3 Best Screen House Tents for Your Backyard in UK

Most of the time people choose to go with a canopy for protection from the sun and the rain, but another choice you have is a screen house tent. This is basically a portable tent that is large enough to accommodate many people inside while they are standing up. Just picture a large canopy with screen all around it and a zip up door on each side. This is one of the best ways to help protect your family from insects, wind, and rain better than a canopy can.

You will realize that regarding setup, there are two main types: instant and non-instant screen houses. This term instant is the same as what applies to instant tents, so the frame is pre-attached to the screened canopy and it remains so all the time. The non-instant screen shelters require assembly, but this is always very easy with their shock-corded poles. Their price, materials and purpose of use differentiate also. Today we will be focusing on those that are ‘Pop Up’ and pitch instantly only.

3 Best Screen House Tents for Your Backyard in UK

1. Alvantor® Screen House Room (Instant Pop Up)

This Alvantor Screen House Room is an easy-to-use and versatile outdoor camping tent canopy with an instant pop-up design. So one person can make it ready easily. They build it in several different sizes. It is fully freestanding and quite tall, with 2 doors.

The good thing is also that they have very useful accessory elements for extra protection and privacy, those include floor and wall panels. This screen house weighs 20 lb (9.1 kg) and the octagon area in this version shown here (12 x 12 feet) is 102 ft² (9.47 m²).

Alvantor® Screen House Room (Instant Pop Up)

Key features & benefits

  • Pop-up design.
  • Extremely easy to set up.
  • Several different sizes.
  • Freestanding.
  • 2 Doors.
  • Accessory walls and floor available.

    What this Alvantor Screen House is about

    So here you have one of those structures that pop-up when you remove the binding strap. This is because of the elastic frame that is integrated in the sleeves. In other words, this is a sort of instant setup construction and you can have it ready in under a minute. It is indeed extremely easy to set up and you will not even see its poles. 

    They build it in several different sizes, but we shall focus on its 12 x 12 feet version. The other sizes have the same basic features.

    This is also a fully freestanding structure, this means it is self-supportive and after it pops up, you can rotate it and move around. But it allows you to make it secured and fixed to the ground, you have the following elements included for this purpose:

    • 6 Sandbags, one shown below. Note that you can fill them with anything that is heavy enough to keep the structure in place. In fact, it is better to use rocks than sand, this is cleaner and less messy. There are hooks in the corners to use to attach the bags with their weight.
    • 12 Stakes, one shown in the picture below. You will use them on the ground that can keep the stakes. They are used at the screen house base and also to attach guylines.
    • 6 Guylines to use with the mentioned stakes.

    Steel stakes are included as well as sandbags.

    Steel stakes are included as well as sandbags.

    The base is an octagon but this is all elastic and you can shape it as it suits you. The picture below shows its base as provided by the manufacturer, and on the right is its shape and diameter when folded. Note that the short diagonal (the red line) cannot be correct if the long diagonal is 12 feet. So the short diagonal should be around 11.09 feet.

    The floor plan and the most important dimensions.

    The floor plan and the most important dimensions.

    Materials

    I already mentioned that the frame is not visible, all the poles are in the sleeves. But this is fiberglass, and this is not particularly strong material so it needs a bit of care when handling. The picture below shows how you let it expand and how you fold it and pack:

    Expanding is easy, folding needs a bit of practice.

    Expanding is easy, folding needs a bit of practice.

    So when you want to pack the screen house, you fold its sides and the twist into an 8-shape, and after that fold into a circular structure as the pictures show. You have a disc-shaped carry bag included.

    The fabric is mostly a fine no-see-um mesh screen as expected in such a structure, the rest is a very durable 210D oxford polyester. They claim it provides UV protection with the SPF 50+ rating.

    Who is it for

    Regarding the weight & packed size, with its 20 lb (9.1 kg) of weight, this is a bit heavy structure. When packed it becomes a disc that measures around (diameter x depth) 41.7 x 3.5 inches (106 x 9 cm). So you realize that this needs a car for transportation.

    Regarding purpose & functionality, I would say this is just a matter of imagination. This is a versatile structure and you can use it as an addition to your camping tent, as a dining or sitting room, or as a cooking space.

    But you can set it up at home in the garden and on your back deck as a screened room. You can also take it on picnics and position it above/around any permanent park table and you will instantly have protection from flying insects. 

    This is absolutely one of the Best Screen House Tents for Your Backyard.

