Naturnest Polaris 2 vs Naturnest Sirius 1 Plus

Both of these are Naturnest tents, so the question is not which brand to trust but which size and configuration suits your vehicle and how you camp. The Polaris 2 and the Sirius 1 Plus share Naturnest's construction and warranty; where they part company is in the numbers below.

The Sirius 1 Plus is 9 kg lighter at 75 kg against 84 kg, which on a factory roof rated for 68 to 75 kg is often the difference between a legal fit and a rack upgrade. Inside, the Sirius 1 Plus gives 3.36 m² of sleeping floor against 2.77 m², about 21 percent more, and it sleeps 3 to the Polaris 2's 2. Headroom separates them further: 150 cm in the Polaris 2 against 120 cm, which is the difference between sitting up to dress and doing it lying down. List prices are within $50 of each other, so price is unlikely to decide this one.

They open differently: the Polaris 2 is a clamshell and the Sirius 1 Plus a fold-out. That is not cosmetic — it decides whether headroom is even across the tent or tapers towards one end, and how much of the roof the tent occupies when closed. The Polaris 2 uses aluminium alloy with die-cast corners; the Sirius 1 Plus uses ABS hard shell with aluminium honeycomb base panel. Canvas differs too: high-density Oxford plaid; mildew-proof antibacterial polyester inner; YKK zippers against 420D waterproof Oxford outer; mildew-proof plaid Oxford inner. Closed, the Polaris 2 sits 13.5 cm lower on the roof — 18 cm against 31.5 cm — which is drag you carry on every mile you are not camping.