Lightwave Sigma S22 Tent
Summary
Price At Time Of Writing | $549.00
Our Overall Rating | 90 out of 100
Pros - Roomy, lightweight, waterproof
Cons - Dark, have to thread poles
Overall - A great option for a single-walled tent
Technical Specifications
Packed Size - 18x7in
Weight - 3.3lbs
Sleeping Size - 32.3sqft
Our Analysis & Ratings
Lightwave recently updated its successful Sigma range, relaunching its previous S20 as the S22. We're not usually fans of single-skin tents, as they generally aren't great at managing moisture build-up, and we've never liked threading poles through sleeves, but for Sigma's new S22, we'll make an exception. It's a roomy design whose impressive moisture management can stand up to UK conditions, and with the recent improvements of bigger doors, siliconized pole sleeves and double eyelets at the pole ends, it's one of our new favorites.
Comfort - Sigma's added two doors and porches to the S22, making it much more liveable for two people. As a single-walled tent, with no space taken up between tent and fly, it's also quite roomy, with a full 230cm length and 130cm width.
Construction - This is where the S22 really shines. Sigma's own X-Tex coating does an excellent job of deflecting water and reducing condensation; the fabric is incredibly waterproof (20,000mm hydrostatic head, which is roughly 4 times the waterproof rating of most hiking tents). The tent pegs are very strong, and tent poles and nylon rope are standard quality for a good hiking tent. We found door zippers to run quite smoothly - a well-constructed tent. Our only note was that the groundsheet at 50 denier wasn't incredibly sturdy, but as Sigma themselves advise, you don't really need it.
Features - There are rudimentary storage pockets and a basic loop in the middle of the roof to hang a torch or lantern. It’s not winning any particular prizes here, but this isn't the main selling point of this tent.
Size/Weight - 3.3lbs (3.5lbs including pegs) is a very reasonable weight for a 32.3sqft tent, which the Sigma has achieved by being a single wall tent. It also packs down to a very reasonable size compared to other tents. We hiked without the footprint, as it adds an additional 200g.
Versatility - This tent is a four-season tent, and will keep you warm and dry in all US conditions. The only problem is that for summer, there's not a huge amount of ventilation, so it can get a little warm. Something to note as well is that the waterproofing treatment on the fabric makes the tent quite dark, which is great for sleeping, but we found it a little darker in the mornings than we'd like.
Overall - The Lightwave Sigma S22 has won us over to the world of single-walled tents, as long as they're this good. This is a great, roomy, lightweight option to hike with if you're generally in colder conditions.