    3 size available, view more here: Alvantor Instant Pop Up Screen House Gazebo For Patios

    2. Coleman Screened Canopy Tent with Instant Setup

    This screen house is on the market also under the name Coleman Back Home Instant Screen House 12 x 10 so do not get confused. As you realize from the picture, here you have a structure with completely vertical walls, so the volume inside cannot be bigger for its base size. Now, the size is a bit confusing, the official dimensions are 12 x 10 ft but this is a hexagon. The declared area is 90 ft² (8.4 m²).

    In any case, here you have enough space for 4-5 people depending on the size of the furniture which you use. This is an instant- setup design as its name suggests, so setting this structure up can hardly be easier. The peak height is impressive 8 ft 4 in (254 cm), and the weight is 45.2 lb (20.5 kg).



    Coleman Screen House Tent with Instant Setup.


    Key features & benefits

    • Portable screen shelter.
    • Completely vertical walls.
    • 3-Minutes setup.
    • 2 Doors.

    Is it really instant setup?


    I think it is best that you see this video on how to take this Coleman Screened Canopy Sun Shade down. You will realize it is not so instant, but the frame is indeed an ingenious construction, it all collapses to the center after you remove the fabric:

    But this is a large structure and in view of this, taking it down or setting it up is rather easy, and the word ‘instant’ in the name is quite justified. They claim you need about three minutes and three steps to set it up. The picture below shows one of the stages in the setup before extending its legs.

     


    How is it built

    There are three main elements here, the frame, the roof, and the screen around. So the fabric elements are separately removable and you can use this structure as a gazebo with the frame and roof only. With the net in place, you have two access points with vertical zippers, the doors are on the opposite sides.

    You have telescoping poles and they are easy to extend and to lock into place thanks to what they call pinch-free Comfort Grip technology. Note that the poles are with large feet so that the structure can stand on while you set it up.

    The roof is with their UVGuard material and they claim it offers 50+ UPF protection. This is a waterproof Polyguard 2X double-thick fabric material so you have some rain protection here.

    Who is it for

    Regarding the size, this is a hexagon with the two main diagonals 12 and 10 ft (366 and 305 cm). The declared area is 90 ft² (8.4 m²), and in view of its floor shape, it is best suited for a round table or even square, and you can easily put 4-5 large chairs inside.

    Note that the mentioned area more or less corresponds to the shade that this screen house offers, the walls are completely vertical, see the picture below.

    Regarding the weight, this Coleman Screened Canopy Tent with Instant Setup weighs 45.2 lb (20.5 kg), so it is heavy but obviously portable. Note that the packed size is 48 x 13.8 x 10.2 inches (122 x 35 x 26 cm) so it is quite long when packed. It comes with a wheeled carry bag for relatively easy transport.

    In any case, you need a car for such an item, but it is worth the effort. You will set it up easily wherever you want, and you will have a base where you and your family members or friends will have a shade and without being annoyed by flying insects.


    Regarding weather conditions and climate, obviously this is a structure for nice weather, but it is strong and stable, and as mentioned above, it offers rain protection too, but there are no walls.

    Specifications

    • Weight: 45.2 lb (20.5 kg).
    • Dimensions: 12 x 10 ft (366 x 305 cm).
    • Area: 90 ft² (8.4 m²).
    • Peak height: 8 ft 4 in (254 cm).
    • Packed size: 48 x 13.8 x 10.2 in (122 x 35 x 26 cm).

    3. NEMO Victory Screen House

    NEMO Victory Screen House

    This NEMO Victory Screenhouse is lightweight with its 16 lb 1 oz (7.29 kg), and it is also freestanding. It is built from advanced materials and with aluminum poles, and this is reflected in its price.

    You have a waterproof roof with rain gutters and roof vents, there are 2 doors, and splash guards. A carry bag is included. The screen house offers an area of 100 ft² (9.3 m²).

    Key features & benefits

    • Aluminum poles.
    • Waterproof roof.
    • 2 Doors.
    • Freestanding.
    • Stash pockets.
    • Roof vents.
    • Rain gutters.
    • Splash guards.
    • Carry bag.

    What this is about

    This NEMO Victory Screenhouse is a unique construction supported by 4 poles and on the first look you would not expect it to be freestanding but it is indeed so. This is a clever design and the structure is self-supporting due to tension in the fabric and mesh after you add the poles in all the sleeves and grommets.

    This means that after you set it up, you can still move it around to find its best orientation and position in the camp. But it comes with a full set of stakes and guylines so you should never miss staking it properly. 

