The 7 Biggest Winter Sleeping Baggage (2025)

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For people who’ve actually not tried it, we’re correct proper right here to inform you that sleeping exterior contained in the winter is manner additional gratifying than it sounds. That’s as a consequence of very big developments in tech and design that make immediately’s winter baggage further like transportable sleep spas than down survival sacks. We examined 17 utterly utterly totally different cold-weather cacoons to hunt out the warmest, most breathable, cozy, and packable choices throughout the market. These seven baggage put our testers into deep hibernation, even when temps dropped beneath zero. The problem was waking up the subsequent morning to face the chilly.

At a Look

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Finest for Excessive Chilly

Marmot CWM -40

$929 at Backcountry $949 at Marmot

Weight: 5 lbs (Frequent)
Sizes: Frequent, Extended

Execs and Cons
⊕ Heat correct proper right down to -40
⊕ Extremely efficient exterior supplies
⊕ Facet zippers for arms
⊗ Overkill for the Decrease 48
⊗ Heavy

“There’s fairly a bit to like about this -40-degree bag, one being that it could defend you heat in -40,” says Alaskan canine musher, information, and snowboarder Jody June Potts. Which suggests one issue coming from Potts, who’s indigenous to Alaska’s Elevated Yukon River nation and has appeared contained in the Nationwide Geographic tv sequence “Life Beneath Zero: First Alaskans.” She spends a great deal of her winter exterior in sub-zero temperatures that may shortly kill her if she is solely not ready with the suitable gear.

To check the 800-fill-power goose down bag, Potts took it on a dogsledding in a single day alongside the Yukon River all by way of crystal clear, -30-degree native climate. As a substitute of sleeping in a tent, Potts bedded down in her sled. The CWM is suitable for open-air tenting on account of a tough exterior 30-denier nylon supplies (the highest-denier of all the baggage we examined) with a windproof, waterproof, breathable Pertex membrane. Potts reported the down was well-distributed all by the vertically-baffled bag, with no scorching or chilly spots. For additional heat contained in the ft, the mother has a multi-baffled wraparound foot topic, and to maintain up the best cozy, it’s outfitted with a secondary inside hood and draft collar which can be cinched tight to stop warmth loss. Snuggled in, Potts was cozy even in dangerously chilly circumstances.

Whereas most appreciative of the truth that the bag saved her alive, Potts was furthermore duly impressed with the “quite a lot of considerate selections that make life easier when tenting in excessive winter circumstances.” Primarily primarily essentially the most salient is a center-zip that ends right beneath the waist with twin aspect zippers for the arms that allowed her to sit down up and carry out duties with out leaving the CWM whereas furthermore offering further venting in hotter native climate. The zipper operated merely with out snagging on supplies and the zipper pull was big ample in order that she might use it even whereas carrying heavy mitts—vital at these temps when each second factors.

One inside zip and two inside mesh pockets saved Potts’ emergency gadgets, telephone, and batteries heat. Whereas the bag weighs no less than a half-pound increased than comparable -40 baggage, it’s worth its weight in gold on the subject of heat. It furthermore comes with a useful compression sack that squeezes the bag correct proper right down to the dimensions of a small grocery tote.

Says Potts: “This bag is fairly dang fantastic. It’s a mummy I can rely upon to remain heat if I uncover myself in a nasty scenario in a single day contained in the wilderness.”

Finest Worth

Cumulus Teneqa 1000 (-2 F)

$555 at Cumulus

Weight: 3 lbs, 5 oz
Sizes: Frequent (customizable with an accurate or left zipper)

Execs and Cons
⊕ Pretty priced
⊕ Roomy match
⊕ Fast-drying
⊗ Sticky zipper
⊗ Fussy hood cinch

Veteran gear tester Dorn Van Dommelen ranks the Teneqa 1000 contained in the extreme three zero-degree baggage he’s ever slept in. All by way of a March three-night journey to Alaska’s Chugach State Park, he camped in deep snow with sturdy alpine winds and temps inside the children, and located the 850-fill-power goose down bag from Polish producer Cumulus to be quick-lofting and comfortable. It’s simple to pack, too compressing correct proper right down to the dimensions of a small watermelon.
Full-length vertical baffles maximized heat on each aspect, smaller horizontal chambers on the back and front minimized chilly spots, and two down tubes protected drafts alongside the zipper. Anatomical selections like a barely wider match contained in the chest and a “shark fin” footbox that flares on the extreme in order that the toes don’t put rigidity on the material made the bag truly actually really feel roomy.
Van Dommelen reported that the water repellent Pertex Quantum 15-denier ripstop shell supplies was so breathable that it dried out over the course of the day, irrespective of damp circumstances and in a single day condensation.
Most significantly, it’s $150 cheaper than comparable zero-degree baggage. Irrespective of disappointment with the fussiness of the hood cinch and some sticky zippers, “it is a good all-around bag,” Van Dommelen reported. “It saved me completely heat each night time.”

