Best roof tents for cars and vans in 2026: reviewed by experts

Roof tents promise the convenience and freedom of a campervan, but cost a fraction of the price.

Roof-top tents attach to a roof rack on top of your car or van, so you can camp wherever you park your car (if you have permission): you flip it open and use a ladder to climb in and out. 

Even though roof tents cost a lot less than campervans, they don't come cheap. That's why we put models from OEX, RoofBunk, TentBox, Ventura and more to the test, scrutinising everything from how easy they are to fit and remove to weatherproofing and ventilation.

You can spend thousands on a roof tent, but we've focused on models priced under £2,000. Many brands claim you can pitch their tents in minutes, but we found there are big differences in how straightforward they are to set up and pack down.

The roof tents we tested

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All the roof tents we tested are listed in alphabetical order below.

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Latitude Pioneer

Available from Latitude Tents (£1,395)

Stated size 2 - 3 people

Dimensions 130 x 140 x 310cm (open, HxWxD), 25 x 140 x 125cm (closed, HxWxD)

Weight 54kg

Stated weather resistance 3,000mm hydrostatic. head (flysheet), up to 39mph winds

Need to know Internal weight capacity 300kg, blackout sleeping space, two windows, six vents, four storage pockets, nine ceiling loops, four elasticated washing lines, includes a 6cm foam mattress, a boot bag, keyring, air freshener, two Truestart coffee bags, Latitude stickers, and a handwritten thank-you note, two-year warranty, available in black, grey, blue, green or khaki

OEX Vertex Lite 130 Roof Tent

Stated size 2 people

Dimensions 98 x 135 x 220cm (open, HxWxD), 35 x 140 x 115cm (closed, HxWxD)

Weight 39.5kg

Stated weather resistance 6,000mm hydrostatic head (flysheet), wind rating not stated

Need to know Internal weight capacity not stated, blackout sleeping space, no windows, three vents, two storage pockets, 10 ceiling loops, includes a 7.5cm foam mattress, two boot bags, and a patch repair kit, one-year warranty

Quechua Inflatable Roof Tent MH900 Fresh & Black 2 Person

Stated size 2 people

Dimensions 101 x 145 x 220cm (open, HxWxD), 35 x 148 x 77cm (closed, HxWxD)

Weight 52kg

Stated weather resistance 2,000mm hydrostatic head (flysheet), up to 37mph winds

Need to know Internal weight capacity 200kg, blackout sleeping space, no windows, three vents, six storage pockets, one ceiling hook and 10 ceiling loops, includes a 5cm foam mattress, patch repair kit and pump tube included, pump not included, five-year warranty

Want to stick to camping on the ground? See the best tents and best pop up tents.

RoofBunk Explorer Soft Shell Roof Tent

Available from RoofBunk (£1,150)

Stated size 2 adults / 2 adults + 1 child

Dimensions 130 x 140 x 310cm (open, HxWxD), 30 x 120 x 140cm (closed, HxWxD)

Weight 50kg

Stated weather resistance 5,000mm hydrostatic head (flysheet), up to 40mph winds

Need to know Internal weight capacity 350kg, blackout sleeping space, two windows, four vents, four storage pockets, eight ceiling loops, includes a 6cm foam mattress, two boot pockets, USB-powered strip light on the ceiling, two-year warranty

TentBox Lite 2.0 (2025)

Stated size 2 people

Dimensions 105 x 133 x 220cm (open, HxWxD), 25 x 133 x 110cm (closed, HxWxD)

Weight 50kg

Stated weather resistance 5,000mm hydrostatic head, up to 39mph winds

Need to know Internal weight capacity 300kg, blackout sleeping space, two windows, eight vents, five storage pockets, eight ceiling loops, includes a 6cm foam mattress, a Tentbox lanyard, an extra securing strap, two pairs of ear plugs, two bamboo toothbrushes and battery-powered fairy lights (two AA batteries not included), five-year warranty, available in orange, grey or green

TentBox Lite XL (2025)

Stated size 4 people

Dimensions 115 x 183 x 240cm (open, HxWxD), 25 x 183 x 120cm (closed, HxWxD)

Weight 62kg

Stated weather resistance 5,000mm hydrostatic head, up to 50mph winds

Need to know Internal weight capacity 300kg, blackout sleeping space, two windows, six vents, five storage pockets, eight ceiling loops, includes a 6cm foam mattress, a Tentbox lanyard, an extra securing strap, two pairs of ear plugs, two bamboo toothbrushes and battery-powered fairy lights (two AA batteries not included), five-year warranty, available in orange, grey or green

Ventura Deluxe 1.4 Roof Top Tent

Stated size 2 - 3 people

Dimensions 126 x 143 x 240cm (open, HxWxD), 30 x 125 x 150cm (closed, HxWxD)

Weight 45kg

Stated weather resistance 3,000mm hydrostatic head, up to 55mph winds

Need to know Internal weight capacity 250kg, no blackout sleeping space, no windows, four vents, four storage pockets, eight ceiling loops, four elasticated washing lines, includes a 5cm foam mattress, two-year warranty

How we test roof tents

Every roof tent we test is assembled and fitted by our team of testers before being subjected to the changeable British weather for a week.

