Best Tent Carpet

What is the best tent carpet for your car camping and family adventures camping? We go through a few products that we have used in the past camping and new tent carpets that we have never tried before. We really love camping and even if we don’t take the car and hike in t somewhere we love nothing more than having the tent set up and having a comfortable, soft and dry part of the tent to lie in. Usually this ends up being in the vestibule of our small backpacking tent but today we’re looking at upgrading this section so that we can cook, relax and enjoy the views from our tent and not have to get in to our sleeping area which we’ve already set up.

If you’re after something hard wearing, soft, warm to walk and lie on, keeps itself clean or something else in a tent carpet, we hope we cover these questions and more in the guide below. What we like about having a tent carpet the most is that it brings one extra comfort in to your tent, so if the weather is poor or you’re having an off-day on the campsite and in the tent, it will dramatically improve your experience, we love sitting on the floor, laying about and a tent carpet will definitely improve that experience. We find that when we go backpacking or wild camping for the night with our small backpacking tent we really do miss the space to relax in and we often end up using a separate ground sheet, tarp or even our inflatable mattresses outside the tent or in the tiny vestibule it has.

We thought because of this, we would test out some tent carpets when out with family and friends in their larger tents as well as our smaller tent and see how the experience could be improved and if so, which would be the best tent carpet we could find in the UK.

Thankfully they come in a myriad of sizes, ranging anywhere from 2m squared as big as 14m2 with the Olpro and MP Brands carpets. So you will find reviews for something that should fit your tents living space and hopefully a carpet tent that will suit your needs as well.

The Best Tent Carpet

Goes to, the Regatta Vanern Tent Carpet, it was close with the Kampa carpet in at second but due to its ease of moving, waterproofness and feel it just about won this one. The Kampa is a solid tent carpet, very heavy duty and feels more like a thick hard rug than the Regatta, so if you don’t need it to be waterproof and will be in one spot for a prolonged period, it may well be the tent carpet for you.

The Regatta has the usual tartan, crossed style to it and would also do well as a picnic blanket, boot liner and even under your camping beds to add an extra layer, whatever it is, it could probably handle it, hence why we put it as the best tent carpet in our guide.

If you are after a heavier rug like tent carpet, although it isn’t waterproof, you can’t go wrong with the Kampa, it is very heavy duty and should last you years. It also looks like a real rug with a pattern on it which you could find in some homes. It has definitely been designed to help keep the warmth up as it is cushioned and feels great under your feet when you’re not wearing footwear.

The Best Fitting Tent Carpet

With the amount of sizes offered by the MP Brands and Olpro tent carpets, you can’t really go wrong, you won’t have to go the route of making a tent carpet yourself or getting one cut to size from a thick material. They also offer a couple of different colours so you can match that with your tents or awnings interior and although they aren’t waterproof they would be right at home within the bathtub and ontop of a waterproof ground sheet in the tents living space.

Again, both of these are warm and comfortable to lie on but if you are using outside or on earth or grass, you will need a waterproof layer to put underneath. The downsides to these, like the more rug and carpet like Kampa are that they are just tent carpets, you can’t really use them as picnic blankets or as layers under you when sleeping, so aren’t as multi functional.

Best Cheap Tent Carpet

If you want something that is cheap, something to lie down on in and out of a tent or you have a smaller footprint and only a small living space or vestibule then the Ultracamp tent carpet and blanket could be for you. It is not as heavy duty as any of the others, but with some care and if you are camping by yourself or with one other, it should do the job well. It can be used as a blanket underneath your camp bed, used for picnics and rolled up and carried in to and out of your car very easily due to it being less than 800g.

Review of Regatta Vanern Tent Carpet

A review of the Regatta Vanern Tent Carpet which is aimed at those with the Regatta Vanern tents but this could be an ideal tent or awning carpet for anyone with a 310 x 210cm floor plan or smaller.

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Technical DetailsSeasonall seasonsPortableYesFits 3 DoorYesFits 5 DoorYesWaterproofYesRating5/5Price£££WarrantyNoBrandRegattaCategoryuniversalNumber of seats1 seatsDimensions210 x 310cmWeight1400 gWashableNoNext Day DeliveryNoStar rating

Now we have had quite a few regatta products in the past in terms of camping gear, coats and jackets and have always been impressed. Regatta as a brand holds quite some status so we were quite interested to see whether this regatta vanern camping carpet would live up to the name of affordable prices but quality camping and outdoor gear.

