Roofnest Meadowlark 2 XL vs Vickywood WILLOW PRO 1 ECO 160
The Roofnest Meadowlark 2 XL and the Vickywood WILLOW PRO 1 ECO 160 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. Roofnest and Vickywood take noticeably different approaches to the same problem.
By the numbers, the Roofnest Meadowlark 2 XL brings 54 kg, 3.6 m² of floor, 114 cm of headroom and sleeps 3. The Vickywood WILLOW PRO 1 ECO 160 counters with 73 kg, 3.84 m² of floor, 115 cm of headroom and sleeps 3.
The Meadowlark 2 XL is 19 kg lighter at 54 kg against 73 kg, which on a factory roof rated for 68 to 75 kg is often the difference between a legal fit and a rack upgrade. Floor area is close to identical at 3.6 m² and 3.84 m², so neither wins on sleeping room. The Meadowlark 2 XL lists about 23% lower than the WILLOW PRO 1 ECO 160.
Canvas differs too: 600D rip-stop polyoxford, 2000 mm waterproof rating against recycled 320 g/m2 ripstop polyester, PU-coated; rainfly 600D Oxford polyester, PU-coated.
Roofnest
Meadowlark 2 XL
Roofnest's soft-shell entry point, and the cheapest tent they sell. It delivers a 3.60 m² three-person floor for well under half the price of the hardshell Condor, at the cost of a fabric cover instead of a shell.
- Well under half the price of Roofnest's hardshells
- 3.60 m² floor for three
- 54 kg suits mid-size SUVs
- Soft cover means slower pack-down in bad weather
Vickywood
WILLOW PRO 1 ECO 160
The WILLOW PRO 1 ECO 160 is a configurable soft-shell fold-out tent for up to 2-3 people, giving a 160 x 240 cm sleeping area. The base tent weighs about 52.65 kg without mattress or ladder, with those chosen at checkout. It has two skylights and a dual-tone LED strip, and accepts the BIG WILLOW annex.
- Configurable mattress and ladder options
- Base tent weight published separately
- Two skylights and USB LED strip
- Mattress thickness not published
Which one to pick
Take the Meadowlark 2 XL if your roof load limit is the binding constraint. Take the Meadowlark 2 XL if the budget is fixed. 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 | Fold-out | Fold-out |
| Sleeps | 3 | 3 |
| Season rating | 4-season | — |
| List price | $2,095— best of the tents compared | $2,710— worst of the tents compared |
| Weight and size | ||
| Weight | 120 lb— best of the tents compared | 161 lb— worst of the tents compared |
| Packed length | 5 ft 5 in— best of the tents compared | 5 ft 7 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Packed width | 4 ft— best of the tents compared | 4 ft 1 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Packed height | 13 in— worst of the tents compared | 12.1 in— best of the tents compared |
| Living space | ||
| Sleeping length | 7 ft 6 in— worst of the tents compared | 7 ft 10 in— best of the tents compared |
| Sleeping width | 5 ft 2 in— worst of the tents compared | 5 ft 3 in— best of the tents compared |
| Floor area | 38.8 sq ft— worst of the tents compared | 41.3 sq ft— best of the tents compared |
| Interior height | 3 ft 9 in— worst of the tents compared | 3 ft 9 in— best of the tents compared |
| Mattress thickness | 2.5 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 sec | ~5 minest. |
| Shell material | — | 1000G PVC truck-tarp protective cover |
| Fabric | 600D rip-stop polyoxford, 2000 mm waterproof rating | Recycled 320 g/m2 ripstop polyester, PU-coated; rainfly 600D Oxford polyester, PU-coated |
| Warranty | 2years | — |
| Features | ||
| Integrated LED lighting | Yes | Yes |
| Heater / HVAC port | — | — |
| Roof skylight | — | Yes |
| Annex available | — | Yes |
| Solar ready | — | — |
| Carries cargo on top | — | — |
| Sources | ||
| Last verified | Roofnest product page | Vickywood product page |
Related comparisons
- Meadowlark 2 XLvsLite
- Meadowlark 2 XLvsBAOBAB AIR 135
- Meadowlark 2 XLvsFun
- Meadowlark 2 XLvsPioneer 2 Tent
Or read the full spec sheets for the Roofnest Meadowlark 2 XL and the Vickywood WILLOW PRO 1 ECO 160.