Sleeping Bag Weight Comparison Chart

It’s amazing to think that a sleeping bag can weigh just a pound and keep you warm through the night. To pull this off, manufacturers utilize light and lofty down insulation, thin shell and lining fabrics, and a streamlined shape to minimize heat loss. There's an extensive array of backpacking sleeping bags available, and we've organized a huge list of current offerings by weight in the charts below: unisex mummy bags, women's-specific designs, and hoodless sleeping bags and quilts for the ultralight crowd. To keep each list a manageable length, we omitted a handful of redundant or obscure bags and set the following parameters: 2.5-pound maximum weight and 35-degree max temperature rating. For a look at our top picks, see our articles on the best backpacking sleeping bags and best ultralight sleeping bags and quilts.

Editor’s note: We updated this article on August 8, 2024, to ensure our lists of sleeping bags and quilts were up-to-date. We also expanded the background information below the comparison tables, including adding a list of our top sleeping bag and quilt picks. 
 

Table of Contents

• Unisex Mummy Sleeping Bags
• Women's Mummy Sleeping Bags
• Hoodless Sleeping Bags and Quilts
• Temperature Ratings
• Down vs. Synthetic Insulation
• Sleeping Bag Shape
• Stuffed Size
• Hood vs. Hoodless
• Sleeping Quilts
• Fabric Thickness and Durability (Denier)
• Our Top Sleeping Bag and Quilt Picks
• Weighing the Rest of Your Gear

Unisex Mummy Sleeping Bags

Women's Mummy Sleeping Bags

Hoodless Sleeping Bags and Quilts

Temperature Ratings

As sleeping bag weight goes down, temperature rating goes up. It’s a simple formula: Warmer bags have more down fill and require more shell fabric to contain it. For the purposes of this list, we stuck to a 35-degree Fahrenheit temperature rating at the high end. Anything above that is questionable for backcountry use and strictly reserved for hot weather.

That said, don’t expect the warmth of your bag to perfectly match the listed rating. Many gear manufacturers now follow the European Norm (EN) or newer ISO system, which are so similar that we can talk about them as one and the same. These standards provide two numbers: Comfort (comfort rating for women) and Lower Limit (comfort rating for men), the latter of which is what we listed for the unisex bags above. But not all manufacturers use the same standards for testing temperature ratings, and some smaller companies don’t EN/ISO-rate their bags at all. This doesn’t mean you should discount non-EN/ISO numbers—high-end bags from Western Mountaineering and Feathered Friends are often warmer than a comparable bag’s EN or ISO rating.

All in all, we never suggest stretching the limits just to save a few ounces. We all sleep differently—some run warm and others cold—so we build in a buffer of about 10 degrees for the temperature rating of our bags. Overnight lows can dip unexpectedly, and you don’t want to end up cold. You can add a few degrees with a sleeping bag liner or by wearing a jacket, but opting for a warmer sleeping bag is the route we recommend. For more information on the topic, check out our article on Sleeping Bag Temperature Ratings Explained.
 

Down vs. Synthetic Insulation

The down-versus-synthetic debate is a popular one and something we cover extensively in our insulated jacket and sleeping bag reviews. For backpacking sleeping bags, it’s clear-cut: Down insulation is the lightest insulator, which is why all of the lower-weight bags on the lists above are down-filled. Down bags are also more expensive, so if you don’t mind an extra pound or so of weight and a larger stuffed size (synthetics don’t pack down as small), a synthetic bag is a viable option. Synthetics do insulate better when wet—even more so than modern down bags that feature hydrophobic treatments. But when it comes to cutting weight, you want down fill. For a deeper dive into the differences, see our breakdown on down vs. synthetic insulation.

In terms of down fill power, the tables above spell it out pretty clearly: The bags at the top of the lists feature premium down (800-fill and up) because it insulates better at a given weight. Custom sleeping bags like the Enlightened Equipment Convert show the impacts in upgrading: You can choose the Convert 30F with either 850- or 950-fill down, and total weight drops from 1 pound 6.8 ounces to 1 pound 5.2 ounces in the regular size (for a significant price increase).

Making your way down the lists, there are number of mid-range options with 600- to 700-fill down and even a couple synthetic bags mixed in. Weight does go up, but price also drops substantially. There are a growing number of synthetics—including the 1-pound-9-ounce Rab Solar Eco 1—that do an admirable job of keeping weight down at competitive temperature ratings and reduced costs. But when the question is all about weight, premium down still is best.
 

Sleeping Bag Shape

The shape of a sleeping bag matters, and a key way that manufacturers cut weight is by tapering the bag in (cutting corners, so to speak). Some sleeping bags are designed for people who want extra room or sleep on their sides, while others fit tightly and don’t allow for nearly as much movement. Ultralight bags in particular are known for having the most heavily tapered designs, although you often have choices in the cut.

There are real sacrifices in terms of comfort, so it’s important to think through your backpacking style and sleeping preferences. Are you a casual weekender or fastpacking minimalist who saws off the end of your toothbrush? Are you a back sleeper or a side sleeper? You can start by eyeing the shape of a bag, then check the shoulder and hip girth (listed in our tables above when available). But in general, mummy bags are some of the least spacious designs, tapering pretty heavily from the shoulders to footbox, which helps keep weight to a minimum. For a step up in roominess, rectangular bags are the way to go but will add a considerable amount of heft—there's a reason they're more popular for car camping than backpacking.
 

