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Every year, more and more hikers embrace an ultralight kit in order to cover more ground, travel more efficiently, and give their shoulders and hips a break during long days on the trail. When it comes to lightening the load, big-ticket items like sleeping bags are among the most important to upgrade. Thanks to ever-higher fill powers and ever-lighter nylon shells, today’s ultralight bags and quilts can keep you warm in freezing temperatures while weighing well under two pounds. After a year of testing, from desert thru-hikes to rainy overnighters, these are category leaders.
At a Glance
- Best Ultralight Bag: Sea to Summit Spark Pro Down ($549)
- Best Ultralight Quilt: Katabatic Flex 22 ($454)
- Comfiest Ultralight Bag: Big Agnes Fly Creek UL ($500)
- Best Budget Quilt: Cumulus Quilt 250 ($249)
- Best Superlight Quilt: Zpacks Summer Quilt ($359)
- Best Warmth-to-Weight: NEMO Pulse Quilt ($550)
- Best Synthetic Quilt: Enlightened Equipment Revelation Apex 30 ($230)
- Honorable Mentions
- How to Choose an Ultralight Sleeping Bag or Quilt
- How We Test
- Meet Our Testers
Best Ultralight Bag
Sea to Summit Spark Pro Down 30
$549 at REI $549 at Backcountry
Size: Regular, Long
Weight: 21.8 oz (regular)
Pros and Cons
⊕ Lightweight
⊕ Ultra-compact
⊕ Ample ventilation options
⊗ Expensive
Sea to Summit’s top-of-the-line bag, a whopping 950-fill power goose down mummy, comes with a price tag that’ll make your eyes water. But for backpackers looking for a unicorn—a roomy, feature-rich mummy bag that can still get lost in your pack—it’s worth it. Longtime tester and former sleeping bag category manager Stephanie Pearson was especially enthralled by the Spark Down Pro’s packed size and weight: roughly the dimensions of a cantaloupe and a bit over a pound—impressive for a bag with a multitude of zippers, a thick draft tube, and deep hood pocket.
Three zippers of varying lengths down the sides and at the foot of the bag allow finicky hikers to throw out a leg or switch positions. During an uncharacteristically hot, dry, 60-degree night in Michigan’s Isle Royale National Park in August, Pearson was able to vent every zipper, but still bury her head in the extra-deep hood. One downside to the setup: With so many configurations, some testers found themselves fumbling for the right zipper pull for bathroom breaks. On chillier fall nights while cowboy camping in northern Minnesota, the Spark Pro kept one tester warm down to its 30-degree rating thanks to the high fill count and a clever baffling system: vertical baffling in the chest and horizontal on the lower half of the body and base of the bag help reduce down migration.
Testers appreciated the lightweight bag’s cut and materials: It has a roomy fit with 61 inches of shoulder space for restless sleepers and a silky-soft, breathable 10-denier interior nylon fabric. The 10-denier nylon shell is coated with water-resistant treatment at the hood and footbox, providing further protection for the hydrophobic down. Ellie Hoffman, who tested the bag in Minnesota’s Boundary Waters, found that the bag was breathable enough that she never became a hot, sweaty mess, even on unexpectedly warm nights.
Best Ultralight Quilt
Katabatic Flex 22
$454 at Katabatic $454 at Garage Grown Gear
Size: Small, Regular, Long, Small Wide, Regular Wide, Long Wide
Weight: 22.8 oz (regular)
Pros and Cons
⊕ Water-resistant
⊕ Compact
⊕ Feature-rich for a quilt
⊗ Expensive
Tester Pat Greehan used the Flex 22 for The Wolf, a two-night, 325-mile bikepacking race through northern Minnesota, during which he rode through a torrential thunderstorm that led to a very damp night. Even with all that moisture, Greehan was comfortable, thanks to the quilt’s water-resistant, quick-drying materials. The Flex 22’s 900-fill goose down is bonded with gold particles (really!) to aid in the evaporation of water molecules, and the quilt’s exterior is made from 10-denier Pertex DWR ripstop for added protection, while an interior 20-denier Pertex taffeta liner keeps the skin cool and wicks away sweat. The Flex 22 is also available with 850-fill duck down, which adds about an ounce compared to the goose down version we tested, but cuts the price down to $379.
Greehan was also impressed with the quilt’s simple versatility: The Flex 22 comes with two elastic straps with clips that wrap around sleeping pads of all sizes, preventing shifting while cinching the sides down for warmth. They can attach in two ways: One clip allows the straps to rotate, keeping the pad loosely attached to the pad, while the second locks the quilt in place on top of the pad, preventing drafts. A zipper in the center lower half opens to allow the quilt to function like a blanket. On cold nights, the quilt snugs up with a drawstring and simple snap-closure. In general, we like sewn footboxes for cold-weather quilts, but the Flex’s zippered lower end is an exception, with a lofty draft tube that seals out air. That’s not the only feature that makes this quilt punch above its weight in frigid temps. There’s also the differential cut (the interior fabric is cut narrower than the exterior, which helps prevent loss of loft when the interior fabric is stretched) and overstuffed baffles in the neck collar and footbox.
