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 love his ultralight spirit and disdain for consolation on the path, however I would be keen to guess that if Muir have been round as we speak, he’d deliver down sleeping bag with him, if for no different purpose than they’re lighter than previous 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 proper household tenting journey, or are trekking the Camino de Santiago, there is a sleeping bag for that. Regardless 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 very best sleeping luggage for everybody.
Adrienne So, Martin Cizmar, and Matt Jancer contributed to this information.
Make sure to learn by way of 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 Finest Sleeping Bag for Backpackers
Mountain {Hardware}’s Bishop Go 15 gives the very best warmth-to-weight ratio whereas additionally managing to pack down small and never be too costly. It is not excellent, however it strikes the very best compromise for many backpackers, being heat sufficient for the shoulder seasons and lightweight sufficient (2 kilos and 5.4 ounces) that you just will not thoughts it even if 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 all the pieces else, I slept very effectively. It is a versatile bag.
The Bishop Go 15 makes use of 650 fill power down wrapped in a 20-denier waterproof ripstop nylon shell. (Observe: You will typically see 20-denier written as 20D; see beneath for extra on what those terms mean.) One of many nice issues about this bag is the draft collar and face gasket function, which does an important job of protecting your head heat. With the drawcord cinched down, you possibly can preserve much more physique warmth. This is without doubt one of the few luggage 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 dangerous 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 if you happen to’re in search of one thing roomy (see the Therm-a-Relaxation Questar beneath). I additionally do not love the zipper. The pull glows at the hours of darkness, which is nice, and the zipper does not snag a lot, however in my expertise, it additionally does 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 Finest Sleeping Bag for Automobile Campers
Automobile-camping sleeping luggage aren’t a spot to spend plenty of cash. Ought to your finest efforts to cocoon heat round you fail, there’s, in spite of everything, a automobile to retreat to. That is why we love the REI Siesta Hooded 20—it is loads heat and reasonably priced. 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 lower makes for a a lot roomier, extra snug 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 luggage, 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 suggests you possibly can flip it right into a quilt on hotter nights, and there is additionally a second partial-length zipper on the opposite facet so you possibly can have extra airflow if you need it. (It’s also possible to now zip two Siestas collectively, which wasn’t potential with earlier variations.)
Specs:
- Temp ranking: 20°F/-6°C
- Fill: 650 Fill Energy Down
Finest All-in-One Sleep System
The Zenbivy Mattress 25 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is arms down probably the most snug backcountry sleeping expertise I’ve ever had. It would not be my prime choose for excessive conditions, however as long as your anticipated temperatures slot in Zenbivy’s vary, it does not get extra snug 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 gentle and seems like your bed at home. The sheet has the hood portion of the sleeping bag hooked up to it. Then you definitely lay the highest quilt (fabricated from 20D nylon) over that. That is the good, loosest approach to make use of the system, excellent for these heat nights. That is how I did most of my testing since I sleep relatively heat. Ought to the temperature drop, you possibly can 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 received fairly frigid.
