7 Best Toyota Highlander Roof Top Tents

by Sumanth | Published: September 28, 2022

You are in the right place if you are looking for a Toyota Highlander roof top tent.

Roof top tents are 100 TIMES better than ground tents but are also 10X more expensive. Nobody wants to spend a couple of thousand dollars on a roof top tent only to find out its quality is worse than a ground tent.

So to help you, we put together this list of the best Toyota Highlander roof top tents. Tried, tested, and loved by thousands of customers -- all the tents below are well worth the price.

In the end, we will discuss what you need to install a roof top tent on your Toyota Highlander.

Spoiler Alert: Highlander's stock roof rack is not good enough to hold an RTT.

Without further due, let's jump into it.

Best Roof Top Tents For Toyota Highlander

• GOAT - iKamper Skycamp 3.0
• Best Cheap - Smittybilt Overlander
• Best for Family - Roam Vagabond XL
• Cheap Hardshell - OVS Bushveld
• Best 3 Person - Freespirit High Country 55"
• Best Clamshell - Roofnest Falcon
• Best Compact - Thule Foothill

GOAT - iKamper Skycamp 3.0

Best Toyota Highlander Roof Top Tent

iKamper Skycamp is the GOAT. Very Expensive, but no other tent even comes close to its quality.

iKamper Skycamp is the one that started it all. It's the BEST OF THE BEST—no debate about it.

Is it crazy expensive? Yeah!

But it's worth every penny. You will never feel like you wasted your money.

You can use Skycamp in any weather.

The body of Skycamp features a thick, 100% waterproof, and durable top shell. Rain, Snow, Cold, High Winds -- you never have to worry about water leaks or dust getting inside.

Skycamp is very well insulated all around. It keeps you warm even on freezing nights.

9-zone 2.5" thick mattress of Skycamp is the best mattress of any FJ Cruiser roof top tent.

It provides fantastic support and is exceptionally comfortable. You will SLEEP LIKE A BABY and won't have back or body pain in the morning.

You can store all your blankets, pillows, etc inside when closing the tent. It saves you time and effort from hauling everything up and down.

60 seconds on average! That's how long it will take to open and close iKamper Skycamp 3.0 -- Lightning quick and EFFORTLESS!

Night and day difference compared to ground tents.

Overall, Skycamp is an ABSOLUTE BEAST of a roof top tent for Toyota Highlander. Almost FLAWLESS. It costs a lot, but you cannot go wrong buying it.

Best Cheap - Smittybilt Overlander

Best Cheap Toyota Highlander Roof Top Tent

Smittybilt Overlander is a great starter tent. It's not perfect, but it's a bang for the price.

Smittybilt Overlander is the KING of all affordable Toyota Highlander roof top tents.

It doesn't even come close to tents like iKamper Skycamp. But it does a decent job all around for the price you are paying.

Smittybilt Overlander is 100% waterproof. You can use it even in thunderstorms without leaks.

But if you camp in cold conditions, You will find a lot of condensation underneath the mattress. It's not hard to clean but sleeping on a wet mattress is NO FUN.

The best way to avoid this is to get an anti-condensation mat ($130 avg) and add it under the mattress.

Smittybilt Overlander flaps and makes a lot of noise during high winds. Not a big issue, but it can be annoying when you are trying to sleep.

The 2" thick mattress of Overlander is OK. It's not bad, but it's not great, either. You will feel the hard bottom of the tent after a couple of nights and feel a little sore here and there.

Adding a sleeping pad or extra bedding on top is a must to make this tent cozy to sleep in.

Setting and taking down Smittybilt Overlander is EASY. It's not as quick as iKamper Skycamp, but you can get it in 10 minutes on average.

Even though Smittybilt Overlander is a starter tent, it is 100x better than any ground tent.

It has issues, but with a few add-ons like an anti-condensation mat and bedding -- you can turn this into a KILLER tent.

Best for Family - Roam Vagabond XL

Toyota Highlander Roof Top Tent for families

Roam Vagabond XL is the perfect option for families. It's huge, durable, and a pleasure to sleep on.

Roam Vagabond XL over-delivers in almost every department.

You can't find any other RTT with space, and the quality Vagabond XL offers at this price.

Vagabond is also the sexiest and most rugged-looking roof top tent we could find. It pairs great with Toyota Highlander and gets a lot of attention.

Thunderstorms, High winds, Snow, Cold, etc -- Roam Vagabond XL can handle any weather. You won't have any issues like water leaks, condensation, or dust entering inside.

