Eezi-Awn Blade 40th Edition vs Smittybilt Aluminum Pop-up
The Eezi-Awn Blade 40th Edition and the Smittybilt Aluminum Pop-up are both hardshell tents in the same part of the market, which makes them a genuine head-to-head rather than a comparison across categories. Eezi-Awn and Smittybilt take noticeably different approaches to the same problem.
List prices are within $185.01000000000022 of each other, so price is unlikely to decide this one.
They open differently: the Blade 40th Edition is a clamshell and the Aluminum Pop-up a pop-up. 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 Blade 40th Edition uses aluminium (extruded base with two 8mm accessory slots); the Aluminum Pop-up uses aluminum. Closed, the Aluminum Pop-up sits 13.969999999999999 cm lower on the roof — 18.03 cm against 32 cm — which is drag you carry on every mile you are not camping.
Eezi-Awn
Blade 40th Edition
The Blade 40th Edition is an aerodynamic aluminium hard-shell tent with an extruded base carrying two 8mm accessory slots and a K9 rack platform on top rated for solar panels, bikes or kayaks. Eezi-Awn lists an 82kg weight, packed dimensions of 2200 x 1450 x 320mm (rear), two stainless-steel locks, revised gas struts and a USB port. It is one of Eezi-Awn's aluminium hard-shell models.
- K9 roof platform rated for solar panels, bikes or kayaks
- Stainless-steel locks and revised gas struts
- Published 82kg weight and packed dimensions
- Manufacturer does not publish mattress thickness, capacity or open dimensions on this page
Smittybilt
Aluminum Pop-up
The Aluminum Pop-up RTT is a hard-shell rooftop tent with an aluminum shell that raises vertically on gas-assisted struts to sleep 2-3 people. It shares the same footprint and external roof rack bars as Smittybilt's Aluminum Side Opening model but pops up to a taller interior peak. It includes a 2.5" high-density foam mattress, an LED light strip with remote and internal mesh storage, and carries a 661lbs load rating with a 5-year warranty.
- Vertical pop-up gives more interior peak height than Smittybilt's side-opening aluminum model
- External roof rack bars for cargo on the closed shell
- Aluminum hard shell with 5-year warranty and quick gas-assisted setup
- Manufacturer does not publish tent weight or season rating
Which one to pick
These two are closely matched on the numbers that usually decide it. Read the feature rows below — heater port, skylight, annex — and let whichever of those you will actually use break the tie.
Every specification, side by side
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Type | Hardshell | Hardshell |
| Opening style | Clamshell | Pop-up |
| Sleeps | 2— worst of the tents compared | 3— best of the tents compared |
| Season rating | — | — |
| List price | $2,690— worst of the tents compared | $2,499.99— best of the tents compared |
| Weight and size | ||
| Weight | 181 lb | — |
| Packed length | 7 ft 3 in— worst of the tents compared | 7 ft 1 in— best of the tents compared |
| Packed width | 4 ft 9 in— worst of the tents compared | 4 ft 7 in— best of the tents compared |
| Packed height | 12.6 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 7 in |
| Floor area | — | 32.5 sq ft |
| Interior height | — | 3 ft 9 in |
| Mattress thickness | — | 2.5 in |
| 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 (extruded base with two 8mm accessory slots) | Aluminum |
| Fabric | — | — |
| Warranty | — | 5years |
| Features | ||
| Integrated LED lighting | — | Yes |
| Heater / HVAC port | — | — |
| Roof skylight | — | — |
| Annex available | — | — |
| Solar ready | Yes | — |
| Carries cargo on top | Yes | Yes |
| Sources | ||
| Last verified | Eezi-Awn product page | Smittybilt product page |
Related comparisons
- Blade 40th EditionvsClassic
- Blade 40th EditionvsKozi HighRize 1250
- Blade 40th EditionvsOrion 1200 Lightweight
- Aluminum Pop-upvsOrion 1200 Lightweight
Or read the full spec sheets for the Eezi-Awn Blade 40th Edition and the Smittybilt Aluminum Pop-up.