Most pop-up canopy tent models on the market today do not include a certified wind resistance rating. That includes our competitors in the professional pop-up canopy space who sell heavy-duty tents.
That’s not the case when it comes to TentCraft solutions, though.
Just like TentCraft is the only American manufacturer of professional-grade, custom pop-up tents, we’re also the only company to include a certified wind rating issued by an actual engineering firm with our heavy-duty canopy tent models — and we back up our quality, and that rating with a lifetime frame warranty.
How Much Wind Can a Pop-Up Canopy Take Before it Breaks?
There isn’t a black-and-white answer to this question since there are so many technical factors to consider, but we’ll do our best to give you a rough idea.
Our 10x10 MONARCHTENT, for instance, comes with a certified wind rating of 35 mph when properly ballasted. Now, could it stand up to a 40 mph gust of strong wind? Probably. But we would never recommend trying it.
It’s easy for every industry — including the custom tent business — to get sucked into marketing the best-possible metrics. That’s why you see pop-up canopy tents advertised as the “strongest on the market” against high wind because they can sustain a 75 mph blast from a controlled wind tunnel device.
Those numbers mean absolutely nothing, though, because 1) Who in their right mind is even going to be outside in a storm that produces 75 mph winds (CATEGORY 1 HURRICANE WINDS!)? And 2) There will never be an instance when the natural wind blows exactly in the same direction as it does in a wind tunnel experiment. The real wind swirls, crosses, lifts — it’s completely unpredictable.
“Real-world wind can never be a direct physics question,” says Ryan Gemmell, an engineer for TentCraft.
We decided to make it better by hiring a professional, third-party engineering firm to give MONARCHTENT an honest wind rating that’s backed by research, accurate testing, and a safety factor that gives our team confidence in selling a solution that withstands the winds we actually advertise.
If you ask other companies in this space what their heavy-duty pop-up tent is rated at for wind, you’ll get a response like, “40-45 mph.”
Make sure you follow up, though, with: “Is that a certified wind rating?”
Chances are good they will tell you “No.”
In other words, most companies make an educated guess about how much wind their tents can handle, but they’re never entirely sure.
That’s why you often see companies advertise wind ratings on similar-sized pop-up tents that are higher compared to TentCraft’s heavy-duty tents. We’ve done the homework, though, and build, market, and sell tents always with safety in mind.
To recap: Our 10x10 MONARCHTENT is certified with a 35 mph wind rating when properly anchored, but that rating drops as you add walls and half-walls, because those accessories add wind resistance.
Is that a good rating? Well, ask our customers!
How do you secure a pop-up canopy tent in high winds?
A wind rating is only good if your tent is properly anchored to the ground. Thankfully, you have plenty of options.
Staking your tent is always preferred, but when you’re set up on concrete and staking isn’t an option, TentCraft’s weighted footplates can be easily transported and offer enough weight for a respectable win rating.
What makes a pop-up canopy heavy-duty?
At TentCraft we define a heavy-duty pop-up tent as being made…
- With an all-aluminum framework. (See why aluminum always wins vs steel)
- With a tent leg diameter of at least 2 inches.
- With a frame weight of about 65-70 lbs.
- With a thick footpad designed to be dragged across concrete parking lots.
Every company is going to define its heavy-duty option a little differently, but as the only custom canopy tent company that manufactures its frames in the United States, we like to think we bring a certain level of expertise to this conversation.
Learn More About Tents and Wind Resistance
If you’re looking for a custom pop-up canopy that can stand up to windy conditions, start a conversation with TentCraft today and let’s start building your branded tent. Request a quote.
