Sperry sailcloth tent or Tidewater vinyl tent?

I had a Sailcloth tent (NOT through sperry...haha much cheaper!) it was a “tidewater sailcloth”— I’ve not actually heard of tidewater vinyl so I’m not totally sure what that means....and thinking about it, if you’re seeing the word “tidewater” and the pics look identical, I’d question if they are actually vinyl or if they’re actually sailcloth just not sperry brand!— I’ve not seen sailcloth tents that have the same structure as vinyl! I considered Sperry because I LOVED the sailcloth look, but, didn’t quite find the visual to be worth *thousands* more dollars, but in my tent search, one company I met with also happened to have a couple sailcloth tents available, which were only a couple hundred of an upcharge, so i went for it! (I met with them before realizing it was an option, and thinking they just had traditional, vinyl tents)

The MOST important thing to note is that sailcloth is LESS waterproof than a traditional vinyl tent, so if rain is a very real probability, you’ll want to go with something sturdier (it does still repel water but isn’t quite as effective as a traditional tent). **i made sure with my rental company they had flexibility, and they were willing to accommodate last minute changes if severe weather was forecasted, to switch from sailcloth to traditional— BUT, this was the only direction they could accommodate: they only had a couple sailcloth in stock so those would book up and couldn’t be promised with short notice.
The shape is also a key difference, as with sailcloth you get that oval shape and regular tents are rectangular , and that was a hue selling feature to me as my SPACE was kind of an oval, so it was a perfect fit and better way for us to maximize space.
As far as I know from experience,light doesn’t really penetrate vinyl at all like it does with sailcloth.
It FELT light and airy in the sailcloth, it may have just been the breeziness of the day , but I felt like the air moved better than in stuffy/plastic-y vinyl tents (and it absolutely did not have that plastic-y scent!)

It likely depends on your needs and budget, but I can’t begin to tell you how much I loved my sailcloth tent. I was obsessed with it. It was SO beautiful, and I really think it gave my backyard wedding that bit of elegance I was dreaming of. I DO think though that it ultimately doesn’t matter and tents are important for FUNCTION. No one is going to think a standard tent is “ugly” while they’re appreciating the shelter, and I do think that the biggest difference is largely visual— sailcloth just looks prettier. Hahaha but all that said I am so thrilled I ended up with a sailcloth and I adored it.
Now I will spam with tent pics ! 🤣

Thanks so much, mcskipper, I really appreciate your answer! I think one of the reasons I'm confused is because the tent rental place said this "Are you interested in the 46 x 85 Sperry sailcloth tent or the 44 x 86 Tidewater tent? Difference is the tidewater tent looks like the Sperry tent but is vinyl. The price of the Tidewater tent is less than Sperry sailcloth tent."

I think the Tidewater tent is marketed as sailcloth but might include a bit of synthetic blend (polyester) and maybe the Sperry tent is 100% sailcloth. All a bit confusing. But knowing you were thrilled with your Tidewater tent is very helpful. It's a difference of about $1,000. Thank you again for weighing in!

View Quoted Comment Lol, okay, for some reason I took a fascination with this and did a little digging !
I’m still thrown off by them throwing the word “vinyl” in there, but I’m thinking you may be on to something with the Tidewater maybe being a blend annndddd haha essentially the knock off version of a Sperry, and that ultimately, they’re two competing brands.

Tidewater is then absolutely the BRAND my “sailcloth” tent was. Rented through an authorized vendor. This is their website http://tidewatertents.com/ and it doesn’t seem that they make other types of tents, but , I didn’t click to download the brochure and I didn’t see anywhere else listing exactly the materials, so who knows. It does seem like both tents need to come from authorized vendors, so I’m wondering if your rental company has some contractual time print that won’t let them call it a “sailcloth” ...googling Tidewater vs Sperry seems to indicate that Sperry is the OG and #1 and the only totally reliable sailcloth.
((This article has an interesting bullet point about the Sperry versus all other sailcloths issue:
http://kateparkerweddings.blogspot.com/2009/03/what-you-need-to-know-about-tented.html?m=1 ))
SO, I think that truly will be the biggest, if not ONLY, difference here— absolute all weather reliability. The (perhaps biased) link i clicked on said that no one is as reliable as Sperry and that they’re 100% waterproof and wind rated etc. SO, I think that tracks— Tidewater is perhaps cheaper because it is not as highly rated against weather, as, my tent guy said confidently that we were better off with a traditional (vinyl/pole/Victorian) tent in bad weather , I think the implication was: little rain/drizzly day, no problem, totally protected; legit storms, we should switch. So, that’s pribably your ultimate answer regarding differences.

If the thing your being quoted for is Tidewater brand, and looks absolutely the same visually/shape-wise, I’d say they’re almost definitely talking about the same kind of tent I had. IN WHICH CASE, unfortunately for helpfulness (but fortunately for us!), we had perfect weather the whole day and no rain at all the whole time the tent was up (we DID have some wind, but the tent seemed extremely structurally sound!). It still had that dream-y look, stitching inside, wooden center poles, brightness, and the light play you’re talking about. Until this very moment , I had no idea I had the inferior knock off tent! 🤣🤣. So, if those are your concerns, fear not ! The Tidewater is absolutely every bit as lovely ! If *weather* is your concern and you’re getting married in Hurricane season....well THEN I suppose I’d suggest springing for the Sperry. (Ps they both have stalk-able instagrams if you’re wanting to see more real life examples!). Otherwise, I’d just make super sure with the tent company you’re talking about the same product, given that vinyl wording !

This is so kind! Sometimes this wedding planning stuff can be a bit lonely and confusing, and your sleuthing was really helpful to me on both counts! Your assessment seems exactly right and gives me what I need to make a decision (going for the Sperry, on weather grounds only). Thank you so much, Mcskipper. So nice of you!

There are a few sailcloth brands out there. You have Sperry, Tidewater, Aurora, and Stillwater. Sperry is the only one made with sailcloth material as the other brands are made with semi translucent vinyl. There are slight differences between the three vinyls, like some are slightly more translucent and some have other detailed work that an installer needs to consider. The vinyl is 100% water proof.


Sperry is made out of Dacron which is a form of polyester. It is weaved in a way where it is water repellent. The life span of a Sperry fabric isn't as high as a vinyl tent which is why you see more vinyl versions versus a fabric. Sperry doesn't list their wind loads on their wedding tents unless you have an engineered version.
For example Tidewater tents are engineered for 70mph for 3 seconds when properly anchored. And that's with a safety factor. So in no way is a vinyl tent not as durable as a Sperry. With that being said, you should not be under a tent if winds exceed 38mphs or if you feel unsafe under a tent for any reason.
Is there a difference between Sperry and Tidewater and the others. No, not to someone who doesn't set them up on a daily. Just remember rental companies wouldn't buy a a tent that can not handle the weather around you.
But if you do want a grand entrance with a 20ft wide opening with no side poles Sperry is the way to go.
And Tidewater has the nicest looking walls when rolled up, they don't have sags in them. Its a nice clean line all the way across. New walls came out in 2018 so check with your company and make sure they have the new version of walls.