For example, if you’re camping somewhere where temperatures regularly drop into the 20s at night, you should choose a 20-degree sleeping bag or warmer. Throughout our review and testing tent side, we didn’t give these camping sleeping bags any leeway. Regardless of price or prestige, we held all to high standards and the same test methods. We researched and tested for what we would want to know if we were buying these bags for ourselves. In the end, we hope our efforts benefit you in your decision-making and camping gear kit. Traditional camping sleeping bags are known to be a little big-boned, so packed size was not a complete deal-breaker for us.
These sleeping bags also come with a convenient interior tuck pocket that lets you securely store small essentials, so you don’t have to sleep with them in your pockets. Browse through a wide collection of sleeping bags and find the perfect pick. Mummy bags are popular for both camping and backpacking, but rectangular bags are coleman sleeping bags roomier and can offer an even better sleeping experience. Our top pick in this category is REI Co-op’s Siesta Hooded 20, which replaces the Siesta 25 for 2023. For a reasonable $139, you get a high-quality bag with a useful 20-degree temperature rating, which is great for three-season car camping in a variety of conditions.
To be sure, most of these additions won’t be deal-breakers for many, but they can be helpful in deciding between similar models (and we’ve called them out in the write-ups above whenever possible). Not only is it easy to create a large and comfortable space for two if you zip it to another bag, but unzipping the bag on its own opens it up for use as a blanket. And if the bag has a tough exterior shell, you can use it as an outdoor picnic blanket in a pinch. I didn’t test the big and tall version, but the hood design, insulation, draft tube, neck collar and zipper are all the same. You want to choose a sleeping bag with a temperature rating that correlates with the anticipated nighttime temperature of where you are camping.
When it’s time to head home, packing is easy with fasteners that lock in place as you roll and an included stuff sack. With thousands of positive customer reviews and an affordable price point, the Brazos camping sleeping bag is an excellent choice for most cold weather adventures. The compromises in choosing the cheaper fill type are relatively minimal for camping.
If you want to try backpacking, you can get away with hauling the Big Bay for an overnight hiking trip, but you wouldn’t want to take it too far. It’s much smaller than a traditional rectangular bag—especially one that’s fleece-lined—so it stows better in a trunk, and you don’t lose out on comfort. I tested the Coleman Big Bay 20° against 12 other sleeping bags for an in-depth sleeping bag roundup and awarded it the best value sleeping bag at $120. This mummy-style bag will keep you toasty warm without feeling restrictive, like some sleeping bags that taper in drastically at the feet.
Added up, the Frostbreak is an excellent value for casual winter adventurers. A backpacking sleeping bag is typically in the 2- to 3-pound range. For those looking to travel fast and far, or for those traveling into alpine terrain, a lighter-weight bag makes that possible. A bag in the 3- to 4-pound range can be used for backpacking, and these models are often more comfortable to sleep in, but they also take up more space and add weight to an already heavy pack.
You can toss in some tennis balls to help fluff it back up, but make sure your bag is completely dry before storing it away. The Big Bay is best suited for car camping, road tripping, backyard sleepovers and other adventures where you don’t need to carry it that far. At less than 5 pounds, it’s not overly heavy, and it packs down to a decent size using the compression sack, but the size and weight will take their toll if you’re hiking into camp.
OutdoorGearLab Review Editor Jason Wanlass lives in a camping paradise. If not already in the outdoors, he’s certainly busy planning his next adventure. He avidly coleman sleeping bags gets after it at every opportunity, whether hiking, backpacking, or canyoneering. He also enjoys the open road and takes car-camping road trips whenever possible.
Individual, built-in blankets allow sleepers the ability to customize personal warmth preferences. A U-shaped, top-side zipper bypasses the foot box, allowing toes to stay warmer, while a massive hood keeps pillows in place and helps trap heat escaping from the top of the head. These features and other add-ons create one of the best systems we have seen to allow two sleepers independent customization of personal temperature.