My Honest Review of the OEX Phoxx 2 (V2) Tent
by the bald scrambler
Published By: Daniel Woodley. Updated: 17th October 2023. Filed at: Reviews. Disclosure: I may earn a commission from purchases made via links.
The OEX Phoxx 2 (version 2) is a budget two-person tent that I purchased earlier this year (2023) and so far I’ve taken it out on five trips, including two nights in horrendous mountain weather with gale-force winds.
This is my honest review of the tent where I explain its features and tell you how it performed up in the hills of Snowdonia, UK.
OEX Phoxx 2 tent on the slopes of Snowdon
Testing the tent in the Glyderau
Pros
- Value – as of 2023 this tent costs £90 (see current price on Amazon)
- Ease of assembly – only two short poles.
- Robust – this tent withstood very strong winds and didn’t tear and the floor is strong.
- The colour is perfect for wild camping.
- I’m 6ft2 and found there was plenty of room lengthways.
- The tent can be pitched inner sheet only in the summer if it’s really hot.
Cons
- Not lightweight at 2.1kg.
- Small vestibule areas.
- Low headroom.
- The poles don’t cross over each other, so the fabric moved a lot in the wind, especially in the middle of the tent.
- The guy line tensioners slipped in high winds.
- When open, the doors allow rain in.
What I Didn’t Like About The OEX Phoxx 2 Tent
Unlike most product reviews you’ll find online, I’ll start with what I didn’t like:
Guy line tensioners: The tensioners (shown below) slipped on two lines during stormy weather. Admittedly, it was a VERY stormy night in winds that most people wouldn’t dream of camping in (see my video YouTube here), but they did slip and this led to the flap over the vent coming loose.
A simple solution is to tie the lines in a knot directly to the peg so the tensioner isn’t used at all.
Loose guy line after a very stormy night
Guy line tensioners on the OEX Phoxx 2
Shape of the tent: The tent is coffin-shaped which is a variation of a tunnel tent. As with most tunnel tents, the fabric moves a lot in the wind as the poles don’t cross over each other, something that would provide more support:
I found the inner fabric moved a lot in the wind
Small vestibules: The porch areas (on each side of the tent) are quite small for a 2-person tent.
My Firemaple X1 stove in the vestibule; not much room for bags.
Rainwater comes in: As with most coffin-shaped tents, when the doors are opened, some rain will come into the side of the tent.
What I Liked About This Tent
There’s a lot to like about the OEX Phoxx 2 tent and for the price, I feel it’s great value, here’s a few things that I appreciated:
Ease of assembly: The OEX Phoxx 2 tent is an inner pitch first tent and with most tents that means rainwater getting into the tent until the outer layer is secured over the top. However, on my Phoxx 2 tent (and all Phoxx 2 tents from 2023) the inner comes tied to the outer. I found that when pitching in the rain, this kept most of the water out and I only had to mop up a small amount with my towel.
Even in strong wind, I can get the tent fully pitched in less than 8 minutes:
The green outer layer is pre-attached to the orange inner – making it easier to pitch in wind and rain.
Pole sleeves: The sleeves that the poles are inserted into aren’t too long, making it easy to push the poles through.
Waterproofness: Apart from some water coming through the vent when the guy line slipped during a storm, this tent has been 100% waterproof for me, even in driving rain and very strong winds.
Ventilation/condensation: This tent has a large mesh vent at the rear and a smaller one at the narrow front end. The amount of air passing through can be controlled by adjusting flaps outside. I’ve found the tent to be very well-ventilated during my five trips so far and haven’t had any issues with condensation. I won’t be using this tent in the winter as the vents would let in too much cold air, but for summer use, the vents adequately remove moisture and heat from the tent.
YKK Zippers: These are one of the best on the market and are reliable:
YKK zippers
Space and comfort: I’m 6ft 2, and even though the tent has a low profile, I found it fairly wide – certainly enough to accommodate one person and possessions or two people with bags left outside the tent. As with almost all two-person tents, two people and possessions will not fit into it.
Two doors: Great if two of you will be using the tent or if it’s windy, you can get out of the side facing away from the wind.
Packing the tent: I had no issues collapsing the tent and storing it in the bag, which it fitted into easily.
Endura poles
Who I Recommend This Tent To
Based on my five trips, I feel this tent is best suited to:
- Wild campers wanting a low-profile, discreet tent.
- Hikers and mountain bikers looking to stay a night or two in the wild.
- Those on a budget.
- Summer campers.
Testing the OEX Phoxx 2 tent in the wind and rain.
Who I Don’t Recommend This To
Despite the tent performing well in strong winds, it isn’t designed for stormy weather, so if you’re planning on doing lots of four-season camping, it might be worth investing in a tent with a stronger design.
It’s quite small for two people, especially if they both have large bags etc.
Those who want to spend lots of time in the tent would appreciate one with more headroom.
You Should Also Know
Here’s a few things you should know:
- The colour is nothing like that shown on the OEX website. Instead of khaki green, mine is forest green.
- This type of tent is designed so that rain will come into the tent when the door is fully opened.
- The version I tested is the V2 (version 2). There are some minor differences compared to the older version – the inner layer isn’t pre-tied to the outer on the V1, for example.
- OEX tents are often heavily discounted at some retailers and strangely overpriced at others; it’s worth looking around.
- For a sub ~£100 tent, you get a lot for your money, and I doubt you’ll be disappointed as long as your expectations are realistic.
Key Specs
- 2-person tent
- Compact
- Easy to pitch – inner is pre-tied to the outer
- Ideal for backpacking and wild camping
- Waterproof polyester flysheet – I’ve never seen rain get through it
- Waterproof PE groundsheet that is strong and doesn’t require a separate footprint groundsheet
- Internal storage pockets
- Lantern hanging point
- OEX pre-angled
- Inner tent can be used on its own in hot summer weather
- Breathable polyester inner fabric – prevents condensation and is well-ventilated
- Pitch time: ~8 mins
- Weight: 2.1 kg
- Packed size: 41 x 16 x16(cm)
- Hydrostatic head: 5000
- Good quality YKK zippers
You may also like:
- See how the OEX Phoxx 2 tent performs in storm-force winds on my YouTube video.
- My review of Vango’s 200 Storm Shelter.
- Thermarest’s NeoAir XTherm NXT sleeping pad review.
- My review of the Berghaus Transition 300C Sleeping Bag
About Daniel Woodley
This review of the OEX Phoxx 2 V2 tent was created by Daniel Woodley, aka The Bald Scrambler.
From walking along beaches and kayaking down rivers to making his way up mountains and even jumping out of planes, Daniel has a love of the outdoors but scrambling is his real passion.
Daniel Woodley aka The Bald Scrambler
Have fun, keep safe. Hopefully I’ll see you on the mountains one day
By The Bald Scrambler