Tents

Best Two Person Tents for Backpacking 2025

There's nothing better than sharing some quality mountain time with a friend, here's our selection of the best two person tents for hiking

Tents come in many different shapes and sizes, but the most useful type to have in your gear cupboard, and the one you’ll undoubtedly use most, is a two-person tent. After all, there are few better outdoor experiences than being pitched up under the stars, protected from the elements after a big day in the mountains, and looking forward to another big one come the following day; all while being comfortably ensconced in your very own home from home.

The best two person tents for backpacking should meet a tricky set of demands: they need to provide enough space to be comfortable for two while also protecting you from rain, wind, hail, snow, and anything else the mountains can conceivably throw at you. On top of that, ideally they should also be lightweight, packable, low cost and quick to pitch.

Neil Irwin analysing some of the new options for the season at one of our Test Team events.

Yes, these tents are inevitably going to be heavier than the tents we featured in our ‘Best Solo Tents For Backpacking’ test, but as these backpacking tents are designed to accommodate two people, you’ll be able to split many of the components between yourself and your partner in an effort to evenly distribute weight. Many of these tents can be split up into four different components; outer (fly), inner, pegs and poles.

Tent Buyer’s Guide | How To Choose The Best Tent For Backpacking

That said, there’s also nothing better than having a two person tent all to yourself for maximum comfort in the hills and mountains (as long as you’ve also got your sleeping bag and sleeping mat set-up squared away). Those of us who are taller than average will infinitely prefer the space offered in these tents, compared to the much smaller footprints typically found in ultra lightweight solo tents.

The Best Two Person Tents For Backpacking

We’ve put a range of two-person tents to the test and the below came out on top. Some of the tents featured are also found within our Outdoor 100 and our Green Gear Guide. In these guides, you’ll be able check out a more in depth review of each shelter, including testers’ verdicts and industry trade secrets.

Nemo Dagger OSMO – Best Overall Two Person Tent
Sea to Summit Telos TR2 – Our Runner-Up
Sierra Designs Meteor 3000 2P – Best Value Two Person Tent
Nemo Mayfly OSMO 2P – Best Ultralight Two Person Tent
MSR Hubba Hubba NX – Best Two Person Tent for Tall People
Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2 XL – Best Roomy Two Person Tent
Highlander Respite 2 – Best Budget Two Person Tent

1. NEMO Dagger OSMO (2025)

Best two-person tent overall: This is our top pick following our extensive, on-going tent tests over the last few years

Weight: 1.86kg
Price: £450
What we liked: innovative and sustainably made fabric, excellent space-to-weight
What we didn’t like: nothing

This iteration of the Nemo Dagger OSMO is the 2025 update to one of the U.S. company’s most popular backpacking tents. The main changes? Its vestibule now has 22% more usable space – and, remarkably, with no extra weight penalty. What’s really caught our attention, however, is the OSMO fabric, which is 100% recycled, PFAS-free, and bluesign approved.

The way this is designed gives plenty of space for two people to comfortably lie down side by side on rectangular sized sleeping mats. There’s plenty of room to sit up too, and to stow and organise kit. Masses of space, actually. During our tests, we’ve found it to be a very liveable tent. The two porches on either side are both large enough to stow kit and to cook from and the hubbed pole structure, which involves a top cross pole and main pole that forks at each end, creates a high ceiling and steep-sided walls.

Just like the first edition, this 2025 one is inner-pitched first. You simply plug the ends of the main tent pole into each grommet and do the same for the top crossing pole, then you can hang up the mesh using the series of little hooks/clips. The corners of the flysheet are then clipped onto the corners of the inner – colour-coding makes this an absolute breeze, by the way – then you peg out the porches and the other stake points.

OM tester Will said, “I’ve really enjoyed using this tent, mainly because they’ve absolutely nailed the whole space-to-weight thing. There’s bucket loads of space here but at 1.78kg it’s still pretty light – not the lightest 2P tent by any means but it’s still light. It’s so easy to put up too. The first time I pitched this, I went in blind without reading the instructions. Still, I had a nicely pitched tent with a taut flysheet within about five minutes.”

