REASONS TO BUY
Aerodynamic
Strong shell
Ergonomic look
Tons of head space
REASONS TO AVOID
Finicky closure buckles
Interior space concentrated on one side
Outdated mounting system
Roofnest Falcon 3 EVO Review
If you want to minimize wind drag while driving, but maximize interior space while camping, this is the one
Credit: Ross Patton
RELATED: The Best Rooftop Tents of 2025
Our Verdict
After six years of testing rooftop tents, we've seen our fair share of sales gimmicks, manufacturers copying other brands' styles, and products that plain old fall apart. Building upon the hugely successful Falcon series, the Roofnest Falcon 3 EVO offers a few things that we love in a rooftop tent - a sleek look while you're on the highway, a spacious interior, and design details to make your camping trip as comfortable as possible. From the highly aerodynamic shell to the LED lights to the ports that are ready for a heater duct in the cold months, this is one of our favorite models we've ever had the pleasure of spending the night under the stars within. To see how this particular tent stacks up with the best across all of our testing criteria, head over to our rooftop tent review where we compare several of the top manufacturers' best models from the last six years.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Roofnest Falcon 3 EVO | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best Low-Profile Hardtop Rooftop Tent |  Best Softshell Rooftop Tent | Most Coverage |  Best Bang for the Buck | Best for Fitting More Gear |
| Price | $2,795 List $2,795 at Amazon | $2,500 at REI Compare at 3 sellers | $2,500 List $2,450 at Amazon | $1,632 List $1,428 at Amazon | $1,700 at REI Compare at 4 sellers |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | This model does a job of both reducing exterior cubic space while traveling and providing an innovative design that maximizes extra space while you're sleeping | A soft top fold-out rooftop tent that has massive windows | An impressively comfortable rooftop tent that can handle any type of weather | A high-performance model that doesn't injure your bank account | If you want a rooftop tent that won’t take up your entire rack, this is the one |
| Rating Categories | Roofnest Falcon 3 EVO | Thule Approach M | Thule Tepui Autana 3 | Smittybilt GEN2 Ove... | Thule Tepui Foothill |
| Space and Comfort (30%) | |||||
| Durability (25%) | |||||
| Ease of Conversion (20%) | |||||
| Ease of Assembly and Installation (15%) | |||||
| Cover Convenience (10%) | |||||
| Specifications | Roofnest Falcon 3 EVO | Thule Approach M | Thule Tepui Autana 3 | Smittybilt GEN2 Ove... | Thule Tepui Foothill |
| Seasons | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Weight | 140 lbs | 128 lbs | 130 lbs | 154 lbs | 122 lbs |
| Max Inside Height | 58 in | 40 in | 52 in | 51 in | 38 in |
| Pockets | 9 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 2 |
| Windows | 2 side, 1 roof, 2 heater ports | 4 canopy | 3 side, 2 roof | 3 side, 2 roof | 3 side, 2 roof |
| Floor Dimensions | 80 in x 47 in | 95 in x 56 in | 56 in x 96 in | 56 in x 96 in | 87 in x 40 in |
| Floor Area | 26 sq ft | 38 sq ft | 38 sq ft | 38 sq ft | 24 sq ft |
| Packed Size | 8 in x 50 in x 83 in | 11 in x 49 in x 56 in | 12 in x 48 in x 56 in | 12 in x 48 in x 56 in | 9.5 in x 24 in x 83 in |
| Floor Materials | Aluminum | Aluminum | Aluminum | Aluminum | Welded aluminum |
| Main Tent Materials | 320g poly-cotton ripstop | 600 D polyester ripstop | 420 D | 600 D | 600 D |
| Rainfly Materials | 320g poly-cotton ripstop, PVC | TPU-coated nylon | 600 D | 420D Oxford | 600 D |
| Number of Poles | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 6 |
| Design Type | Wedge | Fold-out | Fold-out | Fold-out | Fold-out |
| Capacity | 2 | 2-3 Person | 2-3 Person | 2-3 Person | 2 Person |
| Extras | Interior LEDs, boot bags, ground mat, privacy tent | Dual-layer foam mattress, removable rain cover, lockable mounting bracket | Awning over ladder, 2.5" foam mattress | Interior LED, extension cords, boot bag | Double level pockets, loop inside for hanging lights and gear |
Our Analysis and Test Results
An all-new version of the Falcon series that we have loved for years, the Roofnest Falcon 3 EVO builds upon the low-profile, low wind drag, and the minimalistic platform of previous iterations but has an expanded interior through the implementation of an innovative U-pole design.
Falcon 3 EVO drone circle
Credit: Ross Patton
Space and Comfort
To begin our rooftop tent testing process, we answer the question that is the most important to us - What's it like to actually sleep in the tent? First and foremost, we consider the comfort of the mattress – we sleep in every tent for a minimum of five nights to determine whether our bodies woke up with any sore spots and if we could feel the tent frame floor through the mattress. Next, we consider any bonus features such as pockets, gear nets, vents, and the placement of windows.
The Falcon 3 EVO made a strong showing for this section of our review and earned one of the highest scores we've ever given. The two-inch memory foam mattress is as comfy as they come, and our testers reported that it is “as comfortable as they get from the factory.” There is a ton of headroom in all of the wedge-style tents that we've tested, but with the Falcon's U-bar that expands the canopy in a matter of seconds while also adding a window to the roof, we have yet to come across a hardshell RTT that has as much breathing room inside.
