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Professional folding tent vs. cheap folding tent
What distinguishes professional folding tents from cheap folding tents?
Whether for occasional private or frequent professional use: Buying a cheap folding tent is not worth it, because the low price comes at the expense of quality. Find out here what you need to look out for when buying a folding tent.
What speaks against buying cheap tents
Many of the folding tents available on the market are cheap products from China. The low price is made possible due to the lower quality. Cheap folding tents often don’t even survive their first use. In this case even a supposedly cheap offer turns out be very expensive. The following points speak against using a cheap tent:
- The profiles of the folding frames are thin.
- Joints and connecting joints break quickly.
- The fabric of the side walls and the folding tent roof is thin and tears quickly.
- Sometimes the fabric used is not waterproof.
- In addition, spare parts are often not available for cheap tents. A damaged folding tent can therefore not be repaired, but ends up on the rubbish heap.
Customers shouldn’t be fooled: When sellers advertise folding tents priced between 150 and 300 euros with phrases like "very stable and high-quality construction" or "high-quality workmanship", they are certainly leading their customers by the nose.
What are the characteristics of a professional folding pavilion?
For folding pavilions that are used professionally, for example as a market tent, event tent, promotion tent or catering tent, the quality of the folding tent is a decisive factor for success. The quality of folding frames is mainly influenced by the choice of material and the workmanship. The following points characterise a good folding tent:
- Folding frames with aluminium profile
- Profiles which are optimally matched to the connecting joints
- Predetermined breaking points that prevent expensive components from breaking if the folding frame is overloaded, and at the same time allow defects to be repaired quickly and easily.
What characterises good fabrics for roof and side walls?
The quality of the roof and – if used –the side walls are no less important for a folding tent. The following points distinguish good folding tent fabrics:
- Roof and walls are made of polyester fabrics with polyurethane coating on one side. Thanks to this coating, the fabric is 100 percent waterproof.
- The fabrics used are B1 certified and UV resistant.
- When it rains, the seams are the most common weak point in a tent. Accordingly, they should be sealed with a welding tape. Only sealed seams ultimately make a product 100 percent waterproof.
Sophisticated packaging concept included
In addition, there are a whole series of subtle points that distinguish professional products from cheap ones. A well thought-out packaging concept primarily protects the frames and fabrics, but in the best case comes with helpful extras:
- Even without unpacking the bag, it should be obvious which fabric and accessories are included. This facilitates handling enormously for frequent use.
- Wheels relieve strain on your back, especially if the tent has to be transported over longer distances.
Good print quality for professional folding tents
Often the customer also requests printing on the roofs or side walls. Here, too, the quality of a print is decisive for a successful appearance. It is not unusual for CI-compliant colours to have to be reproduced, which requires expert advice from the customer and also requires trained staff and high-quality printing processes. Professional suppliers of folding tent systems even dye fabric in the desired colour for their customers. Only an in-house print shop and finishing department can achieve the best results in these cases.
Even if only used occasionally, buying a quality folding tent is worthwhile
The question of the intended use is particularly important when buying a folding tent. A high-quality professional folding tent is not necessary for a private garden party, but a cheap solution is no fun if it can only be used once. In principle, it is worth investing in a good quality tent even for occasional private use. High-quality folding tents usually last for several years. And if the folding frame should break after some use, spare parts are available. Regardless of the intended use, customers should always get a personal impression of the quality of the tent they are planning on buying. In the best case, they will have the folding tent demonstrated to them before they buy it. The question regarding the availability of spare parts should also be asked.
Summing up, it’s important to think about how the folding tent will be used before purchasing it. For an occasional private garden party, a folding tent in the medium price range is usually sufficient. For regular applications or professional and representative appearances, investing in a hight-quality folding tent is absolutely worthwhile. Experience has shown that cheap folding tents definitely cannot be recommended.
Experiment: Smart vs. folding tent
To test the durability of our folding tents beyond the usual tests, we conducted a special experiment and pursued a question that had only come up as a joke: Can a Smart be suspended inside a Pro-Tent folding tent? You can see the detailed process and the results of this extraordinary duel in the video!
