Whether you’re heading out for a night or a month, sleep matters: How you spend your night determines how you’ll be able to spend your day. We took this year’s most promising sleeping bags out into the field to find the lightest, warmest, and most flexible models available. After months of testing, these were the ones we picked.
1 Rab Mythic Ultra 360
For committing expeditions, the Mythic offers premium performance at a premium price. There’s 900-fill goose down, and clever construction that saves weight by using chevron-shaped baffles to hold down toward the center without using extra interior fabric.
For committing expeditions, the Mythic offers premium performance at a premium price. There’s 900-fill goose down, and clever construction that saves weight by using chevron-shaped baffles to hold down toward the center without using extra interior fabric.
But the thermal innovation comes from a titanium lining misted onto the inside of the bag at fabric level so it never wears off (unlike other, glued metallic interior treatments that can peel). In theory, it’s like having an onboard space blanket that is soft to the touch and silent.
Rab claims a boost in thermal efficiency up to 14°F. Our warm sleepers noticed the extra warmth, but cold sleepers were mixed on how much of a bump the lining provided. It’s slightly-roomier-than-standard dimensions pack down to the size of a canteloupe.
2. MontBell Seamless Down Hugger WR 900
We’ve loved the Down Hugger since 2009 for its unparalleled stretch and warmth. Now you can add to the list: lightweight. Montbell slimmed the Down Hugger by eliminating baffles in favor of long strings of barbed yarn that hold the down in place
We’ve loved the Down Hugger since 2009 for its unparalleled stretch and warmth. Now you can add to the list: lightweight. Montbell slimmed the Down Hugger by eliminating baffles in favor of long strings of barbed yarn that hold the down in place.
This provides the down ample room to loft and does away with air-emitting holes made by sewing needles. “I felt like it could’ve been five degrees colder and I would have been fine,” said one tester after pushing the Down Hugger below its temp rating in Colorado’s Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The 13-denier nylon gives up a little stretch (it extends up to 17 inches versus 22 inches in the previous version) in the shoulders, but testers could still change layers while zipped into their bags.
3. Marmot Yolla Bolly 30
Some campers go for the thinnest, tightest bag they can and accept the comfort tradeoff. But that’s not you. You want armfuls of insulation, plenty of space to move around, and reliable warmth. The semi-rectangular Yolla Bolly is the sack for you
Some campers go for the thinnest, tightest bag they can and accept the comfort tradeoff. But that’s not you. You want armfuls of insulation, plenty of space to move around, and reliable warmth. The semi-rectangular Yolla Bolly is the sack for you, with an extra down-filled blanket stitched inside the bag to grab onto.
“With two bag layers on top of me, I slept warm at 22°F over a long weekend on the Appalachian Trail in Pennsylvania, which is remarkable given how roomy the bag is,” says our tester. Unfurl the snag-free, wraparound zip to create a flat, 91-inch-wide quilt, which is large enough to share around a campfire.
On warm nights, open the zipper all the way and use the quilt like a sheet. A low-profile silicone tread keeps the Yolla Bolly from sliding around. Nitpick: The hood doesn’t cinch tightly.
4. NEMO Forte 35
With its combination of relaxed shape, low price point, recycled synthetic fill, and overachieving performance, this bag is a steal for campers who aren’t sure if traditional, down mummy bags are right for them
Our Take With its combination of relaxed shape, low price point, recycled synthetic fill, and overachieving performance, this bag is a steal for campers who aren’t sure if traditional, down mummy bags are right for them. The Forte’s hourglass silhouette measures 64 inches around at the shoulder, 59 inches at the hip, and 62 inches at the knees looser at every point than a standard mummy.
We were comfy under the stars outside Moab at 40°F, but cold sleepers will want to add a pair of thick socks or down booties when temps dip into the thirties since there’s so much air to heat up in the foot box.
The shape drew high marks from our broad-shouldered testers and side sleepers. Bonus: There’s a women’s long version, which a 6’0” female tester said was notably more comfortable and warmer than the unisex bags she normally uses.
