OEX
OEX Phoxx I Ultralite
Where it fits
- Also works for
- Bikepacking, Backpacking and wild camping
- Not for
- Winter mountain
Why these labels
- Bikepacking: Light and short: 0.7 kg, packs to 35 cm
- Backpacking and wild camping: Light to carry: 0.7 kg
- Winter mountain: 3-season rating, not built for winter storms
From the maker's stated use and the published specs.
- Summer wild camp: 8/10 UK, roughly May to September, nights above about 8 °C, sheltered pitches.
- Three-season hills: 7/10 UK hills in spring and autumn. Wind, rain, and nights near freezing.
- Winter camp: 4/10 UK winter or high ground. Below freezing, strong wind, possibly snow. Capped at 4: needs the maker's 4-season rating and wind 7+.
- Weight: 10/10 How much it adds to your pack, compared with the whole market.
Solo wild campers who want a freestanding-style pole tent under 1 kg on a budget
- Sleeps
- 1
- Seasons
- 3-season
- Min. weight
- 715 g
- Flysheet
- 1,500 mm
- Inner length
- 230 cm
Packed size 5.6 L, 35 x 20 x 8 cm Compare with a 2-litre bottle
A bit longer than a 2-litre bottle and about twice as wide. Drawn to scale.
Where to buy
Blacks £174 In stock. Free delivery. Free delivery over £95.
View at shop: BlacksTiso £174 In stock. Free delivery. Free delivery over £50.
View at shop: TisoGO Outdoors £300 In stock. Free delivery. Free delivery over £80.
View at shop: GO OutdoorsPrices checked 8 Nov 2026 on each shop's own page; shops can change them. We earn no commission on these links; shops are listed by price. More
Our ratings (out of 10)
1 to 10, compared with the whole market. Each says what it's based on. How we score
Weight
From maker's figures 10/10How much it adds to your pack. This is the whole tent: two people sharing can split it. 10: The best you can buy for this.
OEX gives 715 g without the bag and accessories (860 g all in). 715 g is under 1.0 kg, the top band.
Rain protection
From maker's figures 5/10How well it keeps out heavy, long rain. 5: Does the job. Average for wild-camping gear.
Flysheet 1,500 mm HH is in the 1,500-1,999 mm band; the 3,000 mm groundsheet is over 2,000 mm, so nothing is taken off. The English Woodsman left it unsealed through a night of steady rain and it stayed dry, and the Great British Adventure Club had no leaks in two rainy nights unsealed; both still advise sealing the seams (OEX includes a tube of sealer).
Wind
Estimate: only 1 review about wind (fewer than the 3 we need, so never above 8) 6/10How steady it stays in strong wind on open ground. 6: A bit better than average.
The Dartmoor test reports structural survival in estimated gusts of 48 km/h, but loud flysheet noise and a recommendation to seek shelter. The source is undated; its date records access.
Space
From maker's figures 10/10Room to lie, sit up and keep kit inside. 10: The best you can buy for this.
OEX's inner size is 230 x 85 cm: 2.30 x 0.85 = 1.96 m² for one person, in the 1.6 m²+ band. This is a plain rectangle and the tent tapers, so the usable floor is smaller: the Great British Adventure Club and Hike and Wild both call it very snug, and the sitting-up room is limited. The porch is small.
Packed size
From maker's figures 7/10How much room it takes in your rucksack. 7: Better than most.
OEX's packed size is 35 x 20 x 8 cm, a box: 35 x 20 x 8 = 5,600 cm³, so 5.6 L, in the 4-6.9 L band.
What reviewers say (out of 10)
Ratings marked * are from reviews and are not part of the trip score. They are reviewers' scores, not our own measurements. How we score
Pitching*
Reviewers' average 7/10How quickly and easily one person can pitch it, including in wind and rain.
3 reviews on pitching, e.g. "Relatively straightforward once practised.".
Condensation*
Estimate: only 1 review about condensation (fewer than the 3 we need, so never above 8) 4/10How dry it stays inside on still, damp nights; higher is drier.
1 review on condensation, e.g. "if there's a high moisture night outside then the inside and the outside of the tent do tend to touch".
Durability*
Estimate: only 1 review about durability (fewer than the 3 we need, so never above 8) 6/10How well the fabric, poles, zips and seams hold up over seasons of use.
1 review on durability, e.g. "The tent held up without issue, but it demands more careful handling than a heavier polyester shelter.".
In short
Good for
- Solo wild campers who want a freestanding-style pole tent under 1 kg on a budget
- Fastpacking, bikepacking and light overnighters where pack size matters
- Sheltered pitches on Dartmoor-style moors in fair-to-wet three-season weather
Strengths
- Packs to 5.6 L (a rolled newspaper, says GBAC)
- Stayed dry unsealed in heavy rain in two independent tests
- Inner and outer pitch together, with a mesh inner and a porch
- Seam sealer comes in the box
Weaknesses
- Very snug inside and the porch is small: the reviewers who tried it call it tight
- Thin 10D silnylon that reviewers expect to be easily damaged; a footprint is worth it on rough ground
- Flysheet is only 1,500 mm HH, so seal the seams before the first trip
- Loud in wind and best on a sheltered pitch
- Inner and outer can touch in wet weather, so gear against the walls gets damp (Jamie Outdoors found condensation)
- Only one of the reviews we found tested it in wind, so the wind score is blank
Sources
We haven't tested this ourselves. Every score comes from these specs, tests and reviews.
ShowHide sources (6)
- OEX Phoxx I Ultralite specifications (Tiso and Blacks product pages)
- Great British Adventure Club: OEX Phoxx 1 Ultralite review (free sample, three nights on Dartmoor)
- Hike and Wild (YouTube): The worst Ultralight Tent? OEX Phoxx 1+ Ultralite
- A Cumbrian Lad Outdoors (YouTube): OEX Phoxx 1+ Ultralight, first look and pitch
- Jamie Outdoors (YouTube): OEX Phoxx 1 V2 vs OEX Phoxx 1 Ultralight tent review
- English Woodsman (YouTube): OEX Phoxx 1+ left out in the rain without seam sealer, did it leak