Finest Heat-to-Weight Ratio

Sea to Summit Spark (0F)

$487 at REI (Frequent) $649 at Sea to Summit (Frequent)

Weight: 2 lbs, 7 oz
Sizes: Frequent, Extended

Execs and Cons
⊕ Packable
⊕ Light-weight
⊕ Sheds moisture
⊗ Skinny insulation in footbed
⊗ Tight for some builds

“Easy and easy” is how tester Hansi Johnson’s summed up the Spark 0, an ultralight 850-fill-power goose down mummy that packs correct proper right down to the dimensions of a puffy jacket.

Irrespective of a 10-degree low, raging wind, and drifting snow whereas pitched on a frozen lake in Minnesota’s Superior Nationwide Forest, Johnson stayed absolutely cozy by means of the night time. The plump vertical down baffles all by the torso and horizontal baffles alongside the legs saved him heat and dry, on account of a water repellent down remedy.“The baffles had been in all the suitable areas and I felt virtually no drafts or gaps.”

For added safety from soggy sleeping, the down is sandwiched beneath a 10-denier nylon shell handled with a sturdy water-repellent end. “The bag merely shed the spin drift and was not in throughout the least moist or damp irrespective of having snow on it contained in the morning,” reported Johnson.
At 6’1,” Johnson maxed out the realm his Frequent bag, however it actually nonetheless felt roomy, considerably contained in the shoulders, which have a barely bigger 61-inch circumference than many regular-sized baggage: “I needed to squeeze in, nonetheless as shortly as I used to be inside, actually not felt restrained.”

Lightest

Therm-a-Relaxation Parsec 0F

$620 at REI (Extended, 2024 model) $570 at Therm-a-Relaxation (in the marketplace January 2025)

Weight: 2 lbs, 6 oz
Sizes: Small, Frequent, Extended

Execs and Cons
⊕ Very light-weight
⊕ Packs down small
⊕ Sheds water
⊕ Very breathable
⊕ Comfy for aspect sleepers
⊗ Catchy zipper

The 800-fill-power Parsec 0F was the lightest in check, and compressed correct proper right down to the dimensions of a large paper towel roll. It was a no brainer for northern Minnesota bike proprietor Patrick Greehan to cope with seven variable-length bikepacking adventures in February, when nighttime temps ranged from six to 30 ranges.

One concern Greehan had ahead of sleeping contained in the bag was that the roomy hood regarded too drafty, nonetheless the cinchable collar and draft tubes saved his head heat ample whereas the additional area made the mother considerably cozy for aspect sleepers.

On account of a 20-denier, DWR-treated lining and hydrophobic-treated down, Greehan was stoked on how heat and dry the light-weight bag saved him even on an evening with excessive humidity, heat temps, and snow, a combo that launched each frost and condensation. “I had fairly a number of each,” reported Greehan, “nonetheless the shell and hydrophobic down delivered as promised.” He added that the additional baffled pocket of down insulation contained in the footbed to maintain up his ft heat all night time.

The Parsec’s detachable, light-weight pad straps saved the mother protected on Greehan’s pad and one exterior zip pocket on the chest secured his telephone. “A zero diploma bag’s remaining job is to offer cozy sleep in single digit temps, and this delivered,” concluded Greehan.

