Sleeping Bags Reviews

Best Sleeping Bags Reviews: (out of 21)
Backpacker Magazine, Outside Magazine, Backpacking.net

Best Sleeping Bags: (out of 50)
Marmot Atom, Marmot Helium, Montbell U.L. Super Stretch Down Hugger 2

Fast Answers - Best Sleeping Bags

Top Rated	What the Research Says
• Marmot Atom (*est. $250) >> Where to buy	Summer sleeping bag. If carrying just one pound is appealing, the top-rated Marmot Atom is ideal for temperatures down to about 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Reviews say it compresses to the size of a coffee mug for packing. The shell is wind-resistant, and there's a lifetime warranty for manufacturer's defects. Like most sleeping bags, the Marmot is a mummy-shaped bag, which conserves as much body heat as possible. (compare prices)
• Marmot Helium (*est. $360) >> Where to buy	Best all-season ultralight sleeping bag. For nights as cold as 15 degrees F, this down sleeping bag still only weighs 1 pound 13 ounces, and reviews praise its roominess and snag-free zipper. A women's version of the Marmot Helium is also available. It comes with a wind-resistant shell and a lifetime warranty against defects. The obvious drawback is its high price. (compare prices)
• Montbell U.L. Super Stretch Down Hugger 2 (*est. $305) >> Where to buy	Sleeping bag for active sleepers. Reviews say the stretchy Montbell U.L. Down Hugger sleeping bags are the ultimate in comfort, because they drape close to your body, yet stretch as you move around. The Down Hugger #2 is rated to 25 degrees for three-season warmth, yet weighs only 1 pound 13 ounces and comes with a lifetime warranty against defects. If you like to sleep on your side, or like more freedom of movement, reviews say the Montbell bags are a great solution. (compare prices)
• REI Sub Kilo +15 (*est. $230) >> Where to buy	Best women's sleeping bag. Shaped to fit a woman's body, with extra insulation in the foot and chest, this 15-degree down sleeping bag is cited in reviews for value. Women usually sleep colder than men, so a 15-degree bag is good for three seasons. The Sub Kilo weighs 1 pound 14 ounces and carries a lifetime warranty from REI. (compare prices)
• Lafuma Warm n Light 800 (*est. $135) >> Where to buy	Budget ultralight down bag. Despite its low price, the 30-degree Lafuma sleeping bag only weighs 1 pound 12 ounces, and it uses two full-length zippers so two bags can be paired to create a double sleeping bag. A women's version is also available. Both are bargains, though the warranty is for only two years. The 15-degree Lafuma Warm n Light 1000 (*est. $165) is rated for even lower temperatures and is also a good value. (compare prices)
• REI Polar Pod +20 (*est. $80) >> Where to buy	Budget synthetic sleeping bag. Reviews say the REI Polar Pod +20 three-season bag is indeed warm below freezing. The shape is a "relaxed mummy" for more freedom of movement, and the price makes it a bargain, even though this bag is heavier than most (3-pounds 6-ounces). We cover lighter synthetic-fill sleeping bags in our Full Story report, but they cost more than the budget REI sleeping bag. (compare prices)
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Full Story

What the experts say, our analysis, and more...

Updated June 2006

We found reviews of dozens of sleeping bags in the outdoor gear issues of Backpacker Magazine and Outside Magazine, plus a comparison of eight ultralight sleeping bags at Climbing.com. These reviews are based on thorough field tests by experienced hikers, but they don't provide any ratings or real rankings except for a few awards. Even the selections listed as best buys and bargains leave dozens of good choices. The BackpackingLight.com review of ultralight sleeping bags does provide ratings on specific criteria plus an overall ranking, but most of the sleeping bags reviewed fall far outside the mainstream. To narrow the field we relied on in-depth reviews from experienced hikers posted at BackpackGearTest.org and GearReview.com, as well as sleeping bag reviews and ratings from users published at OutdoorReview.com, Trailspace.com and similar camping and backpacking Web sites.

