Coolest Tent

Believe it or not there are some people who claim it’s not possible for a tent to be cool. Well, those people haven’t seen the Opus T46 Smart Tent. Frankly, ‘cool’ is the only word for it. Way back when we started camping, if someone told you that in the future you’d be able to buy a tent that pitches itself in seconds, simply by pushing a button, you’d probably have thought they’d lost the plot. If they went on to say you’d also be able to power electric lights and your phone by plugging them into the tent wall, you’d have been calling up the men in white coats. 

But the future is here and it is the Opus Smart Tent. Opus made its name with a range of groundbreaking folding campers, packed with the sort of extravagances humble tent campers can only dream of. A cooker, a microwave and a fridge were all standard issue, as well as LED floor lighting, comfy sofas and real beds. 

Several years, numerous different models and multiple awards later, Opus has now moved into the tent market, using some of the same technology as featured in the campers. The Suffolk-based company describe the Smart Tent as a “camping experience like no other” and it’s hard to argue with that.

Available as a four or six-berth, out of the oversized wheeled carry bag, it is essentially a traditional tunnel tent and pitching starts in exactly the same way, by finding a clear flat pitch and spreading out the footprint and main tent flat on the ground before pegging down the corners.

Then it gets a bit different… insert the Blow Bank batteries into the integrated pump units (on the six-berth T46 there are five), then press the buttons and sit back and watch as the tubes fill with air and pop into shape. In a couple of minutes, the tent will be standing and the pumps will automatically switch off when the beams reach their maximum pressure.

After that all you need to do is peg out the tent and the guylines.

Each corner beam has a Blow Bank pocket – remove the batteries from the pumps and pop them into the pockets and then use them to connect your lighting system or charge your mobile devices using the USB-C port. Opus also offers LED strip lights as an optional extra.

So, it’s undoubtedly cool, but what are the practical benefits of the Smart Tent? As cool as it is, does it actually do the business as a tent? The short answer is, yes, it does.

In fact, it has all the features you’d expect from a top-of-the-range tunnel tent, and more. 

We’ve already mentioned that it comes with a footprint designed to protect the groundsheet from damage and help keep the main tent clean. In addition, the 300 denier Tropical Roof Cover keeps the heat in as well as giving protection to the roof of the tent.

The main flysheet is also made from super-strong 300 denier material, with a waterproof rating of 6,000mm hydrostatic head.

Inside, the huge PVC windows flood the spacious living area with light and there’s plenty of ventilation to keep it cool and cut down on condensation. 

The darkened ‘Sleep Tight’ bedroom inners keep out the early morning light. 

With an RRP of £1,750, the price is pretty cool as well – comparing favourably with similar-sized tents from the recognised brands.

We like:

• Smart, self-inflating technology
• Spacious living area
• Quality materials