Nothing can ruin an outdoor event, BBQ, cookout, or camping trip faster than not having any protection from the rain, the sun, or the bugs.
So, when you need a quick shelter for your next outdoor event that is going to protect you from the before mentioned event ruiners- you should think about buying a screen house (sometimes called a screen tent).
Screen houses are designed to be easy to set up, with large screens that surround you on all sides. These screens are going to let the cooling breeze in, but are going to keep the insects and rain out – and they can even provide some great protection from the sun!
Screen houses are perfect for backyard get togethers or for providing shelter during a camping trip. They normally do not have a floor, making them easy to place over a picnic table – or they can be placed over a tarp and most can be zipped up to provide a makeshift sleeping shelter if need be!
No matter what you plan to use your screen house for, we did the hard work for you and provided a quick list of the best screen houses for camping and outdoor fun! This list should make it really easy for you to pick the right screen house for your outdoor adventures.
Table of Contents
Quick Best Screen House List
Here is a quick reference chart we put together ranking our favorite screen houses from 1 to 12. We looked at things like durability, cost, ease of use, and overall look.
Below this table is a much more in-depth review of each individual screen house with pictures and links to purchase as well!
The Best Screen Houses
The best screen houses for camping and outdoor fun!
CORE Instant Screen House – 12’ x 10’
I am a huge fan of Core products – especially Core Instant Tents – and I am also a huge fan of the CORE Instant Screen House!
One major selling point for this screen house is the size. You are looking at a 12-foot x 10-foot floor size, which can easily fit your family. The center height is also 84 inches – which means most people will be able to comfortably stand inside!
The setup is also incredibly easy – CORE – says you can do it in about 60 seconds. It comes with a carry bag, ground stakes, and tie downs – which is everything you are going to need to get this tent set up.
It has a heavy duty polyester top which is connected to a durable steel frame – meaning you shouldn’t have any concerns about this product lasting a long time.
The mesh walls provide insect protection and a great view – and the front and back door panels can easily be opened by children. You even have overhead storage pockets….i’m not sure what else you would want in a screenhouse!
The price is also very affordable, right around $130. Because of our great experience with CORE products, and the mixture of size, durability, and cost – this is our number 1 recommendation for a large screen house!
Coleman Back Home Instant Screenhouse
I would consider the Coleman Back Home Instant Screenhouse to be the most popular screen house on the market. It has been around for a very long time, and has been very popular for a very long time. So popular it has over 1,300 reviews on Amazon!
The design of this tent is really neat. It has an octagonish style to it, with two large doors in the front and the back.
The large mesh windows will protect you from the elements and insects – and provide you with an awesome view of your campsite or backyard.
Coleman estimates it should take you 3 easy steps and about 3 minutes to setup – but it might be a good idea to have two or more people helping out.
The size is also very large – with a 12 x 10 foot interior space – and a center height of about 8 feet.
The canopy is made with a very thick fabric that is going to help protect you from the sun, but is also very durable.
It does come with a wheeled carry bag, that makes it easy to get your screenhouse to your camp site.
The price is right around $175; and this is a great value for the design and features you get with this tent.
Coleman Instant Screenhouse 10 x 10
Coleman does a great job of making multiple screen house options – with another popular choice from them being the Coleman 10 x 10 Instant Screenhouse. This is another screenhouse from Coleman that has been around for a long time and has hundreds of positive online reviews on different sites.
This tent is a little smaller than the before mentioned Coleman Back Home Instant Screenhouse, with a size of 10 feet by 10 feet. This is still a pretty good size for most situations, but may not be big enough for a larger group of adults.
This shelter is very easy to setup, usually taking about 60 seconds.
It has two large “T” shaped doors – one at the front & one at the back. The mesh screens are going to keep bugs & the sun out – and the durable “Polyguard” roof provides plenty of sun protection.
It comes with a carry bag that makes storage & transportation very simple.
The price point is normally right around $120 – making it very affordable.
The big selling points for me are the quick setup and the more manageable size when compared to some of the other choices on this list.
Tailgaterz Magnetic Screen House
The Tailgaterz Magnetic Screen House is a great choice for anyone looking for a dependable screen house. Any good best screen house list needs to have this option included!
This Tailgaterz tent is 11 feet x 9 feet – with a height of about 7 feet. That should be plenty big for most occasions.
