Haven Safari Tent Review 2024: Is This Hammock More Comfortable Than Your Bed?

8.0

Like

• Durable design provides support for all body types
• Great for those who prefer sleeping in hammocks
• Adjustable enough to accommodate most sleeper types
• Nice value for a quality product

Don't like

• Not wide enough to support two people at once
• Setup is limited to specific tree distance and width
• Not the most supportive option for stomach sleeping

It's finally summertime. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping and campsites around the country are calling your name. You can practically hear the campfire crackling away as you get ready to rest in your tent among the trees, looking up at the stars. It sounds peaceful, doesn't it? Maybe for some, but unfortunately, it's not the case for me. 

I'm terrible at sleeping outside -- always have been. Being a bigger guy, sleeping pads and air mattresses are constantly deflating underneath me throughout the course of the night, causing me to wake up on the hard ground. I'd get an RV, but what kind of online mattress reviewer has that kind of money? Up until recently, I had accepted my fate, doomed to endure the harsh sleeping surface of the forest floor. But then, I found the solution -- Haven.

After stumbling across these products online, I quickly reached out to the brand, and the good folks at Haven sent me their Haven Safari tent to test out. In this review, I'll cover what I like about it, what I don't and who I think it's ideal for. 

What are Haven Tents?

Haven tents are basically suspended sleeping surfaces. Like an average outdoor hammock, you get the benefits of being off the ground, with the added advantages of a sleeping pad and an enclosed tent design. It's pretty much an all-in-one camping packing -- it's your hammock, sleeping pad and tent.

There are three main Haven tents to choose from on the brand's website. The Haven Tent is their most affordable, bare-bones tent that's designed to be lightweight and packed small. Then there's the Haven XL tent which is the brand's most popular, mid-tier option, designed to be a bit more durable and supportive for bigger people. And lastly, you have the Haven Safari tent, which is the most premium and heavy-duty option, and also the model we tested for this review.

The design elements of the Haven Safari Tent:

• Durable Hammock Body with Bug Net
• Insulated Air Mattress (Optional with upgrades)
• Spreader Bars (2x) 
• Waterproof Rainfly
• Tree Straps (2x 6ft)
• Guy Lines (4x)
• Stakes (4x)
• Carabiners (2x)
• Bunting Banner
• Welcome Mat

Setting up the Haven Safari

Once ordered, the Haven Safari arrived at our office inside of a box and it also shipped for completely free. The box it came in was a lot smaller than the standard online mattress, so it was a nice change of pace for us in terms of the whole unboxing process.

Upon its arrival, we decided to take it to a local park to unbox the tent and set it up. We found a nice grassy spot with some trees that looked perfect, opened the box and began to remove its contents one by one. All of the tent's design elements were nicely packaged and many could fit easily into a pack, which was also provided.  

However, as we began the setup process we quickly realized that our location wasn't as perfect as we thought. The tree straps were a lot shorter than we anticipated, and we weren't able to wrap all the way around our trees. So, we packed everything up and headed to a different spot. The trees in the second spot proved to be too far apart, and then it took two more attempts in different locations before we were successfully able to set it up -- needless to say, the setup was a bit tricky at first.

When it was finally hanging in our fourth set of trees, it was finally time to test it out. Usually, there's a bit of suspicion if a newly constructed hammock will hold your weight, but as I got in the Haven Safari, it proved to be plenty durable. I'm a bigger guy, and I felt plenty of support once I applied my full weight to it. 

The sleeping pad also felt really nice. You can really tell it's a quality, insulated air mattress made of a durable material. The surrounding bug net is also very breathable and allows for a ton of airflow -- great news for hot sleepers. After testing it out, I was excited to take it camping and spend a night in it.

My experience with the Haven Safari

I took this on a camping trip recently and used it for two nights in total. I'm happy to report that I got the most restful sleep that I've ever experienced while camping. The Haven Safari truly is a game changer for sleeping outside -- especially if you hate sleeping on the ground like me. 

