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REI Co-op Wonderland 4 Review

A huge 4-person tent with great views and loads of space that is a fun to camp in once you get it set up
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REI Co-op Wonderland 4 Review
Credit: Rob Gaedtke
Price:  $429 List
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Manufacturer:   REI Co-op
By Rob Gaedtke ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  Oct 12, 2022
74
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#12 of 18
  • Space and Comfort - 35% 7.0
  • Weather Resistance - 25% 8.0
  • Ease of Use - 15% 7.0
  • Family Friendliness - 15% 7.0
  • Quality - 10% 8.0

Our Verdict

The REI Wonderland 4 is a very spacious tent with just under 70 square feet of floor space and a peak height of 6'3". Thanks to its 18 stakes and eight pre-attached guylines, this tent can handle most anything once it's set up. Views and storage are other pluses — a fully mesh roof and half mesh sides give plenty of openness, and the eight oversized pockets make for great organization. You can easily fit a full-sized mattress and a twin with plenty of extra room. All this space and height comes with a weight disadvantage — this is the heaviest 4-person tent in our lineup — and the 5-pole, dual hub setup is complicated. Getting this tent pitched alone isn't fun. Still, REI created a unique and spacious tent that packs more positives than negatives.
REASONS TO BUY
Tall
Roomy
Big doors
Good storage
Nice views
REASONS TO AVOID
Complicated to pitch
Very heavy
Vestibule not included

Compare to Similar Products

 
Awards  Editors' Choice Award
Best Overall Camping Tent
Top Pick Award
Best Form and Function
Top Pick Award
Most Versatile
Best Buy Award
Best Bang for the Buck
Price $429 List
$429.00 at REI
$500 List
$500.00 at Backcountry
$349.93 at REI
Compare at 3 sellers
$375 List
$239.73 at REI
$228.99 at Amazon
Compare at 2 sellers
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Bottom Line A great tent if height and views are your jam and you don’t mind carrying the extra weightIt's hard to imagine a better use of space at this price pointWith good looks and even better functionality, this tent was built rightSmall but mighty, this tent will quickly be your go-to for short overnightsYou 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
Rating Categories REI Co-op Wonderland 4 The North Face Wawo... NEMO Aurora Highrise 6 Mountain Hardwear M... Coleman Skydome XL 8
Space and Comfort (35%)
7.0
9.0
9.0
7.0
9.0
Weather Resistance (25%)
8.0
8.0
7.0
8.0
6.0
Ease of Use (15%)
7.0
7.0
7.0
9.0
6.0
Family Friendliness (15%)
7.0
9.0
8.0
7.0
9.0
Quality (10%)
8.0
9.0
8.0
8.0
6.0
Specs REI Co-op Wonderland 4 The North Face Wawo... NEMO Aurora Highrise 6 Mountain Hardwear M... Coleman Skydome XL 8
Measured Weight 21.7 lbs 21.9 lbs 18.9 lbs 7.1 lbs 20.3 lbs
Max Inside Height 6' 3" 6' 4" 6' 5" 4' 0" 6' 1"
Floor Dimensions 8' 4" x 8' 4" 10' x 8' 8' 4" x 10' 7' 6" x 5' 8" 16' 2" x 7' 1"
Floor Area 69.4 sq ft 86.1 sq ft 83.3 sq ft 42.5 sq ft 114.5 sq ft
Seasons 3-season 3-season 3-season 3-season 3-season
Windows Mesh top Mesh top 2 Mesh top 2
Pockets 8 9 7 5 6
Number of Doors 2 1 2 2 1
Room Divider No No No No Yes
Vestibules 0 1 2 2 0
Vestibule Area (total) N/A 44.7 sq ft 23.6 sq ft 37.5 sq ft N/A
Packed Size 12" x 32" 10" x 32" 26" x 9.5" x 9.5" 7" x 25" 28" x 11" x 11"
Floor Materials 150D coated polyester 150D polyester 150D PU Polyester 68D ripstop polyester Polyester
Main Tent Materials 75D polyester 75D polyester 68D Polyester/ No-See-Um Mesh 40D polyester mesh, 75D ripstop polyester Polyester
Rainfly Materials 75D coated polyester 75D polyester Polyester 68D ripstop polyester Polyester
Number of Poles 5 4 4 2 4
Pole Material Aluminum DAC MX aluminum Aluminum DAC Pressfit Fibergblass
Extras Side vents for airflow while fly is on, large internal pockets for easy storage Dual exits in vestibule, 3 pockets on back door Oversize duffel storage bag, nightlight pockets Fly rolls back and secures halfway for stargazing, footprint included Integrated string lighting system

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Wonderland 4 is a solid family car camping tent. It boasts everything you need: height, storage, and privacy with a view. Even with its 75 inches of height, thanks to an abundance of guylines, crazy thick aluminum poles, and heavy-duty stakes, this beast holds strong in the wind. The oversized storage options keep the tent clean, and the clever side vents are a nice touch for extra airflow when the fly is on. On the flip side, setup time with two people for us was 10.5 minutes and was a bit of a floppy mess until the top pole was put in place. Another drawback is the weight — at close to 22 pounds, don't plan on shlepping this one too far from your car. Our final negative with the tent is the bag size. Unless you roll the tent back up extra tight, you will have a struggle on your hands getting this one back in the bag. Overall, the Wonderland is a solid middle-of-the-pack tent.