On first impressions it comes in a little draw string carry bag showing how easy it is to pop in your car or even bag and how light a carpet it is, its about 1400g so nothing too big and is helped that it comes in the drawstring bag so you can pack it away easily.

Once rolled out the carpet looks well crafted and designed. The carpet is made from a polyester that feels soft to sit on. The underside of the carpet has a waterproof base layer making it possible to use inside your tent or directly on to the ground outside as a picnic blanket. This particular carpet has a more luxurious feel than the others we have tried, it is a little more money but I would term this carpet, a fully fledged tent / awning carpet with only one thing missing… a way to fix the carpet down. There are no eyelets and ties to allow you to fix your carpet in place therefore you will need to use something heavy to keep it stable. This is a must if you are moving in and out of the tent alot and have children, its bound to be moved or put out of place with the days activities.

If you are using this inside your tent, you will be turning it into more a cosy living room space, the carpet has the ability to provide excellent insulation for a tent carpet and will help to keep you warm if you like to sit down on the floor inside your tent, which means it will feel great under foot throughout the day as well.Pros

• Soft material on the top
• Waterproof base layer
• Robust
• Durable
• Thick
• Next day delivery
• Good insulation from the ground

Cons

• No fixing ability provided
• A little more pricey

Verdict

The Regatta Vanern Tent Carpet is luxurious, waterproof and well made. If you are looking to add a comfortable base layer to walk on in your awning or to line your tent as long as you have a few items that are able to be used to hold it in place, this carpet really ticks all the boxes.

Review of Kampa Rally 330 Tent Awning Carpet

This is a review of the Kampa Rally 330 tent and awning carpet. A cushioned and well thought of camping product which we look in to more detail at below.

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Technical DetailsSeasonall seasonsPortableYesFits 3 DoorYesFits 5 DoorYesWaterproofNoRating5/5Price££££WarrantyNoBrandKampaNumber of seats1 seatsDimensions330 x 250cmWeight3500 gWashableNoNext Day DeliveryNoStar rating

The Kampa Rally 330 Tent Awning Carpet is designed for specific Kampa Rally awnings, that being said I didn’t have one of those but instead brought along to use while camping with friends and to test out in their big tent. At first glance, it was more like a carpet and huge rug than the others we have looked at, felt solid under foot, seems heavy duty and also has some nice features, to boot it looks good too.

While walking on it barefoot, it feels comfortable, warm and soft. It is made from a soft  cushioned nylon material. There is no waterproof base layer to this carpet and what is recommended is that you purchase the matching breathable underlay ground sheet. We used this with a large ground sheet our friends had and this worked except we had to tuck in the ends of the carpet to hold it down securely in line with the ground sheet.

You needn’t worry if you are using this inside your tent because your ground sheet which is built in, called your bathtub of the tent will easily keep the water outside and combined with this tent carpet by Kampa will make a great hard wearing flooring that should suit all tent inner living spaces as well.Pros

• Soft and comfortable to walk on
• Large size, great for awnings
• Provides good insulation
• Easy to fold away
• Breathable fabric
• Rot proof
• Designed to fit Kampa Rally specific awnings as well

Cons

• A little pricey
• Not waterproof

Verdict

The Kampas Continental Carpet is designed with certain Kampas awnings in mind, you will need to have a large family tent with an inner living space to make this fit, or you could just fold it up to the size required to make it fit. Check the measurements to see whether it will fit your awning, you will find it comfortable under foot which is really nice when you have your footwear off and are just wearing socks or slippers.

It has loops in the corners to fit to the poles of the tent or awning you will be putting it in, but there is a bit of weight to the carpet which means that compared to others it shouldn’t be moving around when people walk in and out of the area it is laid down in.

We would actually recommend this for the inner of a large family tent than an awning because it is hard wearing, so will take a lot of foot traffic and because it isn’t waterproof. And with the inside of a tent, you won’t have to worry about that problem, which makes it perfect.