Full Specifications

Available in two or three person sizes / 100% recycled and PFAS-free OSMO fly fabric / bluesign approved / 0D OSMO Ripstop 2000mm floor fabric / DIAPOLE premium anodized aluminum poles / solution dyed fabrics / colour-coded hubbed pole set / 100% recycled pole bag / light dispersing pockets / landing zone in porch / top strut vents / 224 x 127 x 109 cm outer dimensions / 51 x 16 x 9 cm packed size.

Check out our full Nemo Dagger OSMO review.

Buy the Nemo Dagger OSMP 2P: £450 at Alpinetrek.co.uk

2. Sea to Summit Telos TR2

Runner up: Our test team judged this to be a close second overall

Will using the Sea to Summit Telos TR2 in early spring conditions.

Price: £342
Weight: 1.66kg
What we liked: neat details, innovative design
What we didn’t like: quite expensive

Sea to Summit have come up with a very smart backpacking tent here. Not only have they created a tent that gets all the basics right, but they’ve also added lots of nice little touches that enhance make it a shelter that’s comfortable and enjoyable to be in. The tent’s stuff sacks, for instance, double as little organiser pockets that can be hung up on the walls and the pole bag serves as a light diffuser for a headtorch. Even the corner hooks of the flysheet and the pegs are all nicely designed, with clear thought in every detail here.

In our tests, we found that the Telos TR2 was very spacious with room to sit up, plenty of space for two rectangular mats alongside each other and then two very large porches. Assembling it and packing it away was very straightforward and overall the structure was very reliable. We also loved the fact that the design can be pitched with just the inner or just the fly – that’s something you don’t see too often.

It’s not the cheapest, but there are definitely more expensive tents out there that offer far less than this does.

Full Specifications

Inner pitched first / three-season / hubbed pole structure with top cross pole / two porches / x8 pegs / inner dimensions: 105 x 134/109 x 215cm / 15D 1200mm Sil-PeU flysheet / 20D 2500mm floor.

Read our full Sea to Summit Telos TR2 review.

Buy the Sea to Summit Telos TR2: £342 at Ellis-brigham.com

3. Sierra Designs Meteor 3000 2P

Best value tent: We judged this to be the option option in terms of bang for your buck.

Our team using the Sierra Designs Meteor 3000s in west Wales. Credit: Chris Johnson

Weight: 2.1kg
Price: £235
What we liked: sturdy, large porches, good liveability
Key attributes: quite heavy

This is the first tent from Sierra Designs that we’ve featured on our website and we’re very, very impressed.

It’s the space-to-weight balance that Sierra Designs have struck that has us sold. You’ve got plenty of space for two people to sleep comfortably alongside each other, loads of headroom and then the two big porches on either side as well. And the total weight is just 2126g – not bad at all.

The Meteor 3,000 is actually a reworking of the popular Meteor 2 which has been on sale in the States for a while. Sierra Designs recognised that hikers in northern Europe want their tents to be super sturdy, reliable and very, very waterproof, so they beefed up the design to make it fit the bill. The 3,000 is actually a reference to the hydrostatic head of the flysheet which is 3,000mm compared to the 1,800mm fly on the Meteor 2.

Kudos to Sierra Designs for their eco efforts here as well. Out of all the tents in this best two-person tents round-up, this one is arugably the most eco-friendly. The materials, for instance, come from recycled sources and no eco-hazardous chemicals are present.

One other small detail we love is the fact that the flysheet can be rolled back across the roof of the tent quickly and easily if you ever want to stargaze or to simply just get extra airflow. Nice touch.

Full Specifications

Three-season / two-person / inner pitched first / height: 104cm, length 213cm / two porches / 10 pegs provided / two DAC Pressfit Aluminium Poles / fly: 68D 190T Poly Taffeta 3000mm PU / floor: 68D 190T Poly Taffeta 3000MM PU / 70% 15D Taffeta: 30% 15D No-See-Um mesh.

Read our full Sierra Designs Meteor 3000 review.

Buy the Sierra Designs Meteor 3000: £235 at Absolute-snow.co.uk

4. Nemo Mayfly OSMO 2P

Best ultralight tent: This gets our pick as the top option for lightweight hikers

The Mayfly in use during one of our test trips recently.

