I have a Zempire air dome 2 pro , It's fantastic in the wind, just had a long weekend in Cervantes with high West Coast winds , lots of instant pole tents and gazebos broke from the wind but the air tent hardly moved, had quite a few people asking about it, I'm very happy with it
We really like ours. We use it for any stay 2 nights plus. Handles high winds really well. No poles so don't need to put it on the roof. Trick is to set the guys up in a pure grid, equal tension.
Air tents are a great option nowadays, many of the issues early on have been overcome and they are now reliable, roomy and easy to use tents. Dometic do a smaller version of this too if you only need it for a few people. ~ Ben
We don't have the AT6 at the moment, Jared, that decision is in the hands of our purchasing team at the moment. We'll be sure to put a video together if/when it becomes part of our range. ~ Ben
Thanks for the very thorough review, are you able to do one with the accessories? Also just wondering whether you need to weather the tent or prep it anyway before taking the tent out? Also is there sides that join onto the awning at all?
We've done a video on the inner tent room accessory - the tent ideally does need to be seasoned before first use, just to ensure you're getting the best out of it. At this stage there's no walls or awning accessories, however its a popular request. Hopefully Dometic consider it for the future! ~ Lauren
Theoretically yes, provided you had a suitable fitting, but it's not recommended. If you happen to over inflate the bladders then you can cause a fair bit of damage. ~ Ben
Great summary though I'm concerned about the black floor. I've had a Darche AV6 for several years. The Dometic holds it's own and then some BUT the Darche has a very tough floor. The Dometic floor reminds me of the cheapo really light weight tarps. How do you think the floors compare?
The floor in the Santorini is the same floor that has been used on tents for the last 20 or more years. Polyethylene floor has been the leading option for a reason. I have a 30 year old canvas tent with that style thats still being used, as an example. Obviously its not going to look or feel as solid as the PVC or PU coated tent floors, on some modern tents but its still the flooring used in loads of high quality tents. Hope that helps ~ Lauren
@@SnowysOutdoors Thanks Ben. Seems daft? Side awning ability (waterproof and mesh option) would mean that you could just take this tent on a trip and not require a secondary mesh tent or gazebo for kitchen / dining. Oztent AT6 also doesn't appear to have side panels for the awning. It appears everyone's design teams are just copying each other; bizarre!?
Storage in the Oztent looks great. Amazed though that the awning cannot be enclosed? We need a new maverick tent brand to launch and shake things up. I honestly thought that Oztent would... Rant over; I love tents!!
Can other manufacturers side walls be applied? I've just bought this tent, think it's amazing, but now looking at a gazebo for dining :( @@SnowysOutdoors
2:10 you mention when the fabric is seasoned the seams are waterproof, does that mean the tent needs to be seasoned after purchasing or is that done during manufacturing?
Nice tent , although I have history with my CRUA CORE tent and its also a freestanding air-beam tent, which is extremely waterproof and you can add extra 2 man or 3 man tents to 3 sides of its 4 sides, pretty niffty. But it does weight 20kg !! LOL . Oh yes you drive a Nissan Y61, seen in the background of the video , good man. Cheers and always love your very informative reviews.
It's really a case of same-same but different, Zempire probably have a longer history in air tents and have a larger offering and maintain high quality craftsmanship, but Dometic don't cut corners when it comes to quality either. I's suggest purchasing based on either price, or any specific features that take your fancy. ~ Ben
Fantastic review as always, watched a lot of these over the last few months...you are quite the celebrity in the tent world Ben :). In the market for a new family tent, and caught between this and the Zempire Evo TL V2. Spending $1500-1800 on a tent is a nerve-racking decision which I have pondered for the entire winter, do you have any thoughts? I am thinking the little extra for the Dometic may be worth it, as its more of a canvas material (which I believe is better) and I assume it doesn't require an additional roof cover like you do with Zempire (which essentially makes them the same price if that is factored in).
