NEMO Aurora Highrise Camping Tent Review
Live-able, easy-to-set-up, comfortable group and family camping tent
September 2nd, 2025
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Our verdict
The NEMO Aurora Highrise is everything most campers want in a tent, balancing excellent ventilation, stand-up height, spaciousness, ease of set up, and price. It doesn't feel complicated or pretentious. The Aurora Highrise is the tent for campers who want to make camping easy.
The Aurora Highrise feels reminiscent of that family tent that you grew up with, except without all the annoying problems and frustration. The Aurora is filled with thoughtful details, like panoramic views and excellent ventilation so it doesn't feel stuffy, windows with full waterproof covers that roll up and down as needed, pockets galore, and a rainfly that extends all the way to the ground.
It's almost unremarkable in how simple everything seems, but what makes this tent great is everything works together without the usual frustration of most car camping tents. It feels like someone said, "What if we made the Coleman Sundome (that we all know and love), only a lot better?"
It's as if NEMO took everything they learned from making technical tents and said, "What if we took some of this stuff to make a better family camping tent?"
As a result, the NEMO Aurora Highrise is an excellent tent for families that car camp a couple times a summer and plan to do so for at least 5 years. It's a great tent for friend groups to invest in for their annual camping trip together.
The Aurora Highrise is not a tent for mountaineers or 4-season use. It isn't a tent for base camping and setting up for a couple months by the RV or summer camp. There's nothing extreme about it. It's a no-fuss friends and family camping tent for weekend trips that's easy to set up, straightforward, and very live-able. And with that goal, it does what it is designed for very well.
For more of our favorites, check out our Best Camping Tents guide. Complete your camping gear checklist with our favorite camping sleeping bags, camping mattresses, camp chairs, and camp tables.
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NEMO Aurora Highrise Tent Specifications
Weight: 15 lbs 14 oz (4P) / 18 lbs 10 oz (6P)
Capacity: 4-person / 6-person options
Floor Area: 62.5 sq ft (4P) / 83.3 sq ft (6P)
Peak Height: 75" (4P) / 77" (6P)
Floor Dimensions: 100" x 90" (4P) / 100" x 120" (6P)
Best for: Car camping, family camping, standing height comfort
Season Rating: 3-season
Doors/Vestibules: 2 doors, 2 vestibules
Materials: 150D polyester floor, 68D polyester fly, aluminum poles
Setup: Freestanding dome with unique frame design
Price: $399.95 (4P) / $499.95 (6P)
Comparison table
| CAMPING TENT | MSRP | # OF PEOPLE | FLOOR SPACE | DOORS/ VESTIBULES | VESTIBULE SPACE | FREESTANDING? | PEAK HEIGHT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nemo Aurora Highrise 6 | $500 | 4, 6 | 83.3 SF | 2/2 | 47.2 SF | Y | 77" |
| The North Face Wawona 6 | $550 | 4, 6 | 86.11 SF | 1/1 | 44.7 SF | Y | 76" |
| REI Co-op Wonderland 6 | $499 | 4, 6 | 83.3 SF | 2/0 | n/a | Y | 78" |
| Mountain Hardwear Mineral King 3 | $375 | 3 | 42.5 SF | 2/2 | 20.9 | Y | 48" |
| Eureka Copper Canyon LX 4 | $329 | 4, 6, 8, 12 | 64 SF | 1/0 | n/a | Y | 84" |
Who is it for?
Families and friends who want to make camping easy
Families seeking standing room for car camping
Friend groups sharing a tent who want maximum interior space
Couples who want to spread out comfortably with extra gear and camp furniture
Campers who prioritize ease of setup and intuitive tent design
Those wanting lifetime warranty coverage
Groups needing excellent ventilation
People who want a tent that can give panoramic views through large windows
How we tested
We spent nearly a month camping in the NEMO Aurora High Rise at an outdoor summer camp in the Eastern Sierra. Six testers ranged from people who had slept hundreds of nights outside to those who were sleeping their first night outside. This range of outdoor skill sets proved helpful when testers ranked ease and intuitiveness of setup.
