For larger tent setups, it’s especially important to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines on how much weight is needed and where it should be placed. Incorrect or uneven ballasting can lead to instability, tent collapse, or serious injury. Always check your tent specs and use the right anchoring method for the setup.
Properly securing your canopy with commercial tent weights is an essential step in the set-up process if you want to ensure your event tent doesn’t accidentally fly away in inclement weather. Yes, even a sturdy frame tent can be surprisingly prone to get ripped from the ground in high winds and rain if there aren’t enough tent weights securing every corner.
Luckily, figuring out how much weight is needed to hold down a tent for your event is relatively easy, and there are quite a few options out there to make sure your event tent stays in place. Keep reading for our expert advice on the types of securing methods you can use, how much weight canopy tents you’ll need, risks of making your own tent weights, canopy sand bags, and more!
Tent Anchors vs. Tent Weights
There are two basic ways to secure your canopy tent: tent anchors or commercial tent weights. The biggest difference between tent anchors and pop-up tent weights comes down to where and how they can be used.
Tent Stakes
Also known as anchors, stakes get driven into the ground and attach to the tent’s canopy via rope or ratchet strap. Stakes must be driven into the ground, making them impossible to use at outdoor venues with concrete or at locations that do not allow staking.
It is essential to contact your venue ahead of time, be it for a festival, outdoor market, or vendor fair, and ask about the area your tent will be set up in and if staking is an option.
Tent Weights
Securing your tent with approved ballast is a safe and effective anchoring option when staking isn’t possible. They are a versatile option that can work on almost any surface. You can purchase engineered commercial tent weights specifically designed to safely secure your tent and help meet permit requirements.
The main downside of tent weights is, of course, the weight itself. Compared to tent anchors, they require additional labor, transportation, and setup planning.
So, what’s the best way to secure your canopy tent: tent anchors or tent weights?
If you’re setting up at a venue where staking into the ground is not allowed, you’ll need tent weights. Be sure to choose an engineered, approved ballast option designed to perform safely in high winds and rain.
If staking is allowed, tent stakes are often the easier option for setup and transportation since they don’t require hauling and positioning multiple heavy tent weights.
What Kind of Tents Can Be Weighted?
It’s critical to secure every tent safely whether you're setting up in a backyard or on a busy city sidewalk. When staking into the ground isn’t an option, tent weights can be a reliable alternative but only if you're using the right type of tent.
So, what kinds of tents can you safely weight down?
Freestanding frame tents are the best candidates for weights. These tents rely on their structural frame for support rather than tension, so weights can be used at each leg to keep them secure. Common examples include:
Even pop-up tents, while not specifically designed to be weighted, are often secured this way at farmers markets and vendor events. If you go this route, just make sure you're using enough weight to meet your event's safety requirements.
Pole tents, on the other hand, are a different story. These tents depend on tension from ratchet straps and ground stakes to stay upright. Because of this design, they should never be used with tent weights in place of staking—they simply aren't made for it and can become unstable without proper tension.
When in doubt, always check the manufacturer's guidelines and follow local safety codes.
Not sure which tent is right for your setup?
Download our tent purchasing guide to walk through the buying process, compare tent styles, and learn whether your tent can safely use commercial tent weights or requires staking.
The Top 2 Safest Types of Tent Weights
1. Water Weights (Engineered)
Water weights, such as Giffy Ballasts from American Tent, can be purchased online and might answer the problem of transportation that some tent weights cause. They stack well and are easy to transport, weighing only 30lbs when empty. This means if you have access to water at your venue, you’ll be able to bring in virtually-weightless plastic cases that become weights when filled with water.
What sets the Giffy Tent Ballasting System apart from other water weight options is that it’s specifically engineered to safely anchor tents. Unlike traditional water barrels—like 55-gallon drums—Giffy Ballasts are designed with safety and stability in mind. Standard barrels often don’t hold enough weight, lack a plate connection system (which can lead to tipping or sliding), and can’t stack into each other for efficient storage. Giffy Ballasts solve all of those issues with a compact, reliable, and purpose-built design weighing 660lbs when full.
2. Concrete Blocks
Concrete weights are a low-cost option that can be used to secure your tent.. They don’t look the best, but for a trade show venue event where people will be looking at the inside of your tent as opposed to the outside, canopy cement blocks work perfectly to secure your tent.
It’s worth noting that while concrete blocks are cost-effective, they’re also heavy and bulky. This can increase transportation costs and put added strain on your crew during setup and teardown. If you choose to secure your tent with concrete weights, be sure you have the right equipment, like dollies or forklifts, to move them safely. You’ll also need adequate storage space, as these blocks take up quite a bit of room when not in use.
Common Tent Weight Methods That May Not Meet Professional Requirements
55 Gallon Water Barrels
55-gallon water drums are one of the most commonly used tent weight solutions, but they are not always the safest. A full drum weighs only about 460 pounds and can slide, tip, or shift under wind loads if not properly engineered into a ballast system.
Because of these limitations, some municipalities and event venues no longer allow standard water drums as an approved tent ballast method. Always verify local permit requirements and follow the tent manufacturer's ballast recommendations.
Using an approved, engineered tent ballast system can help improve safety, pass inspections, and reduce the risk of tent movement or collapse.
