11 Best Sleeping Bags (2024): Ultralight, for Car Campers, Warm Weather, for Kids Leave a comment
John Muir famously set off for the mountains with “some bread and tea in a pair of blankets with some sugar and a tin cup.” I like his ultralight spirit and disdain for consolation on the path, however I would be keen to guess that if Muir have been round at present, he’d deliver down sleeping bag with him, if for no different cause than they’re lighter than outdated blankets. The tea is important although, I am unable to argue with that.
Whether or not you are following Muir into the backcountry, are planning the right household tenting journey, or are trekking the Camino de Santiago, there is a sleeping bag for that. Irrespective of the way you journey, the place you are headed, or how a lot consolation you search, after years of testing, we have discovered the most effective sleeping baggage for everybody.
Adrienne So, Martin Cizmar, and Matt Jancer contributed to this information.
Be sure you learn by our different outside guides, together with the Best Sleeping Pads, Best Tents, Best Camp Stoves, and our Camp Cooking information.
Desk of Contents
- Best for Backpackers: Mountain Hardware Bishop Pass 15
- Best for Car Campers: REI Siesta Hooded 20
- Best All-in-One Sleep System: Zenbivy Bed
- Best Ultralight: Sea to Summit Spark 15
- Best for Side Sleepers: Therm-a-Rest Questar 20
- Best for Warm Weather: Marmot NanoWave 45
- Best For Spring and Fall Trips: Magma 15 Sleeping Bag
- Best Expedition Bag: Rab Expedition 1000
- Best Quilt: Therm-a-rest Vesper 32
- Best for Kids: REI Kindercone
- Best Synthetic Bag: Marmot Ultra Elite 20
- How to Pick the Perfect Sleeping Bag
- How We Tested
- What All The Terms Mean
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The Greatest Sleeping Bag for Backpackers
Mountain {Hardware}’s Bishop Move 15 gives the most effective warmth-to-weight ratio whereas additionally managing to pack down small and never be too costly. It is not good, nevertheless it strikes the most effective compromise for many backpackers, being heat sufficient for the shoulder seasons and lightweight sufficient (2 kilos and 5.4 ounces) that you simply will not thoughts it even while you barely want it in the summertime. I’ve slept on this bag for greater than two weeks, with nighttime temps starting from 28°F to 65°F, and, sure, it was an excessive amount of within the warmth as a sleeping bag. However on these hotter nights, I unzipped it and coated myself like a heat blanket. For every thing else, I slept very effectively. It is a versatile bag.
The Bishop Move 15 makes use of 650 fill power down wrapped in a 20-denier water resistant ripstop nylon shell. (Word: You will typically see 20-denier written as 20D; see under for extra on what those terms mean.) One of many nice issues about this bag is the draft collar and face gasket characteristic, which does a terrific job of retaining your head heat. With the drawcord cinched down, you’ll be able to preserve much more physique warmth. This is likely one of the few baggage I’ve examined the place I did not really feel the necessity for a hat. The insulation does job of staying the place it ought to; I did not discover any unhealthy chilly spots on this bag.
My solely gripe about this bag is that it is tight—there’s not a lot room for something however me. That makes it environment friendly and retains you hotter, however this isn’t possibility when you’re on the lookout for one thing roomy (see the Therm-a-Relaxation Questar under). I additionally do not love the zipper. The pull glows at the hours of darkness, which is nice, and the zipper would not snag a lot, however in my expertise, it additionally would not pull as simply as others. Nonetheless, these are minor gripes a couple of bag that will get the remaining proper.
Specs:
- Temp ranking: 15°F/-9°C
- Consolation ranking: 26°F/-3°C
- Fill: 650 Fill Energy Down
The Greatest Sleeping Bag for Automotive Campers
Automotive-camping sleeping baggage aren’t a spot to spend numerous cash. Ought to your greatest efforts to cocoon heat round you fail, there’s, in any case, a automobile to retreat to. That is why we love the REI Siesta Hooded 20—it is a lot heat and inexpensive. It is also not a mummy bag, since you’re not climbing Denali; why cramp your self if you do not have to? The Siesta’s rectangular minimize makes for a a lot roomier, extra comfy bag. The Siesta is fabricated from recycled polyester all through, with a polyester filling. Regardless of that, the liner on this bag is noticeably softer than many others on this information.
The Siesta’s 20-degree ranking makes it sufficient for three-season journeys, and in contrast to most rectangular baggage, the Siesta has a hood, which helps on these chilly nights. What makes this such a flexible bag, although, is the double zipper system. There is a full-length zipper, which implies you’ll be able to flip it right into a quilt on hotter nights, and there is additionally a second partial-length zipper on the opposite aspect so you’ll be able to have extra airflow while you need it. (You can even now zip two Siestas collectively, which wasn’t potential with earlier variations.)
Specs:
- Temp ranking: 20°F/-6°C
- Fill: 650 Fill Energy Down
Greatest All-in-One Sleep System
The Zenbivy Mattress 25 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is palms down probably the most comfy backcountry sleeping expertise I’ve ever had. It would not be my high decide for excessive conditions, however as long as your anticipated temperatures slot in Zenbivy’s vary, it would not get extra comfy than this. The Zenbivy is not only a sleeping bag although. It is a sheet, hood, and quilt-style bag that may be mixed in numerous methods relying on what you need.
The highest sheet that covers the sleeping pad is fabricated from 50-denier polyester pongee, which is splendidly comfortable and looks like your bed at home. The sheet has the hood portion of the sleeping bag connected to it. You then lay the highest quilt (fabricated from 20D nylon) over that. That is the good, loosest manner to make use of the system, good for these heat nights. That is how I did most of my testing since I sleep fairly heat. Ought to the temperature drop, you’ll be able to zip the quilt foot field up right into a mummy bag configuration and zip the higher sides to the underside sheet. I did this on a few cooler nights within the Keweenaw Peninsula when it acquired fairly frigid.