We buy the bestselling roof tents and put them through our tough tests. We don't accept freebies from product manufacturers or retailers.

We regularly revisit the roof tents on sale to see if there are any more popular models that need testing. When we find them, we do. 

Fitting, setting up and packing down

Leaving your roof tent on top of your car permanently will have you using more fuel and your wearing down your tyre tread faster, so it's important that you can fit and remove the tent from your roof rack easily.

• We unbox every roof tent and fit it to the roof rack of a standard-sized SUV (a 2024 Kia Sportage), following the instructions and assessing how straightforward it is to attach and remove the tent. Some are a breeze for two people to lift and fit to the roof rack in minutes. Others are difficult for three people to lift or are a faff to fit to a roof rack – one even required the use of a saw.
• We assess how straightforward the roof tents are to unfold and set up at a campsite, and how easily they pack back down. Most are reasonably straightforward, but some have annoying extra steps and aren't as easy to handle.

Living space

• We climb into every roof tent and assess every aspect of the interior, including how firm the mattress is, how much room there is for the stated number of campers, and how much shelter the flysheet provides.
• We also count and inspect every vent, window, storage pocket, ceiling loop and zip, to check their quality and convenience. 

Weather resistance

• Every roof tent is pitched for a week in March at Etherley Farm campsite in Surrey. In our years of testing outdoor equipment there, we've faced heavy downpours, gale-force winds, snow and hail.
• We inspect every roof tent daily to check for leaks and see how it's holding up in breezy conditions.

Why you can trust us: at Which? we're free from manufacturer and retailer influence. Find out more about our impartiality and how your support helps us to stay editorially independent.

Is a roof tent worth it?

Roof tents have been around for nearly 100 years, but they've surged in popularity over the past few years. Brands such as TentBox have captured the imagination of campers who crave the convenience of 'van life' camping but find the cost of a campervan prohibitive.

Although roof tents are tempting, they have a unique set of pros and cons that are worth weighing up before you buy one.

Pros

• You can camp anywhere As long as you have permission when camping on private land (or are in an area of the UK with the 'right to roam'), you can pitch your roof tent wherever you can park your car. This includes hard ground where pitching a standard tent isn't possible, and it opens up camping in pub car parks as campervan owners often do.
• Built-in comfort Every roof tent we've tested includes a squishy foam mattress that can be left inside when the tent is folded up for travel, meaning there's no need for an extra air bed. Sleeping inside can be as comfortable, or even more so, as in a standard tent.
• Protection from damp Standard tents often suffer in damp conditions because so much moisture comes from the ground, but roof tents have a hard shell base, and air flows through the gap between the car roof and the tent. As long as the tent's waterproofing holds up, you should stay perfectly dry even in the soggiest conditions.

Cons

• Expensive The average cost of standard tents we've tested is around £220 – around a third of the price of the cheapest roof tent we've tested. Roof tents may cost much less to buy than a campervan, but they're far from the cheapest way to camp.
• You'll need to pack it down every time you use your car Want to go on a day trip after spending a night in your roof tent? It probably won't fold up properly if you leave all of your gear inside, so you'll need to get used to moving most of your stuff into your car before folding the tent up fully and driving off. Thin items like sleeping bags should be fine left inside, though.
• Tricky to pack up in bad weather If the weather gets bad and you need to end your trip early, they aren't easy to pack up in rough conditions in the middle of the night, especially if there's a gale blowing and the ladder is wet.
• You'll feel the wind more Roof tents can be exposed due to their elevated position, so you're likely to feel them swaying more in windy conditions than a ground-based tent with a low roof. You should aim for the most sheltered camping spots.
• Weight and the impact on fuel efficiency Most of the roof tents we've tested required two people to lift them on and off the roof rack; some needed three. Fitting and removing the tent every time you camp can seem a lot of effort, but leaving it on will increase drag so your car will consume more fuel.

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Is my car or van suitable for a roof tent?

Most roof tent brands claim that their products will fit any car or van, but it's not as straightforward as picking a tent and popping it on your roof.

There are key bits of information you need to check before knowing whether the roof tent you're considering is suitable for your car:

• The dynamic weight capacity of your car roof This should be stated in your car's manual. This indicates the maximum weight your car roof can carry while the car is moving. When stationary, the weight capacity will be much higher. The total weight of your roof tent and your roof rack combined must not exceed this weight.
• The types of roof rack you can fit to your car Some cars have open or closed rails on their roofs that roof racks can be fitted directly to, while others require clamp-on roof racks. Not all roof tents are suitable for every roof rack type, so check this on the manufacturer's website and contact them if you're unsure.
• The weight capacity of your roof rack As well as making sure your car roof can take the weight, you'll also need to make sure your roof rack can support the weight of the roof tent, campers and any belongings you'll be storing in the tent overnight.
• Your car insurance Some insurers class roof racks and roof tents as modifications' or non-standard accessories, which need to be declared to the insurer and can add extra costs. Make sure to declare your roof tent to your insurer to avoid invalidating your cover.

If you're unsure where to start, several roof tent manufacturers have vehicle-checking services on their websites. You input your vehicle's make and model and get information on which roof tents will be suitable.

While useful, they don't cover every model variant or the latest cars on the market, so the best way to be sure is to contact the customer service team directly with your car model and year.