1+ man tent sold at backcountry or REI?

…but Big Agnes Fly Creek 1 or Copper Spur 1 are perennial favorites.

I have the copper spur ul2 for hiking with my girlfriend and love it. I imagine I would really like the UL1 if I ever hiked solo. I know our UL2 is right at 3 pounds.

I would say the Hubba/Carbon Reflex but those are pretty tight. I think the taper in the Copper Spur might make it feel bigger than it is.

REI has two excellent tents that meet these criteria. The Quarter Dome 1 and the Dash 2. If you search for Quarter Dome T1 you can also find last year's model which is at a significant discount. I use the QDT1 when I expect to want a fully enclosed tent instead of my Duomid.

As I'm also 6'0 180# I find the QD to have plenty of space for me with its asymmetric design. The Dash 2 would be another option, perhaps a little less weather resistant but spacious.

Not sure what Backcountry currently has in stock, but the NEMO Obi 2P Elite is directly in competition with the Dash 2 (which seems based on the Obi, though the Obi Elite is lighter).

Do the TarpTents have any significant material advantages over these tents? The tents recommended all use nylon whereas TarpTent have silnylon. Are these actually both just silnylon and the tents are all pretty comparable (excluding vestibules, sq foot in the living area, etc).

I'll tell you one advantage of TarpTent — you can set it up in the rain without getting the inside wet. (And it's an overall quicker/easier set-up, with fewer stakes.)

I'm not an expert in tent fabrics, but I think the BA and other commercial tents are made of silnylon.

And the Tarptent bought at MSRP would be very, very close in price to a BA with the 20% coupon…

Very few commercial tents are made from Silnylon as it has two major disadvantages to them. First it is not Flame Retardant so it does not meet California standards. Second, Silnylon can not be factory seam taped and must be seam sealed by hand (like a Tarptent). Tarptent can rely on its customers to realize this and seam seal the tent themselves whereas REI cannot. Mainstream tents are made of nylon that is PU coated and can therefore be factory seam taped and be sold ready to use.

There are several non cottage brands that use non PU coated silnylon , for example Terra Nova, Macpac,Wilderness Equipment and Hilleberg.
All apart from the Hilleberg, need to be seam sealed by the customer .
If a PU undercoat is added (so that they can be seam taped) the tear strength of the fabric is reduced (figures from 30% to 60% have been quoted) as well as introducing the possibility of mold or the PU perishing becoming sticky or flaking off.

BTW, kind of self-serving comment but it is more important to know what you get for your money than what you save.
The largest retailer here in Australia thrives by having very high RRPs on their own branded stuff so that they can have regular sales where one can "save" "up to 70%" .
The 70% off price is often about the same as a regular price for a similar item in another shop.

I really like my QD1. It is a good size/weight tradeoff and with the 20% REI discount plus any rewards saved can be bought on the cheap.

It is a true double wall with a fly that goes all the way down (note… you can make it into a condensation chamber if you don't vent). The inner is solid part way up (which I like).

I list the weight in Gear Grams @ 38 ounces for mine which includes everything I carry including extra 1.5mm cordage and MSR stakes. The floor is stout enough that I don't bother bringing a ground cloth and the price is low enough that I don't fret over not using one.

The Slater UL 1+ is like the Fly Creek on steroids.

It's much longer and wider than the Fly Creek and I can even fit two 20" sleep mats in mine in a pinch.

I really like the solid inner tent. Incredibly breathable material but blocks drafts.

I carry 6 pegs (minimum required for proper pitch) and no stuff sacks and mine weighs in at 40 oz.