What is unique about this design is the magnetic doors. It really makes it easy to get in and out of the tent, and they snap shut quickly – making it really easy for you to keep the bugs out. Those magnetic doors are also really handy when you are carrying loads of stuff, and it isn’t easy for you to unzip a zipper.
It is made from a steel and fiberglass frame that looks great and is durable.
It is going to take you some time to set this shelter up, and you are probably going to want a few helping hands as well.
The price is right around $130 – and if you are looking for a unique design, with easy to use magnetic doors – this is the right pick for you!
Clam Corporation 9281 Quick-Set Escape Shelter
You are going to pay a little more if you pick the Clam Corporation 9281 Quick-Set Escape Shelter; but you are going to be very happy with your incredibly durable and easy to setup screen house.
This screen house is ready to use right out of the box, and Clam Corporation says you can set it up in 45 seconds! That is quick! With no assembly required, you are going to have a lot more time to spend inside partying than outside setting it up.
It has plenty of space – 94 total square feet with a center height of 90 inches – which should fit six to eight people comfortably.
You can even fit a standard sized picnic table inside with no problem – a good way to have a picnic without the sun and bugs bothering you.
The mesh screens will provide a great view and plenty of air flow, and the easy to open door can be tied open if you wish.
It is made from very durable fabric and poles, and it comes with all the tent stakes and tie down rope you will need. It even comes with its own carry bag.
There are a few different colors you can pick from – including a brown/tan options, a camouflage option, and a green option.
The price is a little more expensive, right around $300 – but it is a very well designed & well-built screen house.
Wenzel Smartshade Screen House
When I think of a traditional looking screen house, it is easy to picture the Wenzel Smartshade Screen House. Wenzel makes some great products, and I love the design of their square screenhouse.
The square design provides for optimum space. It is 10 feet by 10 feet – and a center height of 112 inches!
It is lighter to carry than some of the other options, weighing about 40 pounds.
It is portable and made from heavy-duty polyester and a steel frame. It does take a few minutes to set up, but it is water repellent and will withstand a pretty strong breeze when properly set up.
Since it does weight about 40 pounds, it comes with a wheeled duffel bag that will make it a lot easier for you to transport.
This is a highly rated tent online, which doesn’t surprise me knowing the quality of Wenzel products. The normal price is normally around $220 -which is a great value for how well design this screen house is!
Quictent EZ Pop Up Screen House
The big reason that Quictent is high on this list is because of the different size variations that the Quictent EZ Pop Up Screen House comes in.
No matter what size you pick – you will get a screen house that has a great square design and is easy to set up. It will come with the stakes and rope you need to set it up, plus a carry bag to make it easy to transport and store when not in use.
The walls are 100% mesh to keep the bugs out and the breeze flowing.
They have a pop up frame, so setup will happen quickly and they also have a removable sidewall.
The price is going to vary from around $100 to $200 depending on which size you pick.
Sizes include: a 6.6 x 6.6 feet option, an 8 x 8 feet option, an 8.2 feet x 8.2 feet option, 10 x 10 feet option, and a 10 feet x 20 feet option. As you can see, there are plenty of size options based on what you will need your screen house for!
Besides the different size options, there are also a few different color options you can pick like pink or green.
I can easily see you using this screen house in your backyard or while out on a camping trip!
Wenzel Sun Valley Screen House
The big reason that we included the Wenzel Sun Valley Screen House onto this list of the best screen houses is because of its light weight and easy ability to transport. This is a great screen house to take camping!
The floor space is 12 feet x 12 feet – or about 140 square feet of total room for you. The peak height in the center is 86 inches, but it is a little bit smaller than that on the sides.
It does have 2 “T” style doors for easy entry as well.
It only weighs 20 pounds, making it very easy to transport on camping trips. The packed size is also 27.5 x 8.75 x 8.75 – again making it easy to store and transport.
The design is a little bit more tent looking than your giant screen house designs a lot of other options have.
It does not have a floor, so due to its light weight, it can easily be placed over a picnic table or anything else after it has been assembled.
This option even comes with a manufacturer’s limited 10-year warranty. With a price right around $135, we highly recommend this option for anyone wanted a lightweight, perfect for camping, screen house.
Northern Breeze Screened Shelter
When it comes to high quality screen houses, the Northern Breeze Screen Shelter needs to be towards the top of any list.
It is a square shaped screen house, but it also comes with built-in rain curtains, and wait for it, an actual awning!