Review of MP Brands Essentials Weatherproof Awning Carpet

This is a similar tent carpet and awning flooring to the Olpro but thought it deserved some attention. It comes in more sizes and different colours are available as well.

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Technical DetailsSeasonall seasonsPortableYesWaterproofNoRating4.5/5Price££WarrantyNoBrandMP BrandsNumber of seats1 seatsWeight1400 gWashableYesNext Day DeliveryNoStar rating

The MP Brands Essentials Weatherproof Awning Carpet packs a lot of qualities in to this carpet and is why we had to give it a try.

The material is made from a breathable eco friendly tightly woven material that is soft to walk on, and prevents bugs from getting through this was our experience of a week long camping trip where we used a smallest size the 2.5 m x 2.5 m to cover our awning floor. After trying a number of carpets, we realised that although it says it is weatherproof, it is not waterproof.

The carpet itself is rot and weather proof as well as UV stabilised. To the edges of the carpet are allow eyelets which allows you to secure your carpet down. I find this a very helpful feature so that you don’t need to use heavy items to hold it down, instead you can connect to your inner tent or peg it down if using it as an awning carpet. It is easy to clean and packs away easily for our car camping adventures inside its carry bag.

The variety of sizes and colours make it suitable for a range of camping activities, there is anthricate and grey an earthy colour, plum and grey, blue or green and grey, so something for everyone to suit the inside of their awning or tent.

It also comes in a fantastic array of sizes;

250 x 250cm, 250 x 300cm, 250 x 350cm, 250 x 400cm, 250 x 450cm, 250 x 500cm, 250 x 550cm, 250 x 600cm, 250 x 650cm, 250 x 700cm and 250 x 750cm so whatever size you need, you should be covered well.Pros

• 11 sizes to choose from
• 4 colours to choose from
• Next day delivery with Amazon Prime
• Comes with storage bag
• Rot proof
• UV stabilised
• Tight woven fabric prevents appearance of insects
• Durable material
• Secured with allow eyelets at edges
• Multiple uses
• Environmentally friendly material

Cons

• You will still need a groundsheet with this carpet
• Not waterproof

Verdict

As long as you have your own ground sheet to keep it dry the MP Brands Essentials Weatherproof Awning Carpet is a very worthwhile purchase. Soft to the touch, tightly woven, rot proof and also has the ability to be fastened at each end of the carpet.

It is not much different to the Olpro we also tested but thought it was worth a mention due to the other colours that are available and the few extra sizes.

Review of 250 x 300cm OLPro Tent Awning Carpet

This is a review of a hard wearing tent and awning carpet by Olpro. This tent carpet comes in a range of different sizes, we look at the 250 x 300cm but they range from the samller size tent carpets 250 x 250cm all the way to 250 x 650 cm (2 x 6.5m) in size.

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Technical DetailsSeasonall seasonsPortableYesFits 3 DoorYesFits 5 DoorYesWaterproofNoStretchyNoRating4.5/5Price££WarrantyNoBrandOlproNumber of seats1 seatsDimensions250 x 350cmWeight1900 gWashableNoNext Day DeliveryNoStar rating

The OLPro OLTex Tent Awning Carpet on first glance, looks comfortable and has a nice weave pattern to it. It is very lightweight and packs away easily, we used the 2.5 x3 m (250 x 300cm) carpet and this managed to simply fit under the passenger seat in the car.

Depending on the measurements of your tent or awning that you need it for will mean which size you are going to need, luckily there are 9 different size options to help match it quite accurately to your tents floorspace. When the carpet is laid out flat it feels slightly plasticy underfoot rather than a soft weave. This though will help with longevity and making it more hard wearing.  It still however gives the appearance of a lovely carpet which is a positive. If you want something like this for the entrance to your tent then this will be perfect as the foot fall on top will be handled easily by it.

To each corner of the carpet there is a metal eyelet to be able to fix the carpet down which is great, our carpet was not the largest size they do but if you went for the larger size I would imagine you might need to find a way to fix some of the sides down so that it doesn’t slide around on top of the tents bathtub flooring. A good idea would be to use elastic or some straps which connect to the corners of your tent and if your poles fix inside this should work together well with that setup. Or you can just place a couple of heavy items on each corner as well.

With muddy boots and walking in and out on top of this, I would congratulate this carpet on being very hard wearing, no scuffs or permanent marks were left and easy to clean after your camping trip.

