Your tent is only as good as your gear and vice versa. If you have a terrible sleeping bag, you’re going to spend a cold, uncomfortable night in the woods regardless of how fancy your tent is. Let’s not do that.
Sleeping bags are simple, but the more you expect from your bag, the more complicated things get. One thing to keep in mind as we go through our list is that the minimum comfort rating (MCR) is the coldest temperature you could survive in the bag. Just because something covers your expected temperatures during camping, it doesn’t mean you’ll be comfortable. If you need to sleep comfortably in 20 degrees Fahrenheit, for example, don’t get a bag rated at a minimum of that temperature.
You don’t need to spend huge bucks to get a reliable sleeping bag. There are bags rated for extreme cold and bags rated for extreme weight reduction. You can find something to fit a big frame or a petite frame. Regardless, there’s a sleeping bag for you.
If you don’t know your fillers from your liners and your minimum comfort ratings from your measurements, we’ve got you covered. We’ve got our ten favorite sleeping bags for a variety of scenarios, so you can finally get out and use that awesome tent you bought.
Our first sleeping bag is a mummy style sleeping bag with a thermal pocket hood and a zippered foot box. It comes with a compression sack to save space and is rated to about 22 degrees Fahrenheit.
It has a synthetic fill using Kelty’s Thermapro method. It retains warmth well for three-season camping but still compresses to just 9 x 15 inches when packed. It has an EN rating of 22 degrees Fahrenheit. The zippered foot box has a natural shape and allows for ventilation in warmer weather.
It includes a media pocket for things such as a phone or Kindle. The zipper draft tube is anti-snag for smooth operation. The offset quilted construction is durable.
Coleman’s sleeping bag is an all-purpose one rated to about 40 degrees Fahrenheit. It uses a traditional rectangular shape with a zipper all the way around. It’s best for fair weather camping and for light use.
It uses polyester outer and filler material for durability and something that cleans easily. The zipper follows along a zip plow system that prevents sagging or hanging while in use. It uses a roll control and no tie system, so you can pack it up without needing a second pair of hands.
The comfort plush system puts a soft piece of fabric closest to your face. Make sure you get the flannel liner because not all the liner choices are comfortable.
Our next sleeping bag is an ultralight bag rated to about 38 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s a narrow, rectangular bag with high loft synthetic fill. There’s plenty of space to add liner blankets for even colder weather protection.
It weighs less than 3 pounds and features an anti-snag zipper system with a detachable bottom for ventilation on warm nights. It has a water-resistant shell to combat humidity and condensation. It has an integrated pillowcase and a strap to help it stay in place.
It’s machine washable and comes in two different sizes. There’s an interior pocket to store small, important things such as your phone or earbuds and you can zip two together to make a double. The compression sack is convenient, but it’s tough to get the sleeping bag back into the sack.
If you need a basic, all-purpose bag for some fair weather camping, the Blue Jay fits the bill. It features a synthetic fill with a soft plaid lining and polyester shell for durability. The self-repairing, two-way zipper allows you to vent the bag from the bottom for better temperature control.
It’s rated to about 25 degrees and is rectangular to allow for plenty of extra liners. There’s no hood and no media pocket for storage, so make sure you’ve got something in place for drafts and to keep your things wrangled.
Overall, it’s a great beginner’s sleeping bag, and it can even be zipped to another bag to make a double.
The Certami uses a durable nylon shell plus polyester filling to create a fluffy, ultra-warm sleeping bag. The rectangular shape gives you plenty of space to add blankets or to leave it open for better ventilation.
It uses a roll control design to help with repacking. You can zip two together to create a double bag, and the half-moon hoods come with a drawstring for when nights are cold and you need to keep the material close to your head.
It’s machine washable, but the storage bag may not stand up to much use. We noticed seaming coming undone fairly quickly.
This extra-large sleeping bag has one of the lowest cold ratings on our list. If you need a bag that can withstand some serious weather, this is the one.
It has a generous rectangle shape, so you can add blankets and other layers. It uses Teton Sports synthetic fill, SuperLoft Elite, for a fluffy and comfortable sleep. It has shoulder draft tubes and a double layer offset stitch to help keep heat in while still allowing some ventilation for comfort.
It’s extra-long and packs down to a very manageable size with the compression sack. There’s an interior pocket for storage and a half circle mummy hood with drawstrings. It includes a lifetime warranty. It’s machine washable, but that voids the warranty, so do it at your own risk.
Our next is a mummy style sleeping bag from a family-owned company. It uses a proprietary synthetic fabric, StormLight, for better insulation and a tough 40 denier ripstop nylon shell for durability.
It’s lightweight but still offers insulation down to about 35 degrees. It comes with a compression sack to cut down on pack space. The drawstring hood closes the bag around your face to help keep out drafts.
It has a DWR coating to help repel water from the shell, and the filler is actually waterproof. You shouldn’t have to worry about condensation in colder weather, and it could make it easier to sleep in your bivy in light cold. Two-way zippers allow bottom ventilation for warmer-weather camping.
Ledge Sports’ sleeping bag is an ultra-durable mix of a 210 T ripstop fabric shell and a micro-denier, continuous filament synthetic fill. Translated for you? A sleeping bag that can withstand a lot of abuse.
It’s built for longer journeys, so there’s no official comfort rating. Instead, this bag is targeted at experienced hikers who know how to layer and how to judge their environment. It shaves off precious ounces from a hike-thru pack while offering plenty of space for the average user.
The mummy style reduces drafts and helps insulate you in colder weather. We think it could be fine for temperatures hovering just above freezing, but anything below that could be an issue without proper support or liners.
Abco’s sleeping bag is rated for temperatures closer to 20 degrees Fahrenheit. They’re waterproof and use a full-bottomed, s-shaped quilting for better insulation and durability. It comes with a compression sack.
The polyester fill dries quickly and is machine washable. The polyester shell isn’t waterproof, but it will resist small amounts of humidity to keep you dry during the night. It should fit the average sleeper, but this isn’t going to work for anyone on the heavier side. Plus, it tends to unzip with too much movement (restless sleepers, pay attention).
The stitching is excellent, and it’s suitable for most three-plus season camping provided you have some warmer gear to wear underneath.
Our next mummy style sleeping bag uses water resistant 350 T polyester for the shell and a cotton filling for a soft, fluffy loft. It has a wide temperature range with an extreme use rating down to just 15 degrees Fahrenheit.
It uses high-quality zippers and drawstrings for both the sleeping bag and the compression sack. It’s a double zipper so you can vent the bottom, and it uses anti-snag lining to make it easier to maneuver.
The bag is machine washable and features draft tubing for better insulation. A drawstring hood adjusts around your head to keep in body heat. The compression sack is a little bulky, but it’s not a deal breaker.
