Yurts, Domes and Cabins: The Definitive Guide

Choosing the right accommodation for your site is an incredibly important choice. With so many different options out there, the decision can quickly become overwhelming. This issue, we are taking a look at yurts, domes and cabins. Glamping Business Americas reporter Annie Hilton has reached out to some suppliers to get you the information that you need.

bivvicamp.com

What started as plans to build a wilderness hut for friends slowly turned into a business idea. When Bivvi started in 2019, the market was flooded with options for tents, yurts, and trailers. What lacked was a simple, well-designed cabin structure that was comfortable all year round and didn’t involve long and expensive on-site assembly. Combining years of working as architects and fabricators, the founders of Bivvi set out to build their very own cabin to serve today’s outdoor enthusiasts.

Bivvi offers camp structures for outdoor enthusiasts. Our clients range from campground/glampground resort operators to people seeking personal retreats and flex spaces for their land or backyard. At the moment, Bivvi offers our signature, prefabricated A-frame cabin. We were inspired by the classic form of the A-frame, a time-tested structure found all over the world. While Bivvi cabins recall this form, they’re built using modular building fabrication techniques in a controlled factory environment. This reduces waste and speeds up production. The cabin footprint measures 8’-6” wide x 11’-6” long and 10’-6”’ tall, which allows it to be legally transported to its end destination.

The exterior of each cabin is outfitted with visually striking and long-lasting materials to endure through every season and across a range of climates. Pine boards line the interior volume of the cabin to offer a warm, inviting experience. Opposite the entry door, a large triangular picture window frames your view of the outdoors. Every cabin is fully insulated and has a natural ventilation system for airflow, keeping you comfortable in any season. Cabins can be customized to incorporate electricity, solar, heating, and furniture.

Bivvi’s cabins are unique in several ways:

• All-season: Our cabins stand up to the elements in extreme climates. Robust insulation and quality construction keep you comfortable any time of the year.

• Prefabricated: We manufacture each cabin in a factory to streamline construction and reduce waste. Our cabins come fully assembled right to your property.

• Sustainable: We use responsibly sourced and durable materials to create a long-lasting cabin that touches lightly on the earth.

• Economical: Whether adding to your backyard or your campground retreat, our cabins are competitively priced to deliver more value at a lower price.

Little to zero maintenance is required to care for a Bivvi Cabin. Durable materials are used on the exterior, including metal roofing and cedar siding. A re-staining schedule is recommended every 2-4 years. The waterproof, air-tight and insulated cabin construction protects the interior from the elements in any environment. Cabins can also be installed on a custom steel trailer. Air pressure, tire condition, and connections should be checked for safety prior to moving the cabins.

Each cabin is custom-made to order in a factory. The estimated time frame from initial order to delivery on-site is approximately 8-12 weeks. Each cabin comes to its destination fully constructed so no on-site construction is necessary.

Bivvi currently offers a one-year limited warranty on manufacturing errors. Extended warranties exist on specific third-party manufactured items. Bivvi takes pride in every cabin constructed and is built to endure as long as you need it.

bubblehuts.com

Bubble Huts LLC is the first American manufacturer of bubble tents. The Bubble Huts team has been designing, manufacturing and selling bubble tents worldwide since 2014. Each one is handcrafted at a small facility in Glendale, Arizona. The Bubble Huts brand is registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Bubble Tents

Bubble Huts provide an unobstructed 360 degree panoramic of the night sky, creating the ultimate “stargazing” experience. What maintenance is required to keep your structures in top condition? They require minimal to no maintenance at all, as long as they are set up properly.

The standard production timeline is 6-8 weeks from the time the design has been approved. Assembly will take approximately 30 minutes from start to finish, electric or solar power is required for the air inflation system.

The lifespan of a Bubble Huts tent is approximately 5+ years. There is a 2-year manufacturer defect warranty.

cedarbound.com

We’re a small business based in Duluth, MN, right on the tip of Lake Superior, founded & owned by a husband-wife entrepreneur duo (that’s us — Bailey & Hutch!). After meeting at summer camp many years ago, we discovered a shared love for adventure, travel, and turning cool ideas into reality. We had a vision for unique luxury accommodation with a nod toward our camping origins, and from there, Cedar Bound was born.

Our business turns one in May 2021! We are thrilled to be part of the glamping industry as it continues to grow & evolve. It’s an exciting time to be creating and building!

Our unique design bridges the gap between modern cabin & luxury tent. Our cabins feature traditional timber-framed end walls, along with canvas side walls, a protective vinyl canopy, and optional insulation for all-weather use. Most of our models feature a 2nd-story loft as well.

