Best Camping Screen House: Tent Rooms for Stay-in

Tired of mosquitoes biting your arms, gnats buzzing in your ears, and flies swarming around your camp kitchen? A nice screen house goes from being the finest answer to a great option when the weather warms up and the pests emerge.

When planning for that camping trip, it’s wise to surf for the best screen houses to shield you from the light rain or windy conditions. They come in high quality and different sizes, with sun protection. 

After much research, one can say that the REI Screen House Shelter is the best alternative for the vast majority of campers. This is because it is made as a high-quality carry bag material with easy storage means and UV protection from strong winds, serving as a perfect camping shelter.

Taking internal rooms for proper convenience and tick protection to peak height is an excellent choice for large groups.

It is worth noting that this very camping shelter is not for everyone, so there are other options available to suit the user's choice, be it long or short, expensive or not.

What is a Screen Tent Called?

A screen tent is also known as a screen house. This is a tent-like building that offers shade and weather protection with mesh sides and a solid fabric roof, being the ideal instant setup with large doors for easy access, and picnic tables to wine and dine while camping, still with protection from bugs and windy conditions.

The best screen houses and best screen tents are ideal for camping and picnics when outdoor enthusiasts enjoy taking screen homes camping so they may have a safe place to eat, play games, and visit. 

Many screen tent shelters have two doors and are big enough to fit over normal picnic tables. During favorable weather conditions, one can take a good nap in a screen tent, as it protects from insects and even rainwater, even though there are no fully sealed walls and floors.

So, if you have plans on sleeping in your camp tent, be sure to use camping tents so you don’t get wet in rainy seasons.

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What is a Tent with Walls Called?

A canvas tent, outfitter tent, safari tent, or sheep herder tent is a form of tent with four straight vertical sides that allow more headroom than standard pyramid-shaped tents.

Although any size wall tent can be made, the most popular sizes are 8x10 to 16x24 feet. It is advised that two or three individuals build wall tents. Tents with a sewn-in floor are often more difficult to set up than tents with internal frames. 

Wall tents are commonly used by hunters since they can accommodate a large number of people and their gear and this is because they can contain a wood stove, wall tents are ideal for four-season camping.

They were used in Civil War reenactments and have recently become popular for glamping. For generations, people have used wall tents with paintings from 1544 depict wall tents with pavilions and wedges, a mid-17th century wall tent model can be found in a European museum, and paintings from 1740 depict wall tents being utilized in a military scenario. 

Are Screen Houses Waterproof?

Most screen tents are designed to be very water-resistant but not completely waterproof under stormy weather as most screen house tents, in particular, have water-resistant roof fabrics that can shed light rain.

Though, some screen shelter roof designs allow rainwater to spill over the roof and down the mesh tent walls, potentially allowing water to enter the shelter. 

Fully waterproof roofs, as well as roof and wall designs that keep water outside of the shelter, are features of the greatest screen shelters.

Even yet, roll-down screen shelters are vulnerable to wind-driven rain, water can get underneath the walls of screen shelters with floor kits since they do not have fully-sealed 'bathtub' style waterproof flooring like true camping tents.

Types of Screen Houses

For good reason, screen houses have become a campsite mainstay. Slap one up around your camp kitchen or picnic table, and you've got a temporary haven against Mother Nature's most troublesome ally. There are many types of camp houses:

1. Eureka Northern Breeze Screenhouse

The one screen home others want Nothing beats the Northern Breeze in terms of durability, versatility, and weather protection, so if you're searching for the strongest, most well-made screen house for camping money can buy, the Eureka Northern Breeze Screenhouse should be your best bet. 

With an entire structure of tough 6000 series aluminum for extra protection, including the poles and hubs. The pop-up design canopy is just as sturdy, with every inch composed of waterproof 150-denier polyester Oxford cloth, making it an excellent choice for insect protection.