@paulsmith5561 Bens on leave so I'll jump in here with some thoughts! The Santorini looks amazing. They're a relatively new tent though so we don't have the benefit of feedback from a large base of campers who own them, or any long term feedback. At this point thats where Zempire has the advantage, but everything was new at one point, right? The Santorini is more of a traditional cabin style tent, where as the Zempire Evo range is abit more modern. Whilst both air tents, the tunnel shape of the Evo might have the advantage for coastal camping and super windy spots, especially if oriented correctly. Dometic havent provided a waterhead rating, as apparently the style of canvas can't undergo the official waterhead testing process, but it is fully seam sealed and they are stated waterproof. Zempire tents do not require a roof cover. The tent itself has a 6000mm water head rating on its own. The roof cover is merely an optional accessory for those who may want overhead protection from things like bird poop, tree sap, or leaves, etc. Ideally the roof cover is better suited for campers who may be set up long term for a week or more, which is very common in the UK and EU for summer camping - historically, this was the primary market for Zempire tents, so the accessory range is well suited to this. We cant really give you a clear indication on which is better at this stage, but hope that extra info helps in some way! ~ Lauren
I dont understand at all how they think 2000 bucks is a price that is going to make them succesful. I love the inflateable airbeam idea but the poeple making them are asking way too much! If they would price them so anyone can buy one they would be a better seller snf the first company that goes with this concept of a price point that is affordable they will be take over the market. Great review of the tent!
High end inflatable or canvas family touring tents are on average between the $1000-2000 mark. Tents in this range will last you 20yrs +, and usually walk themselves out the door. ~ Lauren
Super detailed review. Appreciated showing all the inside features which often get missed on photos and reviews
I'm glad you found it to be useful, Jessica. ~ Ben
I have a Zempire air dome 2 pro , It's fantastic in the wind, just had a long weekend in Cervantes with high West Coast winds , lots of instant pole tents and gazebos broke from the wind but the air tent hardly moved, had quite a few people asking about it, I'm very happy with it
I think we will see more and more air tents in campsites in the near future. ~ Ben
@@SnowysOutdoorsair tents will nudge over a billion USD in 2024. That will double and some over the decade. Poles are dead. (Ish...)
We really like ours. We use it for any stay 2 nights plus. Handles high winds really well. No poles so don't need to put it on the roof. Trick is to set the guys up in a pure grid, equal tension.
Thanks for the real life use feedback!
~ Lauren
Loving all these air tents, now my main tent has a very short life span, i am in the market for a good traveling tent.
Air tents are a great option nowadays, many of the issues early on have been overcome and they are now reliable, roomy and easy to use tents. Dometic do a smaller version of this too if you only need it for a few people. ~ Ben
Hey Ben, when can we expect your video of the Oztent AT6? Would love to see an air tent showdown as well!
We don't have the AT6 at the moment, Jared, that decision is in the hands of our purchasing team at the moment. We'll be sure to put a video together if/when it becomes part of our range. ~ Ben
I am keen to see some reviews on the new Oztent AT6. I cannot find any?
Thanks for the very thorough review, are you able to do one with the accessories? Also just wondering whether you need to weather the tent or prep it anyway before taking the tent out? Also is there sides that join onto the awning at all?
We've done a video on the inner tent room accessory - the tent ideally does need to be seasoned before first use, just to ensure you're getting the best out of it.
At this stage there's no walls or awning accessories, however its a popular request.
Hopefully Dometic consider it for the future!
~ Lauren
Can you use an air compressor to pump this up?
Theoretically yes, provided you had a suitable fitting, but it's not recommended. If you happen to over inflate the bladders then you can cause a fair bit of damage. ~ Ben
Great summary though I'm concerned about the black floor. I've had a Darche AV6 for several years. The Dometic holds it's own and then some BUT the Darche has a very tough floor. The Dometic floor reminds me of the cheapo really light weight tarps. How do you think the floors compare?
The floor in the Santorini is the same floor that has been used on tents for the last 20 or more years. Polyethylene floor has been the leading option for a reason. I have a 30 year old canvas tent with that style thats still being used, as an example.
Obviously its not going to look or feel as solid as the PVC or PU coated tent floors, on some modern tents but its still the flooring used in loads of high quality tents.
Hope that helps
~ Lauren
Great video!! I think I'm sold after watching this.
These are very liveable, I'm sure you'd be stoked with your purchase. ~ Ben
Fantastic review. Very thorough.
Thanks, LeadHander. ~ Ben
No side panel ability for the awning?
Nothing we know of at this stage, Dougie. ~ Ben
@@SnowysOutdoors Thanks Ben. Seems daft? Side awning ability (waterproof and mesh option) would mean that you could just take this tent on a trip and not require a secondary mesh tent or gazebo for kitchen / dining. Oztent AT6 also doesn't appear to have side panels for the awning. It appears everyone's design teams are just copying each other; bizarre!?
Storage in the Oztent looks great. Amazed though that the awning cannot be enclosed? We need a new maverick tent brand to launch and shake things up. I honestly thought that Oztent would... Rant over; I love tents!!
