Best sleeping bags for your next camping adventure

Whether you’re a camping enthusiast hitting the road this summer, or the parent of a child going to sleepaway camp for the first time, the right sleeping bag is essential. Today’s sleeping bags offer comfort features like down alternatives, accessory pockets and sleeping bag hoods that maximize warmth. Designed to keep you warm (but not too warm) and well-rested, the right sleeping bag can seriously upgrade your on-the-road sleep. 

Keep reading for our picks for the best sleeping bags for camping in 2024.

Best sleeping bags in 2024

Here are our top picks for the best sleeping bags in 2024.

Most comfortable camping sleeping bag: The North Face Homestead bed sleeping bag

Say goodbye to uncomfortable nights spent tossing and turning to find a comfortable sleeping spot. The North Face’s Homestead bed bag is a semi-rectangular bag with a roomy hood up top that can accommodate a pillow. The zippers on both sides offer ventilation and the brushed inner materials deliver a cozy, soft sleeping experience. The sleeping bag’s shell has a durable, water-repellant finish and is filled with synthetic insulation.

Best suited for spring and summer, this bag can be bulky compared to others. While this is not your backpacking, backroad sleeping bag, it’s a terrific choice for camping trips where you’ll be staying in one place and need a good night’s sleep.

This REI bestseller is $199.

Details:

• Best suited for camping.
• Temperature rating: 30° F
• Pack weight: 4 lbs. 14.4 oz.

Most comfortable interior: Teton Sports Celsius zero-degree sleeping bag

This roomy sleeping bag by Teton Sports is a great choice for camping, base camp experiences, rafting trips and more. Featuring a soft flannel lining, Teton Sports’ sleeping bag promises a comfortable night’s sleep, its dual-layer construction creating maximum insulation designed to keep you warm and comfortable while you sleep. 

Choose left or right-sided zippers, or get one of each to double up for a sleeping bag for two. Measuring 90 x 39 inches, this is a roomy sleeping bag that will elevate your camping experience.

The bag comes with a compression sack that allows you to bid a fond farewell to wrestling or rolling your sleeping bag back into its sack. 

This sleeping bag is available at REI for $199.

Details:

• Temperature rating: 0° F
• Pack weight: 7 pounds
• The cinchable mummy hood keeps your head warm and off the ground.
• It features an interior pocket for phone or glasses storage.

Best mummy sleeping bag: Sierra Designs Shut Eye 20-degree long sleeping bag

Designed to be durable, soft, comfortable and warm, Sierra Designs’ mummy sleeping bag features a cinchable hood for extra warmth and protection, and an anti-snag zipper that is easy to use and makes in and outs easy. It features a durable exterior and buttery-soft interior, making this mummy bag both comfortable and built to last.

This sleeping bag is available at Target for $120.

Details:

• Temperature rating: 20°F
• This bag comes with an easy-to-use stuff sack.
• Pack weight: 2.67 pounds

Best base camp sleeping bag: Sea to Summit Basecamp 15 down sleeping bag

Both versatile and spacious, Sea to Summit’s down sleeping bag is designed to be versatile, offering multiple configurations, while featuring a unique ventilation system that allows your feet to get some air — or the bag to be open on the side while you sleep. There are two size offerings, the longer of which accommodates taller campers looking for a good night’s sleep in cooler temperatures.

Unlike the options above which are filled with synthetic insulation, this sleeping bag is filled with 650+ fill-power duck down that’s treated to stay drier in damp conditions.

The oversized hood has space for a pillow and a stuff sack is included.

This sleeping bag is available at REI starting at $399.

Details:

Best sleeping bag for side sleepers: Big Agnes Sidewinder camp sleeping bag

Designed specifically for side sleepers, Big Agnes’ Sidewinder sleeping bag features an integrated hood and an anti-snag locking zipper (with a no-draft zipper garage) placed in front of you rather than under you so it’s out of the way when you’re sleeping on your side. You’ll also like the sleeping bag’s hand pouches designed to keep you warm as temperatures dip during the night.

This sleeping bag has a list price on Amazon of $170, but is currently priced at $119.

Details:

• Temperature: 20°F and 30°F options available
• Weight: 2 lbs. 10 oz.

Best camping sleeping bag for kids: REI Co-op Kindercone 25 sleeping bag

A terrific first camping sleeping bag, REI’s Kindercore 25 sleeping bag is soft, cozy and built to withstand the test of time. The shell is water and abrasion-resistant and has a durable water-repellant finish designed to make water bead up on the surface, rather than sink in. The hood up top has a loose fit, which can accommodate a pillow, or can be cinched tighter for a kid-friendly fit on colder nights.

This bag features a 2-way no-snag zipper and colorful graphics on the inside. Parents will delight in the permanently attached stuff sack.  This bag is available at REI for $70 and is best suited for car camping, rather than backpacking trips.

Details:

• Temperature rating: 25°F
• Weight: 3 pounds, 3 ounces
• Fits campers up to 5 feet tall

How to choose a sleeping bag

When purchasing a sleeping bag, consider the following

Use: Sleeping bags are designed for specific uses, including a backpacking trip, a camping trip, a sleepaway camp or a child’s sleepover.  

• A sleeping bag for a backpacking trip will be lightweight, designed to keep you warm but pack small. A sleeping bag for a camping trip will have more room for you to move around. If you’re going to be using a sleeping bag for a backpacking trip and camping, choose a backpacking sleeping bag over a wider bag designed for camping. 
• Sleeping bags for sleepaway camps are generally wider, giving more room to move around and keep campers warm without overheating. Look for a mid-temperature sleeping bag that is thicker and softer than a lightweight backpacking sleeping bag.
• Kids sleeping bags for sleepovers are generally wide, offer more cushion and often feature clever motifs and patterns. Some will have a built-in pillow for comfort.

Temperature: Sleeping bags are generally categorized by temperature, which means the lowest temperature outside at which the sleeping bag will still keep you warm. 

• +30°F: Good for the summer season or indoor sleepovers
• +15° to 30°F: Good for three-season use
• +15°F and lower: Use for winter camping and backpacking trips

Features: The best sleeping bags in 2024 offer a variety of features, including:

• Two zippers, which can help with ventilation and temperature control.
• Sleeping bag hood, which can help with warmth and will be found on some lower temperature-rated sleeping bags.
• Pockets, helpful for stowing AirPods, glasses or other accessories you’ll need right before hitting the hay.

Shape: Generally, you’ll be looking at sleeping bags in four different shapes designed for different uses and comfort. The narrower the bag, the warmer it’s going to be. (Smaller kids sleeping bags can also be purchased). 

• Rectangular: the most common sleeping bag shape because it offers the most room to move, while also offering the option to use completely unzipped as a comforter.
• Semi-rectangular: Often referred to as barrel-shaped or a modified mummy sleeping bag, a semi-rectangular bag offers a compromise between roominess and warmth.
• Mummy: A streamlined bag that will offer the most warmth, you won’t be able to roll over in the bag — rather the bag will roll with you. Mummy bags are generally more lightweight than other sleeping bag shapes.
• Double bag: For the couple who wants to slumber together a double bag is good for camping trips, but will likely be too bulky for backpacking and hiking trips.

Insulation: Sleeping bags are filled with synthetic insulation or down. Synthetic bags are less expensive than down offerings and a good choice for users with down allergies. Down bags pack smaller, are durable and are often finished with a water-resistant treatment.