Berghaus Air 400XL Nightfall Tent Review

Skip to;

VIEW BEST PRICE
KEY FEATURES
OVERVIEW
EASE OF USE
SPACE AND COMFORT
LAYOUT
BERGHAUS AIR PORCH
EXTRA FEATURES
HOW DOES IT COPE WITH WEATHER
PRO’S & CONS
VIEW BEST PRICE ON AMAZO N

Description

Name- Berghaus 400XL Nightfall
Price- around £700
Style- inflatable tent
4 berth family tent

View The Best Price

Amazon.co.uk

Berghaus Air 400XL Key Features

One Nightfall darkened bedroom
Spacious living area with enough headroom for everyone under 6’ 7” ft.
Five inflatable air poles (air pump included)
Sewn-in groundsheet for easier pitching and enhanced protection from the ground
Berth: 4 people
Hydrostatic Head (waterproof): 6000mm
Flame retardant materials
Flysheet: 75D 185T Polyester Embossed
Inner: 75D 185T Polyester Embossed
Groundsheet: 185T Polyester
Wheeled carry bag included
Pitched dimensions: 675 x 310 x 215 cm (LxWxH)
Standing height: 205 cm / 6’ 7” ft
Weight: 30.9kg
Repair kit included
Air pump included
Lantern hanging points
Internal Storage pockets

Campers Contents Thoughts

Lets have a look a the Berghaus AIR 400XL Nightfall tent. Its the second smallest tent on their air range with the Air 400 being the smallest, so lets go through it and have a look at what it has to offer!

Berghaus AIR 400XL Ease Of Use

The brand Berghaus is well over half a century old and it is renowned for creating pioneering outdoor gear for campers, hikers and climbers. They offer extremely high quality products that will last for years and their range of air tents revolutionised the camping world. Their innovation has allowed tents to be pitched and taken down in a fraction of the time of equivalent poled versions. Air tents don’t just save time, they save marriages 😉

Pitching

Falling out with your family and friends the moment you arrive at the campsite and begin to start pitching your tent is never a good start to the holiday! This is why we love air tents, they make it so simple. The AIR 400Xl is made up of five air beams and all you have to do is use the pump that comes with the tent to blow each one up in turn. You then fasten your guy ropes and well, that’s it! The main shell of your tent is up.

As you can see from the specifications above, the ground sheet and rain fly sheet are built in, so you don’t have to worry. Inside the tent, setting up the bedroom is easy as well, because each ‘clip’ is colour coded so you know exactly where it has to go.

Packing

Taking the AIR 400XL down is just as easy and believe it or not, even quicker than putting it up. There’s pressure release valves at the base of each air beam and you simply press them and gravity does the rest of the work for you. Getting it back in the wheeled carry bag which also comes with the tent can be a struggle though, as it is with most air tents! The carry bags are fitted with adjustable straps, which helps, however if you are thinking of purchasing this tent we would recommend having a few practice runs at getting it back in the carry bag. It is worth mentioning here that the packed weight of air tents is a lot heavier than poled tents. An average family tent that uses poles is around 16kg whereas the AIR 400 weighs about 31kg all packed up which is really heavy for a 4 berth tent. The packed size is much bigger too, so just bare in mind that it will take up a bit more room in the boot of your car.

Space And Comfort

Headroom

This is a big 4 berth tent with a lot of living space which is absolutely great. The headroom is really good so you’ll be able to stand up completely straight throughout this tent as long as your no taller than 6’7” due to its tunnel design. The more vertical air beams is one thing Berghaus has improved compared to their previous range of air tents. The difference is a 20% increase in room!

Layout

Lets have a look at the tents layout. There are benefits and drawbacks to this design, the main benefit being the huge amount of natural light this tent lets in. There’s clear windows to the front and sides of the tent giving a panoramic view to outside. All the windows come fitted with mesh and blinds if you require more privacy.

Bed Space

The drawback to this tent layout is really personal preference one. It comes down to the fact do you mind that there’s only one bed space that will have to be shared with all the occupants? I think this tent is perfect for couples as it provides a large bed space as well as a comfortable a sized living area. Personally I’m thinking its too small for a family tent due to the lack of privacy with the one bedroom set up. If you are looking for something perfect for taking the kids away, or you’re after just a little more room I’d be looking at the Berghaus Freedom 5 nightfall or either the Air 600 or 600xl Nightfall. The main reason I’d choose these over the 400XL for family getaways is purely down to all these versions offer separate sleeping spaces (as well as a bit more overall room). Click the highlighted links to read my review and find out more about these tents!

