Best Backpacking Sleeping Bags For A Cozy Night’s Sleep [2023 Edition]

REI has a reputation for quality products at great prices, but they’ve outdone themselves with the REI Co-op Magma. This model features an awesome warmth-to-weight ratio, a small packed size, and an incredible price point.

The 30℉ version has a comfort rating of 39℉, although we found it to run a little cooler it is still suitable for most shoulder-season backpacking trips. If you expect the mercury to dip close (or below) freezing point then we would opt for the REI Co-op Magma 15℉ version.

Packed with 8.5 oz of 850-FP RDS goose down, tand weighing a lightweight 1 lb 3.8 oz and packs down into a 6.5L stuff sack. Making it one of the lightest and most packable sleeping bags on our list. To top that off, it also packs the second-highest warmth-to-weight ratio thanks to the fitted “silhouette” design and the variable baffle spacing to more efficiently trap heat.

The Magma comes in both regular and long (plus a women’s version), and is pretty generous with its shoulder/waist space at 63”/57”. This makes it one of the more roomy mummy bags we tested, although side-sleepers looking for more space should consider the NEMO Disco.

If we were to pick holes, then it would literally be picking holes. The Pertex® 15-denier ripstop nylon, while not the thinnest shell/liner fabric we encountered still needs to be treated with care.

Specs

• 30℉ Lower Limit (39℉ Comfort Limit)
• 850 fill-power 8.5 oz fill weight goose down
• 63” / 57” shoulder/waist measurements
• 1 lb 3.8 oz / 3.8 liter packed
• Pertex® 15-denier ripstop nylon fabrics

While technically not a backpacking sleeping bag, we felt it would be remiss if we didn’t include our favorite lightweight backpacking quilt, the Enlightened Equipment Revelation. The Revelation is a highly customizable quilt that is versatile, handcrafted and is great value.

The Revelation is available in six different temperatures ranging from 0℉ up to 50℉ making it easy to find one to suit the climate you’ll be camping in (all specs listed are for the 10℉ version of the quilt). While the Revelation can be cinched closed around the footbox area it will be draughtier than a traditional mummy bag meaning that the comfort rating is closer to 15-25℉ higher than the Lower Limit (dependent on whether you’re a hot or cold sleeper).

The benefit of not being tightly restricted is one that side and active sleepers will appreciate. If this is you you’ll likely prefer the freedom of the Revelation.

The Revelation is filled with 850 FP goose down and uses 10D shell & inner liner fabrics to keep you toasty while keeping the weight down. This in combination with the lack of full zip, means the Revelation weighs 1 lb 14 oz giving it a great warmth-to-weight ratio.

The off the shelf version of the Revelation is available in four sizes, but if you’re willing to pay a little more (and wait a little longer) then you can order a bespoke model to your needs. The custom Revelation allows you to choose the down type, temperature rating, length, width, colors, and the option to add a draft collar. 

The biggest downside to the Revelation, like any quilt, is that there’s a bigger gap between the Lower Limit advertised and the Comfort Limit. If you’re planning on sleeping in winter or above the alpine treeline then you’d be wise to invest in either the 0℉ or -10℉ versions of the quilt along with high R-Value sleeping pads.

Specs

• 10℉ Lower Limit (~35℉ Comfort Limit)
• 850 fill-power 17.87 oz fill weight goose down
• Weight: 1 lb 14 oz 
• 10-denier shell & liner

For those on a budget, then the Kelty Cosmic Down 20℉ is one of the cheapest down sleeping bags available, but don’t let the low price tag fool you. This is still a high-quality mummy bag.

Using 16.37 ounces of 550fp goose down stuffed into trapezoidal baffles, this creates a bag with a Lower Limit of 21℉, with a Comfort Limit of 32℉ — also available in a 0℉ and a 40℉ version. The 32℉ upper limit should easily see you through all but the chilliest of nights in shoulder season in toasty comfort.

Available in three sizes (short, regular and long), with the regular offering a decent 62” around the shoulders and 58” around the waist. It is also available in a women’s sleeping bag version.

For the price and the warmth it offers, the compromise you make is with the weight and packed size. Weighing in at 2 lb 13.5 oz it’s one of the heaviest down bags on our list, and when compressed into its stuff sack it takes up 10.7L of pack space. However, the compressibility of down means that it’s significantly smaller than comparable synthetic bags such as the Marmot Trestles 15.