Performance Comparison


rei co-op wonderland 4 - tall, stout, and open. this tent is both unique and impressive.
Tall, stout, and open. This tent is both unique and impressive.
Credit: Rob Gaedtke

Space and Comfort


This tent was designed with space and comfort in mind. Massive headroom, 69.4 square feet of floor space, and eight large pockets make this 4-person tent feel much more like a 6-person. Thanks to the tent's height, REI was able to create just enough privacy for changing while still allowing for great views when the fly is off. We should mention that the doors are nearly the entire side, making walking in without ducking easy — a nice touch. With the fly attached, the huge side vents and single-walled doors with windows still give an open feel.

rei co-op wonderland 4 - dang, this tent is tall. are you sure it is only a 4-person?
Dang, this tent is tall. Are you sure it is only a 4-person?
Credit: Rob Gaedtke

The views in the Wonderland 4 are quite impressive. The triangle vent and the oversized mesh top give both side and top exposure.

You have to give it to REI for creating both privacy and openness in...
You have to give it to REI for creating both privacy and openness in a single tent.
Few tents allow for views with the rain fly on while laying down.
Few tents allow for views with the rain fly on while laying down.

Weather Resistance


For a tall, fairly blunt tent, REI nailed this one thanks to the included 18 stakes and eight pre-attached guylines. A little overkill, to say the least, but the Wonderland has the wind on lock. The full mesh top, side vents, and door windows make this a pretty sweet tent in both hot and cold weather, and it handles the rain admirably too.

rei co-op wonderland 4 - with 8 included guylines and 18 stakes, this tent isn't going...
With 8 included guylines and 18 stakes, this tent isn't going anywhere.
Credit: Rob Gaedtke

Ease of Use


The Wonderland 4 gets a slightly above-average rating here. While not nearly as complicated as some of our other tents, the odd pole configuration, crazy amount of stakes, and abundance of guylines make it hard to fit this large tent into its not-quite-big-enough bag. We also fought with the zippers a little bit and feel they could use an upgrade. Overall, we wish a little more attention had been paid to this category during R&D.

rei co-op wonderland 4 - the face of frustration when you roll the tent up perfectly and it...
The face of frustration when you roll the tent up perfectly and it still doesn't fit into the bag.
Credit: Rob Gaedtke

Family Friendliness


Will it fit a family of four and then some? Absolutely. Will you have enough storage options? For sure. But unfortunately, this category is not just about size. REI decided to make the “garage” or vestibule an expensive add-on so you will not have any covered outdoor space for animals, feet cleaning, or gear you don't want in your tent unless you upgrade. The side flaps are an interesting addition but didn't seem to add much function to the tent outside of the stated stability.

rei co-op wonderland 4 - so much room for a 4-person tent. feel free to bring the dogs, cats...
So much room for a 4-person tent. Feel free to bring the dogs, cats, and extra socks.
Credit: Rob Gaedtke

Quality


Except for the zippers, every other element of this tent is well-made. The aluminum poles are the thickest in our lineup. You get super thick 150D-coated polyester floors, a 75D-coated polyester rainfly, great guylines and stakes, and an extra thick bag. You can tell REI built this tent to last.

These poles are hands down the thickest ones we have reviewed.
These poles are hands down the thickest ones we have reviewed.
Thick and stout stakes, 18 of them to be exact.
Thick and stout stakes, 18 of them to be exact.
Everything seam sealed, weather tight, and well made.
Everything seam sealed, weather tight, and well made.

Should You Buy the REI Co-op Wonderland 4?


The Wonderland 4 is a very large, well-made 4-person tent with some neat features and a cool look. It is great in both warm and cold environments and offers an excellent mix of privacy and epic views. As long as weight and setup/teardown time aren't an issue for you, this could be a solid choice.

rei co-op wonderland 4 - enjoying the front yard of our wonderland weekend home.
Enjoying the front yard of our Wonderland weekend home.
Credit: Rob Gaedtke


What Other Camping Tents Should You Consider?


While the Wonderland 4 is a solid tent, the stripped-down Kelty Wireless 6 is a great value pick with nearly the same height and more square footage — and it's lighter on both the weight and the wallet. If you want to go bigger, you might look at our favorite overall tent, The North Face Wawona 6.

Rob Gaedtke