The 3" thick foam mattress of Roam Vagabond XL is very similar to iKamper Skycamp's mattress.

It is cushy and super COMFORTABLE. You won't have any problems getting a restful night's sleep.

The base of Vagabond XL is insulated very well. It will be pretty warm inside, even on cold nights.

On hot summer days, the large side windows + two skylight windows help improve the airflow to keep you cool.

Roam Vagabond XL does a fantastic job in the sleeping department. You will be comfortable and cozy in all weather.

Vagabond also includes an annex which gives you more space.

What is an Annex? It's an add-on room that attaches to the roof top tent. Most people use it for changing clothes, sleeping pets etc. It's very useful when camping with your family.

Note: You have the option to buy this tent without the annex.

Setting up Vagabond XL is easy and reasonably quick, considering the size! It will take between 3 and 5 minutes and another couple of minutes to set up the annex.

Vagabond does very slightly reduce your MPG because of its huge size. Besides that, we couldn't find many flaws in it.

It's easily the best family roof top tent for Toyota Highlander in and around this price range.

Cheap Hardshell - OVS Bushveld

Cheap Hard Shell Tent for Toyota Highlander

OVS Bushveld is an excellent alternative to iKamper Skycamp 3.0. Far from perfect, but it gets a lot of things right.

It looks like iKamper Skycamp. It also has similar features, but why is the price so low?

The materials used in Bushveld are a bit lower quality compared to Skycamp.

Does that mean they will break after a few trips? NOT AT ALL!

They are very durable but just not as durable as iKamper Skycamp. Bushveld comes with a lengthy four-year warranty for peace of mind.

If anything breaks in that period, you can get it fixed at no extra charge.

You can use Bushveld in any weather. Both the fabric and the top shell are 100% waterproof.

You won't have any issues with condensation in cold weather. The anti-condensation mat underneath the mattress prevents that.

There is good insulation on the base of Bushveld. It's not as good iKamper Skycamp. But you won't feel cold on winter nights.

The sleeping area of Bushveld is large. Four people can fit easily. But it is a tad bit smaller compared to iKamper.

The mattress of Bushveld is 2" thick. Its quality is not as good as iKamper Skycamp's mattress. But it's NOT BAD AT ALL.

You can get a good night's sleep without any issues. But you might feel the base of the tent after a few uses. Adding extra padding ($150) will solve this issue.

You can store your mattress, sleeping bags, blankets, etc inside the tent -- so that's one plus.

Bushveld provides a decent sleeping experience overall. You can make it even better with a few additions, like sleeping pads, extra insulation, etc.

One area where Bushveld beats iKamper Skycamp is:

Accessories Accessories Accessories!

No Toyota Highlander roof top tent includes so many FREE accessories like Bushveld.

From shoe bags, memory-foam pillows, led-light strip, hand-held LED lights to ladder bags. You get all that for free.

You can open and close OVS Bushveld in 2 minutes or less. The process is pretty similar to iKamper Skycamp. QUICK and EFFORTLESS!

For the price, Bushveld is a KILLER. It has flaws, but you can fix them with a few minor updates. It's the best cheap alternative to iKamper Skycamp 3.0 we could find.

Best 3 Person - FSR High Country 55"

3 Person Toyota Highlander Roof Top Tent

FSR High Country is a compact and hybrid option. It overshadows its flaws by over-delivering in a few areas.

Freespirit High Country takes a page out of some of the Toyota highlander roof top tents we saw before.

Isn't it overpriced, considering it's a softshell tent? YES, it is!

But it does so many things like a $4000 tent which makes the price justifiable.

The body fabric of High Country is unique and thicker than any other tent on this list.

It uses TRI-LAYER technology.

What does that mean? The fabric basically acts like a heater on cold winter nights and as an A/C on hot summer days.

It makes the temperature inside ideal for keeping you COMFORTABLE in all weather.

The fabric is also 100% waterproof. Light Rain or Thunderstorms -- there won't be any water leaks.

The mattress of High Country 55" is 1.5" thick. There is also a 2" foam padding on the base. It gives the mattress a cushy feeling.

The mattress is pretty good, but it's very thin. It should be thicker, considering the price.

All windows (including skylight) of High Country 55" are pretty HUGE! It makes it so easy to take good pictures for your Instagram :)

They give you a 360 DEGREE VIEW and improve lighting and airflow inside the tent.