The Northern Breeze, on the other hand, stands out for its exceptionally versatile nature as each of the four side panels may be rolled up to give a spacious interior with the great outdoors. Portraying the traditional experience through a steel frame with a waterproof roof and a removable floor against bad weather.  

With a structure set including three metal poles in the bag after a design on each panel just so you need absolutely nothing else for an easy setup. Using two guylines, one for each corner, it’s sure a comfortable shelter in a real storm, also quality and long-lasting. 

2. The Gazelle G6 Screen Gazebo with Six Sides

This shelter form uses the same materials to construct its one-of-a-kind six-sided screen house, the G6 Gazebo. With a tough 210-denier Oxford polyester fabric in the roof and canopy, dependable YKK zippers throughout the screen house, and the same tight-weave no-see-um mesh that keeps even the tiniest critters outside.

This type of construction results in a more dependable and long-lasting shelter, so you know you'll get your money's worth out of this screen house. 

The G6 also employs the same pop-out hub technology as Gazelle's iconic tents, allowing it to go from bag to completely deployed in under a minute.

Gazelle also deserves credit for outfitting each of the tent's six corners with its guy outpoint, all of which are reinforced with a layer of polyester and extra stitching for robustness.

It can accommodate eight campers including a table, sets up faster than anything else on our list, and is composed of extremely durable materials. 

If we were to pick something, it would call for extra tools available for the G6 which is also a 6-sided footprint which has to be bought differently to get the most out of the shelter. 

3. The REI Screen House Shelter

Here, the screen houses are made in the same format as the tents, summing up materials from the REI Co-op Screen House Shelter which is a very easy choice. 

Made from rugged polyester taffeta fabric, with tough pre-bent aluminium poles to serve up acres of fine no-see-um mesh on walls for up to 360-degree views.

With these features, the Screen House becomes an excellent choice of shelter from the heated sun during the day and tiny bugs from the night’s cold. 

The REI co-op Screen House Shelter meets all of the fundamental requirements for comfort and durability, by extending a five-inch stretch of fabric along the ground surrounding the inside of the screen house, this shelter protects against both crawling and flying bugs, allowing you to enjoy in peace, no matter where you pitch it. 

While the optional rainfly keeps the majority of the rain out of the screen house, it only covers the roof and one side panel, so while the Screen House Shelter excels at pest and sun protection, it's not the finest wet-weather option on our list. 

READ ALSO: Best Tent Stove 2023: Recommended for Winter Camping

4. EZ Up Screen Cube

The EZ Up Screen Cube is a novel approach to the camping screen house that transforms any existing 10'x10' canopy into a fully screened-in shelter. From a peak height of 193cm to weighing 5 kg, with a pack size of 25’ x 8’ x 8’ coming in a square shape, having a floor size of 111’ x 111’.

The Screen Cube unrolls, clips into your canopy's roof, and then attaches to each of the four legs with sturdy velcro straps. From the thick polyester bottom to the muscular zipper at the huge entrance, the EZ Up Screen Cube looks and feels above average in terms of quality. 

Unlike some of the cheapest options, the Screen Cube comes with a three-year warranty, which shows EZ Up's confidence in the quality of its construction despite the removable floor.

While many campers will appreciate the Screen Cube's sewn-in floor for its 100% pesky bugs, it also prohibits this screen house from just "slipping over" existing camp tables. It's not an issue if you bring all of your furniture, but you can use a camping table if possible.  

While the Screen Cube is well-made, the dependability of your screen house for camping ultimately depends on the quality of the 10'x10' shelter you couple it with, which will cost you extra if you don't already have one.

5. Core Lighted Instant Screen House

If you intend to use your screen house after dark, you'll need something to illuminate the interior, such as a lantern, string lights, or a few decent headlamps for the floor area.

That's where the  Core Screen House comes in, a well-equipped screen house for camping that includes LED lighting in the market today. Normally, bringing this much light into camp after dark invites a swarm of bugs to join your celebration, but not with the Core Screen House, unlike the Nemo victory Screenhouse.  

