Howling Moon Comet 2 vs Howling Moon Comet Deluxe
Both of these are Howling Moon tents, so the question is not which brand to trust but which size and configuration suits your vehicle and how you camp. The Comet 2 and the Comet Deluxe share Howling Moon's construction and warranty; where they part company is in the numbers below.
The Comet 2 is 5 kg lighter at 85 kg against 90 kg, which on a factory roof rated for 68 to 75 kg is often the difference between a legal fit and a rack upgrade. List prices are within $66 of each other, so price is unlikely to decide this one.
The Comet 2 uses aluminium hardshell (top and bottom) with scratch-resistant coating; the Comet Deluxe uses lightweight aluminium shell and base. Canvas differs too: 320gsm vapour-permeable poly-cotton body; 200g nylon flysheet; 210D Oxford trim against 380gsm poly-cotton military-grade canvas.
Howling Moon
Comet 2
The Comet 2 is a pop-up hardshell tent with an aerodynamic aluminium shell and scratch-resistant coating, raised by a gas-strut mechanism over a 50 mm memory-foam mattress. It has built-in roof rails for mounting accessories, ceiling storage compartments, an interior LED light and USB charging, and a 2.3 m telescopic aluminium ladder. Its shell packs to 22 cm high.
- Built-in roof rails for accessories
- Ceiling storage compartments plus LED light and USB
- Full packed and open dimensions published
- 50 mm mattress is thinner than the Lunar's 100 mm
Howling Moon
Comet Deluxe
The Comet Deluxe is the upgraded version of Howling Moon's Comet pop-up hardshell, with an aluminium shell and base, an 80 mm high-density memory-foam mattress, larger windows with fine insect mesh and a wider-step telescopic ladder. It opens on gas-assisted struts and uses a UV-stabilised PVC cover. The manufacturer lists an approximate 90 kg weight.
- Thicker 80 mm memory-foam mattress than the base Comet
- Upgraded wide-step telescopic ladder and larger windows
- Gas-assisted pop-up setup
- Only an approximate weight (~90 kg) is published
Which one to pick
Take the Comet 2 if your roof load limit is the binding constraint. Beyond that the feature rows below — heater port, skylight, annex, cargo rails — are where the remaining difference lies.
Every specification, side by side
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Type | Hardshell | Hardshell |
| Opening style | Pop-up | Pop-up |
| Sleeps | 2 | 2 |
| Season rating | — | — |
| List price | $2,440— worst of the tents compared | $2,370— best of the tents compared |
| Weight and size | ||
| Weight | 187 lb— best of the tents compared | 198 lb— worst of the tents compared |
| Packed length | 7 ft 8 in— worst of the tents compared | 7 ft 1 in— best of the tents compared |
| Packed width | 4 ft 11 in— worst of the tents compared | 4 ft 9 in— best of the tents compared |
| Packed height | 8.7 in— worst of the tents compared | 7.1 in— best of the tents compared |
| Living space | ||
| Sleeping length | 7 ft 1 in | — |
| Sleeping width | 4 ft 4 in | — |
| Floor area | 30.8 sq ft | — |
| Interior height | 4 ft 11 in | — |
| Mattress thickness | 2 in— worst of the tents compared | 3.1 in— best of the tents compared |
| Setup and build | ||
| Setup timeManufacturer's claim where published; otherwise estimated from tent type. Expect longer in practice. | ~60 secest. | ~60 secest. |
| Shell material | Aluminium hardshell (top and bottom) with scratch-resistant coating | Lightweight aluminium shell and base |
| Fabric | 320gsm vapour-permeable poly-cotton body; 200g nylon flysheet; 210D Oxford trim | 380gsm poly-cotton military-grade canvas |
| Warranty | — | — |
| Features | ||
| Integrated LED lighting | Yes | — |
| Heater / HVAC port | — | — |
| Roof skylight | — | — |
| Annex available | — | — |
| Solar ready | — | — |
| Carries cargo on top | Yes | — |
| Sources | ||
| Last verified | Howling Moon product page | Howling Moon product page |
Related comparisons
Or read the full spec sheets for the Howling Moon Comet 2 and the Howling Moon Comet Deluxe.