Luckily, my campsite had some decently sized trees that were the right distance apart for the Haven Safari's setup. This time, I draped the rainfly over the shell to test out this component of the tent. This would've provided a lot of waterproof protection if it was raining, but since it was sunny out, it really only made the tent warm up during the day.

At night, however, the rainfly offered the perfect amount of insulation for sleeping comfortably. Without it, I think I would've been very cold, even with a sleeping bag and a bunch of blankets. The tent itself is so comfortable to sleep in. The sleeping pad is really adjustable firmness-wise, and the spreader bars offer a nice amount of sleeping space. I'll be honest, the first night took some getting used to, but on the second night, I slept like a baby -- since it's a hammock, it even rocks you to sleep, how fitting. 

One of the main design advantages of Haven tents, is that they're able to accommodate any sleeping preference: back, side, stomach and combination sleepers. Being a combination sleeper, I was sure to try out every sleeping position in the Haven Safari, and I definitely have some thoughts on this subject. 

Based on my experience, I would say the tent is most accommodating for back and side sleepers. I personally found stomach sleeping to be a little uncomfortable in the Haven Safari. My back just bowed a tinge more than I'd prefer. Since there's a strap underneath the head section of the tent that you can adjust to offer more or less support, I'd like to see another one running under the middle of the tent to provide more of an adjustable Zoned Support feature for stomach sleeping.

Drawbacks of the Haven Safari to be aware of

This leads me nicely to the main drawbacks of the Haven Safari tent. While I really enjoyed this product, there are some things that I didn't really like about it and other things that I could see Haven improving upon design-wise.

Environment: By default, the tree straps that come with Haven tents are each 6ft in length. While that may sound long enough, we actually found it to be rather limiting, especially if the trees have wide trunks or are far apart. Luckily, Haven as a brand offers a product called, "Whoopie Slings." These are rope extensions that you can attach to the tree straps to make the tent's setup more versatile. Even though they're sold separately, I recommend adding them to your cart upon checkout -- you'll run into a lot fewer issues than we did.

Couples: Realistically, this sleeping hammock is only able to accommodate one person at a time. The Haven Safari has a weight limit of around 350 pounds, so if you and your partner are on the smaller side you might be able to get by in it -- just get ready to cuddle. While it's really durable and can support a lot of weight, there's not enough width to accommodate two people at once. Bad news for couples who are interested, but if you're solo, go for it.

Motion: Keep in mind that while it's technically a bed, it's also technically still a hammock. This means that when you move around in it, your motion will cause the Haven tents to swing slightly. On one hand, this could provide a nice "rock you to sleep" motion, and on the other, it could give you motion sickness. I personally found the rocking motion to be soothing, but other team members found it to be dizzying. If you get motion sickness easily, you might prefer a more stationary sleep setup. 

Haven Tent pricing

Considering that these are the first sleeping hammocks of their kind, made from high-quality and durable materials, I think they're of great value. This pricing is comparable to the REI Half Dome tent, and here you're getting a hammock and a sleeping pad along with a tent. 

Is the Haven Safari worth it?

Depending on your exact needs and specifications for camping, the Haven Safari could be right for you. I'd say it's a great option for solo campers who want more of a comfortable, suspended sleep setup that's super durable. Also, if you're backpacking through a forested area and want something that's super packable and lightweight, the flagship Haven Tent might be more suitable for your needs. All in all, this product provided a safe haven for my nightly camping experience.

You should try the Haven Safari if:

• You'd prefer a suspended sleeping setup
• You sleep solo, without a partner
• You're a primary back or side sleeper
• You're camping in a heavily forested area

You shouldn't try the Haven Safari if:

• You'd prefer a more traditional, grounded, sleep setup
• You sleep with a partner while camping
• You're a primary stomach sleeper
• You're camping in an area sparse of trees