REASONS TO BUY
Simple
Quick to set up
Lightweight
REASONS TO AVOID
Cheap poles
Bad door zippers
Small footprint
Kelty Tallboy 4 Review
A classic lightweight 4-person dome tent that gives a little extra headroom and has a few nice features
This classic shaped tent brings simplicity and rigidity to the campsite.
Credit: Rob Gaedtke
RELATED: Best Camping Tents of 2024
Our Verdict
The Kelty Tallboy 4 is your classic dome tent, built with just enough options to keep it in the running for those looking for a budget 4-person tent. Simple and quick to pitch, this tent goes up fast thanks to the attached guylines with tensioners, sturdy stakes, and color-coded fly. With only 57 square feet of floor space, the Tallboy will be tight if you bring the entire family; storage may be a struggle with no vestibule and only four small pockets. Quality is also just good enough, with sticky zippers, fiberglass poles, and questionable seams. For the infrequent camper, these things shouldn't be a problem. Overall, this has plenty of positives, and thanks to the inexpensive price tag, it comes at a great value.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Kelty Tallboy 4 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best Bang for the Buck | ||||
| Price | $159.95 at Amazon Compare at 2 sellers | $228.99 at Amazon Compare at 2 sellers | Check Price at Backcountry Compare at 2 sellers | $130 List $144.50 at Amazon | $185 List $109.99 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | A 4-person budget tent that is simple, quick to pitch, and can handle a little bad weather | You may have to sacrifice a little on quality, but this tent is fairly solid, cleans easily, and can sleep a platoon of kids and pets | A spacious, high-quality, six-person budget tent ready for large family adventures | A no-frills shelter that will fit the budget, but may not stand up to the harshest weather | An instant answer to easy, breezy camping at a very affordable price |
| Rating Categories | Kelty Tallboy 4 | Coleman Skydome XL 8 | Kelty Wireless 6 | Coleman Sundome 6 | Coleman 4-Person Ca... |
| Space and Comfort (35%) | |||||
| Weather Resistance (25%) | |||||
| Ease of Use (15%) | |||||
| Family Friendliness (15%) | |||||
| Quality (10%) | |||||
| Specs | Kelty Tallboy 4 | Coleman Skydome XL 8 | Kelty Wireless 6 | Coleman Sundome 6 | Coleman 4-Person Ca... |
| Measured Weight | 11.0 lbs | 20.3 lbs | 17.2 lbs | 14.8 lbs | 18.2 lbs |
| Max Inside Height | 5' 10" | 6' 1" | 6' 4" | 6' 2" | 4' 11" |
| Floor Dimensions | 7' 1" x 8' | 16' 2" x 7' 1" | 9' 10" x 8' 10" | 10' 1" x 10' 1" | 8' x 7' |
| Floor Area | 57 sq ft | 114.5 sq ft | 86.9 sq ft | 101.5 sq ft | 56 sq ft |
| Seasons | 3-season | 3-season | 3-season | 3-season | 3-season |
| Windows | Mesh top | 2 | Mesh top | 2 | 3 |
| Pockets | 4 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 2 |
| Number of Doors | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Room Divider | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Vestibules | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Vestibule Area (total) | N/A | N/A | 28 sq ft | N/A | N/A |
| Packed Size | 24" x 7" x 10" | 28" x 11" x 11" | 27" x 8" x 8" | 28" x 9" x 9" | 39.5" x 8" x 8" |
| Floor Materials | 68D Poly 1200mm | Polyester | 68D poly 1800mm | Polyester | 150D polyester |
| Main Tent Materials | 68D Poly 1200mm, 40D No-see-um mesh | Polyester | 68D poly 1200mm, 40D No-see-um mesh | Polyester | 150D polyester |
| Rainfly Materials | 68D Poly 1200mm | Polyester | 68D poly 1200mm | Polyester | Polyguard 2X |
| Number of Poles | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
| Pole Material | Fiberglass | Fibergblass | Fiberglass | Fiberglass | Aluminum |
| Extras | Lightweight | Integrated string lighting system | Pole pockets for easy setup | E-port for electirical power | Integrated rainfly protection |
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Our Analysis and Test Results
The Kelty Tallboy 4 is a down and dirty classic dome tent built for the minimalist camper. This tent is super fast to pitch, comes with great stakes, and the pre-attached guylines with tensioners keep it securely planted to the ground. Weighing in at only 11 pounds, the Tallboy could also be hiked farther out from the car without too much effort. Kelty did cut some corners with the fiberglass poles, thin storage bag, and clunky zippers, but overall, this tent is a solid value pick.
Performance Comparison
The Tallboy is a decent budget camping tent for a small family.
Credit: Rob Gaedtke
Space and Comfort
When it comes to space and comfort, you won't find much of that here. At only 57 square feet, the Tallboy is pretty small to bring car camping for a family of four. That said, the four pockets on the bottom sides of the tent are helpful with storage, and the 5' 10" max height does allow for many to stand and change. The open mesh top and two mesh sides also help make the space feel larger when the fly is off.
It's in the name, and yes, this tall boy confirms the name is fitting.
Credit: Rob Gaedtke
Weather Resistance
The Tallboy faired well against our tests here. The dome shape and included guylines held up to the wind, and the double-walled door and fly kept the inside dry. When it comes to fair weather, the open roof and sides allow for good airflow. The same is true when the rainfly is on and properly staked.
The attached guylines are well-made and ready to go.
Credit: Rob Gaedtke
Ease of Use
Thanks to the simplicity of the Tallboy, the tent pitched in just 5 minutes 44 seconds. The color-coded fly clips and pre-attached guylines help with the speed. Kelty is one of the few brands that color-code only one clip, a genius and simple option we are surprised more don't do.
Color-coded rainfly and fantastic stakes make this tent super fast to pitch.
Credit: Rob Gaedtke
Family Friendliness
It's hard to give a small four-person tent a good score in this category, especially for car camping, where weight and size aren't as much of a barrier. That said, we managed to cram four people and two dogs into this tent. As mentioned before, storage is limited, and with no vestibule, your only other option is to keep extra stuff in the car. However, as the name implies, the additional height of the Tallboy does give it a little extra space.
The top view shows the classic dome shape and nice colors to boot.
Credit: Rob Gaedtke
Quality
Quality tends to take a hit when you get into the cheaper tents, and the Tallboy is no exception. Several of the seams and stitching looked poorly done, and our zipper stuck and was clearly made from cheaper material. The poles are fiberglass and heavy. The stakes, however, are surprisingly awesome, as is the mesh used on the sides and ceiling. For the price, we were decently pleased.
Should You Buy the Kelty Tallboy 4?
The Tallboy is as simple as it gets for a four-person tent, offering adequate weather resistance and exceptional value. If you are looking for an inexpensive camping tent you can maybe even lug on a short backpacking trip, this is certainly one to consider but it is not one of our top-rated camping tents. This is also a great budget option to have around as an extra for visitors or festivals.
What Other Camping Tents Should You Consider?
While the Kelty Tallboy 4 is a good value, its bigger brother, the Kelty Wireless 6 is a far better bang for the buck and handles a family much better. And if you are looking for a step up in quality all around, check out a 4-person model like the Marmot Tungsten 4 or the award-winning MSR Habitude 4.
—
Rob Gaedtke
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