Overlanding.info

Hardshell vs softshell roof tents

By the Overlanding.info team · Last checked

Compared on published specs, not tested. We haven't tested these products. Figures come from makers' and retailers' published specs, linked in the sources. How we compare.

On this page
  1. The short answer
  2. How each opens and packs
  3. Weight and your roof load
  4. UK wind, rain and condensation
  5. Space and sleeping
  6. Which suits which trip
  7. FAQs

The short answer

A hardshell roof tent sits in a rigid case on your roof and opens by lifting the lid, so it's quick to put up and take down. A softshell folds out from a smaller box into a larger floor, takes longer to open and is often lighter.

To show the difference on real figures, this guide uses one maker's pair throughout: the TentBox Classic 2.0 (hardshell) and the TentBox Lite 2.0 (softshell), from TentBox's published specs. Other makers' figures will differ, so compare the models you're considering in roof tents compared on published specs.

How each opens and packs

Hardshell

TentBox says the Classic 2.0 opens in about 60 seconds: you push the shell up and gas-assisted struts lift it the rest of the way. It has a black ABS shell. Closed, it measures 128 cm wide, 218 cm long and 35 cm high, so it covers roughly the same footprint on the roof whether it's open or shut, and only the height changes (100 cm open).

Softshell

TentBox says the Lite 2.0 opens by hand in around 5 minutes. You take off the cover, extend the ladder, fold out the base and fit the poles. Closed, it's 133 cm wide, 110 cm long and 25 cm high; folded out, it's 220 cm long and 105 cm high. That's about half the length on the roof when packed, and the tent overhangs the car once it's open.

Weight and your roof load

On these two models the softshell is the lighter one: 50 kg against 67 kg, a 17 kg difference. That matters because the tent, your roof bars and anything else on the roof all count against your car's roof load limit while you're driving.

Check your roof load with the tent's published weight, your bars' rating and your car's limit from the handbook before you buy. Both TentBox models list a 300 kg internal weight capacity, but that's how much the tent itself is designed to hold, not what your car's roof can carry.

UK wind, rain and condensation

Both TentBox models list the same 3000 mm fabric rating, so on these two the shell type doesn't change the fabric's waterproof figure. TentBox gives the Classic 2.0 a wind rating of up to 50 mph.

For what to look for in fabric, wind and condensation specs, see roof tent specs for UK weather.

Space and sleeping

Both sleep two. The softshell has the bigger mattress on these figures: 220 × 130 cm on the Lite 2.0 against 120 × 210 cm on the Classic 2.0. The Lite 2.0's floor folds out past its packed case, which is how it gets a bigger mattress from a smaller box.

Which suits which trip

  • Lots of short stops, or one-night pitches: a hardshell's quick opening and closing (about 60 seconds on the Classic 2.0, on TentBox's figures) saves time at each stop.
  • A lighter roof load, or a smaller car: a softshell like the Lite 2.0 is lighter and shorter when packed, so it may fit roof load limits a hardshell won't. Check with the roof load checker.
  • More sleeping space: on these two models, the softshell's mattress is larger.
  • Not sure you'll use one often: weigh up hiring or buying a roof tent before you commit to either type.

FAQs

Is a hardshell or softshell roof tent lighter?

It depends on the model, so check each maker's published weight. On TentBox's figures, the Lite 2.0 softshell is 50 kg and the Classic 2.0 hardshell is 67 kg.

Which is quicker to put up?

On TentBox's figures, the Classic 2.0 hardshell opens in about 60 seconds with gas struts, and the Lite 2.0 softshell opens by hand in around 5 minutes.

Will a roof tent fit my car?

Add up the tent's published weight and your roof bars, then compare that with your car's roof load limit. The roof load checker does the sums for you.

More in Roof tents

Sources