Sleeping bags are an important camping essential. There’s just nothing else that can trap warmth as effectively and help you get comfortable while you sleep under the stars. While quilts and blankets can serve as viable substitutes, a sleeping bag’s enclosed design and wraparound warmth just works so much better, whether you’re spending the night dozing off on a pitched tent or a rooftop tent mounted on the car.
The best sleeping bags provide even warmth all throughout their confines, with no cold spots that can cause any kind of discomfort. They fit well across the hood, shoulders, hips, and feet, without any undue tightness, all while offering ways to let out some heat when it gets a tad too toasty for comfort.
The first thing you need to consider when choosing the best sleeping bags is the temperature rating. Warmth is the whole reason you’re going to use one, after all, so it needs to be warm enough for the kind of weather conditions you’re going to encounter at camp. Majority of sleeping bags will be designed for three-season use, which means they’ll keep you comfortably toasty for the better part of the year. It’s most likely what you’ll want to get, unless you plan to go camping in frigid mountain conditions, in which case a winter or expedition sleeping bag will be more suitable.
The best sleeping bags will use either down or synthetic full for insulation. Down is usually better, due to its higher warmth-to-weight ratio and better packability, although some will opt for synthetic fill due to its affordability and better wet weather performance. Suffice to say, down doesn’t really do well once moisture is able to penetrate the bag.
These are the best sleeping bags to keep you toasty when sleeping under the stars.
Kelty Cosmic Ultra 20
Pros
- Inexpensive
- Durable build
- Very warm
Cons
- Heavier and bulkier than others
- Smaller hood
Temperature rating: 25°F comfort, 13°F lower limit
Fill: 15.17 oz of 800-fill Dridown
Weight: 2.4 pounds
The most affordable sleeping bag in the list, this budget model offers surprising performance for its price. It’s a modified version of the outfit’s long-running Cosmic 20 sleeping bag, which replaces the traditional 550-FP down fill with hydrophobic 800-FP Dridown. The result is a sleeping bag that’s lighter and more compact than the original Cosmic, while being able to handle wet conditions a lot better. Do note, it’s still one of the heavier and bulkier options in the list, which, we guess, is a big reason why it’s very economically-priced. Despite the low price, this is very well-made, with a 20D nylon outer shell, dual sliding and locking zippers, and a trapezoidal baffle construction that significantly improves its thermal efficiency. It even has some premium details, such as a draft collar, a draft tube, and a zippered pocket, while offering enough warmth to handle even freezing alpine temperatures. You’ll want to unzip it wide during hotter nights to not get too hot, though.
Nemo Disco 15
Pros
- Accommodates movement during sleep
- Zippered vents across the chest
- Roomier, more comfortable fit
Cons
- Heavier and bulkier than others
Temperature rating: 25°F comfort, 14°F lower limit
Fill: 23 oz of 650-fill down
Weight: 2.7 pounds
A slightly heavier and bulkier backpacking option, this sleeping bag has a pretty unusual spoon shape that’s wider than your typical mummy trims. This results in a more forgiving bag that lets you roll side to side when sleeping, making it an excellent choice if you’re woken up feeling like you’re body’s being strangled by your sleeping bag at various sections. It has vents on the chest that make it easy to let some hot air out without having to open the main zippers, each of which features dual zippers (one interior, one exterior) and a draft-blocking intermediate layer. We love the generous down collar and the chill-blocking draft tube, as well as the 650-fill, PFAS-free hydrophobic down that keeps the whole thing exceptionally warm. There are plenty of other nice details here, including a waterproof toe box, a built-in pillow sleeve, and anti-snag zippers. You can also zip two Discos together for a Double sleeping bag configuration.
Sea to Summit Spark Ultralight 45
Pros
- Lightweight and packable
- Uses hydrophobic down
- Well-appointed
Cons
- Strictly for summer weather
- Thin shell fabric
Temperature rating: 51°F comfort, 45°F lower limit
Fill: 5.3 oz of 850-fill down
Weight: 0.8 pounds
For those who spend most of their camping time during the summer, a lighter and less-insulated sleeping bag might be the better option. That’s exactly what this model offers. Weighing well under a pound, this thing is incredibly lightweight, all while packing down to the size of a one-liter water bottle. This makes it very ideal for backpacking in the summer, although this sparse build means it might get tricky when it gets a little breezy in the mountains during those otherwise hot summer nights. If you’re sensitive to cold, you might want to get something with a little more insulation, but if you’re fine with the weather in the mountains during summer, this makes for a perfect backpacking companion. It’s well-appointed for such a light and packable tent, coming with hydrophobic down, a technical hood, an ergonomic mummy shape, and snag-free YKK zippers. This doesn’t have a foot box zippers, though, so you won’t be able to use it as a quilt like some other summer sleeping bags allow.