Finest Expedition Workhorse

Therm-a-Relaxation Polar Ranger -20F

$665 at Amazon (2024 model) $790 at Therm-a-Relaxation (in the marketplace January 2025)

Weight: 3 lb, 4 oz. (Frequent)
Sizes: Frequent, Extended

Execs and Cons
⊕ Facet zips for venting
⊕ Dries shortly
⊕ Holds loft correctly
⊗ Exhausting to shortly exit
⊗ Exhausting-to-find inside pocket

The Polar Ranger was more than likely one of the best expedition baggage throughout the market when it obtained proper right here out in 2018 on account of polar explorer Eric Larson, who helped design the mother for the specialised ambiance. The consequence was a pioneering three-quarter measurement zipper straight up the center to chop weight and enhance heat. Zippered aspect vents made it doable not solely to dump warmth, nevertheless in addition to sit up, shoot your arms out, and do one factor from write in a journal to fiddle with a sat telephone. “In an expedition scenario, each ounce of power saved is vital,” Larson outlined over e mail. “After spending years of my life in a sleeping bag, I discovered full measurement zippers pointless in most conditions.”

However the Polar Ranger wasn’t with out its imperfections. The latest iteration comes with a slew of upgrades that make the bag far more livable. A latest, 100-percent recycled DWR-coated nylon ripstop shell and a buttery-smooth 100-percent recycled nylon liner are silky to the contact. The newer model might be barely bigger in each measurement and girth after options from the sector that the bag was too tight with heavy winter layers on. A redesigned snorkel hood is stiffer and shorter, too, which suggests improved respiration and air circulation, with a magnetic closure that makes it simple to interrupt free in case of a claustrophobia emergency. Small nonetheless vital particulars? An added inside drawcord contained in the draft collar for cinching the bag all through the neck and shoulders, and an inside pocket for preserving small electronics heat.

Our testers discovered the 800-fill-power hydrophobic down bag as loads as a result of the duty of preserving them heat on -10 diploma overnights with fairly a number of wind in Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Space Wilderness. “I used the arm holes manner over I assumed I’d,” reported Minnesota-based tester Hansi Johnson who, as a aspect sleeper, was furthermore impressed with the roominess of the bag and the best way during which it maintained its loft on all sides together with on the as soon as extra. The snorkel hood, alternatively, took barely getting used to. “It felt claustrophobic at first, however it actually saved moisture off my face. I used to be so heat I tossed my Buff.”

Finest for Variable Temps

Nemo Sonic 0F Down

$600 at Backcountry $600 at Amazon

Weight: 3 lb, 4 oz (Frequent)
Sizes: Transient, Frequent, Extended

Execs and Cons
⊕ Good temperature regulation
⊕ Comparatively sustainable
⊗ Small extreme vent zipper pulls
⊗ Tiny exterior pocket

NEMO gave the Sonic a large improve in 2023, bettering its potential to handle to quite a few temperatures, giving it bigger heat retention, and making it further sustainable. And we’re cozy to report that it’s nonetheless more than likely one of the best baggage throughout the market. Over three campouts, nestled in a bivvy sack atop quite a lot of ft of packed snow in northern Minnesota, with temperatures that ranged from three to twenty ranges Fahrenheit, tester Pat Greehan slept like a toddler.

Primarily primarily essentially the most notable improve for Greehan was the bag’s redesigned “Thermo Gills,” the 2 vents on extreme of the bag which can be opened or closed to deal with physique temperature. The improved gills, which run vertically down the perfect half of the bag, now have inside and exterior zippers that work independently of one another to further finely tune air circulation and splendid. On the 20-degree nights when he utterly unzipped, Greehan was in a position to forestall himself from overheating. On the three-degree nights, he remained in that very same consolation zone by zipping them as soon as extra up.

To spice up heat retention, NEMO redesigned the draft tube alongside the aspect zipper and added a velcro tab to the draft collar to maintain up chilly air from sneaking in. New, chevron-shaped baffles protect the 800-fill energy hydrophobic down in place and supply further uniform lofting. As a as soon as extra and aspect sleeper, Greehan was in a position to snooze in each positions with no chilly spots. A layer of artificial insulation contained in the toebox protected the down from wetting out, a daily incidence on the underside of a bag.

To finish the overhaul, NEMO up to date the shell and liner provides, utilizing plush, 100-percent recycled, bluesign-approved nylon for the shell and a silky, 100-percent recycled polyester for the liner.

Completely totally different distinctive selections? The roominess of the hood—which Greeham might cinch tightly if wished—the bag’s very good packability (it scrunches correct proper right down to an XXL roll of paper towels irrespective of an solely widespread weight) and a strong zipper that actually not acquired caught up on the liner.