If you need to knock off a little weight, and your budget can stretch a little further then the Mountain Hardwear Bishop Pass is a slightly more expensive option but shaves nearly a pound off the total weight.

Specs

• 21℉ Lower Limit (32℉ Comfort Limit)
• 550 fill-power 16.37 oz fill weight goose down
• 62” / 58” shoulder/waist measurements
• 2 lb 13.5 oz / 10.7 liter packed
• 20-denier ripstop nylon shell

NEMO’s products are easy to pick out from a lineup due to their unique design features – particularly their Classic Spoon™ profile and their Thermo Gills™. The spoon shape design gives the Disco significantly more room around the waist and feet compared to most sleeping bags. This makes the NEMO Disco a good option for active or side sleepers who prefer not to be pinned in place by restrictive mummy bags.

It comes in both mens and women’s versions and is rated for either 15℉ or 30℉ (lower limit). The men’s version is available in either regular or long. The spoon shape results in an extremely roomy 64”/59”/62” shoulder/waist/feet measurement, making it by the far the roomiest model on our list. The nearest competitor is The North Face Eco trail which is about an inch narrower in the shoulders/waist, and a full 20”+ narrower around the feet.

The Disco also has multiple little technical features that just make it stand out even further. It has super cool Thermo Gills that allow you to unzip and vent off excess heat on warm nights without allowing cold draughts to penetrate. Other novel touches include covering the entire footbox area in durable water repellent, which is the area of your bag most likely to come into contact with the tent body and potential condensation. Lastly, a pillow sleeve allows you to slip in a backpacking pillow and for it to stay put for maximum comfort.

The hooded design incorporates 22 ounces of 650fp goose down, giving a lower limit rating of 15℉, with an approximate comfort limit of 25℉. While this does allow for nights of comfort in cooler temperatures, it does impact the overall weight and packability. At 2 lbs 11 ounces overall, and with a stuff sack size of 12.5L it’s a hefty and bulky down bag. This high weight is a reflection of the extra width, combined with the midweight fill-power used for the insulation. 

Specs

• 15℉ Lower Limit (~25℉ Comfort Limit)
• 650 fill-power 22 oz fill weight goose down
• 64” / 59” / 62” shoulder/waist/foot measurements
• 2 lb 11 oz / 12.5 liter packed
• 30D/40D Ripstop nylon w/DWR

Any list of the best backpacking sleeping bags would be remiss not include a perennial favorite among trail goers – the Feathered Friends Hummingbird 20. The Hummingbird is lightweight and packable and uses high-end down to deliver a super warm and comfortable bag.

At 900+ fp the Hummingbird utilizes one of the highest quality down insulations we’ve seen (the 950+ Feathered Friends Tanager is the only product with using a higher fill power). The use of premium fill-down results in an ultralight mummy bag that weighs 1 lb 12 oz. The sleeping bag’s temperature rating of 20℉ (lower limit), and such a low weight marks this model out as one of the best warmth-to-weight ratios on our list.

The high warmth rating is tied to the slender profile of the Hummingbirds shape, which is both a strength and weakness. The 58”/52” shoulder/waist measurements is one of the narrowest we came across in testing. Larger folks and active or side sleepers may feel a little too claustrophobic in the Hummingbird as a result.

Overall, the Hummingbird is definitely a great option, but in our opinion, it loses out to the REI Magma in terms of comfort and price. Ultimately it depends on your priorities, for a more comfortable sleep at a cheaper price we’d pick the Magma 15 which comes in at a similar overall weight. The Hummingbird does pack down smaller though. So if you need all the backpack room you can get then the Hummingbird may be for you.

Specs

• 20℉ Lower Limit (~30℉ Comfort Limit) temperature ratings
• 900+ fill-power 14 oz fill weight goose down
• 58” / 52” / 38” shoulder/waist/feet measurements
• 1 lb 12 oz / 9 liter packed
• Pertex® 20D mini-ripstop YFuse®

The Mountain Hardwear Bishop Pass 30 is one of the few “mid-range” down bags we came across, and it is a great value buy if your budget can’t stretch to one of the higher-end premium bags.

