Here’s why you need the best sleeping bag for cold weather if you plan on doing some winter camping: No matter how good your tent is and how well you’re dressed for the occasion, nothing protects you as well as a solid sleeping bag.
The insulation protects you from the elements like nothing else. And the various designs and cuts can accommodate a lot of people – whether you’re a restless sleeper, someone with bad circulation, or someone averse to sleeping alone.
Sleeping bags are versatile and essential camping accessories for any conditions, and more so when it’s cold out. Check out five of the best sleeping bags for cold weather and see for yourself the difference in comfort, style, and protection that they have to offer.
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Best Sleeping Bag for Cold Weather - Comparison Table
Best Sleeping Bag for Cold Weather - Reviews
This mummy-style sleeping bag is one of the most recognizable Coleman products. Years of experience in manufacturing outdoor and camping experience helped to create a tight and comfortable sleeping bag with superior insulation, perfect for using in 0o weather.
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The sleeping bag can fit anyone up to 6’2” tall comfortably. It features a semi-sculpted hood which tightens with a drawstring. Not only does this ensure a snug fit but it also helps seal in the heat. At the shoulders, the sleeping bag is 32” wide. This should be enough to accommodate bigger individuals.
The Coleman North Rim sleeping bag is designed for use in very low temperatures. It’s rated comfortable down to 0°F. Multiple construction features help to achieve this. The footbox is insulated to ensure proper temperature control at the bottom.
The hood has enough room to fit a pillow before adjusting the drawstring. The Coleman Thermolock draft tube also helps with heat retention. The ZipPlow system is something Coleman often uses. It helps maintain warmth on the inside and improves the overall durability. Furthermore, it can prevent the fabric from snagging during zipping.
You can carry the sleeping bag in its stuff bag. It’s not the most compact carry bag for a 5-lb. sleeping bag but it’s fairly rugged and easy to use.
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Whether used as a sleeping bag or a queen-sized blanket, this Norsens 3-season flannel sleeping bag is all about comfort. It has user-friendly features, good temperature range rating, and a classic yet proven S-shape quilted design that improves heat retention and prevents the filling from moving around.
Review
Norsens rates this sleeping bag down to 0°C or 32°F. It’s a spacious rectangular sleeping that’s capable of fitting a sleeper up to 6’5” tall. Due to the design, you get the same 32.6” width from head to toe. Restless sleepers and those with mild claustrophobic issues should appreciate the extra room.
The sleeping bag comes in a compression sack. You can reduce its measurements to 9.8” x 9.4”. It’s not exactly lightweight or very small but that’s not what you look for in sleeping bags for cold weather.
The Norsens is very comfortable against the skin. The flannel liner is soft. The filling of hollow cotton fiber has good ventilation to prevent overheating. Like most regular sleeping bags, you can unzip this one and turn it into a quilt for two.
The rated temperature is the extreme temperature. For maximum comfort, it’s recommended that you use this 3-season sleeping bag in temperatures of between 50 and 59 degrees. That’s where you can get maximum heat retention without overheating.
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There’s a lot to like about the Sleepingo XL Double sleeping bag. It can fit two adults, a number of kids, or somewhere in between. This alone makes it an ideal family camping accessory. And the durability of the outer shell is most impressive at this price range.
Review
This double sleeping bag features a semi-rectangular design. It has S-shaped quilting and a length of 7.25 feet. It’s one of the most spacious cold weather sleeping bags of its kind for its 59” width.
It can fit two adults comfortably and you can even squeeze in a kid, making it ideal for a family weekend outdoors getaway. The sleeping bag is advertised as a 3-season model with the lowest extreme temperature of 32°F.
What’s also great is that it comes with two traveling pillows. They’re not the most comfortable but they’re light and fit in the sleeping bag perfectly.
The fabric is rated at 210 thread count. Yet it’s rugged and can handle extended use in harsh conditions. It also has good waterproofing properties which always comes in handy. Last but not least, you can unzip the sleeping bag and turn it into a massive blanket without worrying about the filing moving and clumping or losing insulation.
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If you’re looking for something that can handle extreme weather well, Hyke & Byke might have just the thing for you. The Snowmass sleeping bag is designed for low temperatures and stuffed for maximum heat retention without being too bulky.
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The sleeping bag is available in three sizes: long, medium, and short. This may save you the hassle of shopping at different stores to accommodate the entire family. Regardless of size, all sleeping bags maintain a temperature comfort range of 10°F to 40°F.
If you really have to, you can use this sleeping bag in 0°F weather. Just make sure to wear a proper outfit in it. The exterior shell is made of water-resistant ripstop polyester fabric. Needless to say, you’re not supposed to sleep in the rain, but it can handle moisture and condensation inside a tent.
The design of the sleeping bag is mummy-style. It’s slightly more rectangular than your average mummy-style sleeping bags but the overall fit is snug. Heat retention is done by closing both the hood and shoulder drawstrings.
All three sizes have the same amount of filling on a per square inch basis. When compressed, the sleeping bags are all reduced to roughly 12” long and 8” width regardless of the size. It’s also worth noting that the sleeping bags can’t be zipped together to create a double sleeping bag.
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This 4-season bag may cost a bit extra but you might agree that the insulation and craftsmanship are worth every penny. If you’re into extreme weather camping, this Paria sleeping bag can be the difference maker between comfort and restlessness.
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You can get this sleeping bag in three sizes: short, regular, and long. The long model is 7.2’ long which should be more than enough to fit anyone. Even with the mummy-style design, the sleeping bag is spacious as it offers up to 33” at the shoulders and 14” at the base.
The interior lining is made of 320T polyester pongee. It’s fairly soft even though it’s known for its insulation properties rather than high-end comfort. The hood comes with a cinch system. The lack of drawstrings may seem odd but the draft collar works even better for heat retention.
A wide zipper guard prevents snagging and also helps to minimize heat loss. Paria rates this sleeping bag for temperatures as low as 0°F. The 3 2oz. of 700-fill power down insulation is more than enough to keep the cold at bay.
However, the sleeping bag may not perform well when it’s hot out. Although it is advertised as a 4-season sleeping bag, it’s best suited for use in cold winter weather.
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Best Sleeping Bag for Cold Weather - Buyers Guide
FINAL VERDICT
Have you already picked out your best sleeping bag for cold weather? If not, you should probably take another look at the Coleman North Rim. This sleeping bag checks all the important features off the list such as great insulation, heat retention, extra filling, and a good degree of adjustability.
Mummy-style sleeping bags are the most common cold weather camping sleeping bags on the market. While they do provide a snug fit, you might not want to dismiss a rectangular or semi-rectangular sleeping bag either. These models can often be zipped together to turn two singles into a double sleeping bag, which is always nice when camping with the family.
In any event, we are confident that these five picks are among the most reliable sleeping bags on the market. Whether you’re interested in cold weather camping in the north or the south, there’s something on this list for everyone.