Can other manufacturers side walls be applied? I've just bought this tent, think it's amazing, but now looking at a gazebo for dining :( @@SnowysOutdoors
I've used a Darche AV6 for several years. Side panels on the awning are very very handy. Not just for wind but also privacy.
2:10 you mention when the fabric is seasoned the seams are waterproof, does that mean the tent needs to be seasoned after purchasing or is that done during manufacturing?
It's a good idea to season it before first use. ~ Ben
Great Review … i have an Outwell Wood Lake 6 ATC but i think about this too … for 1-2 persons … Greetings from Austria 🇦🇹
Thanks! Its a great tent for sure
~ Lauren
Where do you get replacement air bladders for these from?
You'd either need to get in touch with Dometic, or the retailer you purchased the tent from should be able to help. ~ Ben
Great review. That's an interesting tent.
It is interesting, different than anything I've seen before. ~ Ben
Nice tent , although I have history with my CRUA CORE tent and its also a freestanding air-beam tent, which is extremely waterproof and you can add extra 2 man or 3 man tents to 3 sides of its 4 sides, pretty niffty. But it does weight 20kg !! LOL . Oh yes you drive a Nissan Y61, seen in the background of the video , good man. Cheers and always love your very informative reviews.
I'm not familiar with the tent you mention, this was a very livable shelter though. The Y61 is mine btw, always loved my Patrols. ~ Ben
Comparing to the Zempire pro and non-Pro series, is the Dometic is better quality in general? Or more or less the same?
It's really a case of same-same but different, Zempire probably have a longer history in air tents and have a larger offering and maintain high quality craftsmanship, but Dometic don't cut corners when it comes to quality either. I's suggest purchasing based on either price, or any specific features that take your fancy. ~ Ben
@SnowysOutdoors thank you for your reply Ben :)
Fantastic review as always, watched a lot of these over the last few months...you are quite the celebrity in the tent world Ben :). In the market for a new family tent, and caught between this and the Zempire Evo TL V2. Spending $1500-1800 on a tent is a nerve-racking decision which I have pondered for the entire winter, do you have any thoughts? I am thinking the little extra for the Dometic may be worth it, as its more of a canvas material (which I believe is better) and I assume it doesn't require an additional roof cover like you do with Zempire (which essentially makes them the same price if that is factored in).
@paulsmith5561 Bens on leave so I'll jump in here with some thoughts!
The Santorini looks amazing. They're a relatively new tent though so we don't have the benefit of feedback from a large base of campers who own them, or any long term feedback.
At this point thats where Zempire has the advantage, but everything was new at one point, right?
The Santorini is more of a traditional cabin style tent, where as the Zempire Evo range is abit more modern. Whilst both air tents, the tunnel shape of the Evo might have the advantage for coastal camping and super windy spots, especially if oriented correctly.
Dometic havent provided a waterhead rating, as apparently the style of canvas can't undergo the official waterhead testing process, but it is fully seam sealed and they are stated waterproof.
Zempire tents do not require a roof cover. The tent itself has a 6000mm water head rating on its own. The roof cover is merely an optional accessory for those who may want overhead protection from things like bird poop, tree sap, or leaves, etc. Ideally the roof cover is better suited for campers who may be set up long term for a week or more, which is very common in the UK and EU for summer camping - historically, this was the primary market for Zempire tents, so the accessory range is well suited to this.
We cant really give you a clear indication on which is better at this stage, but hope that extra info helps in some way!
~ Lauren
Thanks so much for the response, I think I may stick with the zempire which was my original choice
I can’t find any real world reviews of the Dometic air beam tents ugh
These are very new tents, John, you won't find many real world reviews out there yet. ~ Ben
@@SnowysOutdoors thanks for the reply. I love you guys reviews you do an excellent job
@@johnowens8530 thanks. ~ Ben
I dont understand at all how they think 2000 bucks is a price that is going to make them succesful. I love the inflateable airbeam idea but the poeple making them are asking way too much! If they would price them so anyone can buy one they would be a better seller snf the first company that goes with this concept of a price point that is affordable they will be take over the market. Great review of the tent!
High end inflatable or canvas family touring tents are on average between the $1000-2000 mark. Tents in this range will last you 20yrs +, and usually walk themselves out the door.
~ Lauren
Waw i loved this tent is big house in forest
That's a good way to describe it. ~ Ben
Omg... I have the 2p swag of this, now im like damn now I need this 2...🤦♀️
This is a pretty awesome tent, 1dromadez 2020, it combines livability, durability and easy of setup really well. ~ Ben