When you’re roughing it out in nature, creature comforts mean that much more to you. Getting a good night’s sleep in a sleeping bag is one such creature comfort. You need a sleeping bag that fits in your backpack without weighing you down. What are your options?
These are the best backpacking sleeping bags:
- REI Co-Op Magma 15 Sleeping Bag
- Feathered Friends Hummingbird YF 20/30 Sleeping Bag
- Western Mountaineering MegaLite
- Big Agnes Dream Island 15
- Montbell Down Hugger 650 #1
- NEMO Disco 15 Sleeping Bag
- Sea to Summit Spark Down Sleeping Bag
- Therm-a-Rest Hyperion
- Marmot Hydrogen 30F Degree Down Sleeping Bag
- Sierra Designs Get Down 20-Degree Sleeping Bag
There’s something on this list for everyone, from the budget-conscious to those who don’t mind dropping a good chunk of change on an insulating sleeping bag that’s almost as good as sleeping back at home. Make sure you keep reading for our reviews of these 10 backpacking sleeping bags!
The Top 10 Backpacking Sleeping Bags
REI Co-Op Magma 15 Sleeping Bag – $390
Topping our list is one of the most renowned backpacking sleeping bags, the REI Co-Op Magma 15.
A men’s sleeping bag, the Magma 15 is tested for temperatures between 16- and 28-degrees Fahrenheit, which is mighty cold!
The Downproof Pertex exterior is a 15-denier shell with ripstop nylon that’s earned bluesign approval. It’s stuffed with water-resistant down and 850-fill-power goose down, up to 17.3 ounces that’s all sourced sustainably.
The hip girth of the sleeping bag is 57 inches, and the shoulder girth is 63 inches. The regular size of this sleeping bag can accommodate a 72-inch person. The long Magma 15 is up to 78 inches.
A stuff sack that’s 7.5 inches by 10 inches is covered in mesh so you can store your items in a breathable area. The yoke neck of this sleeping bag is insulated to prevent heat loss so you’ll stay nice and toasty all night.
The hood features contouring and further heat retention. You can adjust one or both of the included drawcords to tighten the hood even further and keep all the warmth you can get. Otherwise, the Magma 15 features zippers throughout, including a zipper cover with an internal anti-snag strip for easy in and out.
The variable baffle is spaced more widely to lessen the weight of the sleeping bag and improve its thermal efficiency. A spacious footbox is trapezoidal and includes a toe box baffle that moves down so your feet have plenty of room (and warmth!).
Feathered Friends Hummingbird YF 20/30 Sleeping Bag – $450
The Feathered Friends brand has a slogan: “Warmth wherever you are.” If that sounds as good to you as it does to us, then check out the Hummingbird sleeping bag.
The Hummingbird can withstand temperatures between 20 and 30 degrees depending on which version you buy.
The Pertex YFuse shell and Pertex nylon taffeta liner with its 20-denier count are built for durability. Top-stitching throughout the bag also makes it able to withstand all your toughest camping adventures.
Like the REI bag, the Hummingbird includes a stuff sack. You also get a storage bag which will surely come in handy often.
The Hummingbird sleeping bag features a draft tube around the zipper so cold air can’t get through. The 3D hood has contouring and cinching. You can open the hood when the weather is warmer and then pull it tight on cold nights.
The trapezoidal footbox prevents side compression so your feet can rest naturally and comfortably. A passive collar acts as an insulator and cushions your neck for added comfort.
You can buy the Feathered Friends Hummingbird backpacking sleeping bag in two sizes, regular or long. It’s also available in two colors, Cardinal (red) or Marine (blue).
Western Mountaineering MegaLite – $500
The San Jose, California brand Western Mountaineering produces a highly-acclaimed backpacking sleeping bag known as the MegaLite.
The MegaLite is manufactured in the United States. Designed bigger to accommodate a wider range of campers, the MegaLite is for users up to six feet, six inches tall.
The foot girth of the sleeping bag is 39 inches, and the shoulder girth is 69 inches. That should give you plenty of roominess to appreciate as you drift off to sleep to the sounds of crickets and other wildlife outside of your tent.
Weighing only one pound, eight ounces, the MegaLite is filled to the brim with down. You get 12 ounces of fill in the bag. That down allows the sleeping bag to provide comfort and warmth down to 30-degree temperatures.
