Guide: Which Canvas material to choose?

Glamping Tents: Cotton and Oxford Canvas or nylon, which one is the best?
You plan to invest in Glamping tents, but not sure whether to go for Cotton or Oxford?
Let try to help you to choose wisely.

Table of Contents

• Comfort
• Durability
• Portability
• Weather Resistance
• Cold Weather Use
• Maintenance
• Environmental Sustainability
• Price
• The Final Verdict

Canvas comparison

Comfort
Because Cotton canvas is a natural material, it’s more breathable than Oxford and nylon, which are a synthetic material. This means that the airflow in canvas tents is much better and then, you’re less likely to get condensation inside your tent. This can sometimes be a problem when you have a synthetic tent, made of a material such as nylon.
Although it’s more breathable, Cotton canvas is also a much better insulator. This means you’ll be able to stay cooler when it’s hot out, and warm when it’s cold out. For these reasons, it’s safe to say that the level of comfort provided by a cotton canvas tent exceeds that of a nylon tent by quite a bit.

Which material provides more comfort? Cotton canvas.

Durability
Let be clear… Both canvas Cotton and Oxford are highly durable and strong materials.
That being said, cotton canvas is more resistant to tearing than oxford and mostly nylon are. Its thick threads prevent small rips from becoming larger over time. However, if you get a tent that’s made of Glampstay cotton or Oxford canvas, it’ll also be highly durable. Like canvas, our Oxford polyester prevents insignificant damage from becoming more significant.

If you do get a rip in your canvas tent, you can easily stitch it back up with a sewing kit. To repair non canvas nylon, on the other hand, you need a special patch, which is somewhat more of a hassle and somehow less durable fix.

Although cotton and Oxford canvas are more durable, nylon is lighter than any canvas, but only slightly less durable as it is no made for permanent oudoor installation.

Which material is more durable? Canvas.

Portability
When it comes to portability, nylon has definitely got the upper edge. But for a Glamping use, this point is useless as your tents are supposed to be seasonnaly or permanently installed. But let pass through anyway…
Nylon tents are design to be lightweight but not durable, making them an excellent choice for backpackers and anybody looking to keep their load light. They’re also more compact, making them easier to carry around. But when talking about Glamping installation, it’s a clear disavantage.

Canvas tents are significantly heavier and bulkier. For Glamping or car camper, this will surely not be an issue. And anyway, despite a heavier weight, Canvas tents are still portable even if obviously not adapted for backpacking.

Which material is more portable? Nylon.

Weather Resistance
So, what about the nature conditions? Which tent material is going to hold up better against strong winds, rainfall and the sun’s harsh rays beating down onto it?
Well, when it comes to UV resistance, Cotton and Oxford canvas tents come out on top. Nylon tents will wear down quickly over time because of repeated exposure to the sun and this. despite any anti-UV treatment. For this reason, a canvas tent will ultimately last you much longer than a nylon tent. Canvas tents are also to be more stable in windy conditions than lightweight nylon tents.

Neither tent fabric is waterproof in itself. A nylon tent needs a rain fly to protect it from water and where the treatment faded or is missing, the water will quickly pass through the material. Glampstay Canvas tents are all durably waterproof and weattherproofed treated and the thickness of the canvas make more resistant to water infiltration.

On a final note, nylon tents are quicker to dry than canvas. That means that if your tent gets wet and you don’t have enough time to let it fully dry before packing, you’re less likely to have trouble with it developing an odor if it’s nylon. But this doesn’t concern Glamping installation

Which material is more weather resistant? Canvas.

Cold Weather Use
Canvas made of cotton is a fantastic insulator. This means that a canvas tent does a great job at keeping you cool in the summer and warm in the winter. It’s also better at retaining heat. If you’re using a tent heater to heat the inside of your tent, the space inside will stay warmer for longer in a canvas tent.
Oxford is also a great alternative at the condition to be thick enough. If nylon can be used also in the cold, they can’t keep the heat inside. If you’re not sensitive to cold and full equipped for the winter, you’ll be just fine in a nylon tent, but canvas tents and mostly Cotton material are much more warmfull particularly if you are equipped with a heater or a fireplace. Glampstay Canvas Tents have a chimney hole as standard.

Which material is better for use in cold weather conditions? Canvas.

Maintenance

Now, different tent materials all require some kind of weatherproofing.
This can be done by applying a waterproofing treatment with specialized products. Because they are not absorbant, nylon tents must be treated by spraying the product, not the most efficiant process. With canvas tents, however, it can also be done by just drenching the tent completely, and letting it dry out. This can be done once, or may need to be done several times, depending on the particular tent.

Now, as I mentioned, canvas tents take longer to dry out. This makes them a bit more susceptible to mildew. Because of this, you’ll need to clean a canvas tent a bit more often than you would for a nylon tent, to make sure you don’t end up with a moldy tent. Then, the quality of anti-mildew treatment is essential for your selection of tents.

When you’re cleaning a canvas tent, make sure to do so carefully. You don’t want to use a high-pressure cleaner or hose, and you don’t want to scrub the canvas tent fabric. Also, make sure you’re using water that isn’t any warmer than rainwater would be.

Nylon tents aren’t as sensitive, and you don’t have to take so many precautions when cleaning them. You can even get away with washing them in the washing machine most of the time. But bear in mind that nylon material is not made for being permanently installed and will fade fast.

Which material is easier to maintain? Nylon.

Environmental Sustainability

Another aspect that shouldn’t be ignored is environmental sustainability. This is another category where canvas shines.

Because it’s a natural material, Cotton canvas is biodegradable. This means that once it’s reached the end of its lifespan, it’s able to degrade back into the earth, without leaving any trace or harming the planet in any way.

Nylon fabric, on the other hand, is a man-made fabric made from petroleum. Petroleum is a non-renewable resource, and making these tents involves the use of polluting chemicals. This process also produces toxic waste as a by-product, which is harmful to the environment, as well as animals and humans.

That’s not all, though!

Once a nylon tent’s lifespan has come to an end (which will be quicker than a canvas tent, by the way) it will end up sitting in a landfill. As time passes, it’ll break down into microplastics, which spread in the air we breathe and the water we drink.

That means that a nylon tent will continue to generate pollution and harm the environment, long after you’ve stopped using it. This should be an essential concern in your investment decision choice.

Which is more environmentally sustainable? Cotton Canvas.

Price
Cotton Canvas tents are generally more expensive than Oxford canvas and nylon. This is because canvas is made of cotton, a natural material. Other material are synthetic mass-producted and therefore more affordable.

As seen, if nylon tent is a good choice for camping and short term occasional use, when it’s a matter of long-term use as for a Glamping Camp, and coiomercial use, Canvas is an obvious choice for a long span life of the tent.
When it’s a question of permanent professional and commercial use, the short life span of nylon makes it a waste of money as it is not adapted to it.

Which material is cheaper? Nylon.

The Final Verdict
Canvas fabric is more durable and weather resistant. It also provides better comfort and performs better in 4 seasons and extremely cold weather conditions. On the other hand, nylon is more portable, easier to maintain, and more affordable.

All in all, if you’re looking for a backpacking tent the choice is clear – a good quality nylon tent that won’t weight you down on your travels is the way to go.

For a professional Glamping use you don’t mind the extra weight. It is obvious to recommend investing in a good canvas tent. The difference of costs between Cotton canvas and Oxford canvas is not so big but will make cotton canvas tents a much better investment for a long-term use.

As long as you take proper care of you canvas tents, they will last you for many years to come.