Price: £360
Weight: 1.33kg
What we liked: quality materials, excellent space-to-weight
What we didn’t like: colour

This is quite similar in its design to the Sea to Summit Telos TR2 but it’s lower priced and lighter on details.

We tested it out in the mountains of Wales and really liked what we saw. First of all, it was very easy to pitch and the design has a very stable and robust feel to it. We also really liked the fact it uses Nemo’s OSMO fabric which is made from a PFC-free blend of 100% recycled polyester and nylon. Nemo say that it has 4x more water repellency than standard tent fabrics and 3x less stretch and this means it can keep its structure when it gets wet and doesn’t end up sagging. Does it work? From our experience, yes. On one occasion we left the tent pitched in the rain for a day and the flysheet was perfectly taut when we returned in the evening.

This is another tent with an exceptional space-to-weight ratio. You get bucket loads of space with this (including two large porches) but it only weighs 1.33kg. And the price? OK, it’s not cheap but we think it’s quite fairly priced for what you get here. The only thing we didn’t like about this was its colour. It’s pretty luminous, which doesn’t make it ideal for camping stealthily.

Full Specifications

Three-season / two porches / 100% recycled polyester and nylon flysheet / PFAS free / 68D floor ripstop polyester floor / semi-freestanding / inner pitched first / 216 x 109 x 99 cm dimensions.

Read our full Nemo Mayfly OSMO 2P review.

Buy the Bach Relay 3R Split: £360 at Alpinetrek.co.uk

5. MSR Hubba Hubba NX 2

Best two-person tent for tall people: Our judges found the long inner and high ceiling in this tent made it the best option for tall people that we’ve tested.

The Hubba Hubba NX 2 pitched by our testers in Bannau Brycheiniog

Price: £560
Weight: 1.54kg
What we liked: excellent space-to-weight, quality materials
What we didn’t like: quite expensive

This tried and tested design from MSR balances all the key things you want from a tent for backpacking. It’s low weight, has a small packed size but it offers space and liveability and the overall reliability that you want from a three-season backpacking tent is there too.

It has a long and high sleeping compartment, which is comfortable for two people to sleep and move about in, and it has medium-sized porches on either side, each providing plenty more space for storing kit or for cooking in. Pitching it is simple and it’s easy to get a taut flysheet quickly.

The Hubba Hubba NX 2’s solid design involves a long length-ways pole which forks at each end and a short pole across the top which creates some width to the inner. It is inner pitch first and freestanding, so you could sleep in this without pegging in, but then you’d have the porches on either side flapping about.

Inner pitched first tents can be a little troublesome in moist conditions as it’s hard to put them up without getting the inner mesh wet, so you could say that’s the main drawback to the MSR Hubba Hubba NX. The flipside however, is that on clear nights, it means you can keep the flysheet off and leave yourself open to the elements but closed off from any insects. Usefully, there are high nylon panels on the lower half of the inner tent’s walls to give you a bit of privacy when you’re using the tent like this.

Other features worth noting include the mesh storage pockets at each end of the sleeping compartment, reflective guylines, large vents at each end, pouches for stuffing away the inner’s doors, and a front-loading stuff sack with webbing straps that make packing the whole thing away quick and easy.

Full Specifications

Floor dimensions: 213 x 127cm / floor area: 2.7 sq.m / Poles: 1 DAC Featherlite NFL / height: 39 inches / packed size: 18 x 6 inches / doors: 2 / flysheet: 20D ripstop nylon / floor fabric: 30D ripstop nylon 3000mm DuraShield polyurethane.

Buy the MSR Hubba Hubba NX 2: £560 at Ellis-brigham.com

6. Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2 XL

Best Roomy Two-Person Tent: This gets our pick for the most spacious two-person tent option.

OM testers Will and Jazz taking the Copper Spur for a spin in Eryri. Photo: Dave MacFarlane.