We tested the NEMO Aurora High Rise with sleeping pads and with camping cots in sleeping bags rated from 20F to 40F. We tested in near-freezing temperatures to hot summer days and nights, and in light rain and weeks of high winds. We tested the 4-person version of the tent, so testers switched and gave their opinions, especially relative to the REI Base Camp 6, which we also set up nearby.
What we liked
The tent is a whopping nearly 50% mesh construction for excellent airflow in hot weather
Ease of set up, even compared other similar tents
Two doors with huge venting mesh windows for looking out
Huge windows for venting and panoramic views
Lots of pockets across the bottom
Fun colors and plaid floor
What could be better
Rain fly materials could be more durable, tauter, and quieter in the wind
Vestibules are not very big (at least in the 4-person version), so not ideal for storing gear items like camp furniture or a bike. The 6-person version has REALLY big vestibules, though!
Price for a more casual tent
Features
Interior space and livability
Unique frame design with steep sidewalls allows for maximum interior volume
Standing height throughout most of tent (75"/77" peak height–among the highest we of tents we tested)
Massive floor space: 62.5 sq ft (4P) or 83.3 sq ft (6P)
Two large doors with triple zipper sliders for versatile entry options
Ventilation and visibility
Large rain-protected side windows on all four sides
Windows have mesh and integrated covers that roll up
The tent is an incredible nearly 50% mesh construction for excellent airflow in hot weather
Multiple gear pockets and Nightlight Pocket headlamp diffusers
Attachments for string lights
Overhead mesh is a light blue color that blends into the sky and offers better visibility of the stars at night
Build quality and durability
Heavy-duty 150D polyester floor with colorful printed plaid pattern is pretty unique among camping tents and adds personality
Durable aluminum poles with awesome plastic clip-only system to secure them to the tent makes for easy and straightforward setup. No sleeves to string poles through, which means fewer opportunities for sticking poles in the wrong direction or breaking a pole or ripping through the tent sleeve. Hooray!
Chemical-free flame retardant fabrics meeting safety standards
Protected by NEMO's lifetime warranty against defects
Setup and portability
Intuitive freestanding design with color-coded components
Gatekeeper door clips keep doors organized during entry/exit and are incredibly easy to use
Oversized duffel storage bag has a full-length zipper instead of a stuff system, which makes packing easier than most tents
All components nest in the duffel and it takes up a rectangular amount of space, making it more efficient to pack in a car
Storage and organization
Dual vestibules provide ample gear storage space outside tent
Multiple interior gear pockets for headlamps, books, toys, etc.
Large vestibule accommodates camp chairs and gear
Door jam pockets easily stow the canopy door when not in use
Performance in the field
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The Aurora High Rise has near vertical walls, making it feel more spacious than other tents we tested, even those with similar-sized footprints. That's to say, it has a lot of usable space. This is a tent that no joke can fit its stated number of people. There's even room for gear and to move around. This spaciousness proved to be a wonderful feature for friends that are close enough to share a tent together, but maybe don't want to be crawling on top of one another.
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The NEMO Aurora Highrise is a good choice for camping in mild conditions. Unlike the REI Base Camp we tested nearby, the Highrise isn't as weatherproof–and it isn't designed to be, either. This is a true 3-season (not 3+-season) tent. In high winds, there was some noise in the rain fly design as we couldn't get it quite as taut as on the Base Camp. We had the best luck after setting up the Aurora Highrise near a windbreak.
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The ventilation on this tent is incredible. Mesh makes up nearly 50% of the walls of this tent. The outstanding airflow made this tent feel less hot when we wanted to hang out inside it during the day to get away from the bugs. We couldn't really hang out during the day in the REI Base Camp because it got too hot from lack of ventilation. The Aurora Highrise became our go-to spot for naps, reading, and downtime.
One of our testers had slept hot nearly every night we were camping except for when testing the NEMO Aurora Highrise. Although we didn't experience much condensation on any of the tents we tested in our dry high sub-alpine environment, in general, better ventilation on a tent prevents condensation.
