Freespirit Recreation Nova King vs Horntools Themis 140
The Freespirit Recreation Nova King and the Horntools Themis 140 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. Freespirit Recreation and Horntools take noticeably different approaches to the same problem.
By the numbers, the Freespirit Recreation Nova King brings 73.5 kg, 3.81 m² of floor, 109.9 cm of headroom and sleeps 4. The Horntools Themis 140 counters with 70 kg, 2.97 m² of floor, 100 cm of headroom and sleeps 2.
On weight they are effectively level — 73.5 kg against 70 kg — so the roof load question resolves the same way for both. Inside, the Nova King gives 3.81 m² of sleeping floor against 2.97 m², about 28 percent more, and it sleeps 4 to the Themis 140's 2. Their list prices are within a few percent of each other, so price is unlikely to decide this one.
They open differently: the Nova King is a fold-out and the Themis 140 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 Nova King uses extruded aluminum with polymer corners; the Themis 140 uses ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene). Canvas differs too: tri-Layer: polycotton fill between two layers of 210D ripstop against cotton, linen, polyester with PU coating (water column 2000 mm).
Freespirit Recreation
Nova King
The Nova King is the larger of Freespirit Recreation's two hardshell fold-out tents, opening to a 72 in wide interior that sleeps 3-4. It keeps a narrow 42 in closed width while folding out to roughly double the floor of the Nova Standard. The manufacturer rates it for 4-season use, and it includes aluminum crossbars, LED lighting and heater/AC/electrical ports.
- Wide 3-4 person fold-out interior
- Manufacturer-stated 4-season rating and 750 lb capacity
- Narrow closed width for its deployed size
- Fold-out needs side clearance and ladder support to deploy
Horntools
Themis 140
The 140 cm two-person version of Horntools's Themis hard-shell roof tent, with an ABS shell that opens in under three minutes to 100 cm interior height. It has three entrances, four windows with fly screens and blackout blinds, integrated LED strips and a 7 cm memory-foam mattress, and packs down to a 30 cm profile. It is the smaller of Horntools's two Themis hard-shell sizes.
- ABS hard shell packs to a low 30 cm profile
- Quick sub-3-minute setup with 2.6 m ladder included
- Three entrances and 7 cm memory-foam mattress
- Lower 100 cm interior height than Horntools's folding Elements tents
Which one to pick
Take the Nova King if you need the sleeping room more than you need the lighter tent. 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 | Hardshell | Hardshell |
| Opening style | Fold-out | Pop-up |
| Sleeps | 4— best of the tents compared | 2— worst of the tents compared |
| Season rating | 4-season | — |
| List price | $3,295— worst of the tents compared | $3,290— best of the tents compared |
| Weight and size | ||
| Weight | 162 lb— worst of the tents compared | 154 lb— best of the tents compared |
| Packed length | 6 ft 6 in— best of the tents compared | 6 ft 11 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Packed width | 3 ft 6 in— best of the tents compared | 4 ft 7 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Packed height | 11.5 in— best of the tents compared | 11.8 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Living space | ||
| Sleeping length | 6 ft 10 in— worst of the tents compared | 6 ft 11 in— best of the tents compared |
| Sleeping width | 6 ft— best of the tents compared | 4 ft 7 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Floor area | 41 sq ft— best of the tents compared | 32 sq ft— worst of the tents compared |
| Interior height | 3 ft 7 in— best of the tents compared | 3 ft 3 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Mattress thickness | — | 2.8 in |
| Setup and build | ||
| Setup timeManufacturer's claim where published; otherwise estimated from tent type. Expect longer in practice. | ~60 secest. | 3 min |
| Shell material | Extruded aluminum with polymer corners | ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) |
| Fabric | Tri-Layer: polycotton fill between two layers of 210D ripstop | Cotton, linen, polyester with PU coating (water column 2000 mm) |
| Warranty | — | 5years |
| Features | ||
| Integrated LED lighting | Yes | Yes |
| Heater / HVAC port | Yes | — |
| Roof skylight | — | — |
| Annex available | — | Yes |
| Solar ready | — | — |
| Carries cargo on top | — | — |
| Sources | ||
| Last verified | Freespirit Recreation product page | Horntools product page |
Related comparisons
Or read the full spec sheets for the Freespirit Recreation Nova King and the Horntools Themis 140.