Darche Detachable vs TentBox GO
The Darche Detachable and the TentBox GO are both softshell tents in the same part of the market, which makes them a genuine head-to-head rather than a comparison across categories. Darche and TentBox take noticeably different approaches to the same problem.
By the numbers, the Darche Detachable brings 54 kg and sleeps 2. The TentBox GO counters with 33 kg, 2.75 m² of floor, 114 cm of headroom and sleeps 2.
The GO is 21 kg lighter at 33 kg against 54 kg, which on a factory roof rated for 68 to 75 kg is often the difference between a legal fit and a rack upgrade. Their list prices are within a few percent of each other, so price is unlikely to decide this one. TentBox also backs the GO for 5 years against 3.
They open differently: the Detachable is a clamshell and the GO 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. Canvas differs too: 140gsm 200D Ripstop Polyester Oxford body with blackout (2000mm); 140gsm Ripstop Polyester Oxford fly (2000mm) against stormproof breathable UV-resistant fabric, 3000 mm hydrostatic head. The Detachable adds integrated LED lighting, which the GO does not offer. Closed, the Detachable sits 14 cm lower on the roof — 31 cm against 45 cm — which is drag you carry on every mile you are not camping.
Darche
Detachable
The Detachable is a softshell rooftop tent whose tent body (13kg) can be separated from its aluminium honeycomb baseboard, which with the ladder and transit cover weighs 41kg. It has an oversized sky window on body and fly, blackout coating, a built-in LED strip and a 50mm high-density foam mattress. Two floor mats and a heavy-duty PVC transit cover are included.
- Detachable tent body separates from the baseboard
- Oversized sky window and blackout coating
- Lowest price point in Darche's rooftop range
- No single combined weight published (13kg tent + 41kg base/ladder/cover)
TentBox
GO
At 33 kg this is the lightest tent in the database by a wide margin, and it opens within the vehicle's own footprint rather than folding over the side. That combination puts a rooftop tent within reach of small cars whose roof limits rule out everything else.
- 33 kg, lighter than any other tent here
- Opens within the vehicle footprint
- 5-year warranty, longer than most tents near its price
- 45 cm closed height is the tallest packed profile here
Which one to pick
Take the GO 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 | Softshell | Softshell |
| Opening style | Clamshell | Fold-out |
| Sleeps | 2 | 2 |
| Season rating | — | 4-season |
| List price | $1,320— worst of the tents compared | $1,310— best of the tents compared |
| Weight and size | ||
| Weight | 119 lb— worst of the tents compared | 73 lb— best of the tents compared |
| Packed length | 4 ft 10 in— best of the tents compared | 7 ft 5 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Packed width | 4 ft 1 in— worst of the tents compared | 4 ft— best of the tents compared |
| Packed height | 12.2 in— best of the tents compared | 17.7 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Living space | ||
| Sleeping length | — | 7 ft 5 in |
| Sleeping width | — | 4 ft |
| Floor area | — | 29.6 sq ft |
| Interior height | — | 3 ft 9 in |
| Mattress thickness | 2 in | — |
| Setup and build | ||
| Setup timeManufacturer's claim where published; otherwise estimated from tent type. Expect longer in practice. | ~5 minest. | 60 sec |
| Shell material | Aluminium Honeycomb base | — |
| Fabric | 140gsm 200D Ripstop Polyester Oxford body with blackout (2000mm); 140gsm Ripstop Polyester Oxford fly (2000mm) | Stormproof breathable UV-resistant fabric, 3000 mm hydrostatic head |
| Warranty | 3years— worst of the tents compared | 5years— best of the tents compared |
| Features | ||
| Integrated LED lighting | Yes | No |
| Heater / HVAC port | — | No |
| Roof skylight | Yes | Yes |
| Annex available | — | — |
| Solar ready | — | No |
| Carries cargo on top | — | No |
| Sources | ||
| Last verified | Darche product page | TentBox product page |
Related comparisons
Or read the full spec sheets for the Darche Detachable and the TentBox GO.