What this line covers
A bell tent is a round canvas tent with a low vertical wall, held up by one centre pole and an A-frame pole at the door, and pulled into shape by a ring of guy lines. It is roomy, easy to furnish and looks right on a meadow, which is why glamping sites, festival villages, wedding venues and brand owners with a premium camping range buy it. Unlike synthetic camping tents, a bell tent lives in its canvas: the fabric breathes, insulates and ages, and its care decides how long the tent lasts.
The reference model on the pitch plate is a 5 m bell tent from public listings: 500 cm in diameter, 300 cm at the centre pole, with a 60 cm wall. It uses 285 gsm cotton canvas over a 540 gsm PVC tub floor, a 31 mm steel centre pole and an A-frame door pole, and weighs about 35 kg, packing to about 96x33x33 cm. It pitches with twelve guy lines and about 24 stakes, and with the lines out it needs a circle of about 7 m. Weights vary with canvas grade and between listings, so the order file records the weight of your sample.
Sizes and canvas
The category runs from 3 m to 7 m in diameter. Canvas weight usually rises with size, because larger roofs carry more load on the centre pole and the guy lines.
| Diameter | Typical use | Canvas | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 m | Couples, children's tents, festival singles | Lower end of 285-360 gsm, per spec sheet | Lighter and easier to pitch |
| 4 m | Couples with furniture, small families | Within 285-360 gsm, per spec sheet | Common glamping double |
| 5 m | Families, glamping suites | 285 gsm cotton (reference model) | Common size on sites |
| 6-7 m | Groups, lounges, event spaces | Towards 360 gsm, per spec sheet | Heavier poles and more guy lines |
Only the 5 m row is a reference model; the other rows describe how ranges are usually built and are fixed on the spec sheet for each order. A site that buys several sizes should keep one canvas grade and colour across them, so tents weather and fade at the same rate and spare parts stay interchangeable.
Cotton canvas breathes and stays cooler in sun, but is heavy and must be dried before storage. Polycotton blends are lighter and dry faster. Both are usually treated for water and mildew resistance; any flame-resistant treatment is stated per test report. The canvas and polycotton note compares them.
Floor, poles and stove jack
The 540 gsm PVC tub floor zips into the wall on most models, so it can be removed for cleaning or rolled back on hot days. The centre pole and door A-frame are usually steel; diameter and wall thickness belong on the spec sheet. A stove jack, a heat-resistant ring sewn into the roof or wall for a stove flue, is a popular option for winter sites. It changes the fire risk of the tent, so the stove, the flue and the clearance to canvas must follow the stove maker's instructions and the site's own rules. See bell tent poles and frames.
Weather, anchoring and care
Canvas swells when it first gets wet and the weave closes; a new bell tent is often weathered once before use. Water resistance of the canvas is reported per test, but seams, zips and a taut pitch decide whether the tent stays dry. There is no honest wind rating; the order specifies the twelve guy lines, about 24 stakes matched to the soil and the pitch sequence, and site operators take tents down or reinforce them when wind picks up. Mildew is the most common failure: canvas packed damp will spot within days, so the care manual must say to dry before storage. The weather and wind guide covers anchoring.
Reports, private label and ordering
Glamping sites and events may ask for canvas tested to CPAI-84 or NFPA 701, and EU retail sales follow EN ISO 5912 and GPSR labelling. Reports are issued to the partner factory or your brand per order and verified by the desk. Existing styles with your logo, colours and bags typically start at 300-500 per style as a factory convention, while glamping site projects are assessed per order, with samples in 7-15 days and bulk in 30-45 days, confirmed in writing for each order. Send sizes, canvas and options through the quote form.