Price: £600
Weight: 1.45kg
What we liked: spacious, lightweight, durable
What we didn’t like: expensive

The Copper Spur series from Big Agnes has been hugely popular amongst backpackers for a numbers of years, with plenty of praise for its roomy, high-ceilinged interior, excellent feature-set and its lightweight design and packability. As of 2025, the entire line has been updated, with Big Agnes adding their newly developed HyperBead fabric technology. This, they say is 6% lighter, 25% more waterproof, and 50% stronger than traditional materials and ultimately reduces the weight of their tents while enhancing their durability and weather resistance.

This XL version of the two-person Copper Spur offers a heck of a lot of space, but without much of a weight penalty, weighing just 1.45kg altogether. That’s all thanks to the extremely high-spec materials deployed here. To us, it’s about as luxurious as a two backpacking tent can get.

We particularly liked the two door set-up.

OM editor Will recently tested the Copper Spur UL2 XL in the mountains of Eryri. He said: “The Copper Spur UL uses impressively lightweight materials, and while the fabric feels thin to the touch, it still has a reassuringly tough and high-quality finish. The new HyperBead fabric brings noticeable improvements in waterproofing and tear resistance, which should give it the edge over previous versions. Paired with DAC poles and reinforced stress points, it’s a tent that should handle regular backpacking trips with ease. To me, it’s well-suited to three-season long-distance treks, weekend wild camps, and summer adventures where pack weight and reliable performance both matter.”

Full Specifications

Pitches inner first / flysheet and floor: HyperBead fabric / PFC-free waterproofing / fully taped seams / unified hub & pole system / DAC poles / plastic clips connect inner tent to pole frame / injection-moulded pole sockets / TipLok tent buckles / two external doors with two-way zips / awning function / two storage vestibules on either side / two internal doors / breathable mesh panels throughout / 3D bin pocket / overhead & side pockets / accessory attachment points / flysheet vents / reflective guylines & webbing / quick stash door keepers / flysheet and floor hydrostatic head: 1500mm / pack size: 56 x 15cm.

Read our full Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2 XL review.

Buy The Big Agnes Copper Spur 2 UL XL Tent: £600 at Ellis-brigham.com

7. Highlander Respite 2 Extended Tunnel Tent

Best budget tent: This came out tops as our top pick for those looking for a low cost option that will still offer decent performance

In use during Will tests in South Wales.

Price: £230
Weight: 3.35kg
What we liked: very durable, good price, spacious
What we didn’t like: heavy weight, low to mid spec components, brand makes no sustainability claims.

This two-person tunnel tent might be somewhat on the heavy and bulky side to carry, but it’s an incredibly reliable design that gives peace of mind in strong gales and provides bucket loads of space for two people plus their gear (and any canine companions) to sleep, cook and relax comfortably.

OM editor Will has spent the spring and summer of 2025 testing it out in the mountains of Wales while surveying routes for a guidebook. “I love tunnel tents like these – I always sleep soundly in them and I love being able to sprawl out in the porch in bad weather,” he said. “I’ve been really impressed with what this offers, especially given its very reasonable price tag. It essentially offers everything that a much more expensive tunnel tent provides, just obviously with a fair bit more weight and bulk. Still, I’ve used this plenty of times now and my partner and I have been fine carrying it with the kit split between us. It’s very easy and intuitive to pitch, the space inside it is verging on luxurious and it’s very sturdy. I found that the plastic clips that link the inner with the outer to be a little fiddly and potentially flimsy and I do have some concerns about the carbon footprint of the product as Highlander make no mention of it using any recycled materials or PFAS-free coatings. Still, it’s a product that I’ve enjoyed using and will be cracking out next time I know the weather is going to be very rough.

Full Specifications

Inner dimensions: 210cm x 130cm x 120cm / Packed size 47cm x 106cm / 210T Polyester ripstop (4000mm); 190T Polyester (5000mm); polyester mesh inner / Aluminium poles / removable porch ground sheet / insect-proof mesh door / inner pockets / reflective guys.

