too far beyond the windscreen, restricting visibility. It’s important to observe the manufacturer’s instructions, especially the required distance to the railing. If you have a smaller car, folding tents are the better choice: lightweight, flexible, and always within the roof load limit.

7. Fuel consumption

And what about the fuel consumption with a tent on the roof? The only way to work this out accurately is testing it in a lab. Generally speaking, however, the flatter the roof tent, the lower the air resistance, and the better the fuel consumption. All of the testers on our road trip only reported slight increases in fuel consumption, which is possibly due to the fact that you often drive slower with a large object on your roof – also for safety reasons. In a nutshell, your driving style has a significant influence on fuel consumption. And make sure that the tent doesn’t hang over the windscreen, as this can significantly increase air resistance and therefore fuel consumption.

The test field at a glance: the loser, the winner, and our Best Buy Tip

And now it’s time to get down to business! Here’s a brief overview of all the roof tents in this test and a short version of our final verdict. You can look forward to Best in Test, our Best Buy Tip, and the loser in this test. One thing should be clear by now: choosing the right roof tent depends primarily on your own preferences and circumstances, for example in terms of intended use, number of people and vehicle type. It’s our job to provide you with comprehensive information to help you with your individual purchase decision. So, let’s get to the results!

The Front Runner Feather-Lite roof top tent

The Front Runner Feather-Lite is a solid folding tent with all of the basic functions you’d expect from a roof tent. At € 1,199, it’s the cheapest competitor in the entire test field, appealing to budget travellers and beginners alike. The low 47 kg system weight including the ladder also makes the Front Runner roof tent an interesting option for couples who don’t want to depend on others to set up the tent. Click here for the full review.

The Thule Approach M roof top tent

For just under € 2,700, the Thule Approach roof tent is a high-quality folding tent for two adults, with space for a small child. Alongside the proven Thule quality, the undisputed highlight is the ease of assembly, which spares you any unnecessarily stressful moments on holiday. However, unlike many of their competitors, Thule skimp on the standard equipment and literally leave customers out in the rain on the ladder (unless you buy some seriously pricey accessories). Click here for the full review.

The Intrepid GEO 3.0 roof top tent

The GEO 3.0 sleeps 3, and it’s the luxury liner amongst the roof tents we tested – once it’s been assembled. Unlike its hard-shell competitors, it has a hinge in the roof that provides more space on the inside; it’s easy to handle, stable, and has a high-quality finish. It also offers countless options for attaching gadgets. The slightly smaller GEO 2.5 still costs slightly less than € 4,500. All in all, you pay a hefty price, but get a first-class travelling experience – and that’s never been cheap! Click here for the full review.

The Thule Foothill roof top tent

Hiding under the slim cover of the Thule Foothill roof tent is a fully-fledged folding tent for 1-2 people, that can keep up with the biggest tents in terms of functionality. Since it’s only half as wide as most roof tents when collapsed, it’s the ideal choice for adventurers who need additional room on the car roof for sports equipment and luggage. However, the Foothill calls for some compromises in terms of handling and internal height. Click here for the full review.

The Naturbummler Alu-Kraftkiste roof top tent

With the € 2,690 Alu-Kraftkiste hard-shell tent, Naturbummler deliver a robust overall package with good features, that offers room for up to two adventurers, and is quick and easy to set up and take down. Compared to its direct triangle competitors, the Arcta and Vickywood, the Naturbummler roof tent might be slightly heavier and narrower, but scores points with its special lifting mechanism, which creates extra room for your feet, along with an additional ventilation shaft. Click here for the full review.

The Arcta Vento roof top tent

The Arcta Vento roof tent retails at € 2,690 and is super quick and easy to assemble/disassemble. In this comparison test, it takes on the competition with great features, from an anti-condensation mat for the mattress to an LED light strip. In the direct race between the three nearly-identical triangle hard shell tents, it performs better than the Vickywood, which costs € 100 more and has fewer features. Compared to the Naturbummler, the Arcta roof tent comes out on top with a shorter set up time and bigger sleeping area, but loses out in terms of volume and internal accessory transportation. Click here for the full review.

The Vickywood Cumaru Light 127 Eco roof top tent

At 15 cm tall, the Vickywood Cumaru Light 127 Eco roof tent is the flattest tent in the entire test field, and therefore very aerodynamic. With its 75 kg system weight, it’s comparatively light for an aluminium hard-top tent. Two individually controlled light strips allow for customised lighting in the evening. The sustainable approach of the Bavarians is undoubtedly a plus point that users have to pay for – and rightly so! In direct comparison with the other two, nearly-identical alloy hard-shell tents, which accommodate 1 to 2 people, the Vickywood costs € 100 more and has slightly fewer features. Click here for the full review.