The continuous baffles are spaced at 5 ¼ inches. Between the four-inch loft and the top collar, you’ll be toasty and cozy in your sleeping bag all night. To get in and out, just use the full-length #5 YKK zippers.
Big Agnes Dream Island 15 – $270
Here’s a moderately lower-priced backpacking sleeping bag, the Big Agnes Dream Island 15, which you can get your hands on for under $300.
The Dream Island 15 is made of lightweight nylon rip-stop polyester for its shell. That shell also features a blended lining of polyester and cotton that feels comfortable and never too heavy. A stain-resistant and water-resistant treatment atop the shell will keep this sleeping bag looking good for a long time to come.
Inside the Dream Island 15 is FireLine MAX synthetic insulation, which comprises 50-percent recycled polyester.
Even better is that the Dream Island 15 is designed for two campers to use at once if both campers are no taller than six feet, six inches. You can add long pads or a pad coupler to further augment your comfort.
The hood includes a cinch inside so you can pull it tight. Accompanied by a no-draft collar, you won’t have to worry about cold air getting in your sleeping bag no matter how chilly it is outside. The zipper baffles and wedge also provide customizable ventilation.
Contouring and draping throughout the sleeping bag help you keep body heat close. A pillow barn will prevent your pillows from moving. If you do share the Dream Island 15 with a partner, the locking zippers are included on either side so one of you can get out of bed without interrupting or waking the other.
When you’re up and at ‘em the next morning, you can compact the Dream Island 15 sleeping bag to a size of 10.5 inches by 11.5 inches.
Big Agnes says that using the Dream Island 15 sleeping bag is like dozing off in your own bed back home. We think you’ll agree with that!
Montbell Down Hugger 650 #1 – $340
The Montbell Down Hugger 650 #1 boasts the brand’s Super Spiral-Stretch System for one of the comfiest backpacking sleeping bags around.
What is the Super Spiral-Stretch System, you ask? Montbell changes the fabric’s wet and warp thread orientation, setting it to 45 degrees. This allows the Down Hugger’s seamlines to stretch almost like they’re made of elastic. Quilting gathers throughout also utilize this elastic-like stitching.
The shell and liner of the Down Hugger 650 are both Super-Multi 30-denier polyester taffeta. Inside the sleeping bag is 650-fill-power down that’s sustainably sourced. The fill weight is approximately 24.7 ounces. The sleeping bag itself weighs two pounds, 10 ounces.
Tested to handle temps between 11 and 23 degrees, the stretchy sleeping bag has a shoulder girth of 59 to 76 inches depending on whether the material is stretched or relaxed. The knee girth is 48 to 63 inches.
A bias-stretch, tapered stuff sack and storage sack are included with your purchase. You’ll also like the multi-tube construction for optimal warmth, the tunnel hood for covering more of your head, the draft tube zipper cover, and the hood adjuster with a drawcord.
Auto-locking zippers prevent slippage, and a triangle gusset acts as reinforcement on each zipper end. The zippers are two-way for left-handed or right-handed use.
NEMO Disco 15 Sleeping Bag – $320
For the fellas, the NEMO Disco 15 is another awesome backpacking sleeping bag.
Tested for a temperature limit between 14 and 25 degrees, the NEMO Disco 15 has a 30-denier shell made of ripstop nylon that’s finished with a durable water-repellant or DWR finish. The nylon taffeta lining, also 30-denier count, includes the same finish.
The NEMO Disco 15 insulates with 650-fill-power down, up to one pound, seven ounces. The down meets Responsible Down Standard or RDS guidelines.
The reason this backpacking sleeping bag stands out so much is in part due to the shape, which is known as the Classic Spoon. This semi-rectangular sleeping bag is wider at the knees and elbows so you aren’t stuck sleeping in one position the whole night. The Classic Spoon shape also compacts well.
An integrated pillow pocket lets you stuff Fillo filling (which you’d have to buy separately), spare clothes, or a jacket into the pillow.
All zippers are two-way, full-length #5 YKK zippers. A zipper pillow lets you access and exit the NEMO Disco 15 while left-side zippers can attach to another bag that uses right-side zippers to make a two-person sleeper.