Finest Winter Mountaineering Bag

Feathered Buddies Widgeon ES (-10)

$889 at Feathered Buddies

Weight: 3 lb, 5 oz (Frequent)
Sizes: Frequent, Extended

Execs and Cons
⊕ Terribly heat and cozy
⊕ Packable for temp ranking
⊗ Slim footbox
⊗ Pertex layer is loud

The Widgeon cocooned our testers in fairly a bit heat and silky consolation that they might have fortuitously hibernated all day. Already a frigid-weather favourite, the handmade-in-Seattle bag—initially designed for a K2 expedition as soon as extra contained in the ’80s—obtained a giant facelift in newest events. Feathered Buddies added three further ounces of responsibly-sourced 900-fill energy goose-down. That down is sandwiched between a gossamer 20-denier nylon Pertex taffeta lining comprised of PFC-free recycled yarns and a water-proof, breathable Pertex nylon shell with a DWR coating. The collar and hood defend your face cosy, heat, and guarded (nonetheless not claustrophobic) on account of a steadily contoured lower. It might be cinched nearly all the best way during which throughout which closed utilizing a nylon twine that runs all through the perimeter of the perfect of the bag.

With all that plush consolation, one would possibly suppose the bag would sleep too scorching. However even when tenting in late March, I actually not overheated whereas cowboy tenting in northern Minnesota in temps that ranged from 15 to twenty-eight ranges—balmy in contrast with its unfavourable ten diploma ranking. The rationale? An additional Pertex nylon panel excessive of the bag vastly improves its breathability and venting. That Pertex layer blocks moisture, too: Irrespective of waking as loads as a thick layer of hoar frost, I stayed dry in my bag.

Extra small-but-mighty upgrades embrace a second sidewall to make sure even insulation all by way of the circumference of the bag; further streamlined inside development that cuts weight no matter the additional down, and a beneficiant draft tube to cease chilly air from seeping by means of the zipper. Which can sound like splitting hairs, nonetheless each warmth-preserving measure factors if you happen to occur to’re winter tenting—considerably on the flanks of K2. And, for a bag so lofty, it packs down impressively to the dimensions of a 64-ounce beer growler.

The right methodology to Select a Winter Sleeping Bag

As a normal rule, males are inclined to run hotter and ladies are inclined to run colder—though, as with one factor, there’s a spectrum. Throw in quite a few sleeping positions, physique shapes, and sizes, and it’s shortly evident that whereas some baggage present superior gives and design, there’s not one magic winter bag that works for all. To hunt out the one that may work finest for you, listed beneath are 4 factors to ponder that defend you from investing a large chunk of change contained in the mistaken bag.

Supposed Use

Are you purpose-buying the bag for a selected mission like Eric Larson’s 14-day Svalbard Expedition or to climb Denali? If that’s the case, you’ll want one with a superb warmth-to-weight ratio that can probably be comparatively simple to haul, nevertheless defend you heat ample in doubtlessly life-threatening conditions. Or do you propose to make use of it to shorter missions like weekend ice-fishing jaunts into Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Space Wilderness? In that case, you’ll seemingly be hauling a sled and can have fewer measurement and weight restraints. Or perhaps you want an ultralight bag for a winter bikepacking journey which you can strap to your handlebars and solely use in case of an emergency. Regardless of the motive for getting the bag, suppose by means of the logistics of the journey and the best way during which that may affect the dimensions, weight, and heat of the bag you wish to purchase.

Insulation

Down baggage are normally hotter for his or her weight and additional compressible than baggage with artificial insulation. Nonetheless when down baggage get moist, they lose insulating performance and take longer to dry out than artificial baggage. Many producers use down processed with a hydrophobic chemical that stops it from absorbing as fairly a bit water. Others defend the insulation dry with a water-repellant end or supplies. Take note of fill energy rankings, which fluctuate from about 600 to 900. All through the check lab, that resolve refers once more to the variety of cubic inches one ounce of down consumes in a beaker. In apply, it signifies that in contrast with sleeping baggage rated to the an similar temperature, yours will weigh loads a lot much less and pack down smaller than baggage with a decrease fill energy. Artificial baggage are further pretty priced, and on account of this actuality a superb selection for mannequin spanking new campers who’re not sure how usually they wish to sleep exterior, or backpackers who’re headed to moist environments.

Kind

Most winter baggage are mummy baggage or modified mummy baggage. Typical mummies have a hood that calmly tapers into the bag, is big on the shoulders and narrows all the best way during which throughout which to the footbox. Mummies are good for winter on account of they cut back lifeless area contained throughout the bag and assist defend you hotter by giving air loads a lot much less area to circulation into. Some individuals uncover them cozy and cocoon-like, others uncover them claustrophobic.

