What's the best rooftop tent for Subaru Forester? The Subaru Forester is one of the most recognizable nameplates from one of the most iconic brands in the world of off-road adventuring. A powerful combination of capability, size, and affordability makes it an ideal tool for those looking to journey into the great outdoors. One of the company's best-selling models since its introduction in the mid-90s, there are lots of Foresters out there on the road. If you count yourself among the Subaru faithful and you want to take your wilderness shenanigans to the next level, the Forester is a perfect platform for a roof top tent. A large interior cabin means a large roof, so the Subaru Forester can accommodate every Roofnest model, but to make your choice a little easier, here are our favorite options for the best Roofnest rooftop tent to fit on your Subaru Forester.
The Subaru Forester packs a lot of space and capability into a relatively compact machine. The Roofnest Meadowlark follows the same formula. When closed, the Meadowlark measures in at just 47 inches long and 44 inches wide. Even the height is compact, adding just 12” of additional height when closed. No worry about fitting through the drive-thru when making a pit stop on those long road trips. Because the Meadowlark is small when it’s folded, it allows for much greater flexibility when mounting. You can slide it towards the rear of your Forester to keep it from blocking your sunroof, or you can move it forward to make room for mounting other items to the roof rack, like a cargo bag. Despite its diminutive footprint, the Meadowlark folds out to reveal an expansive interior that is more than six-feet long, providing sleeping space for all but the tallest of campers. All of this, wrapped up in our most affordable Roofnest rooftop tent. Another benefit of the ultra-compact design of the Roofnest Meadowlark is the weight, or lack there of. The whole unit hits the scales at just 90 pounds. Less weight means less impact to your fuel economy and your handling, so your Subaru Forester still drives and feels like your Subaru Forester.
If you need a roof top tent with more interior space, the
Condor could be the right choice for your Subaru Forester. Our most popular model, the Condor is a fold-out clamshell rooftop tent that gives you more than 34 square feet of covered interior space. That is almost as much sleeping space as a queen-size mattress. To put it another way, there should be plenty of sleeping space for a pair of adventures
and a four-legged companion. Even though the interior space is palatial, the fold-out design of the Condor means that the closed unit is very compact with a length of 60 inches and a width of 48 inches. On extended camping trips, the Condor makes the ideal basecamp. Thanks to a recent redesign, the Condor now accepts a solar panel installation, making those off-grid journeys even easier. The Condor Awning and Condor Annex can also be added to the setup to maximize covered space. For those of you camping in damper climates like the pacific northwest, you know how beneficial it can be to have some additional dry storage space for your packs and camping gear. Regardless of the weather, the Condor is a comfortable and airy rooftop tent. The large door and two side windows provide plenty of light and ventilation.
If you are the kind of camper that never likes to stay in one place for too long, you should take a look at the
Roofnest Sparrow EYE. The Sparrow EYE is designed to be the fastest and easiest roof top tent to set up and take down with a setup time of 60 seconds or less. To set up the tent, simply undo the clips on the sides and give the clamshell top a push. From there, you can attach the included ladder to either side, or to the rear to climb into the tent. For better views and better airflow, there is a large rain fly at the rear of the Sparrow EYE that you can hold open with the included tension rods. The clamshell hinge sits on the short side of the housing towards the windshield of your Forester to maximize headroom near the door, giving you 44 inches of vertical space. This arrangement also maximizes your views. The design of the Sparrow EYE means that when you lay down to rest at the end of the day, you have a full and unobstructed view of the night sky. If you love to wander, and just need a quick place to sleep before you can continue your journey, the Sparrow EYE’s lightning-fast setup and takedown make it the perfect rooftop tent for your Subaru Forester.
One of the only real drawbacks to a rooftop tent is that you lose the ability to store anything else on top of your Subaru Forester. Thanks to the
Sparrow Adventure, that is no longer a problem. The Sparrow Adventure takes the pop-up Sparrow design and adds crossbars, giving you an extra 100 pounds of carrying capacity. Now, you no longer need to choose between a roof top tent and your kayaks, bicycles, snowboards, etc. Since the Adventure is built on the same platform as the Sparrow, you get the same pop-up design with panoramic 360-degree views. That means the same spacious 83-inch by 48-inch interior and 40 inches of headroom. That cavernous interior space and pop-up design means you can store all your bedding inside the tent, even when it's closed, making setup and takedown a breeze. When you get to your campsite, remove your kayaks etc., pop the tent up and you are ready to hit the hay. Weighing in at only 130 pounds, The Sparrow Adventure is easy to install on top of your Forester. At the end of the day, it is hard to say what is the best roof top tent for the Subaru Forester, but hopefully we’ve given you a good look at the benefits and differences of various Roofnest models to help you pick the best tent
for you.
