Perfect For These Adventures
The Outwell Monterey 4 Air shines when you need reliable shelter that doesn't require a degree in structural engineering to pitch. It's particularly well-suited for small families with young children, couples who want separate sleeping and living areas, and groups of friends sharing a base camp.
With a setup time of around 23 minutes, you'll be relaxing with a cold drink while neighboring campers are still wrestling with their pole tents. This makes it ideal for arrival after dark or in poor weather when every minute counts.
What Campers Value Most
Families with young children particularly appreciate inflatable tents in this size range—getting camp set up quickly means kids can start exploring sooner rather than watching parents struggle with complicated pole assemblies. Outwell has built a strong reputation in the inflatable tent market, and owners frequently mention the quality of construction and attention to detail in their reviews. The air beam design typically provides excellent stability in wind—unlike rigid poles that can snap or bend, inflatable tubes flex and absorb gusts, which campers often discover during their first windy night and never want to go back to traditional tents afterward.
Common scenarios where this tent type excels include: Arriving at a packed festival campsite in fading light and being camp-ready before the headliner goes on stage, Setting up in light rain without getting soaked because you're not fumbling with 20 different pole sections.
How It Stacks Up Against the Competition
Compared to traditional pole tents in the 4-person category, the Outwell Monterey 4 Air trades some additional pack weight and slightly higher cost for dramatically faster setup and elimination of broken pole mishaps. This is a worthwhile trade for most car campers and festival-goers.
The 19.7kg weight is typical for inflatable tents of this size—heavier than ultralight backpacking tents but perfectly acceptable for car camping where the convenience factor far outweighs the extra few kilograms.
Price-wise (<strong>£649.99 to £719.99</strong> in the UK<br> <strong>€829.95</strong> in Europe<br> Good value for features but on the higher end for entry-level air tents), inflatable tents command a premium over basic pole tents, but consider that you're paying for engineering that eliminates poles entirely, reduces setup time by 60-70%, and often includes better materials and weatherproofing. For campers who go out regularly, the time savings alone justify the investment.
When cross-shopping, you'll likely also consider models from Vango, Coleman. Outwell positions itself competitively with features and build quality that match or exceed these established brands while sometimes offering better value.
Our Take: Is This Tent Worth It?
Families will find the Outwell Monterey 4 Air makes camping with children significantly less stressful. The inflatable design means you'll never deal with bent poles or missing sections again, and while setup takes a bit longer than the fastest inflatables, it's still far quicker than comparable pole tents.
Buy this tent if: You value your time and sanity, camp from your vehicle, and want reliable shelter without the pole-tent hassle. It's especially good for families, festival-goers, and anyone who camps regularly enough that the time savings add up.
Consider alternatives if: You're a weight-obsessed backpacker (go ultralight), an extreme budget camper (basic pole tents cost less), or someone who camps once per decade (the premium might not be worth it for such occasional use).
Overall, the Outwell Monterey 4 Air represents the modern approach to camping: smart engineering that removes frustration and lets you focus on why you went camping in the first place. Once you've experienced the convenience of inflatable tent technology, going back to poles feels like reverting to a flip phone after using a smartphone.