The 30℉ rating uses 650 fp goose down making it suitable for summer camping as well as warmer spring & fall nights. While weighing a lightweight 1 lb 12.6 oz. If you plan to camp deeper into shoulder season there are also 15℉ and 0℉ versions of the bag available (weighing 2 lbs 5.4 oz & 3 lbs 2.1 oz respectively). Whichever version you choose the upgrade in insulation results in a significant weight reduction compared to our budget pick, the Kelty Cosmic Down–knocking between a half to a full pound off the packed weight.

This reduction in weight and cost is felt most noticeably in the trimmer profile around the hips, which may be a little too tight for more active sleepers. The use of average insulation and fabrics, while a step up from the Cosmic Down, just don’t have the compressibility of the higher-end premium products so expect the Bishop Pass to take up nearly 10L of backpack space.

Women’s version

Specs

• 30℉ Lower Limit (~40℉ Comfort Limit) temperature ratings
• 650 FP 12 oz fill weight goose down
• 1 lb 12.6 oz / 9.6 liter packed
• 20D Ripstop Nylon with DWR

One of the best sleeping bags for couples is the Big Agnes Sentinel 30 Double, which is not only a great product but has a great price for a double bag. This 105” doublewide is filled with 20 ounces of 650 fill DownTek™ goose down and is rated (lower limit) to weather conditions as low as 30℉.

The Sentinel has several interesting features such as a pillow barn to stop your pillow from wandering off mid-slumber. The internally cinched hood drawcord is a smart design feature ensuring you’re not groping around in the cold. It also has a stretchy sleeping pad sleeve and pad coupler that allows you to easily attach your pad(s) without getting frustrated.

The drawbacks with the Sentinel are common to all doublewide bags — packed size, weight and warmth. Weighing a hefty 3 lb 8 oz and with a packed storage sack size of 20.9L, the Sentinel is going to take up a lot of room in your backpack. Similar to a quilt the Sentinel is not as tight a fit, meaning it’s susceptible to cold air creeping in and runs colder than the lower limit plus the 10-degree buffer we’d normally recommend.

Specs

• 30℉ Lower Limit (~45℉ Comfort Limit)
• 650 fp 20 oz fill weight goose down
• Weight: 1 lb 12.6 oz / 9.6 liter packed
• 105 / 105 / 84 shoulders/waist/feet measurements
• 20D Ripstop Polyester Shell

The Feathered Friends Tanager 20 CFL is considered one of the best ultralight sleeping bags on the market. Feathered Friends designed the Tanager based on customer requests and input, and came up with a simple design that removes a lot of features you’d expect. The result is a lightweight backpacking sleeping bag that has an incredible warmth-to-weight ratio.

The 12.6 ounces of 950+ fill goose down helps provide a sleeping bag temperature rating that will see you through most 3-season backpacking trips. Retaining your body heat and keeping you cozy down to a lower limit of 20℉. At just 1 lb 2.6 ounces, the 30℉ comfort limit is the best warmth-to-weight ratio we have seen.

Like many ultralight sleeping bags, one area that the Tanager cuts weight is by using thin materials in the construction. The Pertex® Quantum® 7D fabric is so thin that you can see the internal down when held up to the right light. This is the thinnest material we’ve seen used, and it does require an extra level of care around the campsite.

To strip back the weight further the Tanager does not feature a hood, and rather than a zipper running the length of the entire bag like most lightweight sleeping bags, FF has done away with it completely. If you don’t mind the extra wiggle/dexterity it takes to get in/out of your bag then it’s maybe not such a problem.

Overall it’s a good sleeping bag and features the highest warmth-to-weight ratio we’ve seen but is narrowly pipped to the title of best ultralight by the Sea to Summit Spark SPL which weighs a couple of ounces less than the Tanager while still retaining features like a hood and a zipper.

Specs

• 20℉ Lower Limit (~30℉ Comfort Limit) temperature ratings
• 950+ FP 12.6 oz fill weight goose down
• 62″ / 52″ / 38″ shoulder/waist/feet measurements
• Weight: 1 lb 4.6 oz 
• Pertex® Quantum® 7D

Rounding off the list of the best down sleeping bags is our pick for the best ultralight backpacking bag — the Sea to Summit Spark SPll 28. An amazing lightweight and packable bag that still packs a lot of warmth & it narrowly beat out the Feathered Friends Tanager to win the top spot.

