Eezi-Awn Sabre Lite vs Smittybilt Aluminum Pop-up
The Eezi-Awn Sabre Lite 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.
By the numbers, the Eezi-Awn Sabre Lite brings 70 kg and sleeps 2. The Smittybilt Aluminum Pop-up counters with 3.02 m² of floor, 114.05 cm of headroom and sleeps 3.
The Sabre Lite lists about 10% lower than the Aluminum Pop-up.
They open differently: the Sabre Lite 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 Sabre Lite uses aluminium hard-shell with one-piece hinge system; the Aluminum Pop-up uses aluminum. Closed, the Aluminum Pop-up sits 18.97 cm lower on the roof — 18.03 cm against 37 cm — which is drag you carry on every mile you are not camping.
Eezi-Awn
Sabre Lite
The Sabre Lite is one of Eezi-Awn's aluminium hard-shell tents, rated by the maker as a two-person tent that one person can open and close in under five minutes. It carries a 70mm high-density laminated mattress, internal LED lighting and a K9 track on the shell for mounting load bars or a solar-panel bracket. Packed dimensions are 1450 x 1400mm, 370mm high at the back tapering to 270mm at the front.
- Manufacturer states two-person capacity and under-five-minute single-person setup
- K9 track on the shell for load bars or a solar bracket
- Internal LED lighting and USB/USB-C charging
- Eezi-Awn does not publish erected height or open floor dimensions
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 | $2,260— best of the tents compared | $2,499.99— worst of the tents compared |
| Weight and size | ||
| Weight | 154 lb | — |
| Packed length | 4 ft 9 in— best of the tents compared | 7 ft 1 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Packed width | 4 ft 7 in— best of the tents compared | 4 ft 7 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Packed height | 14.6 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 | 2.8 in— best of the tents compared | 2.5 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Setup and build | ||
| Setup timeManufacturer's claim where published; otherwise estimated from tent type. Expect longer in practice. | 5 min | ~60 secest. |
| Shell material | Aluminium hard-shell with one-piece hinge system | Aluminum |
| Fabric | — | — |
| Warranty | — | 5years |
| Features | ||
| Integrated LED lighting | Yes | 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
- Sabre LitevsRoamer
- Sabre LitevsOrthFrame
- Sabre LitevsBush Cruiser V2 Pro 120
- Sabre LitevsKabari Superfly
Or read the full spec sheets for the Eezi-Awn Sabre Lite and the Smittybilt Aluminum Pop-up.