Stuffed Size

A sleeping bag takes up a significant amount of space in your pack—along with your sleeping pad and backpacking tent, it’s among your largest pieces of gear. As you might expect, premium down offers the best compressibility, and warmer bags with more down generally have larger stuffed sizes. A big downside of synthetic insulation is that it doesn’t compress nearly as well as down, meaning you'll need to allocate extra real estate in order to accommodate a comparably warm synthetic bag.

Listed stuffed size for bags can be a little confusing, but it refers to the dimensions of the included stuff sack. As a result, a smaller stuff sack does not necessarily mean one bag is more compressible than one with larger measurements. We provide these numbers on our lists as an indication of how much space the bag will take in your pack, but you can always buy a separate compression sack (like this one from REI) to reduce its volume.

Compressed volume will crop up as well in your search—REI is particularly keen to list this spec on their product pages. What the compressed volume indicates is the number of liters a sleeping bag fills under a standardized amount of force. The more compressible the insulation and fabric, the lower the volume. Not every bag includes this spec, but it can be a helpful point of comparison when available.
 

Hood vs. Hoodless

Just about every mainstream sleeping bag is a complete mummy, which means the insulation covers the top and back of the head when cinched up. But there are some niche and cottage-industry designs that go without a hood to cut weight. The appeal is typically limited to ultralight backpackers or those who don’t like the feeling of a mummy bag. The hoodless designs require less fabric and fill, which helps keep weight to a minimum (the 20-degree, 1-lb.-2.8-oz. Zpacks Classic Sleeping Bag is a great example).

That said, lopping the top off a bag does not mean the aforementioned Zpacks bag will keep you warm at 20 degrees without some help. If your head is cold, you’ll be cold, no matter how much insulation is around your legs and chest. A jacket with a hood or a beanie works as a replacement (Zpacks also makes a Goose Down Hood that essentially makes the bag into a true mummy). Regardless of how you choose to keep your head warm, you should consider the added weight and cost. 
 

Sleeping Quilts

There’s no lighter way to stay warm in the backcountry than with a down quilt. Trimming away the bottom material and insulation delivers 30-degree ratings for well under 1 pound. Fit and comfort are also strong suits because the open design emulates your blanket at home and is less constricting than a comparable mummy bag. The open sides can result in some heat loss if you’re not familiar with the system (and sometimes even if you are), so quilts remain a relatively small percentage of the market. But for ultralight backpackers, hammock sleepers, or those wanting more wiggle room, a quilt is undeniably the lightest option. For a good look at the market, we list some of our favorite designs in our article on the best ultralight sleeping bags and quilts.
 

Fabric Thickness and Durability (Denier)

With ultralight tents, manufacturers cut weight by using thin fabrics that weigh less but that are also considerably less durable. You’ll see some of the same with sleeping bags, but because your bag is used inside your tent or a bivy sack, thin materials (with a lower denier) are less of a liability. Even the see-through 10-denier shell on the Sea to Summit Spark isn’t cause for too much concern as long as you keep it in a stuff sack when stored in your pack and don’t sleep directly on the ground (it’s also a good idea to exercise added caution when camping with a dog). The biggest threat to a sleeping bag, in our experience, is snagging the shell fabric on a zipper, but taking some extra care should allow just about any bag to have a long life.
 

Our Top Sleeping Bag and Quilt Picks

If you’d still like a little help narrowing down your selection, below are our team’s current favorite sleeping bags and quilts broken down by category, from budget-friendly options for those just getting started to more specialized, streamlined designs for ounce-counting minimalists. For a wider look at the market and detailed buying advice to help you choose the best option for your adventures, check our articles on the best backpacking sleeping bags and best ultralight sleeping bags and quilts.

Backpacking Sleeping Bags

Best Overall: Feathered Friends Swallow UL 20
Best Budget Down Bag: Kelty Cosmic Down 20
Most Comfortable and Feature-rich: Nemo Disco 15
Best Ultralight Bag for Warm Weather: Sea to Summit Spark 45
Best Winter/High-altitude Bag: Mountain Hardwear Phantom 0F

Ultralight Sleeping Bags

Best Overall: Feathered Friends Hummingbird
Best Budget: REI Co-op Magma 30
Best Hoodless: Feathered Friends Tanager 20
Best for Warm Weather: Sea to Summit Spark 45

Ultralight Quilts 

Best Overall: Enlightened Equipment Enigma
Best Budget: Hammock Gear Burrow 30
Best Hybrid Sleeping Bag/Quilt: Feathered Friends Flicker UL
Best for Warm Weather: Western Mountaineering NanoLite
 

Weighing the Rest of Your Gear

Your sleeping bag is just one part of the larger weight equation, and there are several other ways to trim valuable ounces from your pack. One of the biggest opportunities to shave weight is by going with a lightweight backpacking tent or streamlined ultralight tent. To help with research, and because looking at the various designs is just plain fun, we’ve put together comprehensive charts comparing backpacking tent weights and one-person tent and shelter weights. As with sleeping bags, opting for a lighter tent often involves paying more and losing out on some durability, but those trade-offs are worth the effort saved for many.
Back to Unisex Mummy Sleeping Bags  Back to Hoodless Sleeping Bags and Quilts