Buy the Highlander Respite 2 Extended Tunnel: £230 at Highlander-outdoor.com

Best of the Rest

8. Decathlon Forclaz Trekking Tarp MT900

Price: £180
Weight: 1.3kg
What we liked: lightweight, spacious, two doors, compact packed size
What we didn’t like: not very stealthy

All credit to Decathlon as they’ve come up with an excellent tent here and one that comes at a very decent price. It’s the space-to-weight ratio that’s impressed us most about this during our tests. At 1.3kg, that’s light for a two-person design and there’s plenty of space for two people to relax and sleep comfortably alongside each other – thanks, especially, to the fact it has a door on either side.

Pitching this for the first time wasn’t as intuitive a process as it can be with sleeved tents but it still didn’t take us any longer than eight minutes. This was helped by the fact that it comes with the inner and outer attached together. The inner is detachable though, so you can use this as a tarp when you want to take a super lightweight approach.

We found the construction to be reliably sturdy for use in spring and summer conditions – ideal for the thru-hiking season – but, like most ultralight tents, it’s not the kind of tent you’d want to use when you’re expecting ferocious conditions.

Wondering why it’s white? It’s deliberately undyed to keep the overall Co2 emissions down. Not ideal for those who like to camp stealthily then, but it’s better for the planet. It also creates a bright internal environment.

Read our full Decathlon Forclaz MT900 review.

Buy the Decathlon Forclaz MT900: £179 at Decathlon.co.uk

9. MSR FreeLite 2

OM editor Will using the Freelite 2 in the Scottish Highlands.

Weight: 1.06kg
Price: £540
What we liked: Ultralight, good quality materials
What we didn’t like: expensive, can get breezy

If you’re looking for a two-person tent that’s even lighter than the MSR Hubba Hubba, MSR also offers the FreeLite 2. Designed for ultralight adventures of all descriptions, this tent is all about maximum space-to-weight, without compromising too much in terms of overall protection or durability.

The flysheet is 15D ripstop nylon, coated on both sides with MSR’s proprietary Durashield PU, and finished with taped seams. The inner is almost entirely made from 10D polyester micro mesh, with a bathtub groundsheet made of the same material as the rainfly (again 1,200mm HH). The mesh inner keeps the tent weight down while ensuring excellent condensation control. In terms of waterproofing, the Hydrostatic Head rating is 1,200mm.

The poles are high-quality aluminium alloy DAC NFL, measuring 8.7mm in diameter. The tent is supplied with lightweight pegs and guylines, plus a stuff sack.

Full Specifications

15D ripstop nylon flysheet with MSR Durashield PU coating and taped seams / Hydrostatic Head rating: 1,200mm / 10D polyester micro mesh inner with bathtub groundsheet / aluminium alloy DAC NFL poles (8.7mm diameter) / twin porches / hanging tabs throughout / pitches inner first / includes pegs, guylines and stuff sack.

Check out our full MSR FreeLite 2 review.

Buy the MSR Freelite 2: £540 at Ellis-brigham.com

10. Bach Moa 2 Lite

OM editor Will using the Bach Moa 2 Lite in the hills of west Wales.

Price: £605
Weight: 1.8kg
What we liked: quality materials, lots of pegging points
What we didn’t like: price, could do with ventilation across the top of the tent

If this tent looks familiar to you, that might be because it used to be branded under a different company name. It used to be made by Nigor, you see. That was until the company went out of business and Bach stepped in to purchase its designs.

It’s a two pole tunnel tent that has a very roomy porch and this, we found, gives enough space for two backpacks and two pairs of boots while still leaving space for cooking too. It’s not freestanding and needs to be pitched outer first. It also ideally needs to be pitched with its tail end into the wind to ensure maximum stability. We used this in some blustery conditions and did find it reassuringly stable. Pitching it is very straightforward (the colour-coding helps there) though we did find that it takes a bit of tweaking here and then to ensure the base of the flysheet ends up nice and taut.

The Bach Moa 2 Lite is also designed so that you can roll back the flysheet at the porch and at the rear so that on clear nights you can get maximum ventilation and the option for a bit of stargazing while still being protected by the inner tent from insects. That’s a touch we really liked during our tests.

At £605, it’s another expensive tent, but you can count on the overall design and materials all being of very high quality.