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The NEMO Aurora Highrise has a 10-15 minute set up time with two people. The directions are clearly printed on the duffel bag it comes in with diagrams of how to set it up. The poles, plastic clips they attach to, and grommets for the pole ends are all color coded.
Despite having tested nearly a dozen camping tents over the years, I personally hate–dread, even–setting up car camping tents. I walked away from the Aurora Highrise thinking, "That was incredibly easy! I don't know why I was dreading this." Camping tents will always have a learning curve, especially for newer campers. But among the ones we've tested, this one isn't bad at all.
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Compared to a lot of other tents we've tested, the NEMO Aurora Highrise camping tent screams "fun!" It's got funky colorful design elements in the floor and feels more like a fort or a playground than a tent. Maybe that's why it doesn't feel like a "serious" highly technical tent, even though it's clear that NEMO has integrated some of the same high-end hardware from their more extreme tents. The abundance of pockets means lots of room for kids (and adults!) to stash toys and stuffies and drawing supplies and books.
NEMO Aurora Highrise vs. similar tents
Compared to other camping tents we tested, the NEMO Aurora Highrise camping tent seems more fun, more family-oriented, and aimed at making camping easy. It isn't as complicated to set up as most car camping tents. It doesn't have some of the complicated angles found in other tents. It's straightforward and no fuss. It has fun colors, lots of pockets, and plenty of usable floor space because of the near vertical walls. It has among the highest standing heights of camping tents. The amount of no-see-um mesh venting on this tent means it is great for hanging out in the day or for campers who "sleep hot."
However, it isn't quite as durable or weatherproof as some other tents on the market. This is a great fair-weather tent for families and campers who head out a couple of times a year. Even with the lifetime warranty on the Aurora Highrise, a hardcore camper who goes out many times a season and camps into late fall will want something with thicker material and a rainfly better suited for winds and heavy rainfall.
It's not the least expensive tent out there, especially for a casual camping tent. But you get what you pay for here. If you're toying with a more casual family tent like the Coleman Sundome but want something that will last longer and offers better features and weatherproofing, go with the Aurora Highrise.
Should I buy the NEMO Aurora Highrise?
Buy if you want a lot of livability and standing room for car camping with excellent ventilation, no fuss set up, and cool colors.
Skip if you need ultralight weight, extreme weather performance, or budget-friendly pricing.
Where to buy the NEMO Aurora Highrise?
The NEMO Aurora Highrise is a popular gear item, so you have options when it comes to retailers. Here are some of the pros of the retailers.
REI
Pros: 100% satisfaction policy for 1 year; 10% dividend for members.
Amazon
Pros: Free 2-day shipping with Amazon Prime membership
Advice on where to buy
In general for tents, we recommend purchasing from a place with easy or free returns like REI or Zappos to make sure that you feel comfortable setting it up, that it accommodates your entire family, and that you like how much space is inside.
Similar products
The North Face Wawona
Capacity: 6 people (also available in 4-person model)
Seasons: 3
Type: freestanding
Packed weight: 19 lbs, 6.4 oz
Packed size: 10" x 32"
Floor area: 86.11 square feet
Floor dimensions: 120" x 96"
Vestibule area: 44.7 square feet
Peak height: 76"
Doors: 1 on tent body, 2 in vestibule
Canopy and rainfly material: 75-denier polyester with 1,200 mm PU coating
Floor fabric: 150-denier polyester with 1,500 mm PU coating
Similar in size and weight to the Aurora High Rise, The North Face Wawona is also a feature-packed tent. Plenty of storage pockets, Nightlight headlamp diffuser pockets, and loops for string lights make it super functional as well. The steep sidewalls make it feel extremely large, and it's easy to stand inside. The North Face Wawona is our pick for best overall in our Best Camping Tents guide. You can also learn more in our in-depth review of The North Face Wawona Camping Tent.
