We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission.
It’s been almost a year since the first stay-at-home orders in the U.S. were announced, which means that you’re probably getting a little (or a lot) antsy being cooped up in your living room. And your bedroom. And your kitchen. And pretty much every room in your home. With winter now in full swing, it’s going to be too cold for the next few months to get much of a change of scenery. But the good news is you can still spend some time al fresco without freezing thanks to this 6’ x 6’ tent from Alvantor.
The transparent shelter, also available on Amazon, is just like the tents that many restaurants are using for outdoor dining, but it’s actually compact enough for your backyard or patio and fits a table and chairs inside. It fits four to six adults, and is the perfect way to spend more time outside in the winter, since so many people are holed up at home more than ever these days.
But the tent isn’t just for dining. If you’re working from home, you could also take a few meetings outside (Just be prepared for your colleagues to be jealous of your Zoom backdrop that isn’t a wall.) Or, have a game night in the great outdoors with your family or roommates. “I use it in my backyard with a portable heater, because I hate being indoors all the time,” said an Amazon customer. “This is great for when I just want to take my coffee outside and watch the snow fall.”
The tent’s six-panel transparent PVC has impressive warmth retention and it’s also wind-resistant. If the temperatures are too chilly inside, you can add a space heater. On sweltering summer days, you can use a cooling unit, making the tent a year-round hangout spot. Keep in mind that it can leak when wet, but you can purchase a waterproof attachment cover separately.
“In Wisconsin it was 32 degrees today. With the sun shining on it, it was 65 degrees inside without a heater on,” noted an Amazon reviewer. “It takes 5 min to get up to a very comfortable 70 degrees inside. Our granddaughter is going to love this, sitting out in the sun with us. Should be a nice winter with this in Wisconsin.”
Another benefit of the tent is that it easily folds up into its compact carry bag whenever it’s not in use, so you can create your own outdoor mini escape anywhere, any time.
“We turned our fire pit into a winter retreat with a small electric heater instead of the raging gas fire,” said an Amazon reviewer. “Super easy to put up and it was very stable in recent strong winds, although we secured it well to our concrete surround. Love it!”
Buy: Alvantor 6’×6′ Outdoor Bubble Tent, $349.99 (normally $399)