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.

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

Roof tents can be mounted on the vast majority of cars – from Porsches 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 140 centimeter wide mattress.

You can easily find out which car roof tents work on your particular car by checking two things.

You should check this before choosing a tent for your car

Before you buy a tent for the 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. maximum load for when the car is in motion. It is normally between 60 - 100 kilos.

Stationary, a 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, such as a Volvo V60 and up, you can most likely choose whatever size you want. But always check what it says in your car's owner's manual just to be safe.

2. That your roof racks are suitable for mounting a tent on the car roof with. We recommend roof racks that are attached to the car's rails (railings) or to fixed attachment points and that have a maximum load of at least 75 kilos. Read more about roof racks and roof tents here .

3. Tent on the car roof of a soft-shell or hard-shell model?

Do you want a soft-shell or hard-shell model roof tent for your car?

A roof tent with a soft shell resembles a normal tent when it is unfolded. It unfolds and folds like a fan with the help of the ladder.

When this type of car roof tent is folded up, you protect it with a plastic cover that is easily attached with a zipper. This cover is the reason why this type of car roof tent is called a soft shell.

Some of the biggest advantages of soft-shell roof tents are that they are cheaper and that you can leave sleeping things behind when you fold the roof tent.

Advantages of tents on the car of the soft shell model:

1. The price
2. The space – full seat height inside the roof tent.
3. The ladder does not need to be stored in the car
4. Blankets and pillows can be left behind when you fold the roof tent

Hard-shell model roof tents take up less space in the folded position and then look like a regular roof box. They are usually significantly more expensive than softshells.

An advantage of hard shells is that they are quicker to fold up than soft shells. If that's a "deal breaker" for you, then a hard shell might be the right option.

However, remember that you shed a soft shell in just a few minutes.

Advantages of tents on the hard shell model car:

1. Faster to fold up/fold
2. Lower and more aerodynamic when folded.

All the roof tents we sell at Taktältarna are soft shells . We have chosen to sell softshells because we think they are more affordable and also more fun than hardshells.

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.

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.