We took notes from existing building styles and created something completely new & unique! Our structures encourage connection to nature, while providing a solidly built oasis from the elements. During the design phase, we kept harsh weather conditions in mind, and engineered our cabins to withstand extreme climates & snow load.

The best part about our structures? The customization possibilities! Although we do offer Shingle, Trim, Window & Door packages, those items are offered a la carte, so that end users can tailor the exterior look & feel to their personal aesthetic. Beyond that, the interior can be fully customized, so whether you’re looking for simple sleeping quarters, or a fully finished home with kitchen & bath amenities, our structures make it possible!

For the vinyl canopy: Our canopy material is thick, durable, waterproof, and designed to protect the rest of the structure from the elements. It can handle all forms of precipitation, including snow load. In general, snow tends to slide right off. However, if snow does accumulate, our favorite hack is to give a few taps to the underside of the canopy with a push broom, which should do the trick!

For the canvas walls: Our canvas is fire & mildew resistant, and largely protected from the elements by the vinyl canopy. Natural weathering is normal, but if needed, the canvas can be spot-cleaned with a soft bristle brush & water. We recommend avoiding chemical detergents, as they can hinder the waterproofing agent in our canvas.

We currently offer three different cabin sizes, which take from 2-7 days to assemble.

Our vinyl canopy is rated at 10-15 years, similar to asphalt shingles. The canvas shares a similar lifespan, however, because it is largely protected from the elements by the canopy, it's projected to last much longer. As for the structural timbers and brackets, they will likely outlast our lifetime. Our cabin kits do include a standard one-year warranty as well.

circhouse.com

We have been producing the circhouse since 2010 after three years of research and development.

The design criteria was to produce a high performance, all weather structure which could be delivered to remote locations on a standard pickup truck and installed on any level firm surface. At the time I was a planner and developer of rural property in the high mountains of Colorado with a focus on land preservation and the options of tents or traditional yurts were not viable. Our first circhouse was installed 12 years ago at 10,000 foot elevation 18 miles up a dirt road and is treasured by its owner.

We manufacture only a 20’ diameter structure. We use a combination of polycarbonate windows and greenhouse roofing. We use 24-gauge coated metal for roof panels and walls on the exterior and 1/4-inch veneered plywood or 1/4” ABS plastic for interior walls.

There is little need for ongoing maintenance or replacement.

Order time is usually 3-4 weeks and on-site assembly is usually done in one day.

coloradoyurt.com

Colorado Yurt Company was founded over 45 years ago. Beginning as a tipi company, we quickly added yurts and tents to our product offering. We handcraft Colorado Yurts, Earthworks Tipis and Cimarron Tents for customers around the world. Our company is headquartered in Montrose, Colorado where our structures are made and shipped globally.

We make and sell engineered yurts, authentic Sioux-style tipis and high-quality platform style tents.

Each Colorado Yurt, Earthworks Tipi, and Cimarron Tent is handcrafted and custom made according to the customer’s needs. We take into consideration use, climate, budget and preferences. We make sure to understand our customer’s dreams and we take them on a journey to realize that vision. Customer service, quality, and innovation are the cornerstones of our business.

For all three of our structures, proper set up is key to maintaining the condition of the fabric. After that is achieved, regular cleaning is recommended. Colorado Yurts are engineered structures that are designed to be left up year-round and are made of the highest quality commercial fabrics which are durable and attractive.

For a Colorado Yurt, the size and skill of the crew, as well as the size and options of the yurt will affect the assembly time needed. A small yurt can be pitched in a day, whereas a large yurt with snow load upgrades may take a week. We can assist with detailed instructions and videos.

A small to medium tipi or tent can be pitched in an afternoon, whereas a larger structure may take a full day. Again, size and skill of crew will determine the amount of time needed. All estimated times assume the deck is in place.

Colorado Yurts: In most climates, you should expect to get 10-15 years out of your wall fabric and 15- 20 years from the roof.

Factors that affect the lifespan of the vinyl walls and roof are the site, the amount of UV exposure and general care. Afternoon shade is a great thing to help extend the life of your yurt cover. Any rips or tears need to be repaired, and you should keep the yurt clean and free from debris, sap and mold/mildew. The rest of the yurt should last as long as any other wooden structure.

Tipi covers typically last about 4-6 years depending on care and the environment where they’re pitched. Tents with a fly will last 7-10 years in most cases.

greatlakesyurtco.com

The Great Lakes Yurt Co. was started in 2015 when a friend wanted a yurt to film a documentary in. Since then we have built yurts for yoga spaces, healing centers, Airbnb, and even for people to live all over the United States.

We offer 16ft, 20ft, 24ft, and 30ft yurt kits. Our building team takes pride in the craftsmanship of each and every customized yurt.