    The walls are almost completely vertical so I would describe it as a cabin-style structure with lots of headroom. There are two doors with stand-up height and with vertical zippers, and with a nice useful detail, a step pad. This allows you to unzip the door with one hand, you step on the pad and pull the zipper with one hand only, such a small but very clever addition, see the picture.

    Step pad for one-handed zipper use

    The inner area is with a peak height quite typical for such screen houses, you have 85 inches (216 cm). Note also that you have a few useful storage pouches on the walls, see the picture below, this is again attention to detail. Observe the roof vents.

    View inside with storage features.

    Materials

    The poles

    You have 4 poles in total and these are top quality aluminum poles in pairs, with 14.5 mm and 12.8 mm diameter.

    The fabric

    As you would expect, there is a No-See-Um mesh on all 4 sides, but there is also lots of waterproof fabric here. So the roof is a durable 75D PeU polyester with a 1500 mm waterproof rating, and you have it all the way to the ground in the corners. There is also that darker fabric area that goes all the way around the base of the tent. So these are splash guards to protect from splatter.

    Note also that the roof is with vents, who would expect this in a screen house. But this allows vapor to escape and reduces condensation. the roof is with rain gutters to channel water properly and mainly along the corner fabric zones, and to avoid water pooling on the roof. To have this working properly, it is best to have this structure pitched on flat ground. The roof and all the other fabric in the corners provide a good sunshade as well.

    This NEMO Victory Screenhouse comes with a duffel storage bag, stakes, guylines, and a repair kit.

    Who is it for
    Regarding purpose and functionality, the picture below shows one of the best ways to use this NEMO Victory Screenhouse. You see it next to one of their tents from the Nemo Wagontop series. So if the tent is not particularly large, this screen house provides a lot of extra space that is partly protected from elements and fully protected from flying insects. You can use it as your dining space in the camp or a cooking or sitting space.

    You can take this screen house also to your ordinary picnics and pitch it above any pre-existing park table and have an area protected from insects and from rain, and you can use it in your backyard as well.

    Obviously this is not a tent, but note that the roof is waterproof and the screen house provides surprisingly good protection from the rain. So if you put a freestanding hammock in the central area, or just a camping cot, you will be pretty much protected and you can sleep there.

    But this is primarily a flying-bug protection structure and a sunshade, you will feel a few degrees cooler under its roof, and with all the breeze through its mesh walls. They describe it as a 3-season shelter and this is more or less so, but I see it mainly as a summer camping shelter.

    Regarding the area, you have 100 ft² (9.3 m²) of it, so this is large enough for a camping table and 4-5 camping chairs no matter how big.

    Regarding the weight & packed size, in view of its 16 lb 1 oz (7.29 kg) of weight, it could be described as lightweight, but I am surprised that it is not lighter with such aluminum poles. The area/weight ratio is 1.27 m²/kg. 

    The packed size 27 x 10 x 10 inches (69 x 25 x 25 cm) is such that I would describe it as a bit bulky. But you will need a car for such an item so this is of secondary importance.

    How to choose your screen house for Your Backyard in UK?

    The level of protection

    All the screen shelters here in the list provide protection from flying insects, there is little difference from this point of view. But you might want to consider also i) protection from the Sun, and ii) protection from the rain.

    Normally you have shade in all of them and the roofs are usually waterproof. But these are screen houses so if you want rain protection, check those with the side panels. Some have them included, or they can be ordered separately.

    Packed size

    This may be important so bear this parameter in mind, there are big differences in the packed size. Usually, the screen houses with instant setup are longer when packed. So this is a sort of trade-off, they are easy to use but they take more space in the car trunk.

    Easy of use

    If you plan to change the place frequently, you might want to consider those with instant setup. They are incredibly easy to use, but as mentioned above they tend to be longer when packed. Instant Pop Up is very important.

    Weight

    This is probably less important as these are all items designed for camping places with a motorized access. But there are differences in the weight by a factor of 2-3, so check if this is important.

    Capacity

    Obviously, this will depend on the base size, but its shape also matters, as well as the shape of the furniture. So for example, if you have a hexagon, the best shape for the table inside might be round.

    On the other hand, large chairs with a backrest that is angled a lot will also take more space. bear in mind also the armrests design and the width of the chairs in general.

    Always be ready to grill, rain or shine, with this amazing collection of the best Screen House Tents for Your Backyard available online. Create shade for yourself and protection for your trusty companion and enjoy your passion even more. Your weekend entertainment is about to reach a whole new level.