If you've ever shopped around for a sleeping bag, you know how expensive they can be. Fortunately, there are some affordable options out there — you just need to know what to look for so you don't sacrifice quality. When searching for the best budget sleeping bags, there are several things to consider:
Shape: Rectangular sleeping bags are both roomier and bulkier, making them perfect for car camping and sleepovers. Mummy-style bags are a bit more constricting, but they're also lighter and easier to pack. This makes them better for backpacking or camping trips that involve a lot of hiking. Semi-rectangular bags have a tapered end, making them a little dless bulky than rectangular styles and a little more spacious than mummy styles.
Temperature rating: Most sleeping bags will have a “comfort rating” that indicates the temperature at which you'll stay warm wearing only a base layer. You'll sometimes see an additional “extreme" or “survival" rating — a metric that indicates the temperature at which you'll make it through the night but be chilly. Temperature needs can vary from person to person, so these ratings are only meant to be used as a guideline.
Goose down versus synthetics: Goose down tends to be lighter and more compact yet not as water-resistant. Synthetic fills are heavier and bulkier, but they perform well in wet climates. While the latter styles are cheaper and easier to clean, goose down is typically more durable in the long-run.
With all of this in mind, I compiled a list of the best budget sleeping bags to help you find the one that's perfect for your needs.
1. The Best Sleeping Bag For Camping
Shape: Rectangular
Temperature Rating: 40 to 60 degrees (comfort)
Material: Polyester
Constructed with a warm, polyester fill, this rectangular sleeping bag is a great choice for car camping. With over 3,800 Amazon reviews, the popular camping bag boasts a soft, brushed-polyester cover and a smooth liner that feels silky against your skin. It has a ZipPlow closure system that pushes the extra fabric away to prevent it from snagging while you zip. You can also zip two of these sleeping bags together to make it a double. Rather than a stuff sack, the Coleman sleeping bag relies on a convenient roll-up system with elastic loops to hold it in place. Even better: it's machine-washable and available in three different temperature ratings.
The Best Sleeping Bag For Backpacking
Shape: Mummy
Temperature Rating: 35 to 40 degrees (comfort); 20 degrees (extreme)
Material: Polyester
If you're planning a backpacking trip but you don't have hundreds of dollars to spend on a lightweight sleeping bag, this mummy-style bag is an excellent budget option. The tapered shape helps shave off bulk, leaving it lighter and more compact than some of the other options (it weighs in at just 2.8 pounds). It's made with soft, 350T polyester and a water-resistant coating to prevent it from getting damp and soggy. Inside, the bag has non-allergenic, 200G hollow fiber fill with a comfort rating of 35 to 40 degrees. It comes with a stuff sack as well as a compression sack, allowing you to pack it down into a small, 9.8-by-8.5-inch space. The bag has an easy, no-snag zipper and is 100 percent machine washable.
The Best Budget Goose Down Sleeping Bag
Shape: Semi-rectangular
Temperature Rating: 52 degrees (comfort); 15 degrees (extreme)
Material: Nylon shell with goose down fill
With 800 fill power, this fantastically lightweight goose down sleeping bag is a remarkably high-quality option for the price. It weighs only 0.89 pound yet provides exceptional warmth with a comfort temperature rating of 52 degrees. Although that's a relatively high temperature rating, all things considered, it comes at an excellent price. Super compact, it packs down into an 8.2-by-4.7-inch space (which makes this one a great backpacking option, too). It has a warm, water-resistant 20D nylon shell and sewn-through baffles that prevent the goose down from bunching up. The sleeping bag also comes in a slightly larger version that still only weighs 1.19 pounds. The one downside with this sleeping bag is that it's fairly difficult to clean. You'll need to hand-wash it in cold water with neutral soaps and let it air dry.
The Best Cold Weather Sleeping Bag
Shape: Semi-rectangular
Temperature Rating: 15 degrees (comfort); -15 degrees (extreme)
Material: Polyester shell with hydrophobic silicone air core fill
If you live in a colder climate or do any sort of winter camping, this 15-degree sleeping bag is a wonderful cold weather option. With triple-layer construction, it features an advanced thermal barrier of rip-stop polyester on the outside, a full-length insulated draft tube in the middle, and a drawstring chest baffle on the innermost layer. It's filled with synthetic down that's super compressible. A two-way zipper with anti-snag properties runs the full length of the sleeping bag. At 5.5 pounds, it's slightly heavier than some of the other options, but that's typical of most colder weather bags, especially at this budget price.
The Best Double Sleeping Bag
Shape: Rectangular
Temperature Rating: 32 degrees and higher (comfort)
Material: Polyester, tetron, and cotton
For folks who like to go camping with a friend or partner, this cozy double sleeping bag from Sleepingo is an awesome choice. At seven feet long and nearly five feet wide, it's spacious enough to comfortably fit two people, and the extra body heat will keep you even warmer. On top of that, it has 210-thread-count polyester with a rugged, water-resistant outer-shell. The liner is constructed with a tetron-cotton blend that's soft, silky, and warm. Highly versatile, this queen-size sleeping bag can be separated into two individual sleeping bags as needed. It has a comfort rating of 32 degrees and comes with two travel pillows. On top of all that, it has more than 2,700 reviews on Amazon. "I honestly cannot say enough good things about this bag!" wrote one reviewer. "The material is soft and warm, the size is plenty long for taller people and it's a nice amount of room for two people to cuddle at night."
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