Nearly every tarp here is rated to 3000mm of water pressure, which sounds like the specification that matters and is actually the one that does not. They are all waterproof. What decides whether you wake up dry is how much sky the tarp covers, what shape that coverage is, and how much of your pack it eats. One tarp on this page is under five feet wide, and no waterproof rating fixes that.
A hammock tarp is not a tent fly. It hangs from the same line your hammock hangs on and has to shed rain that comes in sideways, because there are no walls and nothing under you but air. That is why shape matters here in a way it never does over a tent.
At a glance
| Tarp | Standout feature | Price tier | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Azarxis | Cheapest here; small, and clear about size | Budget | |
| WINKAURA | Full kit with stakes and a dry bag | Budget | |
| Foxelli | Lightest here at 1.14 lb with the whole kit | Budget | |
| Unigear | Four sizes; reinforced triangles at 8 points | Budget | |
| WoneNice | Biggest coverage here at 10 by 13 feet | Mid-range | |
| Pro Venture | Asymmetric hex shape built for hammocks | Mid-range | |
| Wise Owl Outfitters | The best seller; six 10-foot guy lines | Premium | |
How to choose a hammock rain fly
The waterproof rating is not the differentiator
Wise Owl, Unigear, Pro Venture and WoneNice are all PU-coated to 3000mm, and 3000mm is comfortably enough for sustained rain. When four tarps quote the same figure, it stops being a way to choose between them. The one number that stands apart is Azarxis at 2000mm, which is still waterproof and is the lowest here. Read past this specification, because the brands would rather you did not.
Size is what actually keeps you dry
Here is the catch worth knowing before you order. Azarxis measures 7.55 by 4.59 feet, which is 230 by 140cm. A hammock is around eleven feet long. Under five feet of width means rain blowing in from the side reaches you and your ends are exposed, and no coating changes that. Azarxis describes it accurately as a footprint, shelter, canopy, sunshade or picnic mat, and it is genuinely useful as those. As the only thing between you and a night of rain, it is not enough. WoneNice at 10 by 13 feet is the other end, and Unigear sells four sizes up to 16.5 feet so you can pick.
Hex and diamond shapes are hammock shapes
A rectangle gives you the most fabric for the money and is a compromise over a hammock, because the corners hang where nothing needs covering and the wind gets hold of them. The hammock-specific shapes cut that away: Pro Venture uses an asymmetrical hex at 12 by 9 feet, Foxelli a diamond at 12 by 9. Both pitch along the ridgeline with the long axis following the hammock, which puts fabric where the rain lands and removes it where it does not. Less material, better coverage, less to flap in the wind.
Weight varies fourfold, so weigh the whole kit
This is where the real comparison lives, because these tarps are not close. Foxelli is 1.14 lb complete with ropes and stakes. Pro Venture is 1.8 lbs in its bag. WoneNice is 2.6 lbs. Wise Owl’s flagship is 26 oz for the tarp, though it also sells a lighter version at 18.9 oz for less money, which is worth a look before you settle. If you are carrying this any distance, that spread is the difference between noticing it and not.
The failure point is the tie-out, not the fabric
Tarps rarely leak through the middle. They tear where a guy line pulls on a corner in a gust. Unigear reinforces all 8 fixing points with a triangular double layer, which is a specific answer to the specific problem where everyone else just says heavy duty. Taped seams matter for the same reason: Wise Owl and WINKAURA both tape theirs, which seals the needle holes where panels join.
Check what comes in the bag
A tarp without lines and stakes is half a purchase. Wise Owl includes six 10-foot guy lines, aluminum stakes, a stake pouch and a waterproof carry bag, which is the most complete kit here. Foxelli quotes its 1.14 lb weight with the ropes and stakes included, which is the plain way to state it. Azarxis gives you 2 stakes and four guylines of two different lengths. Count these before comparing prices, or the cheap one is not.
Azarxis
The cheapest thing here and the most misunderstood. It is 7.55 by 4.59 feet of tear-resistant 210T polyester at PU 2000mm, with 2 stakes, two pairs of guylines and two storage bags. Read the size again: under five feet wide is not a hammock roof, and Azarxis does not really claim it is, listing it as a footprint, shelter, canopy, sunshade and picnic mat. As a groundsheet under a tent, a gear cover, or a sunshade over a hammock on a dry day, it is a lot of fabric for very little. As your only protection in real rain, it will let you down at the edges.
