Are Airbeam tents worth the money?

[StillMedusa]

We do one big camp a year... for a week.
We used to own a huge Vango Amazon 800 (4 kids) but then sold it after about 6 years , downsizing as we figured our now young adult kids wouldn't want to come every year.

We were wrong and now they bring boyfriends and girlfriends along, so we have a smaller tent for a few of them and want a decent (at least 6 berth and big) tent again. Our old Vango was heavy..steel poles etc but very sturdy. Are the Airbeams as reliable? DH thinks they are a ridiculous price but I think if we use one for the another 6 years it works out.

Anyone have an Airbeam tent and love it.. or not??!

We had a thread about this recently - www.mumsnet.com/Talk/camping/2555468-Inflatable-tents-yay-or-nay

I assume all these young adults will help set up and strike the camp? If so, I would just get a poled tent. The ease of pitching single handed isn't needed, so save the money. Or spend it on an even more fabulous poled tent.

The newer airbeams seem reliable but I am not sure that's really relevant to your decision.

We've just bought an vango Capri 600xl airbeam tent and it's absolutely fantastic. It doesn't even take 15minutes to put up! Totally recommend an airbeam tent!

We have the Vango illusion 800 (think that's what it's called) using a manual pump my partner can have it up by himself in 15 mins which is good however we have agreed that we could do a standard tent with poles in the same time. My advice would be save yourself a fortune and go for a tent with poles! Nothing wrong with the tent but I can't really see the benefit of the airbeam

We've just got an airbeam and it's brilliant but we have a 3 year old and a 1 year old so the ability to pitch a large tent single handed is very helpful. If we were all grown ups we'd probably just stick to poles, no huge advantage otherwise.

Yes yes yes, I've got a Vango Edoras, there is no way I could put a poled tent of that size up on my own.
It goes up and down really quickly.

Love our vango airbeam. But, the valves are dodgy already.

We've got one - the Centara 600. New this year, used twice. Cost £400 (on sale).

It's FANTASTIC to put up - amazingly quick, easy, simple. Real delight.
BUT, it's a pain to put it away. Because it has the beams it needs careful folding along beam lines, and we haven't worked out a good system yet.
So I think yes, worth it when pitching time matters (our kids are young and we quarrel about this sort of thing) but not otherwise.

Ours is great.
We bought a vango one last year.
I will never go back to a pole tent now.

We are looking at getting one. DH has a disability and we thought we had lost the chance of camping but if I can put an inflatable tent up by myself maybe we can continue to go. Is it doable for a 5ft 5 mid 40s woman on her own?

If you are feeling rich, you could get a Karsten. They are modular inflatable canvas tents that are very strong and last forever. That way, you can take part of the tent if just camping as a couple or the whole thing if camping altogether

Yes User, Definitely.

You can buy customer returns (from the likes of Go Outdoors) via eBay from a place in Runcorn. We got our 6 person Airbeam from there for £200. The colour had faded and there was a small hole in the window but easily repaired. Got the carpet and porch too (again faded). Had to buy the ground sheet full price.