Setting up and taking down High Country feels like a hard shell tent. It's quick and easy. You can do it in less than 2-3 minutes.

No soft shell roof top tents can be set up this quickly.

Overall, High Country does an OUTSTANDING job in most areas. It feels a bit overpriced, but the quality is unquestionable.

Best Clamshell - Roofnest Falcon

Best Clamshell Toyota Highlander Roof Top Tent

Roofnest Falcon oozes comfort and quality from every angle. It's a close competitor of iKamper Skycamp 3.0.

Roofnest Falcon comes very close to iKamper Skycamp 3.0.

It falls behind in a few areas. But it does one hell of a job all around.

Falcon is easily the second best option after iKamper Skycamp 3.0 for the price.

The body of Roofnest Falcon features high-quality thick fabric and an aluminum top shell.

It's 100% waterproof. You can use it in any weather you want.

Falcon is EXTREMELY well insulated. You will be warm even on freezing nights.

You also don't have to worry about condensation in cold weather. There's an anti-condensation mat underneath the mattress to prevent that.

Roofnest Falcon is very noisy in windy conditions (over 30 mph winds). Not a dealbreaker, but it won't be pleasant when you want to get some sleep.

The mattress of Falcon is about 2.5" thick. AMAZING QUALITY. You won't have any problems getting a good night's sleep.

But it does fall a bit short when you compare it to Skycamp 3.0's mattress.

There's BLACKOUT coating on the Flacon's fabric. When you close the windows, it blocks the light and turns the tent into a 100% dark sleeping cave.

Falcon is very tall and lengthy. You get a lot of headspace and room to stretch out without hitting the walls.

Roofnest Falcon does a FANTASTIC job in the sleeping department. It has everything you need to help you sleep like a baby.

You have the option to add crossbars on top of Falcon ($195 extra). It can carry gear up to 75 lbs. Great for hauling kayaks, mountain bikes, etc.

Opening and closing this tent is easy and LIGHTNING QUICK. It shouldn't take you more than a minute or two.

Overall, Roofnest Falcon is the best option for Toyota Highlander we could find after iKamper.

It's high quality all around. You won't be disappointed.

Best Compact - Thule Foothill

Best Compact Toyota Highlander Roof Top Tent

Thule Foothill is one of a kind. It has its flaws but does the main job well.

You won't find a rooftop tent for Toyota Highlander that's more compact than Thule Foothill.

24 INCHES! That's how wide it is when closed.

It's almost half the width of most roof top tents on this list.

Most tents take up all the space on your roof rack. But with Thule Foothill, it's different.

You will have space left on your roof rack to mount storage boxes, kayaks, or even mountain bikes.

You CAN'T DO THIS with any other roof top tent. But there is a drawback to this design.

You won't be able to store anything inside the tent. Everything from the mattress, pillows, and blankets to the ladder will have to go in your car.

The body fabric of Thule Foothill is 100% waterproof. You can use it during a Thunderstorm, and not a single drop of water will get inside.

On the downside, the fabric is dark and not very breathable. It will get very hot inside the tent during summer if you don't keep all the windows open.

The fabric also flaps and makes noise in windy conditions. Not ideal when you want to go to sleep.

The mattress of Thule Foothill is 1.5" thick. It's OK. You must add a sleeping pad or extra bedding on top to make it comfortable.

There is no anti-condensation mat or good insulation in this tent. Camping in cold weather won't be very fun.

On the plus side, Two skylight windows of Foothill are huge. They span across the roof and make early mornings and late nights delightful.

Setting up Thule Foothill is easy but not quick. It will take you 10 minutes on average. Packing it up takes a bit longer, takes about 15 minutes.

Thule Foothill is not for everybody. It has its pros and cons.

With a few upgrades like insulation, anti-condensation mat, and mattress -- you can turn this into a BEAST!

How To Install A Roof Top Tent On Your Toyota Highlander?

You will need a pair of crossbars, AKA roof rack, to mount an RTT on your Highlander. They cost around $200 avg.

If your Highlander comes with a stock roof rack, DON'T try to mount your tent on it. They are not good enough to hold a roof top tent.

Check out the list of crossbars we recommend for Toyota Highlander to mount a tent:

Verdict

All the tents above have their pros and cons. They have different designs, and there is no size fits all.

But if you force us to pick the best, we will have to go with iKamper Skycamp 3.0. It's the only tent that makes me want to blow a Chef's Kiss.

Perfect from every angle! It's expensive, but you cannot go wrong buying this.