The Spark weighs an incredible 1 lb and 1.3 oz making it the lightest product on our list, beating out the Tanager and the REI Magma by a couple of ounces. The high quality 850+ fill goose down means great compressibility and as a result the smallest packed volume in our testing with a compression sack size of just 6L.

Despite its low weight and packed size, the Spark has a lower limit of 28℉, marking it out as one of the best warmth-to-weight ratios we’ve seen (although narrowly loses out in this category to the Tanager which is 2 ounces heavier but rated down to 20℉).

When choosing from the best ultralight sleeping bags, you know that sacrifices are going to have to be made. As is typical to this class of bag, the Spark is constructed with a 10D nylon shell and a 7D taffeta liner, so pay attention to any sharp or pointy objects when you’re setting up camp. 

The other area where corners are cut in the name of weight savings, is literally where the corners of the cloth have been cut. The Spark is the trimmest model on our list with shoulder/hip/feet dimensions of 59”/51”/35” — if you hate being restricted in your bag or are a larger backpacker then the Magma and the Tanager offer more room for only a couple of extra ounces in weight.

If you’re on the market for a synthetic bag and your budget is limited then the Marmot Trestles line of bags may be just the ticket. We tested the 20-degree version which has a great temperature rating and an amazing price.

The Trestles comes in multiple temperature-rated (0℉, 20℉ & 30℉) bags, all of which use HL-ElixR Eco Micro recycled synthetic fibers for insulation. The 20℉ rated bag packs 1 lb 9 oz of insulation that should comfortably see you down to the low 30s without the chill beginning to bite.

The biggest downside to the Marmot Trestles Elite Eco is its packed size and weight. The 20℉ version of the bag weighs 2 lbs 13.5 oz. This doesn’t sound terrible when compared to the budget down pick (the Kelty Cosmic Down 20) which has a similar temperature rating and is only 3 ounces lighter. However, the comparison between the two diverges when you compare the packed volume with the Trestles Elite Eco requiring 24L of backpack space (over double the Cosmic Down’s 10.7L).

Personally, we’d choose the Kelty Cosmic Down over the Trestles 9 times out of 10, but if you know you’re going to be fighting the weather and worry about your outdoor gear getting wet then Marmot Trestles Elite Eco is the best budget synthetic bag to opt for.

Specs

• 21.6℉ Lower Limit (32.2℉ Comfort Limit) temperature ratings
• HL-ElixR ECO” Recycled Fibers
• 60” / 56” shoulder/waist measurements
• 2 lb 13.5 oz / 24 liter packed
• 40d 100% Nylon Ripstop

The North Face Eco Trail is a durable and roomy synthetic sleeping bag that is one of the cheapest we reviewed. 

If you are looking for a car camping bag that can engage in the occasional short backpacking trip for a low price, then the North Face Eco Trail could fit the bill. It is filled with 100% recycled polyester insulation which is rated to 20℉ lower limit (29℉ comfort) which should keep you toasty even if the temperature drops below freezing.

The Eco Trail is a roomy 63”/59” across the shoulders and hips, meaning most side and active sleepers won’t get frustrated as they roll over during the night. These spacious dimensions are only beaten by our top pick for Side Sleepers, the Nemo Disco 15℉ (the down Disco comes with a heftier price tag).

Using 30/40 Denier fabrics, the Eco Trail is the most hardwearing and durable of all the bags we tested. Great if you need something that can take a more punishment when your out in the wild.

The downsides to TNF Eco Trail are its weight and packed size. At a whopping 3 lbs 14 ounces it’s a heavy option that will be a burden on longer backpacking trips. As with all synthetic materials, the compression just can’t match that of down and the Eco Trail has a large pack volume of 19L making it about 25% smaller than our other synthetic pick the Marmot Trestle but double the volume (or more) of most down bags.

Unless you really want a synthetic bag or want a more durable bag for a mix of short backpacking trips and car camping then we’d pick the Cosmic Down over the TNF Eco Trail. That said, the Eco Trail is a solid bag at a very cheap price if you don’t mind too much about its weight and packed size.

Specs

• 20℉ Lower Limit (29℉ Comfort Limit)
• 100% Recycled Polyester
• 63” / 58” shoulder/waist measurements
• 3 lbs / 19 liter pack weight
• 50D 100% Recycled Polyester Ripstop