Full Specifications

Three-season / two poles / 1 porch / outer pitched first / outer: 20D ripstop nylon with silicone /inner: 15D ripstop nylon / floor: 40D ripstop nylon with TPU / x12 Y pegs.

Read our full Bach Moa 2 Lite review.

Buy the Bach Moa 2 Lite: £605 at Alpinetrek.co.uk

11. Alpkit Tarpstar 2

OM editor Will testing the Tarpstar 2 from Alpkit in Snowdonia. Photo: Dave MacFarlane

Price: £200
Weight: 1190g
What we liked: spacious, lightweight, trusted design
What we didn’t like: no porch or internal pockets

Alpkit’s Tarpstar 2 consists of an outer flysheet, an inner mesh, and stakes (all combining to 1190g), and requires a trekking pole or tarp pole for pitching. It bundles up to a small, compact size, taking up very little space in a backpack. It can also be used simply as a tarp or without the flysheet.

It features a classic pyramid design, and has become a favourite amongst UK backpackers. We recently took the Tarpstar out for some testing in North Wales and were impressed with its performance on a few breezy campouts.

“This is extremely roomy for two people – far roomier than many other two-person tents. With my partner, we both found we could sleep inside this comfortably with plenty of clearance over our heads and space for our backpacks boots and our Border Terrier Griff,” said our tester. “Finding that sweet spot between weight, space and price can feel like a bit of a juggling act…The Alpkit Tarpstar 2, I’d say, is one of those rare products that manages to strike a really satisfying balance.”

Full Specifications

Pyramid tarp / flysheet: 3000mm hydrostatic head / groundsheet: 3000mm hydrostatic head / 20d polyester ripstop (flysheet) and 20d nylon ripstop (inner) / compatible with trekking poles between 120-130cm / multiple pitching options / TPU seam taping / pitched size: 250cm x 200cm x 130cm (L x W x H) / pack size: 28cm x 15cm x 15cm (L x W x H) / river and kelp colourways / 3-year warranty.

Read our full Alpkit Tarpstar 2 review.

Buy the Alpkit Tarpstar 2: £200 at Amazon.co.uk

12. Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight 2

James Forrest testing the Clip Flashlight for us along the Cumbria Way.

Weight: 1.67kg
Price: £170
What we liked: good value, easy to pitch, great porch/awning design
What we didn’t like: narrow porch makes 2P access tricky

The Clip Flashlight is a proven design that has been around for a long time – about 25 years in fact, though it’s far better known in the States than it is here in the UK. It’s favoured for its good peak height, which means you get plenty of headroom at the entrance. It’s also a very liveable tent, with lots of usable interior space and decent gear storage too. It’s a non-freestanding design with just the one door and single porch area, but thanks to a dual zipper, the fly can be propped up with trekking poles to create a useful awning.

Just like other tents in the Sierra Designs 3,000 series, the Clip Flashlight is all made from recycled polyester taffeta fabrics. What’s more, they’re also finished with an eco-friendly Durable Water Repellent treatment that is free from PFCs, the harmful chemical compounds that have been shown to be environmentally damaging.

Inside, the interior dimensions aren’t exactly cavernous yet still roomy enough for two, and the inner tent is fitted with two gear pockets and hanging tabs for a gear line or tent lantern. It’s reliable in wet or windy weather too, with a low-profile design that sheds wind well. The full coverage fly sheet has upgraded waterproofing of 3,000 mm Hydrostatic Head, while the inner has also been redesigned with a 70:30 fabric to mesh ratio for added warmth in cooler conditions without sacrificing airflow and moisture management.

Full Specifications

3,000mm Hydrostatic Head / non-freestanding / one door and single porch / dual zipper entrance / awning compatible / recycled polyester taffeta fabrics / PFC-free DWR / recyclable DAC Pressfit Aluminium poles / large vestibule / two inner gear pockets / hanging tabs.

Check out our full Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight 2 review.

Buy the Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight: £170 at Alpinetrek.co.uk

How to Wash and Reproof a Tent

Want your tent to last longer and carry on performing at its best for you? It’s important to give it a clean every now and then – it’ll do wonders. Here’s our quick step-by-step guide (along with an explanation on why tent maintenance is important).