I love the awning and how it provides a little extra shade or protection for a quick rain shower!
The inside is 12 feet by 12 feet, and it has full mesh screens. The center height is over 8 feet tall, so you shouldn’t have to worry about bumping your head.
It has two doors that can be fully opened and tied out of the way. The frame is aluminum, which is lighter than fiberglass, meaning this screenhouse only weighs 28 pounds.
That 28-pound height makes is very easy to store, and move once set up.
This is a very highly rated tent online, and it does have a slightly more tent oriented design to it than some other choices.
However, it is relatively easy to set up, very light, very durable, and the canopy is really nice – making it a great choice for people looking for a high-end screen house!
Wenzel Biscayne Screen House
When you are looking for a screen house that has a fun design, and is slightly larger than most 10 x 10 or 12 x 10 screen houses – look no further than the Wenzel Biscayne Screen House!
The size is 14 feet x 12 feet – which will provide a floor area of 126 square feet. The peak height is 84 inches. The hexagon shaped design provides plenty of mesh windows for a good view and a good breeze!
The packed size of this screen tent is only 17 pounds, 7 ounces – making it the lightest option on our list! It also has a packed size of 26.5 x 8 x 8 inches – which will allow you to travel with this screen house with ease; and store it easily in the closet when not in use.
It has fiberglass roof poles, and it can be placed over a table after it has been assembled. Plan on spending a couple of minutes assembling it.
You get everything you need with this tent, and this is another option that I would strongly recommended for people looking for a screen house to take camping!
Northwest Territory 14 x 12 Screen House
When I think of backyard party screen house – the Northwest Territory 14 x 12 Screen House pops right into my head.
This 14 x 12-foot screen house provides 132 square feet of interior space, and has a huge front entrance that can be opened to provide easy access to the inside. The 7-foot-high center space also provide plenty of head room.
This screen house has plenty of mesh windows and a vented roof that provides great airflow, but also protection from the sun & bugs.
It is made with a strong steel frame that has fiberglass poles to hold it up – and should be durable enough to last a few years!
It has no floor, and will easy fit a table and a number of spectators as well!
Again, this screenhouse just screams backyard party or BBQ tent because of its great look and ability to have a wide open front door!
Quest 12 x 12 Mesh Screen House
We included the Quest 12 x 12 Mesh Screenhouse because it is the most affordable option on our list. For those that are looking for a cheaper but very functional screen house, this is a great pick.
It has a very basic square design and is 12 feet by 12 feet in space, which provides right around 100 square feet of room. The walk-in height is 7’6”, so even the tallest of your friends should have no problems walking around inside.
It is made from a very basic mesh wall material and fiberglass frame. Due to the very basic fabric material, this screen house only weighs 12 pounds, making it super easy to carry, store, and lift over a table once set up.
It does take a little bit of time to set up, but the shock-cord poles make the set up relatively simple. It comes with all the materials you need, plus a carrying case.
This is certainly not the most fancy of screen houses you can buy, but like we said, if you are looking for something very simple for camping or backyard usage – this is a really good and affordable choice.
Frequently Asked Screen House Questions
Q. Why are instant screen houses so much heavier than non-instant screen houses?
A. This has to do with the design. Instant screen houses must be built with high quality, durable materials that are already in place for you. The design makes them heavier, but allows you to set them up in as little as 45 seconds!
When buying a screen house, you may need to decide what is more important – having a light weight screen house, or having one that can be set up incredibly easily.
Q. What is the difference between a screen house and a tent?
A. There are a few major differences between screen houses and tents. Screen houses are built to be “screened” in on all sides, allowing for a wide-open view and increased air flow. They are also normally designed with a taller inside and center height than tents to make moving inside of them easier. Most screen houses also do not have a floor.
Tents are obviously designed to be a closed-in shelter for overnight camping. Screen houses can certainly be used as a shelter overnight, but that isn’t their primary purpose.
Q. Why do most screen houses not have a floor?
A. Most screen houses don’t have a floor so they can be setup and placed over things like a picnic table.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully this article achieved our goal and made it easy for you to pick from our list of the best screen houses to find the right one for your outdoor fun!
Our advice is don’t let insects and the elements ruin your next outdoor gathering, be protected and do it in style with a great looking screen house!
If a screen house isn’t exactly what you are looking for, and you feel you may need more of a tent, we have plenty of great best of lists for different tents you can checkout below!
Enjoy the outdoors!