Sunrises in the desert are something else while waking up in the Falcon 3 EVO.
Credit: Ross Patton
While the side windows of other wedge tents are triangular and the main door is actually sloped toward you while you're sleeping, on the Falcon 3 EVO, they add a significant amount of space for lounging, resting, and storing your tidbits of gear out of your R&R zone.
We love the side windows of this model that open up the space inside, the view, and can be used as the main entrance or a way to pass gear up to the tent.
Credit: Ross Patton
Roofnest did not skimp on the amenities. This model includes nine pockets, condensation vents, LED lights, two boot bags, and ports for ducting to an external heater to keep you toasty during those cold winter missions.
The bells and whistles of the Falcon 3 EVO are many. From spots to route heater ducts to pockets galore to light aplenty, your sleeping space is decked out in this tent.
Durability
To score each tent for durability, we carefully inspected the materials of each tent before converting it to camping mode and back a minimum of twenty-five times. We gave this same treatment to the ladder, zippers, and rain-fly.
While this is one of the lower metric scores for the Falcon 3 EVO, it still made a strong showing against the rest. In terms of durability, the thing that we absolutely love about this model is the all-new ABS top shell that is coated in a scratch, impact, and UV-resistant coating. At just a glance and touch of the hand, it was obvious that this shell is built to get beat up. Following our initial impressions, we then confirmed our thoughts by taking this tent on many miles of relentless 4x4 through the cold and harsh weather of the Utah desert and mountains during the spring, arguably the most unpredictable time of the year regarding weather in the West.
The shell of the Falcon 3 EVO is built out of ABS and then coated with another protective material. During our testing, we were pinstriping the truck paint but saw no damage to the tent.
Credit: Ross Patton
The zippers and doors are the same quality that we've come to expect from Roonest for years, and the ladder is definitely high quality. We have two concerns with the long-term durability of the Falcon 3 EVO – With a four-season tent that's had this much put into its design to make it ready for any and all weather, we'd like to see a thicker, burlier canopy material than 320g poly-cotton ripstop. Secondly, the main pistons' location on the outside of the tent is leaving them exposed to all of the dust, dirt, mud, rain, snow, road salts, and sun that Mother Nature can throw at them, year-round.
We love the sleek design of the Falcon 3 EVO, but it's plain to see that the pistons will get more beat up than if they were integrated within the tent shell.
Credit: Ross Patton
Ease of Conversion
While this metric may seem as though we are splitting hairs because all of the rooftop tents we've tested are quicker and easier to go from parking your rig to sleeping than a traditional camping tent on the ground, we've found a significant degree of variation from model to model throughout the years.
Much like other wedge models we've tested, the Roofnest Falcon 3 EVO earned a high score for this portion of our assessment because there truly is not much to converting this style of tent from travel mode to camping mode – you essentially open the clips, give the pistons a little boost, then they take care of the rest. Next, you grab the ladder, deploy it, and you're done. The one place where we had no choice but to subtract a point for this metric is that it takes an extra few seconds to climb inside the tent and fold out the U-bar that expands the added space in the tent.
The Roofnest Falcon 3 EVO is almost as easy as can be to open when you get to camp, but the U-bar adds a few seconds when compared to other wedges.
Credit: Ross Patton
When it comes time to get back on the road, you just do the steps in reverse. Again, the thing that adds time to this process when compared to other wedge-style RTTs is folding the U-bar back down. We also found that the closure shackles can be a bit finicky, and you often have to go around the tent a couple of times to make sure they're all clipped properly and securely.
Falcon 3 EVO tear-down
Credit: Ross Patton
Ease of Assembly and Installation
Installing a rooftop tent is not a process that is to be taken lightly. They're heavy, they're big, and they're awkward. We always recommend using several people with strong backs and a good reach, if not having them installed professionally.
Much like the other Roonests we've tested in the past, the Falcon 3 EVO is ready to install right out of the box without any required assembly. The process comes down to nothing more than unboxing the tent, opening it up to grab the tools and hardware, and then lifting it onto the rack. We appreciate that this model includes all the tools and materials needed for installation or any fine-tuning, and a handy carrying bag to store the tools.
All rooftop tents have a time-consuming installation process, but some of them take more time and energy than others.
Credit: Ross Patton
Cover Convenience
The final portion of our review is dedicated to the installation, deployment, and convenience of the cover. Because hardshell models only come with hardshell covers that are installed during the fabrication of the tent, they all earned perfect scores for this metric. That said, it is important to consider whether or not you feel like dealing with a cover when comparing the weight, price, and convenience of hardshell versus softshell models.
Should You Buy the Roofnest Falcon 3 EVO?
The Falcon 3 EVO is the perfect tent for you if you care about an aesthetically pleasing, low-profile tent while it's closed, that's also spacious, comfortable, and offers lots of bells and whistles while you're camping. The new ABS shell is built to last, the roof window in the added canopy is something that is not offered in most other wedges, and the LED lights are ideal for those who aren't looking to lug lanterns up the ladder to see in the night.
What Other Rooftop Tents Should You Consider?
For those that are in the market for a soft-shelled RTT that folds out and is more affordable, the Thule Approach has ample interior space and has even better stargazing windows in the roof than the Falcon 3 EVO. If you're shopping on a budget, but still want a tent that's going to keep you comfortable for years to come, check out the Smittybilt GEN2 Overlander.
—Ross Patton
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