We provide yurts that are top quality at competitive prices. Steve will make sure your yurt is top-notch and will make sure your experience is satisfying for your whole yurt journey!

There is very little maintenance required other than some gentle washing of the yurt from nature’s handprints.

Creating each custom yurt, from our sewing crew to our woodworking crew, takes just a few weeks to come together. It can usually be put together in a couple of days with a good crew of friends to help and our handy instruction manual.

Our yurts are built to last. Our cover can withstand the harsh weather that some of America’s landscapes provide and has a 7-year warranty.

o2treehouse.com

treewalkers.world

We are O2 Treehouse Commercial Inc and we’ve been building out-of-this-world treehouses for more than 16 years. After our first company owned treehouse rental was launched and the short-term rental market exploded, we decided it was the perfect time to kick-off our treehouse hospitality brand called Treewalkers with our first glamping model. We plan to open several treehouse camps in our first two years with an array of offerings and a high-quality Treewalkers brand experience.

In addition to our highly customized treehouses, we just released a prefabricated treehouse tent model. It will be the most affordable O2 Treehouse structure yet, and when produced at scale, we will be able to meet the high demand of the glamping industry for exciting and unique accommodations!

After many, many years of treehouse construction, we have developed a proprietary building system called the Tetratruss. It is a strut-and-hub truss system that allows arrangement in endless combinations to make platforms and structures for any environment. We have built several tree homes using this system and now the Treewalkers glamping model uses it as a base that can be stilted or suspended, no trees needed! Beyond the truss system, our designs are forward-thinking and have received critical acclaim from major publications such as Dwell, Forbes, Wired, the NYTimes, CondeNast Traveler, and many more. Our specialty is thinking outside of the box to combine sculpture with inhabitable environments.

Our standard treehouses require very little maintenance, similar to a cabin or studio, requiring occasional touch-ups and repairs. Maintenance for the Treewalkers tent will be minimal, but canopy maintenance will depend very much on the environment. We can utilize different cotton/ polyester/vinyl blends formulated for durability in various climates, as well as for different aesthetics. We designed the canopy structure to assemble in individual panels so that it can easily be taken down for the wet season. Canopy panels that encounter more moisture and less sun can be replaced at low cost if necessary.

Other maintenance expectations are as normal as any other structure: occasional deck refinishing, sandblasting dirt build-up, replacing worn parts. For our Treewalkers partners, we will conduct annual maintenance check-ups ourselves to ensure their continued safety. the industry (and beyond) for over 30 years.

Our custom treehouses take 1-3 months to install. Our Treewalkers glamping tent will spend about 3 weeks in prefabrication and take approximately 2 weeks to install, although we will continually improve our efficiency.

There will be a five-year warranty on our Treewalkers tent. Climate may necessitate annual cleanings and disassembly of the canopy, but the material will be high quality and built to last for many years. All of the other features: wood cabinetry, wood deck, and the steel components will last 20-50+ years with proper attention and care.

trudomes.com

TruDomes was officially launched in the UK at The Glamping Show in September 2017 after having designed and manufactured a glamping dome as a one-off project for a customer in Spain. However, their parent company have been manufacturing beautiful, functional and quality products into the industry (and beyond) for over 30 years. The TruDomes team will tell you that the design and manufacture of great products is so ingrained that it’s in their DNA! The team love adventure and the outdoors and so it was a natural step for them to create beautiful structures that complement any landscape and bring people closer together and closer to nature.

We design and manufacture geodesic domes of varying sizes for the glamping, events and hospitality sector as a whole. Our geodesic domes are manufactured using aluminium frames and high-quality, marquee-grade PVC.

We manufacture our domes in the UK using responsibly sourced and high-quality materials. Our geodesic domes are uniquely manufactured from aircraft grade aluminium rather than steel wherever possible – this means that the frame will not rust over time and as the most recycled of all metals and being lightweight too it is the environmentally responsible choice. TruDomes have a range of off-the-shelf affordable and quality product packages; additionally, we boast the design and manufacturing capabilities to help businesses and individuals create truly unique and bespoke solutions to fulfil their varying requirements and needs.

Our geodesic domes are wonderfully easy to maintain. They are suitable for year-round use so you can assemble your dome and leave it up. A periodic hose down and spray with a jet-wash will keep geodomes looking their best.

We have designed our glamping domes to be very easily assembled. Our most popular sized glamping domes can be assembled on a pre-prepared base in around 3-4 hours with a minimum crew size of two people.

We expect our frames to last a lifetime and the covers to last an average of 8-10 years – that said, there are outdoor structures made from the same materials that are still standing and looking good over 20 years later! We offer an 18-month warranty against any manufacturing defects for added peace of mind.