The Details The design uses the pair of 22-inch zippers on top as vents, though testers said they would have ditched one to bring the weight down a bit. Luxe love: Testers complimented the Forte’s 20-denier nylon taffeta liner, which feels softer than standard nylon, a muff that tucks under the chin to seal in extra warmth, and the integrated pillow pocket. Packed, it’s the same size as the Big Agnes Torchlight (left).
5. Therm-a-Rest Vesper 45
There are grapefruits larger than the packed size of this ultralight quilt. “I got everything I needed for a four-day mountaineering mission on California’s 13,150-foot Mt. Ritter into a 35-liter pack, thanks in large part to this quilt’s tiny packed size,” one tester says
Our take There are grapefruits larger than the packed size of this ultralight quilt. “I got everything I needed for a four-day mountaineering mission on California’s 13,150-foot Mt. Ritter into a 35-liter pack, thanks in large part to this quilt’s tiny packed size,” one tester says. Credit the 900-fill goose down, 10-denier nylon, and lack of zippers.
Despite the wispy weight, there are still a few features: A snap affixes the top of the quilt around your neck like a scarf, and 4-inch-wide side baffles drape over the side of your pad to seal in heat. We slept warm down to 35°F in California’s Ansel Adams Wilderness.
The details Three removable elastic bands wrap loosely underneath the sleeping pad to keep the Vesper in place; we thought they were silly until we saw a 15-degree shift in comfortable sleeping temps when we didn’t use them. Also, the foot box is roomy and tall enough for size 12 feet.
6. Big Agnes Torchlight UL 20
Warm summer nights turn three-season mummies into boil-in-bag situations, while cool fall nights make for shiverfests in summer-weight bags. Who knew that all we needed to bridge the gap between the two was an extra pair of long zippers?
Our take Warm summer nights turn three-season mummies into boil-in-bag situations, while cool fall nights make for shiverfests in summer-weight bags. Who knew that all we needed to bridge the gap between the two was an extra pair of long zippers?
Opening the zips on the sides of the Torchlight releases two baffles of down-filled fabric, expanding the typical 60-inch circumference of a mummy bag to 70 inches. Use the additional space for elbow room or to accommodate a puffy on colder nights, as our tester did with temps in the teens in the Eastern Sierra. Bonus: Even with the extra zips the 850-fill down sack still packs smaller than a soccer ball.
The details The Torchlight’s hood fits snugly, like a puffy jacket’s, and retains heat so well even without being fully cinched that one of our testers ditched his usual nighttime beanie at the temp limit.
7. Exped Waterbloc Pro
Weight-conscious hikers expect three-season bags to register under two pounds. This one does that and, thanks to a waterproof/breathable Pertex Quantum Pro shell, solves your condensation or rain worries, too
Weight-conscious hikers expect three-season bags to register under two pounds. This one does that and, thanks to a waterproof/breathable Pertex Quantum Pro shell, solves your condensation or rain worries, too. The seams are also welded instead of sewn to minimize spots where moisture could sneak in.
“Even after getting dripped on all night while tucked in a snow cave in southern Alaska, not a speck of water made it past the outer shell,” one tester says. Designers used standard mummy width dimensions and added a 4.5-inch-diameter draft collar for heat retention, but the medium length only accommodates sleepers up to 5’11”. One warm sleeper comfortably took it down to 10°F in Alaska’s Chugach State Park. Downside: A sleeping bag with a shell costs nearly as much as a sleeping bag and a shell.
Looking to buy a sleeping bag? Consider the following:
- Will it be wet where you’re planning to hike? Waterproof down and synthetic fill deal better with moisture than non-waterproofed feathers.
- How cold will the weather be? Make sure you have a sleeping bag with a temp rating low enough to keep you comfortable but don’t overdo it, or you might be lugging around the extra weight in your pack for no reason.
- Does your bag fit? Extra room in the foot of your bag can make it difficult to warm up. Buy too short, on the other hand, and your feet will compress the fill at the foot of the bag, negatively impacting its insulation properties.
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