The North Face Wawona
Weight: 17 lbs 5.6 oz (4P) / 20 lbs 11.5 oz (6P)
Capacity: 4-person / 6-person options
Floor Area: 59 sq ft (4P) / 84 sq ft (6P)
Peak Height: 63" (4P) / 74" (6P)
Floor Dimensions: 100" x 86" (4P) / 110.2" x 110.2" (6P)
Best for: Car camping, weather protection, extended stays
Season Rating: 3-season plus (enhanced cold weather capability)
Doors/Vestibules: 2 doors, 2 vestibules (23 + 15.5 sq ft / 27 + 17 sq ft)
Materials: 150D polyester floor, 75D polyester body/fly, aluminum poles
Setup: Freestanding 5-pole dome design
Price: $474 (4P) / $549 (6P)
The REI Co-op Base Camp tent is a robust 3+-season tent designed to be weather -resistant, roomy, relatively easy to set up, and made of durable materials. It's a great car camping tent for anyone camping in fall, early spring, extended rainy conditions, base camping, or otherwise setting up in one spot for a while and expecting to see some weather. However, the venting isn't as effective as the High Rise Aurora and it can get stuffy. The setup is also more cumbersome.
In addition,the Base Camp is more expensive than the High Rise. Like the NEMO Highrise Aurora, it has a rain fly that extends all the way to the ground and plenty of pockets. It has near vertical walls–a camper up to 6'3" can stand inside, which is 1" less than on the NEMO.
The Base Camp is made of more durable materials and is for a dedicated camper who gets out every year and wants a tent that can last a lifetime, or at least a childhood's worth of camping trips. Read our in-depth review of the REI Co-op Base Camp Tent to learn more.
REI Co-op Base Camp tent
Capacity: 3 people (also available in 2-person model)
Seasons: 3 (also available in all-season version)
Type: freestanding
Packed weight: 7 lbs, 13.7 oz
Packed size: 7" x 25"
Floor area: 42.5 square feet
Floor dimensions: 90" x 68"
Vestibule area: 20.9 square feet
Peak height: 48"
Doors: 2
The Mountain Hardwear Mineral King 3 is our winner for best versatile camping tent, but comparing it to the Aurora Highrise is like comparing oranges and mangoes. They're both camping tents, but the Mineral King has more in common with a backpacking tent than a home away from home. There's no vestibule to hang out in. You can't even stand up in it. But it's an easy-to-assemble and roomy option for those who want a more minimalist camping tent. You can read more in our in-depth review of the Mountain Hardwear Mineral King tent.
Mountain Hardwear Mineral King 3
Capacity: 6 people (also available in 4-person model)
Seasons: 3
Type: freestanding
Packed weight: 22 lbs, 15 oz
Packed size: 13" x 32"
Floor area: 83.3 square feet
Floor dimensions: 120" x 100"
Vestibule area: none
Peak height: 78"
Doors: 2
The REI Wonderland is probably the most similar camping tent to the Aurora Highrise. It has an impressive height of 78 inches and two doors with an easy sleeping arrangement design. It also has large doors to move camp furniture in and out, and plenty of storage pockets. It’s the winner of Best for Families in our Best Camping Tents guide.
But what the REI Wonderland really is missing compared to the Aurora Highrise is the vestibule. The Wonderland doesn't have a vestibule. That means you have to bring your bikes and camp furniture inside if it is raining (or let them get wet). There's nowhere to hang out in the rain, other than inside the tent.. The REI Wonderland is a great value for the price, but we really missed the vestibule.
REI Wonderland 6 Tent
Why you should trust us / About the author
Liz Thomas is an award-winning Los Angeles-based writer and Editor-in-Chief of Treeline Review. A former Fastest Known Time (FKT) record holder on the Appalachian Trail, Liz came to Treeline Review from New York Times/Wirecutter, the New York Times’ product review site, where she was a staff writer on the outdoor team.
Liz has talked gear on Good Morning America (TV), in The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, Buzzfeed, Men’s Journal, Women’s Health, Gizmodo, and Outside Magazine.
You can read more about Liz at her wikipedia page here or on her website. See all her Treeline Review articles on her author page.