For claustrophobes, a modified mummy is useful. Whereas it’s normally tapered like a mummy, it’s lower further loosely in optimistic areas. Some present barely flared footboxes to supply your toes further room, whereas others are wider contained in the physique to accommodate aspect sleeping. Some have hoods that calmly taper into the bag, others have elimination hoods.

Temperature Score

All baggage throughout the market have EN (European Norm) or ISO (Worldwide Requirements Group) rankings, which might be standardized, unbiased checks all by way of producers. Primarily primarily essentially the most normally used since 2017 is the ISO ranking. Keep in mind: ISO stops ranking at -20C/-4 F, which suggests your -20 diploma bag might require a check run ahead of you head into truly frigid circumstances.

With these requirements, most sleeping bag producers use a sliding fluctuate of temperatures for which a bag shall be utilized. The “Consolation Differ” is roughly the temperature fluctuate at which the widespread feminine will maintain heat. The “Decrease Prohibit” is the temperature fluctuate at which the widespread male can maintain cozy. This Decrease Prohibit quantity is the temperature ranking of the bag. That being talked about, your temperature tolerance will rely upon fairly higher than your gender, so it’s regularly finest to err on the conservative aspect. Some baggage present a “Hazard” fluctuate, which signifies the underside temperature whereby the bag ought to be used. At this temperature, the bag won’t forestall hypothermia, nonetheless it could forestall demise. It’s regularly finest to purchase a bag rated ten ranges colder than the widespread temperatures you propose to put it to use in. As an illustration, if you happen to occur to happen to plan to camp in circumstances no colder than 10 ranges, you’ll need a 0-degree bag.

How We Try

• Variety of Testers: 9
• Variety of Nights Slept Exterior: 52
• Coldest Evening: -40F in Alaska alongside the Yukon River
• Warmest Evening: Elevated 30s in an unheated cabin in northern Minnesota
• Highest Altitude: 10,000 ft at Grand Mesa Nationwide Forest, Colorado
• Highest Latitude: 64°47′10″N in Eagle, Alaska

To make certain that baggage had been examined in acceptable temperatures and altitudes, we distributed all of them by way of the nation to frigid states together with Alaska, Colorado, and Minnesota. We furthermore cultivated numerous athletes, together with canine mushers, backcountry skiers, bike packers, ice fishermen, and first-time winter campers.

We examined 20 baggage over the course of 4 months, beginning in mid-January and ending in mid-April. All by way of that 120-day interval, testers skilled a wild array of native climate, from deep snow in Alaska’s Chugach State Park to freakishly low snow cowl and delicate temperatures in northern Minnesota. Testers used their baggage whereas dog-mushing alongside the Yukon River, sleeping out on their decks whereas stargazing in sub-zero nights in Duluth, and tenting out all by way of winter bikepacking journeys.

To assemble options and rank her favorites, Class Supervisor Stephanie Pearson and her group of testers rated every bag on pretty only a few unbiased qualities, together with heat, compressibility, loft, consolation, sturdiness, water resistance, and extra selections. The very best consequence? Terribly well-tested baggage that saved Backpacker‘s crew of testers alive and comfortable.

Meet Our Testers

Sam Armacost is a Minnesota-based canoe information and long-distance paddler, with over a decade of expertise guiding journeys into the Canadian wilderness and the Boundary Waters Canoe Space Wilderness. Her multi-month expeditions have taken her to the Arctic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.

Patrick Greehan is a coach for the Duluth Devo Mountain Bike Program. He presently races gravel, mountain, and fats bikes with a give consideration to extended distance and really occasions. He’s an avid bikepacker who takes journeys year-round in Northern Minnesota.

Jody June Potts is indigenous to the Elevated Yukon River nation at Eagle, Alaska. She’s a canine musher, information, snowboarder, and lover of all factors winter.

Stephanie Pearson is the Nordic Snowboarding, Sleeping Bag, and Sleeping Pad Class Supervisor for Exterior and Backpacker and relies upon in northern Minnesota. Her most uncomfortable winter night time was in a moist snow collapse freakishly heat 30+ ranges whereas dogsledding alongside Lake Superior’s Apostle Islands Nationwide Lakeshore.