The structure is set from a floor size of 144’ x 120’ with a centre height of 84’, guarded with 2 doors serving a cabin shape.

Core’s system is ingenious: being a portable screen house by tucking a full-length string of LED lights inside a strip of fabric in the ceiling, they're able to illuminate the entire shelter with the simple push of a button, which we like because you don't have to waste time hanging auxiliary lights or finding a place to plug them in. 

Notably, the entire system is battery-powered, which means the Core screen house can function without the need for electricity hookups or extension cords while we're car camping outside of designated campgrounds.

This model is also an "instant cabin" style shelter, which makes for a quick and easy setup, but it also has a disadvantage: because these systems rely on a relatively complex array of folding poles and hinges, the Core screen house has a lot more potential failure points than traditional pole-in-sleeve designs. 

6. Coleman Screened Canopy Tent

The Coleman Screened Canopy Tent is the best thing when it comes to a screen house for camping on a budget since it provides all of the necessities at an unbeatable price. Tall enough to walk around in, big enough to pitch around a campfire, tough screen walls and, of course, bug protection. 

This tent has a setup structure of 2 doors in a hexagon shape, weighing about 11.3kg with a center height of 213cm with a floor size of 457cm x 396cm constituting extra weight.

Still, with a packed size of 52’ x 8’ x 8’ giving plenty of space, the high ceiling coupled with its instant-tent design makes it a superb camping tent for a large group during outdoor events.

Simply unfold the pre-attached fiberglass poles and extend the telescoping legs to get started to give excellent ventilation amidst the camping gear.

 While the screen house goes up in just ten minutes, including the time it takes to secure all the stakes and guylines. Speaking of guylines, every roof corner of the Screened Canopy’s roof comes with its already-attached guyline which gives six points to set the structure.

It’s safe to say this shelter is a stay-put whenever you set it up. As a low-cost shelter, the material quality is our primary priority with our screen house.

Although the Screened canopy is constructed of Coleman's impressively thick "Polyguard 2X" fabric, the poles are made of fairly thin-walled steel, which could be problematic in higher winds, with different materials giving enough space. 

7. Ozark Trail Instant Screenhouse

The Ozark is the greatest screen tent for less than $100.  Its simple and no-frills design contributes to its low price while still providing adequate protection from bugs and the sun.

With its extra-wide skirt and water-resistant roof which is perfect for weather conditions, it allows users a similar feeling when in a hot tub during cold weather. 

Sometimes referred to as the magnetic screen house due to its quality screen tents which bring the best parts of camping alongside the best screen rooms, the Ozark screenhouse is a large tent and one of the best options when it comes to a good screen tent.

It is 10 x 10 feet and stands 7 feet tall, with a one-minute set-up that qualifies it as an instant tent. The inside size is somewhat less than 100 square feet due to its tilted shape. 

Still, quite roomy and only weighs 17 pounds, the Ozark screen house is not ideal for rain, but it holds up well in windy situations and should be good in light rain.

8. Alvantor Screenhouse Instant Pop-up Tent

On the other end of the weight scale, the Alvantor screen tent is the perfect tent if you want the lightest available with a huge usable size.

This screen tent has ten walls and can easily seat over 12 adults while weighing only 26 pounds! Making the Alvantor a good choice for large families travelling together with its UV protection, although it’s expensive and lacks some features that avid campers would appreciate. 

Sadly, it is not waterproof and is not durable due to its lightweight structure. The advantages include the ease of pop-up installation and folding, as well as the fact that they are available in a variety of colors.

That's all there is to it as the camping screen rooms for hanging out with rain protection, good square feet, mesh screens and even quality screen tents in the great outdoors.

So, whether you're thinking about any of the listed screen houses, the most important factors remain durability and weather protection.

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Things to Consider When Choosing Screen Houses

If you want something with superior weather protection (and extra material of premium features with see-um netting to boot) being a safe space during camping adventures, we believe the Eureka Northern Breeze is the best screen money can buy. It's more pricey than the REI model, but it's also more durable and adaptable. 

