This is NOT a sponsored post.  It is an honest review of a product that has been very helpful for our family.  This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure page for more details

Sleep or Sensory Challenges?

• Does your child have bedtime anxiety?
• Is he or she scared to sleep in their own bed?
• Are they easily overwhelmed by sensory stimulation?
• Do they share a room with a sibling and need more privacy?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then the Privacy Pop Bed Tent may be quite beneficial to your child.  

In this post, I will be providing an honest review of our family’s experience with Privacy Pop Bed Tents and explaining why it may be helpful to your child and family as well!

Privacy Pop Bed Tent: An Honest Review

At the end of last year, I published a Gift Guide for the Highly Sensitive Child and mentioned that the Privacy Pop Bed Tent was something I was getting for my sensitive boys.  I had stumbled upon the product while researching ways to help Mr. 5, (my youngest son) stop waking several times throughout the night.

For the past three years, Mr. 5 has consistently woken up two or more times throughout the night, unable to get himself back to sleep.  Needless to say, my husband and I were exhausted and looking for a solution.  I started reading reviews on the pop-up bed tent and realized that these tents were helping children with more than just sleep. Surprisingly, many parents were raving about it for children with sensory challenges as a retreat from sensory overwhelm. 

A bed tent that provides a personal, private space for a sensory sensitive child, promotes better sleep, AND can also serve as a fun new fort to play in that doesn’t involve my couch cushions – YES PLEASE!

I knew my boys would love these privacy bed tents and if they actually helped with sleep and sensory overwhelm like the reviews said, then it would be a great investment. I confidently made the purchase. At the time of writing this post, we have been using the Privacy Pop bed tent for exactly 40 days now.  

How the Privacy Pop bed tent arrives

We ordered the twin size bed tent for each of our boys.  I was surprised at how small the bed tents looked in the bags when they were delivered; however, we quickly learned why they are called a “Pop” tent!  

Think of a sunshade or nylon hamper that pops up to full size once you take out of its packaging.  This is how the Privacy Pop bed tent works.  

I highly suggest opening it in the room you are going to be using it.  It is much easier to pop it open than it is to try and twist it back to its original shipping size!

Assembling the bed tent

My husband was the one who put these up on the boys’ beds.  On a scale of 1-10 (one being very easy and 10 being extremely difficult), he rated the assembly a four.  The tent pops up on it’s own, but there are a few poles to slide in and the Privacy Pop instructions weren’t very detailed.   The first time my husband did it, he put the bed tent on upside down.  Also, the mattress goes on top of the tent, so make sure to take this off first.  The first bed tent him about  20 minutes to put on the bed by himself, but once he knew how to do it, the second one took about 10 minutes.

I wouldn’t let the assembly dissuade you from the Privacy Pop Bed Tent.  There are a ton of really good Youtube videos regarding setting up the bed tent that you can reference.  Once they were up, our boys couldn’t wait to play in them!

Privacy Pop Bed Tent Features

These tents for your bed are made of high quality nylon material and feature two-sided zippers, so you can unzip from the inside or outside of the tent.  

The sides act like fold up and zip down doors.  They can be zipped all the way around, partially, or rolled up and snapped up to allow in light and for play time.  My youngest needs help with the snaps, but my 8 year old son can do them on his own.

There are two large zipper openings on both sides and mesh windows at the head and foot of the tent, for airflow and light.  They can also be covered for privacy.

Zipped with mesh covering and privacy shade rolled up and fastened:

Or opened completely:

My kids usually use the tabs on the insides to hold their flashlights when they are not being used to keep the window shades open.

Why it is perfect for kids, especially those with sensory sensitivities

This tent provides a personal, private sanctuary for overstimulated children to retreat.  It gives children with sensory sensitivities or those with sensory processing disorder a place to escape bright lights, loud noise, siblings, and busy days.  A child can shut out sensory overload and enjoy playing, reading, or just quiet time alone that they need to settle down.

Helpful for Independence

Mr. 5 likes to play in his tent during the day with one of the big sides snapped open.  This lets the light come in, but not an overwhelming amount. He has a lot of anxiety about being in a room by himself, so getting him to play quietly in his room when needed has been tricky.  Since getting the bed tent, he has been much more comfortable bringing toys into his bed and playing in the shelter of his “fort” bed as he calls it.  This has been a big bonus, especially when he wakes up super early on weekends!

Great for unwinding after school or a busy day

Mr. 8 (my oldest son) often comes home overstimulated and grouchy from a long day at school, so he usually likes to decompress by spending some time in his bed tent reading or playing on his Kindle when he first gets home.  He prefers having it dark in his tent, so he zips it up and reads by flashlight. It has also been a favorite spot to retreat to when he wants to get away from Mr. 5!