The bed space of the Air 400XL is large though and you’ll be able to fit two normal sized double air beds. As well, unless you’re a giant you’ll be able to lie out completely straight when getting those z’s. Like all the tents on the Berghaus Air range, its definitely possible to fit the maximum number of occupants in but I don’t recommend doing this for longer holidays as it will be snug!

Berghaus Air 400XL Layout

The Air 400XL has three doors, one at the front and at either side. This is a massive plus as it just makes the tent so much more versatile and practical being able to access it from three different directions. For instance if you’re on a smaller caravan/ camping site its not always easy accessing a tent from the sides due to other vehicles being parked close as well as you guy lines being out to the edge of your pitch. The extra doors and windows of course allow loads of light on and there’s much more airflow through the tent during those hot (fingers crossed) British summer months.

Another advantage of the 400XL is it does come with 170cm of vestibule area. This is easily enough room to sit under and shelter from the sun, or store things like your BBQ. You could shelter from the rain while taking layers off before you enter the tent, or perhaps it will be a place for your furry friends to hangout during the day! Its just handy having space outside the main body of the tent as it gives you so many more options.

Berghaus Air Porch

The dark area in the picture show’s the Berghaus Air Porch. Its compatible with the Air 400/ 400xl, 600/ 600Xl and 800 Nightfall tents. If you’re wanting a sealable area to add on, the Berghaus Air porch will fit straight on the side of the tent and add another 9 meters squared!

What Is Nightfall?

The reason Berghaus call this line of tents ‘Nightfall’ is because of the material of the inner wall of the bed spaces. It basically prevents any ambient light from passing through, so the morning sun waking you up on those summer mornings won’t be an issue. These bedrooms are the equivalent of having blackout curtains in your bedroom at home, so they make for a perfect nights sleep!

Extra features

This tent has a lot of storage pockets! They’re everywhere and all of a good usable size. You can find them under the windows and down the side sections of both bed spaces as well as in the bed spaces themselves. Another small feature which I really like is the lantern hook in the centre air beam. You can either use a battery one or supply a mains electric light using the small sealable openings at the base of the centre air beam. The cable then can be run up the beam using Velcro tabs. Or of course you can supply any other part of your tent with electricity.

How Does It Cope With Weather?

The Air 400XL comes with a hydrostatic head rating (a waterproof rating) of 6000. Anything above 3000 will cope with pretty much any rain Europe can throw at it, so its definitely not going to leak! All the seams throughout are tape sealed and the base sheet is built in so not only will this stop any unwanted creepy crawlies but it will also stop any ground moisture striking up.

Four Season Tent?

Berghaus call this a four season tent. Please take that with a pinch of salt, as I would say that’s more of a marketing tactic than the actual truth. The thing is most buyers don’t actually know what a two season, three season or four season tent means so manufacturers place it on their advertising as they know most people will likely think a four season tent must be better than a three season tent as I can use it all year round’. It doesn’t help that individual manufacturers all have different specifications for what qualifies as what and this definitely leads to a lot of the confusion. Basically a four season tent means that it is designed to be used in the fourth season, as in winter. Yes, this tent could easily cope with the winter rain but any air tent would not be my first choice for camping in the bad weather in winter months! They’re simply not designed to cope with high winds and the weight of snow.

On the contrary the Air 400XL will cope extremely well in warm conditions. Its duel skin will stop and condensation forming on a night in the bedrooms and there’s a clever set up of both low and high vents that allow cool air in at the bottom and warm air out of the top, keeping your tent cool and fresh with no damp. All the windows and both doors have mesh, so can be left fully open to allow air in without the worry of unwanted insect guests appearing.

Pro’s and Cons

PROS	CONS
Very easy to pitch	Only one bed space
Lots of headroom	Heavier than poled tents
Lots of storage pockets
Lots of natural light allowed in
Great vestibule area
Smart features such as electric access
Doors on both sides and at the front
Mesh on all tent openings
Great ventilation system
Large bed space

Lets See What Berghaus Have To Say

Check The Air 400XL Out On Amazon Here