Guide 2024: Roof tent for car - which should you choose?

Keen to jump on the roof tent trend? Congratulations! Then you have many wonderful adventures ahead of you. But before that, you obviously need to find a tent for your car roof that fits. Here we list what you should think about before buying a roof tent for the car.

1. How many people will fit in the tent on the roof of the car?

The first and most important decision you have to make is how many people you want to be able to sleep in the roof tent.

We at Taktältarna sell roof tent models that are suitable for both solo adventurers, couples newly in love and families with children.

Look for the width of the mattress, there are anything from 120 to 220 centimeters. We at Taktältarna have tents for the car from 140 centimeters in width up to 200 centimeters.

  • A roof tent with a width of 140 centimeters is suitable for 2 adults or 2 adults and a small child.
  • A tent for the car roof with a 165 centimeter wide mattress fits well for 2-3 adults.
  • A roof tent with a 180 centimeter wide mattress is suitable for two adults and two children or for three adults.
  • A roof tent with a 200 centimeter wide mattress is suitable for up to five adults. The size of the mattress is 200x240 cm and thanks to the width, you can choose to lie "crosswise" and thus get a 240 centimeter width.

Our most popular car roof tent among families with children is the Åreskutan four-man, i.e. with a 180 centimeter wide mattress.

Which size you should have depends, of course, in the end on the size of you who will be sleeping up in the roof tent, how much space you want, and perhaps on how well you who will be sleeping up in the tent know each other!

If you want to have the opportunity to take more people with you, we recommend buying an awning where you get two extra sleeping places on the ground.

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1. How many should fit in the roof tent?

The first and most important decision you need to make is how many people you want to be able to sleep up in the roof tent.

We at Taktältarna sell roof tent models suitable for solo adventurers, newly in love couples, and families with children.

Look at the width of the mattress, there are everything from 120 to 220 centimeters. We at Taktältarna have tents for cars from 140 centimeters wide up to 220 centimeters.

  • A roof tent with 140 centimeters width is suitable for 2 adults or 2 adults and a smaller child.
  • A car roof tent with a 165 centimeter wide mattress is suitable for 2-3 adults.
  • A roof tent with a 180 centimeter wide mattress fits two adults and two children or three adults.
  • A roof tent with a 220 centimeter wide mattress fits up to five adults.

Our most popular roof tent for cars among families with children is Åreskutan four-person and Svartberget Large.

Which size you should have depends, of course, in the end on the size of those who will sleep up in the roof tent, how much space you want, and maybe on how well those who will sleep up in the tent know each other!

If you want the option to sometimes bring more people, we recommend buying an awning where you get two extra sleeping places on the ground.

2. Which car do you want to mount the roof tent on?

Roof tents can be mounted on most cars – from Porsche to pickups.

If you have a smaller car, you may need to choose a smaller and lighter roof tent, for example our Åreskutan two-person with a 140 centimeter wide mattress or Svartberget Small.

You can easily find out which roof tents fit your car by checking two things.

3 things you should check before choosing a tent for your car

Before buying a roof tent for your car roof, there are two things you should check:

1. The maximum load on the car roof. The maximum load specified is the so-called dynamic weight, i.e. the maximum load when the car is in motion. It is usually between 60 - 100 kilos. The maximum load is specified by car manufacturers because driving characteristics and the car's center of gravity change when driving with a load on the roof.

A stationary car can handle a significantly higher weight on the roof. Here you can read more about roof tents and the load on the car roof.

If you have a normal-sized car, like a Volvo V60 and up, you can most likely choose any size you want. But always check what your car's user manual says to be safe.

2. That your roof racks are suitable for mounting a tent on the car roof. We recommend roof racks that attach to the car's rails or fixed mounting points and have a maximum load of at least 75 kilos. The roof racks' maximum load should accommodate both the roof tent and the weight of the roof racks.

The roof racks should also be able to be placed between 70 and 110 centimeters apart. Read more on each roof tent's product page about what applies to the roof tent you want. Read more about roof racks and roof tents here.

3. The size of the car roof. Get an idea of how much space the roof tent you want takes up on your car roof. The length is most important - measure with the tailgate open. You still want to be able to open it with the roof tent mounted.

If you look at our hard shell tents Blåsten and Totthummeln Large, it is also good to measure the width of the car roof as these are b

Here you can see our tents for the car roof

The roof tents sell roof tents that are designed and developed in Sweden. We are roof tent enthusiasts ourselves and test our roof tents in Åre, where we have our headquarters.