Perfect for Siblings who Share a Room 

My sons don’t share a room, but I can definitely see how this product would be a game-changer for families who have siblings that do!  It is essentially a privacy wall that can allow children to share a room, but also have their privacy and sensory needs met as well.  

I believe the Privacy Pop bed tent was originally created for people who were sharing rooms, specifically dorm rooms in college.

How does it help with sleeping?

Mr. 5 has always had a lot of anxiety about being in a room by himself, especially at night. He was able to fall asleep on his own after consistently addressing his anxiety and establishing a good bedtime routine; however he was still waking several times throughout the night.  He was so scared that something was going to get him that he refused to sleep without the covers over his head.  This  resulted in him waking up extremely hot and sweaty on a nightly basis.

We tried so many strategies to help him sleep through the night, but nothing seemed to help. We reached out to his pediatrician and all his tips were unsuccessful as well.

The first few nights with the bed tent were the same as usual.  Mr. 5 was still getting used to sleeping with the bed tent and did not want the big side flap down or zipped.  We kept it rolled up, so he could see out.  He consistently woke up and started calling for us.  By this point I was convinced that I was destined to never get a full night’s sleep for the next 10 years.

Then we started slowly working on zipping half of the flap down, increasing it a little more each night. Somewhere around the 20th night, we zipped it closed, except for a 6 inch peek hole and you know what……..

He slept through the night! And has been consistently sleeping through the night ever since!

We went from 2-3 wakings every night to occasionally a one time a week wake up!  I do not believe this is a coincidence. I truly feel the cozy, closed off space helps him feel more secure and safe.  Plus it blocks out light and nighttime sounds as well.

Mr. 5 is also a roller and would fall out of bed quite frequently, so having the tent zipped prevents him from falling out! If your child rolls out of bed like mine, than this will definitely be an extra bonus of the tent for you as well!

And it’s fun too!

While my sons do like their own space, most of the time they enjoy playing together.  These tents have definitely been a big part of their play time. It’s also been a fun place for them to hang out with their friends.

The bed tents have been the main prop in their imaginative adventures- a space shuttle on trips to outer space, a camping tent on adventures into the woods, a car for trips to the beach and an airplane destined for Disney World to name a few!

Plus it’s large enough for parents to come in and sit comfortably as well.  We’ve read bedtime stories, done astronomy shows with our star projector, and even shadow puppet games with a flashlight.  

Will the Privacy Pop Bed Tent Fit my Child’s Bed?

The Privacy Pop bed tent comes in a TON of sizes!!!  They even have adult bed tents and tents for bunk beds!!  The exact length width and height of each can be found on the site, but they offer a:

• Toddler Bed Tent
• Twin Bed Tent
• Twin XL Bed Tent (Great for dorms)
• Bunk Bed Bed Tent
• Full Size Bed Tent
• Queen Size Bed Tent
• King Size Bed Tent

What colors do the bed tents come in?

I was really impressed by the variety of colors these bed tents came in.  There are currently 14 solid colors to choose from and 5 patterns including camoflague, clouds, brick, galaxy and unicorn galaxy! Depending on the tent size, the colors and patterns may vary.  We chose the blue, because they both like the color and it compliments their room decor.   Check out all the colors and patterns here.

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How do you clean the bed tent?

The Privacy Pop bed tent is made of a water resistant polyester, so you can easily use a damp cloth and some soap to spot clean.    It is not something that can be machine washed.

A great product for a sensitive person of any age!

I can honestly say that these Privacy Pop bed tents are the real deal!  This is not your run of the mill bed tent for kids. It is excellently designed and built with high-quality material to last for years to come. 

Plus with all the sizes and colors and extensive product line, it is perfect for a person of any age struggling with sleep or sensory challenges!  They even have a Privacy Pop Nap Tent and Bug Tent!

I would never recommend anything to my audience that I did not fully stand behind and this product is no exception.  If this is something that you feel would be beneficial for your child make sure to check them out here!

Privacy Pop Bed Tents  – Get 20% off with my link

Other resources on my blog that may be helpful to you:

How to End Bedtime Battles with your Sensitive Child

Gift Guide for the Highly Sensitive Child

Beginner’s Guide to Understanding High Sensitivity in Children

5 Myths About the Highly Sensitive Child

Resources for Parents of Highly Sensitive Children

The Power of Play Dates for Anxious and Sensitive Kids