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Coleman Exponent TYL X2 Tent
Coleman Exponent TYL X2 ($170)
Three and 1/2 out of five stars
800-835-3278
coleman.com
The Lowdown Priced lower than the others, the TYL X2 weighs 5 pounds 5 ounces, measures 86x59 inches, and has a height of 43 inches. The tent is a combination of breathable polyester and mesh panels. Two aluminum shock-cord poles frame over the tent and are attached with plastic clips. The fly includes a 9-square-foot vestibule. The door is large, and there are two mesh pockets inside. This was the only tent to include a repair kit.
The Coleman received decent scores from all but Ryan, who said the tent was too small, and that the fly offered no protection when getting in and out. Sucheski said the tent performed well in rain and wind. Stoddard thought the poles were flimsy but loved the tent’s reflective material.
Hits “For $170, this is a great deal.” —Sucheski
“It stood up to wind very well.” —Akins
Misses “Small—more like a one-man tent.” —Ryan
“I’d pay more to get a tent with stronger poles.” —Stoddard
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Reviews (4)
Reader Review – Delwin Akins
(also tested three other tents; find reviews here)
Construction and design: All seams double stitched, roof is vented, fabric is lightweight. Poles are equal to the other tents. Flyroof has a vent.
Performance: No leaks when tent was wet down with a water hose. This tent weighed 5 pounds, 12 ounces. It’s nice and light; should stand up to wind well. It has six tie-down lines. It should be fairly warm in cold weather. One small vestibule with little room for gear. This is the smallest tent of the four.
Durability: With a total of 14 stakes, it should hold up in the wind better than any other. The Eureka also has 14, but is a larger tent. This tent should last.
Innovation: This tent only has one door and one small vestibule located at the head end of the tent. The others have two of each located on the sides. Each camper has a door on the others.
Value: This seems to be a winner on value. It should be warm when weather is cold. Might be too hot for summer, as it is a dark color, and not as ventilated as some. Eureka is tops in this area because it has two doors and more room for a few dollars more.
Greatest benefit: It has six tie-down lines, more than any of the others. It should stand up to the wind well. The fly is made of strong substantial fabric. There are a total of 14 stakes.
Worst attribute: I would like to see longer tent stakes with all tents. This tent only has one door, and one small vestibule, so there is very little room for gear.
Buy or no: Yes
Final comments: It would be better if it were somewhat wider and it really could use either another vestibule or a larger one. Also note that two of the tents (Eureka and Coleman) have vents in the fly roof and the tent body while ventilated is mostly nylon fabric that will keep you warmer in the cold weather. The other two, MSR and LL Bean, have no vents in the fly and the main tent body is mostly no-seem netting. This would be cooler in the hot weather. I would place this tent overall No. 3, simply because it is small and has very little room for gear.
Reader Review – Dan Ryan
(also tested three other tents; find reviews here)
Construction and design:
• I didn’t like the design of the rain fly. It offers no protection when getting in or out of the tent in a downpour. Rain just comes right in.
• The stitching is average.
• The seams are okay.
• The fabric of the rain fly is heavy duty.
• The mesh does not seem as durable as the others
Performance:
• Very small. More like a single tent then a 2-man.
• Very little storage area in the vestibule.
• I didn’t like the way the door zips performed. The zipper keeps getting stuck on the curve.
Durability:
• It did stand up well to heavy wind on top of a ridge line
• The guy lines don’t properly hold the rain fly away from the tent fabric
Innovation: The most innovative feature of this tent is that the repair kit is stitched right into the stuff sack – so are the instructions
Value: I expected this tent to be much less expensive than the other three. It is not a good value
Greatest benefit: The fabric of the floor and rain fly is high quality
Worst attribute: Size – way too small and claustrophobic both inside the tent and the vestibule
Buy or no: No
Final comments: N/A
Reader Review – Kurt Stoddard/Ryan Barcky
(also tested three other tents; find reviews here)
Construction and design: Poles are very light, but are the most flimsy of the four. This fact doesn’t build confidence in its ability to withstand high winds.
