This Tent Sets Up in 2 Seconds (And Is Also Easy to Take Down)

Decathlon has offered its 2-Seconds Tent for several years. But the old model was a bear to put away. The newest iteration, the 2-Seconds Easy Tent, is a complete redesign that aims to make it faster than ever to set up and break down camp.

While still fairly new in the U.S., Decathlon is the world’s largest sporting goods retailer. It’s slowly making inroads in the U.S. market, and today it announced a speedy 2-Seconds Easy Tent that might accelerate the process.

Decathlon worked for four years to create an easy-to-pitch design. Its intention? To make the outdoors more accessible to everyone. “With its new compact design and patented setup and breakdown system, the 2 Seconds Easy makes setting up camp easier than ever,” it noted in a release.

We’ve tested the old 2-Seconds Tent and, while it set up easily, it was tough to repackage when breaking camp. The new 2-Seconds Easy Tent offers a completely different design and addresses that problem. The brand intends to offer durability and protection for car camping.

Decathlon 2-Seconds Easy Tent: 2020 Redesign

The genesis for the first 2-Seconds Tent was a backcountry trip in 2003, when Jean-François Ratel, then the product manager at Decathlon’s hiking and camping brand, Quechua, was challenged by the idea to create a tent that could “assemble itself.” The team got to work and in 2004, Decathlon launched the 2-Seconds Tent, which literally pitched itself.

Launching today, the 2-Seconds Easy is a further innovation that allows for a more compact design, with an easier setup and breakdown while incorporating better wind resistance and waterproofing.

“For over four years, engineers, designers, product managers, and customers exchanged and challenged ideas and concepts in order to develop the 2 Seconds Easy, with the aim of trying to improve its folding action and compactness,” said Quechua product manager, Fabien Marescaux, in a release.

“In this way, a new smart and accessible product was developed and tested by Quechua teams to ensure mobility and speed. The refolding feature is what’s really special about the 2 Seconds Easy — it is far and away the easiest breakdown of any tent we’ve ever produced.”

2-Seconds Easy Tent: Upgrades for 2020

Compared with the earlier version, the 2-Seconds Easy Tent has more internal living space, a higher peak height, and a self-supporting patented structure.

But for those who’ve used the older model, the best update comes when you are ready to break camp. Just push a button to release the tent, which then collapses for easy folding. Once folded away, the tent fits into a simple case. Think of it like opening and closing an umbrella.

We haven’t yet tested the new 2-Seconds Easy Tent but did watch a Zoom presentation on it. The tent appears to be much easier to set up and take down than the old model. It also looks like a suitable structure for car camping for two people.

The 2-Seconds Easy Tent sells for $199 and is available for preorder now.