REI Magma 15
Pros
- Very warm
- Nine length and width combinations
- Premium build and feel
Cons
- Tapers a little tight down the legs
Temperature rating: 21°F comfort, 9°F lower limit
Fill: 23.3 oz of 850-fill goose down
Weight: 2.2 pounds
We love the amount of sizes this sleeping bag is available in (they have nine options), offering all sorts of length and width combinations, so you can find one that’s near-perfectly suited to your physical profile. We used the medium, so all the specs above are for that particular size. This updated model is noticeably warmer than the previous version, with more potent insulation that will keep you warm even in freezing weather (just make sure to pair it with an insulated sleeping pad). We love the trimmed down shape, which we find to be highly efficient, cutting off a lot of excess materials to keep everything light and trim. In case you want the slender shape but prefer a little more room, you can also opt for the wider versions, which is one of the great benefits of REI’s inclusive sizing. It has plenty of nice little details, too, from the zipper path that wraps around the front of the chest and the variable baffle spacing to the insulated yoke and the interior stash pocket. Suffice to say, this feels like a premium sleeping bag, but at a slightly lower price tag than the truly premium options in the category.
Feathered Friends Swallow UL 20
Pros
- Incredible warmth-to-weight ratio
- Large hood fits a pillow
- Built to last
Cons
- No modern conveniences
Temperature rating: 20°F
Fill: 1.05 pounds of 800-fill goose down
Weight: 1.7 pounds
Now, we’re getting to the really expensive sleeping bags in the list. Starting us off in the premium category is this ultralight model, which is stuffed with over a pound’s worth of 950-fill goose down, all while weighing a total of 1.7 pounds. That’s right, nearly a third of the bag’s weight comes strictly from the insulation, which is wild. That gives it a very impressive warmth-to-weight ratio, allowing you to bring a really warm sleeping bag without weighing your pack down during hikes. We know people who have used this tent for over five years (some over seven years) and the tents show very little signs of wear even after all that time. They maintain their insulation, too, so this thing is absolutely built for the long haul. The design feels a little outdated, though, with none of the modern touches found in more contemporary releases, such as draft collars, pillow pockets, and strategic vents. Still, it’s a really good lightweight sleeping bag that’s built to last you many years.
Western Mountaineering Ultralite 20
Pros
- Lightweight build
- Very comfortable
- Premium build
Cons
- Might be too slim for some
Temperature rating: 20°F
Fill: 1 pound of 850-fill goose down
Weight: 1.8 pounds
Similar to the Feathered Friends sleeping bag above, this one is expensive, lightweight, and absolutely built to last. What sets this apart, though, is that they incorporate modern appointments into the design, so you get more contemporary conveniences that you’ll find in other products in the category. This bag weighs a light 1.8 pounds, all while incorporating a full pound of 850-fill goose down, so it delivers an excellent warmth-to-weight ratio that will keep you toasty at camp without weighing you down on the hike. We love the 360-degree draft collar, which does a great job of trapping heat inside the bag, as well as the thicker shell fabric that feels like it will hold up for many years. People will probably be divided on the fit, as this comes in pretty trim dimensions. Suffice to say, if you have a wider physique, you definitely want to try this out first before putting any money down.
Mountain Hardwear Phantom 0F
Pros
- Great price for a 0-degree sleeping bag
- Heavy insulation
- Superb loft
Cons
- Fit might be too trim for some
Temperature rating: 12°F comfort, 0°F lower limit
Fill: 30.5 oz of 850-fill down
Weight: 2.7 pounds
If you need a specialty sleeping bag for braving the coldest winter and high altitude environments, you might be interested in this model, which is rated to handle up to zero degrees Fahrenheit. As you can imagine, this goes heavy on the insulation, having been stuffed with nearly two pounds of 850-fill down. All that heat-trapping insulation is jointed by a generously-sized draft collar, a cinchable four-chamber hood, and a down-filled face gasket, ensuring you can cover up as much as you need to keep the cold winds at bay. To keep the weight manageable, the outfit also added some really thoughtful touches, such as a thin but reasonably tough 10D shell, a lightweight zipper with taped construction around it, and a trim profile. The latter means the fit may be a bit narrow if you have a wider build, but it also means it gets really toasty inside with very little room to spread the heat around. We especially love the price, which is noticeably more affordable than similarly well-built winter alternatives.