Pros:
- Cheapest tarp here by a distance
- Tear-resistant 210T polyester; wear-resistant
- Publishes exact dimensions in both units
- Genuinely useful as a footprint or sunshade
Cons:
- Under five feet wide; too small to shelter a hammock in rain
- PU 2000mm, the lowest rating here
- Only 2 stakes supplied
Best for: a footprint, gear cover or fair-weather sunshade, not a rain fly.
WINKAURA
An 11 by 9 foot tarp with the full kit for very little money. The construction is the right list: ripstop waterproof nylon with taped seams, which seals the stitch holes where panels meet and is the difference between a tarp that sheds and one that weeps. Aluminum stakes and six guy lines with corner tensioners come in the box, along with a waterproof carrying bag, so nothing else is needed. Eleven feet along the ridge covers a hammock properly. It is the least-known brand here and the specification reads like tarps costing twice as much.
Pros:
- 11 by 9 feet; proper hammock coverage
- Ripstop nylon with taped seams
- Aluminum stakes, six lines and a dry bag included
- Cheap for a complete kit
Cons:
- No weight published anywhere
- No waterproof rating quoted
- Sells poorly; an unknown brand
Best for: a complete rectangular tarp kit on a tight budget.
Foxelli
The lightest thing on this page and it is not close: 1.14 lb, and Foxelli quotes that with the ropes and stakes already in the number, which is the plain way to do it when rivals quote fabric only. The shape is a 12 by 9 foot diamond, pitched along the ridgeline so the long axis runs with the hammock and the fabric sits where the rain actually arrives. The full kit is included so it goes up straight away. For backpacking, where every ounce is carried up every hill, being a pound lighter than the alternatives is the specification that wins.
Pros:
- 1.14 lb complete; the lightest here by a wide margin
- Quotes weight with ropes and stakes included
- Diamond shape pitches naturally along a hammock ridgeline
- Complete kit in the box
Cons:
- A diamond gives less usable coverage than a big rectangle
- No waterproof rating published
- Sells poorly
Best for: backpacking, where a pound saved is the point.
Unigear
The one that lets you choose, offering four sizes from 9.8 up to 16.5 feet, which matters because coverage is the real decision in this category and everyone else picks it for you. The fabric is 210D ripstop Oxford at PU 3000mm, heavier and tougher than the thin nylons here, and all 8 fixing points are reinforced with a triangular double layer, which is a direct answer to the way tarps actually fail: torn at a tie-out in a gust, not leaking through the middle. The PU inner layer adds real UV protection for use as a sunshade.
Pros:
- Four sizes up to 16.5 feet; you pick the coverage
- All 8 tie-outs reinforced with triangular doubling
- Tough 210D ripstop Oxford at PU 3000mm
- Real UV protection from the PU inner layer
Cons:
- 210D Oxford is heavier than the ultralight nylons
- No weight published for any of the sizes
- Rectangular, so it flaps more than a hex
Best for: picking your own size, in fabric built to survive the tie-outs.
WoneNice
The most sky covered of anything here: 10 by 13 feet of PU3000mm ripstop, which is enough to shelter a hammock and leave dry ground underneath for your pack and your boots. That extra area is genuinely useful in a long wet spell, when the tarp becomes the room you live in rather than just the roof you sleep under. Six attachment loops and a cord adjuster let you set the tension and the pitch, and WoneNice claims a three-minute setup. At 2.6 lbs folding into an 11 by 6 inch sack, you pay for the coverage in pack space.
Pros:
- 10 by 13 feet; the largest coverage here
- Room for gear and boots underneath, not just the hammock
- Six attachment loops with a cord tension adjuster
- PU3000mm ripstop; works over ground camping too
Cons:
- 2.6 lbs; over double the Foxelli
- Rectangular corners catch the wind
- Sells modestly
Best for: a wet weekend where the tarp is the living room.
Pro Venture
The shape that was designed for the job. The asymmetrical hex is 12 by 9 feet and cuts away the corners a rectangle wastes over a hammock, putting fabric along the ridgeline where rain lands and removing it where it only catches wind. Pro Venture is direct about the intent: maximum coverage even in a torrential downpour. The fabric is PU 3000 diamond ripstop nylon, and the whole kit including accessories weighs 1.8 lbs in its bag, which is light enough to backpack without giving up the coverage a diamond sacrifices. It sits in the middle on price and gets the geometry right.