Sandbags
Sandbags are a common tent weight solution in disaster relief and emergency situations, valued for their speed and simplicity. They’ve been used for decades to quickly secure temporary shelters, especially pop-up canopies. While they can be effective and affordable, standard sandbags aren’t ideal for repeated use—especially in wet conditions. If you plan to use them more than once or in bad weather.
While sandbags are often used with pop-up tents or in emergency situations, they aren’t recommended for long-term or professional use. Tent safety should always be a top priority, and sandbags are not an approved or reliable method for securing commercial tents. If you need a more secure and code-compliant solution, consider using ballasting systems or concrete weights designed specifically for tents.
Important: This method should never be used for large or professional tent setups, where proper ballasting and anchoring systems are required for safety and compliance.
Weight Plates
Weight plates are similar to water weights and may come pre-filled with sand or another weighted material, or arrive empty so you can fill the weights at your venue or with your own weight material. They can attach to your tent frame and blend well into the overall look of the tent. However, this is not an approved tent weight for large commercial tents.
Dumbbell or Cinder Block Canopy Weights
Although not the most attractive or safe options, dumbells or cinder blocks are sometimes used as DIY canopy weights in a pinch. These types of makeshift weights are commonly used at informal backyard events with small pop-up canopies, where convenience often takes priority over safety.
Important: This method should never be used for large or professional tent setups, where proper ballasting and anchoring systems are required for safety and compliance.
Bucket Tent Weights
Bucket tent weights are another affordable, and effective, option. A five-gallon bucket of sand weighs around 40 lbs. They are also convenient since you can dump the sand when you are done. Although they are not the most attractive option, you can buy colored buckets to match your theme or purchase wraps. A cement bucket pole weight will also get the job done as long as you have the recommended weight needed to secure your tent.
Important: This method should never be used for large or professional tent setups, where proper ballasting and anchoring systems are required for safety and compliance.
Homemade Canopy Weights vs. Store-Bought Weights
While there are various methods of how to make weights for canopy tents on your own, it’s important to ensure you’re choosing an effective method.
One of the most popular and effective DIY canopy weight options is large concrete blocks. You can create your own mold or purchase pre-made forms to produce as many blocks as you need—whether for personal use or as part of a tent rental business. Just make sure to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for the proper weight needed to safely secure your specific tent.
Is It a Good Idea to Make Your Own Tent Weights?
While homemade canopy weights may seem like a cost-effective solution, they are generally not recommended due to safety concerns and will not meet venue or permitting requirements. For the safety of your guests and equipment, always follow the tent manufacturer's anchoring and ballast recommendations and verify local permit requirements before your event.
Keeping your guests safe is of the utmost importance, and an airborne tent at high wind speeds can be a very real threat at an outdoor event. If you have event insurance or are renting a spot at an owned venue, make sure you understand what their requirements are for securing your tent and follow manufacturer's instructions on how to properly weight your tent.
How a Canopy Weight Possibly Cause Injuries to the Customers & How to Avoid It?
Farmers' markets can be dangerous places when winds pick up. That is because most accidents at farmers' markets are due to tents, canopies, and umbrellas being blown and injuring shoppers. These kinds of accidents can easily be prevented with proper weights. In fact, many farmers' markets and other outdoor shopping venues require vendor booths to have proper tent weights; otherwise, insurance may not cover damages and vendors are at risk for lawsuits if someone is injured by their tent. Even if tents are weighted, vendors also make sure that the weights do not create a tripping hazard.
Tent Ballasting Guidelines
If you are setting up a large commercial tent for a professional setup, we recommend using the engineered Giffy Tent Ballasting system for a reliable tent weight system. These are truly designed to hold down tents safely, allowing you to focus on other aspects of your event. If you're using a tent ballasting system, here are the weights we recommend:
| Atrium Frame Tent Size | Total Weight Recommendation | Weight Per Leg Pole |
| 20x20 | 5,280lbs | 660lbs |
| 20x30 | 6,660lbs | 660lbs |
| 20x40 | 7,920lbs | 660lbs |
| 30x30 | 10,560lbs | 1,320lbs |
| 30x40 | 13,200lbs | 1,320lbs |
| 30x45 | 13,200lbs | 1,320lbs |
| 30x60 | 15,840lbs | 1,320lbs |
| 30x75 | 18,840lbs | 1,320lbs |
| 30x90 | 21,120lbs | 1,320lbs |
| 40x40 | 21,120lbs | 1,320lbs |
| 40x60 | 26,400lbs | 1,320lbs |
| 40x80 | 31,680lbs | 1,320lbs |
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If you have invested in event insurance, we highly recommend you stick to manufacturer recommendations on the weight you use to secure your tent, as you may face troubles if an accident occurs and you were not using the correct amount of weight. However, when going to farmers’ markets, craft shows, and other similar events, the required tent weight is usually lower than manufacturer recommendations.
Need Advice on The Best Tent Weights? Contact Us!
Properly securing your outdoor event tent can mean the difference between an unforgettable experience for yourself and your guests, and a complete catastrophe. Luckily, there are various tent weight options to ensure your tent will be effective in providing shelter from harsh conditions.
At American Tent, we pride ourselves on assisting our clients in every part of ordering and operating our event tent products. If you have further questions on how to properly secure your event tent, give our team a call - we’re happy to help!