The Yakima SkyRise HD Tent MD roof top tent

The Yakima Skyrise HD Tent is a solid, well-made folding tent for three people. However, not only is the pre-assembly time-consuming, but also the assembly and disassembly – installing all the poles takes a little while, and nerves of steel. On the other hand, Yakima’s huge optional accessory range and the sky views included in the € 2,199 price make it a real keeper. Click here for the full review.

The Naturbummler Flitzer I L roof top tent

A hard shell tent with a roof that lifts straight up, just like the classic Maggiolina roof tent: with its panelled roof, the Naturbummler Flitzer I L ensures a spacious, living room-like feeling and scores points with breath-taking, 360° panoramic views and a system weight of 60 kg, which is very reasonable for a hard-shell tent. All in all, a very solid tent for two people and € 2,499. Click here for the full review.

The Thule Outset trailer hitch tent

With the Outset, Thule offer a rather rare solution: a tent for a trailer hitch, which is ingenious if you don’t want to put anything on your car roof, yet still need to leave space for other things in your boot. In this comparison test, we included it as the “half” tent, because it combines the best of both worlds – the comfort of a roof tent and the freedom of a free-standing ground tent. However, at € 3,999, some of you might be asking whether cheaper stilt tents without trailer hitch attachments might be a more reasonable option. Click here for the full review.

The Best Buy Tip in our roof tent comparison test: the Decathlon Quechua MH 900

Easy to set up, good details and an attractive price point ­– the Quechua MH 900 bags a well-deserved Best Buy Tip. At just under € 1,500, Decathlon’s inflatable folding tent for two people isn’t only interesting for roof tent beginners, but also offers camping veterans and experienced roof tenters a well thought-out overall concept. You’ll have to make a few compromises in terms of comfort and bling: the mattress could be better, and there’s no panoramic 360° view but, in return, the compact pack size leaves plenty of room on the roof for additional luggage. Click here for the full review.

The best roof tent in our comparison test: The qeedo Freedom Air 2

With the Freedom Air 2 inflatable tent, qeedo deliver an all-round carefree package for two people with countless useful details, straight out of the box. No other manufacturer can match this, which is why the qeedo secured our coveted Best in Test badge. At € 2,199, it’s also a suitable option for beginners with a moderate budget, who want plenty of freedom of movement and great all-round views. Everything, including the superstructure, is really well thought out – in true German tinkerer style! So you can focus on your holiday and, of course, your Insta pictures. Click here for the full review.

The loser in our roof tent comparison test: the GentleTent GT Sky Loft

With their inflatable, six-person GT Sky Loft, GentleTent offer a challenging concept that somehow keeps it out of the race in our roof tent comparison test, mainly due to the high number of people it can accommodate. For € 4,159, the Austrian manufacturer offers plenty of light and space for bigger families, and groups of friends. However, the concept of the GentleTent roof tent isn’t exactly flawless. It requires plenty of effort to set up, pretty much preventing you from using your car during your holidays, and making it hard to change camping spots. With a retail price of € 4,159 without a mattress, this is anything but a convincing overall package. As a result, the GentleTent is the clear loser in our roof top tent comparison test – mainly due to conceptual differences. Click here for the full review.

Buy or Rent a Rooftop Tent?

Our extensive rooftop tent test wouldn’t have been the same without the Land Rover Defender. This powerhouse was perfect for testing our team’s large and heavy rooftop tent models. The Land Rover Defender 130, affectionately called “the Mothership,” accompanied us in its impressively long 130 variant – yes, that’s the wheelbase in inches – and literally pulled us out of the mud multiple times!

With 300 horsepower from the largest diesel in its class, it was our reliable partner on the road. The air suspension levelling function was a real game changer. Levelling chocks? A thing of the past! This feature was a blessing on uneven terrain. Plus, the spacious interior and integrated fridge in the centre console – perfect for a refreshing drink on the go.

Thinking about buying a rooftop tent? Why not take it for a test run first? Rent a Defender with a rooftop tent for a weekend or longer and kick off your own adventure. Or are you only occasionally hitting the road but still craving big adventures off the beaten path? Land Rover has you covered: rent a Defender with a rooftop tent. It’s a smart way to gain first-hand experience and see if rooftop tenting and 4×4 road trips are your new favourite hobbies.

Conclusions from the DOWNTOWN roof top tent comparison test

Our learnings from the big roof top tent comparison test: rooftop tents are incredibly practical and come with an immeasurable sense of freedom, but also some challenges. The first hurdle is to find out what concept suits you best, and which one you (really) need! The collective experiences of our road trip members should serve you as a rough guide to help you navigate through the wide-ranging world of rooftop tents, so you can find one that’s your personal stairway to heaven. Ready for the ultimate road trip? Your adventure starts here!

Feeling the urge for a roof tent getaway? Get more tips and insights from our roof tent test here!

Words: Susanne Feddersen, Felicia Nastal Photos: Mike Hunger, Robin Schmitt