As part of our mission to rid the world of disposable tents we have chosen the highest quality materials, components and manufacturing processes. This together with our elegant design, affording maximum headroom, adds up to a highly desirable, flexible, portable and durable living space that you can enjoy over and over again and that, with care, can stand the test of time.
STANDING HEIGHT
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Standard Bell Tent
24" WALL HEIGHT
Low wall height means you lose a lot of space & can only stand in the centre of the tent.
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Lotus Belle
5'8" WALL HEIGHT
Standing height across the whole footprint of the tent, which means that you can get dressed standing up and the tent can be fitted with standard height beds and normal household furniture.
CANVAS
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Standard Bell Tent
STANDARD CANVAS
Most basic bell tents use a lightweight, 240gsm poly/cotton canvas which may only last a few camping trips before it starts to look tired, attracting mould and degrading quickly under UV.
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Lotus Belle
QUALITY CANVAS
Our canvas is 380gsm, with fire proofing, UV protection and water and rot resistant treatments built in, which means the tent will last for years and is very safe to use.
GROUND SHEET
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Standard Bell Tent
STANDARD GROUND SHEET
Bell tents have a 300gsm flat PVC groundsheet which is either pegged, sewn, or zipped in to the walls of the tent. With peg in groundsheet tents, water can seep in around the edge. Sewn in groundsheets mean the whole tent is one piece, which means it is difficult to pack away neatly and tough to dry out after a rainy trip. For zipped groundsheets, if your zip breaks in one place, you have to replace the whole zip!
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Lotus Belle
QUALITY GROUND SHEET
Our ground sheet is a 540gsm heavy duty 'bath tub' PVC which is very durable and will not let in water even if pitched in a water logged field - this is the same material that boat covers and curtain sided trucks are made from - it's extremely strong and completely water proof. We use velcro for the sealed groundsheets, which is easy to repair and very low maintenance.
CENTER POLE
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Standard Bell Tent
CHEAP CENTRE POLE
Cheap metal poles jar with the look and feel of canvas. Standard Bells offer no fixing points for drapes or hanging fairy lights etc inside the tent.
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Lotus Belle
LOVELY CENTRE POLE
Lotus Belle tents come with wooden poles or high quality brushed aluminium - because wood always looks and feels more luxurious and our aluminium is the perfect complement to the glamour of our tent. Our centre poles have fixing points for chandeliers and the walls have head height 'bunting loops' all around the inside which come in handy for rigging decor and fairy lights.
GUY LINES
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Standard Bell Tent
CHEAP COMPONENTS
Thin nylon strings with flimsy sliders break easily and don't stand up to strong wind. Cheap zips break and are expensive to replace. Thin pegs bend and pull out of the ground.
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Lotus Belle
QUALITY COMPONENTS
Our guy lines are 12mm rope with heavy duty wooden toggles which are very strong, durable and highly resistant to inclement weather (they also look the part). We use Japanese YKK zippers throughout, which are the best in the world for strength and durability. Our pegs are indestructible, made from 10mm thick ribbed rebar, basically the king of pegs.
RANGE
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Standard Bell Tent
LIMITED CHOICE
Standard Bell Tents are usually a one size fits all product which doesn't allow for much variety in personal choice or suitability to differing climates.
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Lotus Belle
COMPREHENSIVE RANGE
Lotus Belles have a comprehensive range of models and accessories which means that we have tents to suit any climate, or personal taste.
TESTING / REGULATIONS
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Standard Bell Tent
POOR SAFETY FEATURES
Standard Bell tents are often not adequately fire proofed and may not meet basic safety standards.
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Lotus Belle
SAFETY TESTED
Our tents meet regulations for fire proofing and flame resistance which helps keep you and your family safe. We work hard to keep abreast of the latest changes to standards and are able to innovate in our design and manufacture.
CUSTOMER SERVICE
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Standard Bell Tent
AFTER SALES SERVICE
If you need advice about using your tent, to find out about a repair, get a replacement part or if you need to return your tent, you may find that the manufacturer offers no helpline or e-mail service which could leave you in the dark if something goes wrong.
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Lotus Belle
FRIENDLY & HELPFUL
Lotus Belle after-sales service is second to none - we are a small well established independent company that are always on the end of a phone to sort out any issues, we stock spares and repairs here in the UK and will not quibble to replace faulty parts.
DESIGN & MANUFACTURE
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Standard Bell Tent
OVERSEAS BUSINESS
Most bell tents are designed and manufactured very cheaply overseas where there is limited understanding about the demands of UK customers. Low prices can seem attractive at first but the old adage rings true that... you get what you pay for. Some bell tent products simply aren't fit for purpose and won't stand the test of time.
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Lotus Belle
DESIGNED IN THE UK
Lotus Belles are designed here in the UK. We manufacture overseas, our factory is a highly ethical workplace which we chose very carefully and visit regularly. We are leading the way in canvas tent innovation which means that we are constantly working on bringing new ideas and accessories to market to make your camping experience with Lotus Belle even more amazing.
