John Muir famously set off for the mountains with “some bread and tea in a few blankets with some sugar and a pewter cup.” I admire his ultralight spirit and disregard for comfort on the road, but I bet if Muir were around today he’d bring a good down sleeping bag, if only because they’re lighter. then old blankets. The tea is essential though, I can’t argue with that.
Whether you’re following Muir into the backcountry, planning the perfect camping trip with the family, or trekking the Camino de Santiago, there’s a sleeping bag for that. No matter how you travel, where you go or how much comfort you are looking for, after years of testing we have found the best sleeping bags for everyone.
Adrienne So, Martin Cizmar, and Matt Jancer contributed to this guide.
Be sure to read our other outdoor guides, including the best sleeping pads, the best tents, the best camping stoves and our camping cooking guide.
Table of contents
- Best for backpackers: Mountain Hardware Bisschoppas 15
- Best for Car Campers: REI Siesta with hood 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 Hot Weather: Marmot NanoWave 45
- Best for spring and fall travel: Magma 15 Sleeping bag
- Best expedition bag: Rab expedition 1000
- Best duvet: Therm-a-rest Vesper 32
- Best for Kids: REI Children’s Cone
- Best Synthetic Bag: Marmot Ultra Elite 20
- How to choose the perfect sleeping bag
- How we tested
- What all the terms mean
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The best sleeping bag for backpackers
Mountain Hardware’s Bishop Pass 15 offers the best warmth-to-weight ratio, while also managing to pack down small and not be too expensive. It’s not perfect, but it represents the best compromise for most backpackers because it’s warm enough for the shoulder seasons and light enough (2 pounds and 5.4 ounces) that you won’t mind even if you take it in the summer you hardly need it. I slept in this bag for over two weeks, with nighttime temperatures ranging from 80°F to 65°F, and yes, it was in too much heat as a sleeping bag. But on those warmer nights, I unzipped it and covered myself like a warm blanket. For the rest I slept very well. It is a versatile bag.
The Bishop Pass 15 uses 650 fill power down, wrapped in a 20 denier water-resistant ripstop nylon shell. (Note: 20 denier is often written as 20D; see below for more information on what these terms mean.) One of the great things about this bag is the draft collar and face gasket, which does a great job of keeping your head warm. When the drawstring is pulled down, you can retain even more body heat. This is one of the few bags I’ve tested where I didn’t feel the need for a hat. The insulation stays where it should stay; I didn’t find any bad cold spots in this bag.
My only gripe with this bag is that it is cramped; there’s not much room for anything other than me. That makes it efficient and keeps you warmer, but this isn’t a good option if you’re looking for something roomy (see the Therm-a-Rest Questar below). I don’t like the zipper either. The pull glows in the dark, which is great, and the zipper doesn’t snag much, but in my experience it also doesn’t pull as easily as others. Still, these are minor negatives about a bag that does everything else well.
Specifications:
- Temperature classification: 15°F/-9°C
- Comfort rating: 26°F/-3°C
- To fill: 650 Filling flow disabled
The best sleeping bag for car campers
Sleeping bags for car camping are not where you spend a lot of money. Finally, should your efforts to cocoon warmth around you fail, there is a car to retreat to. That’s why we love the REI Siesta Hood 20: it’s nice and warm and affordable. It’s not a mummy bag either, because you’re not climbing Denali; Why cramp yourself when you don’t have to? The rectangular cut of the Siesta makes for a much more spacious and comfortable bag. The Siesta is made entirely of recycled polyester, with a polyester filling. Despite this, the lining of this bag is noticeably softer than many others in this guide.
The Siesta’s 20-degree rating makes it adequate for three-season travel, and unlike most rectangular bags, the Siesta has a hood, which helps on cold nights. However, what makes this such a versatile bag is the double zipper system. There’s a full-length zipper, which means you can turn it into a quilt on warmer nights, and there’s also a second full-length zipper on the other side, so you have more airflow when you want it. (You can now also zip two Siestas together, which wasn’t possible with previous versions.)
Specifications:
- Temperature classification: 20°F/-6°C
- To fill: 650 Filling flow disabled
Best all-in-one sleep system
The Zenbivy Bed 25 (9/10, WIRED recommended) is hands down the most comfortable backcountry sleeping experience I’ve ever had. It wouldn’t be my top choice for extreme situations, but as long as your expected temperatures fit within Zenbivy’s range, it doesn’t get more comfortable than this. However, the Zenbivy is not just any sleeping bag. It is a sheet, hood and quilt style bag that can be combined in different ways depending on what you want.
The top sheet over which the sleeping mat lies is made of 50 denier polyester pongee, which is wonderfully soft and feels like your bed at home. The hood part of the sleeping bag is attached to the sheet. Then place the top quilt (made of 20D nylon) over it. This is the coolest and loosest way to use the system, perfect for warm nights. This is how I did most of my testing as I sleep quite hot. Should temperatures drop, you can zip the quilt foot box into a mummy bag configuration and zip the tops to the bottom sheet. I did this on a few cooler nights on the Keweenaw Peninsula when it got quite frigid.