The best sleeping bags
For festivals, sleepovers, school camps and summer nights under canvas: sleeping bags compared on the temperature they're comfortable at, their size and their weight.
The figure to look for is the comfort temperature: the coldest night the maker says you'll sleep comfortably in it. Choose a bag rated a few degrees below the coldest night you expect, and treat an 'extreme' figure as a survival limit for a few hours, not a temperature to sleep at.
Shape is the other big choice. Rectangular bags give you room to turn over, and some unzip flat into a quilt; a mummy bag tapers towards the feet, so there's less air to warm. If you're tall, check the length: MalloMe, Sportneer and REDCAMP all say theirs fit a six-foot adult. The first sleeping bag sold commercially is thought to be the Euklisia Rug, patented in 1876 by Pryce Pryce-Jones of Newtown in Wales.
What matters
- Comfort temperature: the coldest night it's comfortable for.
- Shape: rectangular for room, mummy for warmth.
- Length: check it fits the tallest camper.
- Weight: 1.3–1.8kg here; the lighter, the easier to carry.
#1 of 5
Best overall
MalloMe 3-Season Sleeping Bag
£10–£20 Price range
A roomy rectangular bag, comfortable from 10°C to 25°C and long enough for a six-foot adult. MalloMe sells it as a spring-to-autumn bag, and it doubles as a sleepover bag the rest of the year.
What owners say: Owners find it comfortable, warm and great value, and handy for sleepovers as well as camping trips.
A closer look: Pull the hood's drawstrings in on chilly nights, and fasten the strap over the zip so it doesn't creep open. Wipe the shell with a damp cloth after a muddy weekend; for a proper clean it can go in the washing machine.
- Comfortable from 10°C to 25°C
- Fits a six-foot adult
- Snag-free two-way zips
- Drawstring hood and zip strap
- Compression sack, machine washable
Best for: Spring-to-autumn camping
- Shape
- Rectangular
- Comfort temperature
- 10–25°C
- Size
- 220 × 75cm
- Weight
- 1.3kg
#2 of 5
Best for sleepovers
Sportneer Sleeping Bag (220 × 80cm)
£20–£30 Price range
At 220 × 80cm it's roomy for tall campers, it has a drawstring hood, and it unzips flat into a 220 × 160cm quilt for sleepovers. Comfortable from 10°C to 26°C, it's a warm-weather bag for festivals, school camps and summer holidays.
What owners say: Owners say it keeps them warm, feels soft inside and out, is long enough for a tall adult and is light to carry.
A closer look: Open the zip at the foot to let your feet out on a warm night, and pull the hood's drawstring snug when it turns chilly. It packs into a compression sack with a carry handle.
- Comfortable from 10°C to 26°C
- 220 × 80cm, fits up to six foot
- Unzips into a 220 × 160cm quilt
- Hood with drawstring
- Zip at the foot
Best for: Sleepovers and tall campers
- Shape
- Semi-rectangular, hooded
- Comfort temperature
- 10–26°C
- Size
- 220 × 80cm
- Weight
- 1.5kg
#3 of 5
Best for car camping
REDCAMP Cotton Flannel Sleeping Bag (2lb fill)
£30–£50 Price range
The cotton-flannel lining feels more like getting into bed than into a sleeping bag, and at 84cm wide there's room to turn over: a treat for car camping, where weight doesn't matter.
What owners say: Owners find it warm and comfortable, with a lovely cotton lining and plenty of room inside.
Heads up: Pick the fill for the season: this 2lb version is comfortable at 15°C, while REDCAMP rates its 3lb and 4lb versions comfortable at 10°C and 5°C.
A closer look: It's heavier and bulkier than the others here, at 1.8kg and 45 × 20 × 20cm packed, so it's one to take from the car rather than carry. REDCAMP makes it with left- and right-hand zips, so a pair zips together into a double, and it makes a comfy spare bed for guests.
- Cotton flannel lining
- Comfortable at 15°C (2lb fill)
- Roomy 190 × 84cm envelope
- Zips to a second bag
- Compression sack
Best for: Car camping and guests
- Shape
- Rectangular envelope
- Comfort temperature
- 15°C (range 10–25°C)
- Size
- 190 × 84cm
- Weight
- 1.8kg
#4 of 5
SWTMERRY 3-Season Sleeping Bag
£20–£30 Price range
Light and easy to pack, comfortable from 10°C to 20°C, with a zip across the foot that opens on its own, so you can cool your feet on a warm night without unzipping the side. It comes in lots of colours, handy when the whole family's bags are in one tent.
What owners say: Owners find it comfortable and warm without getting too hot, well made, easy to pack away and good value.
A closer look: The compression sack with straps squeezes it small for a rucksack or a festival bag. Being machine washable makes it a sensible choice for children's sleepovers and school trips.
- Comfortable from 10°C to 20°C
- Rated 5–25°C
- Separate zip at the foot
- Compression sack with straps
- Machine washable
Best for: First camping trips
- Shape
- Semi-rectangular
- Comfort temperature
- 10–20°C (rated 5–25°C)
- Size
- 220 × 75cm
- Weight
- 1.36kg
#5 of 5
Best for cooler nights
azark Premium Mummy Sleeping Bag (350gsm)
£20–£30 Price range
A tapered mummy bag with the lowest comfort rating here, 7°C, and −4°C given as the extreme. At 1.29kg it's light to carry, too, so it suits walkers and anyone camping into the autumn.
What owners say: Owners find it warm on cold nights without being bulky, light and easy to store, and good value.
Heads up: Plan around the 7°C comfort figure rather than the −4°C extreme one, and add a fleece or a liner on frosty nights.
A closer look: The mummy shape narrows towards the feet, so there's less air inside to warm up. It packs into a waterproof carry bag and can go in the washing machine when you're home.
- Comfortable from 7°C to 20°C
- Mummy shape
- 350gsm filling
- 1.29kg
- Waterproof carry bag, machine washable
Best for: Cooler nights
- Shape
- Mummy
- Comfort temperature
- 7–20°C (extreme −4°C)
- Size
- 210 × 80cm
- Weight
- 1.29kg
How they compare
| Feature | #1MalloMe | #2Sportneer | #3REDCAMP flannel | #4SWTMERRY | #5azark mummy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best for sleepovers | Best for car camping | Best for cooler nights | ||
| Picked Rating | 8.9 | 8.8 | 8.7 | 8.6 | 8.5 |
| Price | £10–£20 Price range | £20–£30 Price range | £30–£50 Price range | £20–£30 Price range | £20–£30 Price range |
| Shape | Rectangular | Semi-rectangular, hooded | Rectangular envelope | Semi-rectangular | Mummy |
| Comfort temperature | 10–25°C | 10–26°C | 15°C (range 10–25°C) | 10–20°C (rated 5–25°C) | 7–20°C (extreme −4°C) |
| Size | 220 × 75cm | 220 × 80cm | 190 × 84cm | 220 × 75cm | 210 × 80cm |
| Weight | 1.3kg | 1.5kg | 1.8kg | 1.36kg | 1.29kg |
| Best for | Spring-to-autumn camping | Sleepovers and tall campers | Car camping and guests | First camping trips | Cooler nights |
| Check price | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon |
Swipe sideways to see all 5.
Photos are illustrative. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. How we pick · How this works.