Performance: Only 3 ounces, heavier than MSR. Will get job done, but you’ll sacrifice comfort to save $100.
Durability: Flimsy poles are my main concern. Elastic chords used for rain fly loops add weight and will fray over time.
Innovation: Outstanding night-time visibility. Other than that, nothing stands out.
Value: I’d rather pay $100 more for the MSR and gain stronger poles, two vestibules and metal rain fly grommets. If I didn’t have the extra $100, I’d choose the LL Bean.
Greatest benefit: Most visible at night.
Worst attribute: Small cramped vestibule, single door entry. I’m 5’7” and felt cramped while putting my shoes on in the vestibule.
Buy or no: No
Final comments: Didn’t really stand out from the crowd. The pre-attached guy ones are a plus.
Reader Review – Pete Sucheski
(also tested three other tents; find reviews here)
Construction and design: This tent is made very well. It is a small, sturdy little tent. The seams are all stitched well, and the stress points are reinforced. The fabric is what you would expect. I liked the reflective tags on the tent. When kicking around camp at night, this helped it stand out. This would also be a good safety feature if lost and out in the woods. The poles worked well, and even came with a small repair kit. I like the pole design, with the small curved pole in the front. This gave just a little bit more headroom when entering. The zippers worked well, as did the grommets. The small vent on the top helped with ventilation. The stakes were also of high quality.
Performance: This tent performed well. It is light, packs small, and is great for backpacking. The tent shed water fine, and again, had no condensation. The vent on the top helped with this. It has a very simple design, and is easy to set up. There was ample space inside the vestibule. I like how there are 2 zippers on the vestibule so you can go right in, instead of having to go in from the side. This was amajor plus. The tent could handle 2 people, but I think it would be a bit tight.
Durability: I think this tent would stand up well. It is sturdy, well built, and a pretty simple design. There are a lot of guy-line points, so it will be able to handle heavy winds.
Innovation: This really doesn’t have any major innovations other then the curved pole in the front. I like that extra space when entering the tent. Also, the vented fly is nice, along with the double zipper vestibule.
Value: For 200 dollars, this tent is a great deal. Packs small, packs light, and looks cool while doing it. The small repair kit could save you a few dollars down the road if something does fail. I also think the stakes won’t bend and will outlast others (L.L. Bean and Eureka).
Greatest benefit: Quality stakes, reflective material, double zipper vestibule, and a light weight/ compact design.
Worst attribute: Would be a tight fit for two people.
Buy or no: Yes
Final comments: N/A
Post a Review
Reader Review – Delwin Akins
(also tested three other tents; find reviews here)
Construction and design: All seams double stitched, roof is vented, fabric is lightweight. Poles are equal to the other tents. Flyroof has a vent.
Performance: No leaks when tent was wet down with a water hose. This tent weighed 5 pounds, 12 ounces. It’s nice and light; should stand up to wind well. It has six tie-down lines. It should be fairly warm in cold weather. One small vestibule with little room for gear. This is the smallest tent of the four.
Durability: With a total of 14 stakes, it should hold up in the wind better than any other. The Eureka also has 14, but is a larger tent. This tent should last.
Innovation: This tent only has one door and one small vestibule located at the head end of the tent. The others have two of each located on the sides. Each camper has a door on the others.
Value: This seems to be a winner on value. It should be warm when weather is cold. Might be too hot for summer, as it is a dark color, and not as ventilated as some. Eureka is tops in this area because it has two doors and more room for a few dollars more.
Greatest benefit: It has six tie-down lines, more than any of the others. It should stand up to the wind well. The fly is made of strong substantial fabric. There are a total of 14 stakes.
Worst attribute: I would like to see longer tent stakes with all tents. This tent only has one door, and one small vestibule, so there is very little room for gear.
