For those who plan to get out a lot, opting for an upgraded design may be worth it. I tested the Coleman Big Bay 20° against 12 other sleeping bags for an in-depth sleeping bag roundup and awarded it the best value sleeping bag at $120. This coleman sleeping bag mummy-style bag will keep you toasty warm without feeling restrictive, like some sleeping bags that taper in drastically at the feet. It’s also got a handful of features like a no-snag zipper and plush draft collar that add to its appeal.
If you want to try backpacking, you can get away with hauling the Big Bay for an overnight hiking trip, but you wouldn’t want to take it too far. It’s much smaller than a traditional rectangular bag—especially one that’s fleece-lined—so it stows better in a trunk, and you don’t lose out on comfort. For my 6 foot 4 inches husband, I found a big and tall sleeping bag. These are the best Coleman sleeping bags for comfort camping.
A bag in the 3- to 4-pound range can be used for backpacking, and these models are often more comfortable to sleep in, but they also take up more space and add weight to an already heavy pack. Anything above 4 pounds is generally best for car camping and recreational use. If you’ve ever had a pad deflate or slept directly on the ground in cold weather, you know firsthand the importance of an insulated pad beneath you. Further, when you lay on a sleeping bag, you compress the insulation, which impacts its ability to warm you (this is particularly true for down fill, but does impact synthetic as well). As a result, it’s important to choose a sleeping mattress or pad that will protect you from the ground if you’ll be camping in cooler temperatures (typically under degrees). The interior of a sleeping bag varies quite a bit between designs, but one general rule of thumb is that comfort correlates closely with price.
Mummy bags typically have a ¾-length side zip that requires some wriggling to get in and out of and can’t be opened up completely should you want to zip the sleeping bag together with another compatible bag. Not only is it easy to create a large and comfortable space for two if you zip it to another bag, but unzipping the bag on its own opens it up for use as a blanket. And if the bag has a tough exterior shell, you can use it as an outdoor picnic blanket in a pinch. This sleeping bag has a quick cord for convenient one-person packing. It has a roll control tab, which keeps the sleeping bag straight while packing it up.
During summer months or warm nights, you can use the basic synthetic-insulated bag with its 40-degree limit. Then, as the temperature drops, zip on the 800-fill goose down midlayer (to 20°F) or add the third section on top for winter camping (5°F rating). At less than 4 pounds with all layers connected, the One Bag is streamlined, lightweight, and reasonably packable. The rest of the design is equally premium, including a water-resistant YKK main zipper, roomier-than-average hood, and fleece-lined compression sack that can pull double duty as a pillow. Turn your next adventure into a luxury trip with the Coleman® Silverton™ 25 Sleeping Bag, a mummy-style bag that can help keep you warm in temperatures as low as 25°F.
In choosing the proper approximate rating, try to get an idea of the very coldest temperature you’ll be experiencing overnight. Once you have that number, it’s a good idea to build in a little buffer (we like an extra degrees) to avoid getting cold. And keep in mind the temperature rating is closer to a survivability rating rather than being comfortable and warm. Other factors to consider are your age—people typically don’t sleep as warm the older they get—and whether you are a cold or warm sleeper. Most campers stick to the warmer months for their outdoor adventuring, and as a result, most of the sleeping bags on this list are rated in the degree range.