Pros:
- Asymmetric hex; the correct shape over a hammock
- 12 by 9 feet with the corners removed, not the coverage
- 1.8 lbs complete with accessories
- PU 3000 diamond ripstop nylon
Cons:
- Less dry floor space than the big rectangle
- Heavier than the Foxelli diamond
- Sells modestly
Best for: hammock camping in weather, without carrying a rectangle.
Wise Owl Outfitters
The best-selling tarp here and the most complete kit: six 10-foot guy lines, aluminum stakes, a stake pouch and a waterproof carry bag, which means nothing is missing and the lines are long enough to reach a sensible anchor rather than forcing you to camp where the tarp wants. Ripstop nylon with taped seams, PU-coated to 3000mm. The tarp is 26 oz. Worth knowing before you order: Wise Owl also sells a lighter version of this at 18.9 oz, for less money, so check both listings rather than assuming the dearer one is the better one.
Pros:
- The best-selling rain fly here
- The most complete kit: six 10-foot lines, stakes, pouch, dry bag
- Ripstop nylon, taped seams, PU 3000mm
- Long guy lines let you choose your anchors
Cons:
- Most expensive tarp here
- 26 oz, when the brand’s own lighter version is 18.9 oz for less
- Rectangular rather than a hammock-specific shape
Best for: one order, nothing missing, and a brand people keep buying.
The verdict
Ignore the waterproof ratings; almost all of these are 3000mm and all of them shed rain. Buy on size, shape and weight, in that order.
Best overall: Pro Venture. The only tarp here whose shape was drawn for a hammock rather than adapted to one. The asymmetrical hex is 12 by 9 feet with the useless corners cut away, so the fabric sits along the ridgeline where the rain lands and nothing is left flapping in the wind. PU 3000 diamond ripstop, and 1.8 lbs complete with accessories, which is light enough to carry without giving up the coverage a diamond gives away.
Best value: Unigear. The cheap one that thought about failure. All 8 tie-outs are reinforced with a triangular double layer, and tie-outs are where tarps actually tear. The 210D ripstop Oxford at PU 3000mm is tougher than the thin nylons here, four sizes up to 16.5 feet let you choose your own coverage rather than accept someone else’s, and the PU inner layer means it works as a real sunshade too.
Best premium: Wise Owl Outfitters. The best seller, and the kit is why: six 10-foot guy lines, aluminum stakes, a stake pouch and a dry bag, with ripstop nylon and taped seams at PU 3000mm. Those long lines matter more than they sound, because they let you anchor where the trees are rather than where the tarp insists. Check the brand’s lighter 18.9 oz version first; it costs less.
FAQ
Is 3000mm waterproof enough?
Comfortably, for sustained rain. It is also what Wise Owl, Unigear, Pro Venture and WoneNice all quote, so it cannot separate them. Azarxis at 2000mm is the lowest here and still waterproof. Spend your attention on size and shape instead.
How big does a hammock tarp need to be?
Long enough to cover an eleven-foot hammock and wide enough that sideways rain does not reach you. Eleven to thirteen feet along the ridge is right: WINKAURA is 11 by 9, Pro Venture and Foxelli 12 by 9, WoneNice 10 by 13. Azarxis is 7.55 by 4.59 feet, which is a footprint rather than a roof.
Hex, diamond or rectangle?
Hex and diamond are hammock shapes: they pitch along the ridgeline and drop the corners a rectangle wastes, so there is less to catch the wind. A rectangle gives more dry floor for gear and costs less per square foot. Pro Venture and Foxelli are the hammock shapes here.
How much should it weigh?
Depends how far you carry it. Foxelli is 1.14 lb complete, Pro Venture 1.8 lbs, WoneNice 2.6 lbs, Wise Owl 26 oz for the tarp alone. That is a fourfold spread. Compare kit weights, not fabric weights, or you are comparing nothing.
Where do tarps usually fail?
At the tie-outs, torn by a guy line in a gust, not leaking through the middle. Unigear reinforces all 8 with triangular doubling. Taped seams, which Wise Owl and WINKAURA both have, seal the needle holes where panels are joined.
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