Both of those solutions can be pricey, which is why the Coleman Screened Canopy comes most recommended for people on a tight budget.

Coleman checked all the right boxes with this one since it's large enough to accommodate around a camp table and suitably bug-proof, and its quick tent design adds so it’s best to check price. 

1. Comfort and Space

When it comes to space, we think of screen houses in the same way we think of camping tents: the size of your ideal screen house should be determined by the number of people who will be using it.

A good choice is the Northern Breeze Screen House. The main distinction is that 99% of campers will also want some form of furnishings inside their screen home while some will bring their table and chairs, while others will use the standard table and benches offered at most campgrounds, but you'll need enough area to sit and move around. 

2. Weather Protection

There are two kinds of camping screen houses: those that provide weather protection and those that do not. Some campers aim to use their screen houses just to keep bugs and the sun at bay on hot days, a perfect choice would be the Cabela’s quick-set screen shelter.

We look for two things in terms of weather protection. The first advantage is the ability to entirely "seal" the screen house from the elements.

Some models accomplish this by including waterproof fabric zippable panels into the mesh panels of the screen room, whilst others use a more traditional method with a separate removable rainfly, much like a tent. 

3. Long-lasting

When it comes to the longevity of a screen house for camping, there’s a thought process to follow when choosing a good camping tent: Tough textiles, dependable frames, and wind protection all contribute to a more robust and long-lasting screen house. 

For fabrics, the thicker the better, and a bug screen? The best as thicker textiles with greater denier ratings are stronger and more abrasion resistant, and so more suited to withstand the rigours of regular use and inclement weather.

When we look at frames, we focus first on the materials utilized. The best screen houses for camping, like our favourite camping tents, have all-aluminium frames that are robust, rust-proof, and reasonably lightweight. 

Painted, powder-coated, or galvanized steel provides comparable longevity on a smaller budget so pay attention to the thickness of the walls of the poles, since thinner steel tends to bend or even snap in severe winds. 

4. Ease of Use

Screen houses are all about comfort: getting out of the sun and away from bugs so you can appreciate nature with friends and family.

There's nothing pleasurable or convenient about a difficult-to-set-up screen house, so seek one that's simple to pitch, especially if you'll be setting it up alone. The simplest screen houses to set up are those that use an "instant tent" concept in some form or another. 

Some use lightning-fast pop-out hubs, while others use pre-attached frames with telescoping poles, but both are invaluable when it comes to putting them up and taking them down.

Unfortunately, rapid tent designs require more sophisticated frame systems, which means there are more moving components and potential failure sites.

This is why the most rugged systems often employ traditional collapsing pole segments, which have been carried over from the tent camping industry as tried-and-true systems designed to withstand high winds without breaking a sweat. 

That's not to suggest that all fast-pitch designs are untrustworthy, or that all classic designs are infallible, therefore recommended to give them a thorough examination to establish their overall quality.

Think of this as a trade-off between convenience and simplicity, so pick the design that best fits your priorities at camp. 

5. Weight and Packing Dimensions

This is because screen homes are usually used for automobile camping or backyard relaxing, we don't think weight or packed size is very relevant when choosing a screen house.

Granted, we prefer models that can be lifted and carried by one person, but even the heaviest alternatives are often much under 40 pounds.

The one essential exception we'll make here is your vehicle: Whatever style of screen house you choose, if you intend to camp with it, you must be able to transfer it to and from camp in your car. 

As a result, it’s better to pay great attention to the overall packed length of any screen house you're considering to guarantee it will fit into your vehicle's trunk/hatch/cargo area.

With a sufficient number of options to pick screen houses from, most are cash-friendly.  

These are the greatest quick-screen houses on the market right now and they are all simple to use and provide roughly the same level of bug and sun protection to give that memorable camping experience with friends and loved ones.

That's it for now, always check-in to Sportsaber blog for more contents that evolves around camping.