Buy or no: Yes
Final comments: It would be better if it were somewhat wider and it really could use either another vestibule or a larger one. Also note that two of the tents (Eureka and Coleman) have vents in the fly roof and the tent body while ventilated is mostly nylon fabric that will keep you warmer in the cold weather. The other two, MSR and LL Bean, have no vents in the fly and the main tent body is mostly no-seem netting. This would be cooler in the hot weather. I would place this tent overall No. 3, simply because it is small and has very little room for gear.
Reader Review – Dan Ryan
(also tested three other tents; find reviews here)
Construction and design:
• I didn’t like the design of the rain fly. It offers no protection when getting in or out of the tent in a downpour. Rain just comes right in.
• The stitching is average.
• The seams are okay.
• The fabric of the rain fly is heavy duty.
• The mesh does not seem as durable as the others
Performance:
• Very small. More like a single tent then a 2-man.
• Very little storage area in the vestibule.
• I didn’t like the way the door zips performed. The zipper keeps getting stuck on the curve.
Durability:
• It did stand up well to heavy wind on top of a ridge line
• The guy lines don’t properly hold the rain fly away from the tent fabric
Innovation: The most innovative feature of this tent is that the repair kit is stitched right into the stuff sack – so are the instructions
Value: I expected this tent to be much less expensive than the other three. It is not a good value
Greatest benefit: The fabric of the floor and rain fly is high quality
Worst attribute: Size – way too small and claustrophobic both inside the tent and the vestibule
Buy or no: No
Final comments: N/A
Reader Review – Kurt Stoddard/Ryan Barcky
(also tested three other tents; find reviews here)
Construction and design: Poles are very light, but are the most flimsy of the four. This fact doesn’t build confidence in its ability to withstand high winds.
Performance: Only 3 ounces, heavier than MSR. Will get job done, but you’ll sacrifice comfort to save $100.
Durability: Flimsy poles are my main concern. Elastic chords used for rain fly loops add weight and will fray over time.
Innovation: Outstanding night-time visibility. Other than that, nothing stands out.
Value: I’d rather pay $100 more for the MSR and gain stronger poles, two vestibules and metal rain fly grommets. If I didn’t have the extra $100, I’d choose the LL Bean.
Greatest benefit: Most visible at night.
Worst attribute: Small cramped vestibule, single door entry. I’m 5’7” and felt cramped while putting my shoes on in the vestibule.
Buy or no: No
Final comments: Didn’t really stand out from the crowd. The pre-attached guy ones are a plus.
Reader Review – Pete Sucheski
(also tested three other tents; find reviews here)
Construction and design: This tent is made very well. It is a small, sturdy little tent. The seams are all stitched well, and the stress points are reinforced. The fabric is what you would expect. I liked the reflective tags on the tent. When kicking around camp at night, this helped it stand out. This would also be a good safety feature if lost and out in the woods. The poles worked well, and even came with a small repair kit. I like the pole design, with the small curved pole in the front. This gave just a little bit more headroom when entering. The zippers worked well, as did the grommets. The small vent on the top helped with ventilation. The stakes were also of high quality.
Performance: This tent performed well. It is light, packs small, and is great for backpacking. The tent shed water fine, and again, had no condensation. The vent on the top helped with this. It has a very simple design, and is easy to set up. There was ample space inside the vestibule. I like how there are 2 zippers on the vestibule so you can go right in, instead of having to go in from the side. This was amajor plus. The tent could handle 2 people, but I think it would be a bit tight.
Durability: I think this tent would stand up well. It is sturdy, well built, and a pretty simple design. There are a lot of guy-line points, so it will be able to handle heavy winds.
Innovation: This really doesn’t have any major innovations other then the curved pole in the front. I like that extra space when entering the tent. Also, the vented fly is nice, along with the double zipper vestibule.
Value: For 200 dollars, this tent is a great deal. Packs small, packs light, and looks cool while doing it. The small repair kit could save you a few dollars down the road if something does fail. I also think the stakes won’t bend and will outlast others (L.L. Bean and Eureka).
Greatest benefit: Quality stakes, reflective material, double zipper vestibule, and a light weight/ compact design.
Worst attribute: Would be a tight fit for two people.
Buy or no: Yes
Final comments: N/A
Post a Review