John Muir famously set out up the mountain with “a little bread and tea in a blanket, some sugar and a tin cup.” I admire his ultralight spirit and disdain for on-the-road comfort, but I’m willing to bet that if Muir were around today, he’d be carrying a good sleeping bag with him, if not for for no other reason than the fact that they are lighter than the old blankets. However, tea is essential, I can’t argue with that.
Whether you’re following Muir into the countryside, planning the perfect family camping trip or trekking the Camino de Santiago, there’s a sleeping bag for it. No matter how you travel, where you go or what comfort you seek, after years of testing we’ve found the best sleeping bags for everyone.
Adrienne So, Martin Cizmar, and Matt Jancer contributed to this guide.
Be sure to read through our other outdoor guides, including Best sleeping pad, Best tent, Best Camping Stove, and ours Cooking in camp instruct.
Table of contents
- Best for backpackers: Bishop Pass 15 Hardware Mountain
- Best for car campers: REI Hooded Nap 20
- Best all-in-one sleep system: Zenbivy bed
- Best Ultralight: Sea to the top of 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 1000 expedition
- Best blanket: Therm-a-rest Vesper 32
- Best for children: REI Kindercone
- Best synthetic bags: Marmot Ultra Elite 20
- How to choose the perfect sleeping bag
- How we test
- What all the terms mean
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Best sleeping bags for backpackers
Mountain Hardware’s Bishop Pass 15 offers the best warmth-to-weight ratio while also managing to pack compactly and not break the bank. It’s not perfect, but it offers the best compromise for most backpackers, being warm enough for backpacking seasons and light enough (2 pounds and 5.4 ounces) that you won’t mind even if you hardly need it in summer. I slept in this bag for over two weeks, with nighttime temperatures ranging from 28°F to 65°F, and yes, it was too hot for a sleeping bag. But on warmer nights, I zip up and cover myself like a warm blanket. As for everything else, I sleep very well. It’s a multi-purpose bag.
Uses of Bishop Pass 15 650 power down Covered in 20 denier water-resistant ripstop nylon. (Note: You will often see 20-denier written as 20D; see below for more on What do those terms mean?.) One of the great things about this bag is the collar and face pad feature, which do a great job of keeping your head warm. With the drawstring retracted, you can retain more body heat. This is one of the few bags I tested where I didn’t feel the need to wear a hat. The insulation does a good job of staying where it should; I didn’t find any bad cold spots in this bag.
The only thing that bothers me about this bag is that it’s so tight—there’s not much room for anything but me. That helps it work well and keep you warmer, but it’s not a good choice if you’re looking for something roomy (see Therm-a-Rest Questar below). I also don’t like zippers. The zipper glows in the dark, which is great, and the zipper doesn’t snag as much, but in my experience, it also doesn’t pull as easily as others. Still, those are minor complaints about a bag that can do the rest.
Specifications:
- Temperature Rating: 15°F/-9°C
- Amenity rating: 26°F/-3°C
- Pour until it’s full: 650 Fill the power supply
Best sleeping bags for car campers
Car camping sleeping bags are not the place to spend a lot of money. If your best efforts to create warmth around you fail, in the end, there’s still a car to retreat to. That’s why we love the REI Siesta Hooded 20—it’s cozy and affordable. It’s also not a mummy bag, because you don’t climb Denali; Why struggle if you don’t have to? The Siesta’s rectangular cut creates a much roomier, more comfortable bag. Siesta is made entirely of recycled polyester with a polyester lining. Even so, the lining on this bag is noticeably softer than many of the other bags in this guide.
The Siesta’s 20-degree rating is enough for three-season trips, and unlike most rectangular bags, the Siesta has a hood, which helps on cold nights. However, what makes this bag so versatile is the double zipper system. There’s a full-length zipper, which means you can turn it into a comforter on warmer nights, and there’s also a second, part-length zipper on the other side so you can have plenty of airflow. more air when desired. (You can also now compress two naps together, which wasn’t possible with previous versions.)
Specifications:
- Temperature Rating: 20°F/-6°C
- Pour until it’s full: 650 Fill the power supply
The best all-in-one sleep system
Zenbivy bed 25 (9/10, WIRED recommended) was truly the most comfortable backcountry sleeping experience I’ve ever had. It wouldn’t be my top choice in extreme situations, but as long as your expected temperatures are within the Zenbivy’s range, it doesn’t get more comfortable than this. Zenbivy is more than just a sleeping bag. It’s a sheet, hood, and duvet-style bag that can be combined in a variety of ways depending on what you want.
The sleeping pad top cover is made of 50 denier polyester pongee fabric, which is extremely soft and feels like your bed at home. The bed sheet has the sleeping bag’s hood attached to it. Then, you spread the top comforter (made of 20D nylon) on top. This is the most enjoyable, most comfortable way to use the system, perfect for warm nights. This is how I do most of my tests because I sleep pretty warm. If the temperature drops, you can compress the duvet foot box into a mummy bag and zip the top to the bottom sheet. I did this on a few cooler nights in the Keweenaw Peninsula when it was quite cold.