The Roof Tent Åreskutan 3.0The Roof Tent Åreskutan 3.0
TaktältarnaThe Roof Tent Åreskutan 3.0
From €2.055,95 EUR

4 colors available
Svartberget – spacious hard shell tentSvartberget – spacious hard shell tent
TaktältarnaSvartberget – spacious hard shell tent
From €3.060,95 EUR
Blåsten - hard shell tentBlåsten - hard shell tent
TaktältarnaBlåsten - hard shell tent
From €2.772,95 EUR
Totthummeln – hard shell tentTotthummeln – hard shell tent
TaktältarnaTotthummeln – hard shell tent
From €2.773,95 EUR
Sold out
Taktält med två stegar, Åreskutan XLThe Roof Tent Åreskutan 3.0 XL
TaktältarnaThe Roof Tent Åreskutan 3.0 XL
€2.820,95 EUR
Sold out
Taktältet Lillskutan från Taktältarna uppfällt ute i naturen på våren innan löven börjat slå ut. Billigaste taktältet i vårt sortimentProduktfoto av taktältet Lillskutan från Taktältarna, vårt billigaste taktält
TaktältarnaLillskutan - roof tent from Taktæltarna
From €1.624,95 EUR

3. Soft shell or hard shell model?

Roof tents are often divided into two categories: soft shell tents and hard shell tents. The names come from the cover that protects the tents when folded.

⛺️ Soft shell

A roof tent with a soft shell often has a transport cover made of PVC or canvas.

Our soft shell roof tents are Åreskutan 3.0, Lillskutan and Åreskutan XL.

Some of the biggest advantages of soft shell roof tents are

1. That they generally have a lower price than hard shell tents.

2. That they are roomier, which means the mattress is often thicker and you can leave sleeping gear inside when you fold up the roof tent.

3. Thicker mattress. All of our soft shell tents have an 8 cm mattress.

Roof tents of the hard shell model take up less height when folded and then look like a regular roof box.

⛺️ Hard shell

Hard shell tents have become popular in recent years and are appreciated by many who want the simplest possible setup.

Folded, hard shell tents resemble a classic roof box. The shell can be either aluminum (which makes the tent heavier) or ABS plastic.

At Taktältarna, we have three different models of hard shell tents; Svartberget, Blåsten and Totthummeln.

The advantages of hard shell roof tents:

1. They are faster to set up and fold down. If this is a "deal breaker" for you, hard shell might be the right choice. The hard shell tent folds up in just a few seconds.

2. Lower profile and more aerodynamic when folded.

3. Integrated light strips

Example tent on the car hard shell model

In the photo below, you see a hard shell model roof tent. The case is either in aluminum as in the picture here, or in ABS plastic.

This is what a tent on a car of the soft shell model looks like when folded

This is what a soft shell model car roof tent looks like when folded. The case is fastened with a zipper and is completely waterproof.

Look out for smart features when you buy a car roof tent

Many tent roofs for cars may look similar, but there is often a lot of difference in the details between different brands.

For example, it can be about floor type, thickness of the mattress, type of ladder and quality of tent fabric.

With our roof tent Åreskutan , our goal is to create the best soft shell roof tent on the market. A roof tent with extra everything that will last for tough adventures for a long time.

You get functions such as:

  • Extra thick mattress of 8 centimeters.
  • Mattress cover between the tent fabric and the sides of the mattress which provides extra moisture protection.
  • Honeycomb floor - the most robust and shock-resistant used for tents on the car.
  • Large sunroof for those starry nights when you want to peer out into the universe.
  • A high-quality cotton/polyester blend ripstop tent fabric that makes the fabric stronger and prevents it from tearing if it gets damaged, while the cotton allows the fabric to breathe.
  • Shoe bags included.
  • A telescopic ladder that is super easy to fold out and fold and easy to adjust to the height of your car.
  • Roll-up window covers for EVEN better views.
  • Attachment device for the cover when the tent is unfolded so you don't have to take it off and put it in the car every time.
  • Tension straps with metal buckles instead of velcro which is common for other roof tent brands.

Need help?

Our team is here to help you find the roof tent that best suits your needs and conditions.

Welcome to contact us at info@taktaltarna.se

Or phone: 0647 69 05 01

Elisabeth Standár, grundare av Taktältarna, sitter vid ett campingbord intill en bil med taktältet Åreskutan på och med berget Åreskutan i bakgrunden

That's why you should choose a tent for the car from Roof Tents

Taktältarna is a Swedish company, based in Åre, with a big heart. We prioritize personal treatment and always being available to help both new and previous customers with support and advice.

With a roof tent from us, you can feel secure that we are always here. Should the accident occur and any part breaks, we will replace you at no extra cost. This is an important part of our sustainability work as we believe it can contribute to repairing instead of buying new.

We at Taktältarna develop tents for the car of high quality, tested for Nordic conditions. We are dedicated roof tent enthusiasts ourselves and know what is needed to have a truly wonderful camping experience.

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