Howling Moon Lunar vs Vickywood CUMARU EASE 135
The Howling Moon Lunar and the Vickywood CUMARU EASE 135 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. Howling Moon and Vickywood take noticeably different approaches to the same problem.
The CUMARU EASE 135 is 6 kg lighter at 69 kg against 75 kg, which on a factory roof rated for 68 to 75 kg is often the difference between a legal fit and a rack upgrade. Inside, the Lunar gives 3.12 m² of sleeping floor against 2.6 m², about 20 percent more, though both are rated for 2. Headroom separates them further: 145 cm in the CUMARU EASE 135 against 105 cm, which is the difference between sitting up to dress and doing it lying down. List prices are within $124 of each other, so price is unlikely to decide this one.
The Lunar uses fibreglass with scratch-resistant coating; the CUMARU EASE 135 uses aluminum 6 Series. Canvas differs too: heavy-duty ripstop canvas with YKK zips against recycled 320 g/m2 ripstop polyester, PU-coated; rainfly 420D Oxford polyester, 5,000 mm water column, UV 50+. Closed, the CUMARU EASE 135 sits 8 cm lower on the roof — 25 cm against 33 cm — which is drag you carry on every mile you are not camping.
Howling Moon
Lunar
The Lunar is a clamshell hardshell tent with a fibreglass top and bottom raised by a gas-strut lifting mechanism, fitted with a fully quilted 100 mm high-density foam mattress. Aluminium mounting rails are built into the top of the lid to allow fitting a solar panel or other accessories. It has large screened aperture windows and is available in black, grey or white.
- Thick 100 mm quilted foam mattress
- Fibreglass shell with lid mounting rails for solar/accessories
- Fully published open and packed dimensions
- Ladder is sold separately
Vickywood
CUMARU EASE 135
The CUMARU EASE 135 is a lightweight aluminium hardshell that opens semi-automatically on STABILUS gas struts, sleeping 2 on a 200 x 130 cm area with a 6 cm mattress. Its top shell is an integrated rack rated to 100 kg and it has two 100 cm dual-tone LED strips with USB-C. A dedicated annex fitting both the EASE and XP is offered separately.
- Semi-automatic gas-strut opening
- Integrated roof-load platform up to 100 kg
- Mattress thickness and fabric specs published
- No season rating or warranty period published
Which one to pick
Take the Lunar if you need the sleeping room more than you need the lighter tent. Take the CUMARU EASE 135 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 | Hardshell | Hardshell |
| Opening style | Clamshell | Clamshell |
| Sleeps | 2 | 2 |
| Season rating | — | — |
| List price | $3,030— worst of the tents compared | $2,910— best of the tents compared |
| Weight and size | ||
| Weight | 165 lb— worst of the tents compared | 152 lb— best of the tents compared |
| Packed length | 7 ft 3 in— best of the tents compared | 7 ft 5 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Packed width | 4 ft 11 in | 4 ft 11 in |
| Packed height | 13 in— worst of the tents compared | 9.8 in— best of the tents compared |
| Living space | ||
| Sleeping length | 7 ft 1 in— best of the tents compared | 6 ft 7 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Sleeping width | 4 ft 9 in— best of the tents compared | 4 ft 3 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Floor area | 33.6 sq ft— best of the tents compared | 28 sq ft— worst of the tents compared |
| Interior height | 3 ft 5 in— worst of the tents compared | 4 ft 9 in— best of the tents compared |
| Mattress thickness | 3.9 in— best of the tents compared | 2.4 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Setup and build | ||
| Setup timeManufacturer's claim where published; otherwise estimated from tent type. Expect longer in practice. | ~60 secest. | ~60 secest. |
| Shell material | Fibreglass with scratch-resistant coating | Aluminum 6 Series |
| Fabric | Heavy-duty ripstop canvas with YKK zips | Recycled 320 g/m2 ripstop polyester, PU-coated; rainfly 420D Oxford polyester, 5,000 mm water column, UV 50+ |
| Warranty | — | — |
| Features | ||
| Integrated LED lighting | Yes | Yes |
| Heater / HVAC port | — | — |
| Roof skylight | — | Yes |
| Annex available | — | Yes |
| Solar ready | Yes | — |
| Carries cargo on top | Yes | Yes |
| Sources | ||
| Last verified | Howling Moon product page | Vickywood product page |
Related comparisons
Or read the full spec sheets for the Howling Moon Lunar and the Vickywood CUMARU EASE 135.