Best Camping Tent With AC Port: Reviews and Buying Guide

The OT 12-Person Instant tent is a great choice for large groups who want a little privacy and a shelter that feels like a true “home away from home”.

This cabin tent divides into three rooms courtesy of two removable room dividers. While you’d think this would rule out cooling the interior entirely, the inclusion of one e-port per room means you can share the love as long as you have enough extension cords. In addition to the air conditioning ports, there are also large ground vents that can fit an AC window unit as well.

AC features aside, this is the perfect tent for any family camping trip.

Despite weighing a hefty 61 pounds and giving you 256 square feet of floor space, it can be pitched in around 3 or 4 minutes. And although there’s no vestibule, you do get a huge awning that creates a nice shaded spot for drying out your clothes and boots or for relaxing in the shade on hot summer days.

This super-spacious tent also has a handful of great features. These include interior storage pockets, ground vents to air out the interior when not using your AC, two huge walk-through doors, and seven large windows.

The CORE 9-Person Instant Cabin is a great option for tent camping families who want a roomy, highly livable, user-friendly, and AC-compatible shelter that’s built to last a lifetime.

This cabin-style tent has 126 square feet of floor space and a generous peak height of 76 inches. Despite this, it can be set up in under two minutes thanks to its pre-attached poles and central pole hub.

The electrical cord access port on this one is fully closable when not in use. While having only one port means one of the two rooms will be cooler than the other, the room divider’s mesh fabric does allow some cold air to circulate into the second room.

When not running your AC, the CORE’s large mesh doors and windows and “adjustable air intake vents” are great, letting fresh air enter at the base and stuffy, hot air escape through the mesh roof vents.

Unfortunately, the CORE Instant cabin isn’t a standout performer in wet conditions. It is however waterproof enough to withstand short bouts of heavy rain or longer periods of lighter rain.

The Tenaya Lake tent from Coleman is one of our favorite family shelters, also featured on our list of the Best Multi-Room Tents and Best 8-Person Tents. The reasons for this are simple: it’s well-made, affordable, sturdy, user-friendly, and has one “bonus feature” that makes it a true standout.

Let’s get straight to that oh-so-special feature.

Only one model on our list, the Bushnell Shield, has dedicated vestibule space (the Ozark Trail tent has sheltered storage space in the form of an awning and the Wenzel Klondike tent has a screen room). The Tenaya Lake, however, comes equipped with not one but two storage closets, both of which have shelves and a hanger bar to help you stay organized.

The TL boasts 117 square feet of floor space, enough room to fit two queen-sized air mattresses. Its near-vertical walls also maximize headroom from wall to wall, which gives it a far roomier feel.

The Tenaya Lake takes a little longer to set up than any of the instant tents on our list. Nevertheless, it will only take two pitchers 5-10 minutes with a little practice. And while the rainfly is best described as minimalist, the interior is waterproof enough to see you through a few rainstorms.

The most significant downside is in the tent material. Because the TL has an all-mesh ceiling, some of the cool air your air conditioner produces is sure to escape.

The Bushnell Shield Series Instant Cabin is a great pick for camping families who want an easy-pitch tent that offers plenty of interior space and storage galore.

The Shield’s pre-attached, extending pole system allows you to take care of setup in under a minute. Once pitched, you’ll have just under 90 square feet of space to roam around in, plus a roomy vestibule for gear storage.

The quick setup time is not the only great selling point of the Bushnell Shield. The most notable of these are its durable fabrics, extra features, and the extra coverage provided by its rainfly.

Its 150D fabric and steel poles make it one of the toughest, sturdiest, and most durable tents on our list, and a great performer in windy conditions. The rainfly isn’t full-coverage but covers more of the tent than other models on our list. This means it offers more weather protection than many competitors and that less of the cool air from your AC will escape through the mesh walls.

As for features, there’s a covered ground vent for your AC cord, pockets and pouches galore, a handy gear loft, and a room divider.

The hydrostatic head (waterproof) rating of the Shield’s fly fabric is just 600mm, so it isn’t the most waterproof tent available. However, the body is also water-resistant so it’s capable of withstanding light rain.

The Wenzel Klondike has two attributes that make it stand out from the other shelters we reviewed. Firstly, it’s the cheapest tent on our list by a large margin. Secondly, it is the only model that boasts a screen room – and it’s a frickin’ huge one at that!

This freestanding tent has a 98-square-foot sleeping area that can host 6-8 people. On top of this, however, you get a 60-square-foot screen room that can be used as a bug-free sitting area or converted into sleeping space for 4 more campers.

The e-port on this one takes the form of a raised ground vent that has a mesh covering to keep out the bugs. Because this is located 10 inches off the ground, it minimizes the risk of water sneaking into the sleeping area if it rains.

Like the Coleman Tenaya Lake, the WK’s all-mesh roof does mean you’ll lose some of your cold air through the ceiling, though the rain fly will mitigate this issue to some degree. And while it’s not waterproof enough for 3-season camping, its Weather Armor waterproofing will fend off light rain showers.

The Weathermaster is an excellent choice if you want a spacious family tent that excels in both warm and wet conditions.

This is one of the roomiest shelters on our list, boasting 153 square feet of floor space in total and an 80-inch center height. Adding to livability are two large entryways, a skylight, wall pockets, and an interior lighting system with three dimness/brightness settings.

Like all tents on our list, the WeatherMaster uses a partial-coverage rainfly. However, the WeatherTec interior is also highly waterproof, so you’ll be safe from soakings in wet conditions.

The only downsides to the WeatherMaster are the all-mesh ceiling, which is sure to let some of your conditioned air escape, and its lengthy setup time (around 15 minutes). Other than that, it’s a winner!

This wildcard entry on our list is ideal for groups or families who want a versatile shelter that can switch from canopy mode to tent mode in a matter of seconds.

The Cube isn’t a tent per se but can be combined with the E-Z Up Pyramid Canopy to create a shelter that transforms from an open-wall canopy/gazebo into a camping tent. This makes it a great choice if you’re looking for a shelter for the yard that can also be used on car camping trips.

The Cube offers 100 square feet of floor space and has a lofty peak height of 76 inches, roomy enough to accommodate 6-8 sleepers.

But it’s the features that earn it a place on our list. In addition to 3 weather-resistant power pockets, you get 3 large windows, a pet door, a doorway mat, O-ring attachment points for lights, storage pouches, a gear shelf, and a gear loft.

The vertical walls on this tent do mean it lacks stability in strong winds, so we wouldn’t recommend it for camping in exposed locations. For campsites or yard camping, however, it’s a fantastic option!