The trend in sleeping bags is definitely toward ultralight bags weighing less than two pounds, and reviews say there are many good choices across a wide spectrum of prices and temperature ranges. Although the ultralight sleeping bags are all tapered, mummy-shaped bags, we also found reviews of specific rectangular bags, mostly at Amazon.com, that offer more room for movement. The L.L. Bean Katahdin down rectangular bag (*est. $165) weighs just under three pounds, so it's not an ultralight bag. However, it is rated for temperatures as low as 20 degrees Fahrenheit (F), so it's good for spring through fall camping.

Stretchy mummy bags are an exciting option for hikers who like to sleep on their sides or move around a lot during the night -- in other words, most of us. Montbell makes both down and synthetic-fill sleeping bags using elastic thread to stitch the baffles that hold the fill in place. Reviews praise this Super Stretch series for the extra comfort this provides, and we found one review from a user who said he could easily sit up cross-legged wearing one. Some of the Montbell U.L. Super Stretch Down bags qualify as ultralight bags, while the synthetic-fill bags are heavier but still good values.

Western Mountaineering and Feathered Friends consistently get top marks for quality of construction, with other major brands following. The main complaints we found in sleeping bag reviews are about zippers that snag, sleeping bags that have cold spots, and bags whose temperature ratings are way too optimistic. Backpacker Magazine criticizes several Moonstone sleeping bags for zipper snags. It’s important to note that although Moonstone sleeping bags are still available at retailers, the company has gone out of business, so warranties are not honored. Coleman and Wenger make mostly synthetic-fill sleeping bags suitable for car camping; some get good reviews, although the stitching quality may not be perfect. ... Continued

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Consensus Report

Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
All The Reviews Reviewed chart.

# of Picks	Sleeping Bag Model (with retailer links)	Details from Amazon.com
4	Marmot Arroyo (*est. $250)	details
3	Marmot Pinnacle (*est. $300)	details
3	The North Face Cat's Meow (*est. $140)	-
3	Marmot Atom (*est. $250)	details
2	Mountain Hardwear Spirit SL (*est. $335)	-
2	Western Mountaineering UltraLite (*est. $315)	-
2	Feathered Friends Rock Wren (*est. $235)	-
2	Sierra Designs Flex Series (discontinued) (*est. $200)	-
2	Moonstone Delta Minima (discontinued) (*est. $130)	-
2	Kelty Light Year (*est. $160)	details
1 each	Coleman Explorer (kids) , Columbia Falmouth Rectangular ($50), Columbia The Zone ($70) , Expedition Hummingbird, Eureka Sandstone Rectangular , Feathered Friends Merlin, Feathered Friends Osprey, Feathered Friends Vireo (half bag), Integral Design Renaissance, Jacks 'R Better No Sniveller (wearable), Kelty Light Year 15 , Kelty Sonora 20 , Lafuma Extreme 800 , , Marmot Atom , , Marmot Pinnacle , Marmot Pounder , Montbell Super Stretch Burrow Bag #3 ($140) , Montbell U.L. Super Stretch Down Hugger #1 , Moonstone 650 Delta Morpheus (discontinued), Moonstone 800 Lucid (disc.), Moonstone 3D/zone 2 (disc.), Moonstone Delta Cirrus (disc.), Moonstone Lucid (disc.), Mountain Hardwear 2nd Dimension, Mountain Hardwear Mountain Goad (kids), Mountain Hardwear Piute (women) , Mountain Hardwear Switch 20 , REI Polar Pod, REI Sub Kilo +15 (women), REI Zig Zag +15 (kids), Sherpa Adventure Gear Khumbu , Sierra Designs Nitro/Spark , Sierra Designs Sandman (disc.), Sierra Designs Trade Wind , Slumberjack Superguide +30 , Slumberjack Super Packer , Slumberjack Ultimate , The North Face Blue Kazoo , The North Face Fission , The North Face Hightail , The North Face Propell , The North Face Snowshoe , The North Face Tigger (kids) , Tough Traveler Growing Bear Bag (kids), Western Mountaineering Antelope , Western Mountaineering Badger Super MF, Western Mountaineering Pod 30 (top) , Western Mountaineering Sequoia SDL (big)

All the sleeping bags listed above have been highly recommended in at least one credible review, providing a dizzying array of choices. There are so many sleeping bag brands and models that there's very little consensus in reviews. Some of the newer sleeping bags have features that surpass older models which have accumulated more top rankings over the years.

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