Unlike others we have tested, it is not waterproof and we did make the silly mistake of using this directly on grass at first and it was wet through, so I would advise using a ground sheet underneath for such uses as it is not waterproof. if you are using this solely inside the tent and it has no issues with water coming up through the bottom then it should be more than adequate.Pros

• Lightweight
• Breathable
• Easy to clean
• Strong robust material
• Easy to fold away
• Flame retardant and UV resistant
• Nice pattern
• Hard wearing
• Eyelets to hold it down
• Next day delivery

Cons

• Not waterproof
• Thin material
• Plastic feeling rather than a soft material

Verdict

The OLpro OLTex carpet is hard wearing and has a nice homely pattern just do not expect a thick house carpet feel and use a ground sheet underneath if using directly on the ground outside.

Review of Ultracamp Tent Camping Carpet 150 x 200cm

This is a review of the Ultracamp tent carpet and picnic blanket which has a waterproof underside and a soft top layer. It is 150 x 200cm in size and could be a great addition to your tent setup and car camping trip.

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Technical DetailsSeasonall seasonsPortableYesFits 3 DoorYesFits 5 DoorYesWaterproofYesRating3.8/5Price££Hand heldYesWarrantyNoVehiclecarBrandUltracampNumber of seats1 seatsWeight721 gWashableNoNext Day DeliveryNoStar rating

The Ultracamp Tent Camping Carpet on first impressions looks like a large picnic blanket and unfortunately that is what I feel it is better suited too unless you have a small family tent setup and an area the size of 150 x 200cm or similar where you all lounge.

It is easy to transport and is simply rolled out and rolled back up, there are handles to the carpet once rolled up to carry it to and from the car.

The carpet is made from an environmentally friendly foam material giving the carpet some padding but not a great deal at 1.5mm thick, if you are to use it in your tent as an extra layer to sleep on it would help reduce the cold element from the floor but won’t match up to using an actual air bed or mattress. Also when using to line your awning, with constant walking on it, I have noticed a few scuffs appearing already so I would question its durability and ability to last you several months of camping.

The waterproof underside makes it excellent in terms of using directly on the floor as you do not have to worry about water seeping up through it, therefore you can see some thought has gone into it being a tent / awning carpet.  It is large in size so you would not have to worry about it not covering the area of your tent or awning floor unless you have an unusually shaped awning or living space in your tent. There are no attachments to allow you to fix it in place so it can move a little unless you place something heavy in the corners.

This camping carpet comes in one size and if you find you buy it and it doesn’t quite work for you as a tent carpet, it could come in handy as a picnic blanket, an extra layer under you when sleeping at night or even as a comfortable liner in the boot of your car.Pros

• Waterproof base
• Thick layer providing comfort and warmth
• Easy to fold up and transport in the car
• Carry handles attached
• Uses a environmentally safe foam material
• Could also be used to line boot

Cons

• Not the most hardwearing
• Not long lasting as the rubber material underneath is soft so prone to ripping or tearing

Verdict

A simple and affordable tent carpet, great for short stays and for smaller tents around 200 x 200 cm living space. It has a soft top layer and is very light so easily moved around and used in other environments, a great tent carpet for practical reasons.

If you want something more hard wearing and long lasting, something that could take a week or mores worth of abuse from kids and family moving in and out of a tent, this is not the right one for you.Frequently Asked Questions

Make your own tent carpet by finding a thick heard wearing material that you like the look of, we really like hessian as a rug and carpet material, when combined with a waterproof ground sheet, you have a great combination tent carpet that you can take with you on many adventures and that should last you years.

How do you clean a tent carpet, we’ve had the misfortune of working this one out ourselve’s when we had a meal drop right on to the Regatta tent carpet and it was simple, we did it in two stages, first of all we washed the area down with some soapy water, we let it dry and then any crumbs were left we brushed up. The best thing to do though is to give your whole tent carpet a wash if this occurs, otherwise, if you have a light coloured carpet, any cleaning may result in a different colour once it all dries and you see a patch that you treated. There are plenty of carpet cleaner products out there too but because of the hard wearing nature of most of the carpets or the waterproofness underneath, you shouldn’t have trouble treating them.