The footbox is both breathable and waterproof so you don’t have any condensation buildup on the lower half of the sleeping bag. An external fold collar known as the Blanket Fold, when combined with the long draft tube, is the closest you’ll get to being tucked in when camping.
Thermo Gill venting throughout keeps the cold air out but prevents you from feeling overheated. That’s quite a smart feature!
Sea to Summit Spark Down Sleeping Bag – $630
As the name Sea to Summit alludes, their Spark down sleeping bag is intended for all your camping trips. Even in five-degree weather, you won’t feel the cold down to your bones!
A 10-denier shell built from UL nylon features a DWR treatment so it doesn’t get too moist. The 850+ fill-power ultra-dry loft down, of which there are 30 grams, is responsibly sourced. Plus, the 30 grams of down can become 850 cubic inches by compressing this backpacking sleeping bag.
An Ultra-Sil lightweight compression bag with a storage cell makes stashing your essentials easy. The left-side #3 YKK zippers throughout are length-trimmed for efficiency.
Wider baffles at the knees and hips allow you to roll over as you need to just like you were sleeping in your bed back home!
Therm-a-Rest Hyperion – $440
The Therm-a-Rest Hyperion is sure to last many camping seasons.
Inside the backpacking sleeping bag is 900-fill Nikwax down, which is hydrophobic. Therm-a-Rest says their down treatment maintains dryness 60x longer compared to untreated down feathers. The down is RDS certified too.
If you want a lightweight sleeping bag, it doesn’t get much lighter than the Hyperion. It weighs only one pound, four ounces yet it can still safeguard you from temperatures as low as 20 degrees.
Insulation zones throughout the backpacking sleeping bag include more down in those areas. You’ll enjoy 30 percent more down in the back of the sleeping bag and 70 percent at the top.
The box baffle construction includes mesh walls to reduce cold spots in areas where they’re most likely to occur. The long zipper of the Hyperion is also for optimizing warmth.
Marmot Hydrogen 30F Degree Down Sleeping Bag – $340
Hunker on down in the Marmot Hydrogen and prepare to feel exceedingly comfortable.
The Pertex Microlight nylon ripstop shell with its 20-denier count is lighter than ever. The DWS finish on the exterior keeps you dry even when conditions are slick.
Within the shell is an 800-fill goose down that helps this bag keep you warm in temperatures between 24.4 and 33.6 degrees. The down has a Down Defender treatment for great water resistance.
A stuff sack measuring six inches by 12 inches comes with your backpacking sleeping bag, as does a storage sack for keeping your favorite items close at hand. Inside the bag is an internal stash pocket you’ll likely use a lot.
Dual hang loops let you air out the sleeping bag between uses. You can also hang your storage bags on the loops.
You won’t have to worry about the zipper pulls going anywhere, as the Hydrogen sleeping bag has a zipper garage that keeps the zippers parked in one place. There’s also an insulated draft tube sock for the zippers to open or close two ways without snagging.
The second zipper folds down so you can ventilate your Hydrogen sleeping bag the way you want it. To contain warmth, just pull on the drawcord on the multi-baffle Nautilus hood. The footbox wraps around your feet and is stuffed with down.
You’ll be warm from head to toe!
Sierra Designs Get Down 20-Degree Sleeping Bag – $200
Last but certainly not least on our list is the Sierra Designs Get Down sleeping bag.
This budget backpacking sleeping bag for women is covered in a 20-denier polyester ripstop. Inside the bag is 550-fill-power DriDown down that meets RDS standards. The down makes this sleeping bag temperature-resistant to 20 degrees.
The DriDown feathers are the real standout of this sleeping bag. The down is thermally efficient and hydrophobic. Sierra Designs says the DriDown feathers dry up to 33 percent quicker compared to untreated down and will retain dryness for 10 times the duration.
The Get Down sleeping bag has many more features still. The bag compresses so you can fold it down and stow it in your backpack. Hand pockets in the interior will prevent ice-cold digits. The hood has a cinch cord so you can pull it closer to your face and stay warm.
You can buy the Sierra Designs Get Down sleeping bag in regular or long sizes.
Final Thoughts
You deserve comfortable accommodations when camping, and these backpacking sleeping bags are about as comfortable as it gets. With their durable shells, insulating down, and a multitude of handy features, you can’t go wrong with any of the 10 sleeping bags we discussed today!