For such a warm, compact quilt (the Flex 22 packs down to the size of a Nerf football) it’s surprisingly feature-rich, with a down-filled draft collar and interior pocket that fits a phone. On Greehan’s final two-night bikepacking test in rainy late October, the temperature dipped into the mid-30s. Even in those hypothermic conditions, he was comfortable wearing just a long-sleeve wool top and bottom, and other testers have pushed the quilt into 25-degree temperatures with no issues. “I didn’t see a negative,” said Greehan. “I found this quilt to be versatile, breathable, and it compresses really well.”
The Comfiest Ultralight Bag
Big Agnes Fly Creek UL 25
$500 at REI $375 at Backcountry
Size: Regular and Long
Weight: 26 oz (regular)
Pros and Cons
⊕ Great warmth-to-weight ratio
⊕ Smooth inner fabric
⊗ Half-length zipper
Ultralight gear isn’t exactly known for being comfortable. Even fluffy ultralight sleeping bags can be guilty of this, especially when they’re made with hyper-thin nylon that winds up feeling sticky and clammy. The Big Agnes Fly Creek UL sets itself apart, first and foremost, in the comfort department. That’s thanks in part to its lining, made with a supersoft 10-denier ripstop nylon (recycled from fishing nets) that felt more like a heavier, softer polyester taffeta; it’s rare to find such a thin fabric with great feel.
Aside from the silky interior, the Fly Creek has a lot going for it. There’s 17 ounces of water-repellant Downtek down stuffed inside, which kept our testers warm down to about 30 degrees—right in between Big Agnes’ comfort rating of 35 and limit of 25. And the cut of the mummy design felt perfect. “There was enough room for me to switch from side to side without the bag twisting, or feeling like I was swimming in extra fabric,” one tester reported after a fall hunting trip in Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains. We also appreciated the diamond-shaped quilted design, which presented a good middle-ground between saving weight (because the design uses fewer seams) and allowing for loft, while also stopping down migration in the baffles. The cinchable hood fit snugly, with a puffy draft collar at the zipper that felt secure without being constricting. We did miss having an internal stash pocket, and came away uncertain of the half-length front zipper. While we liked the double tab that allowed easy access from inside the bag and the weight-savings of a shorter zipper, it made entry and exit a bit more complicated than a standard side zipper.
Best Budget Quilt
Cumulus Quilt 250
Size: XS–XL
Weight: 18.3 oz (regular)
Pros and Cons
⊕ Great price
⊕ High-quality fabrics
⊗ Down migration is a concern
High-quality ultralight and budget pricing rarely go hand-in-hand, especially when it comes to big ticket items like a sleeping bag. We’re happy to report that Cumulus is one brand bucking the trend, most notably with its budget-minded line of quilts. Usually budget bags and quilts are sewn and stuffed with subpar materials, but the Quilt 250 doesn’t skimp on that front, with a 15-denier Pertex Quantum ripstop shell and liner and 850-fill down (sourced in Poland, where Cumulus is located). While these materials might not be the absolute lightest available, they are time-tested and gossamer enough to give the quilt a weight of 18.3 ounces—light enough to hang with some of the best.
According to our testers, the Quilt 250 can handle temps of about 37 to 40 degrees, making this a solid option for late spring, summer, and early fall trips. In most mountain climates, it falls short of being a true three-season quilt. For colder temperatures, Cumulus has two loftier models, the Quilt 350 and 450, in their budget lineup.
As a summer quilt, it features a bevy of smart design choices. Most importantly, it has a lay-flat footbox that can be tightened up with a short YKK zipper and cinch cord. While we don’t love these for three-season quilts (they don’t always trap heat as well as a sewn footbox), in warm weather, the versatility is unmatched. “On a hot summer night, using the quilt like a blanket is so nice,” one tester scribbled in their notes. “I can stick out a leg, or just push the whole thing over to the side until temperatures drop later at night.”
In the field, testers also appreciated the not-quite-ultralight fabrics and appointments. The 15-denier nylon never ripped, even after many nights cowboy camping in the Cascades and a few nights in a tent with a canine that liked to toss and turn. The zipper and cinch cords—which are extra-tiny on some ultralight models to cut ounces—were also reassuringly burly. One ding: The continuous baffles, which help shave some weight, do allow some down migration that can create cold spots if you don’t shake the down back into place.
Best Superlight Quilt
Zpacks Summer Quilt
Weight: 9.7 oz (standard regular)
Widths: Slim, Standard, Broad
Lengths: Short, Medium, Long
Pros and Cons
⊕ Extremely lightweight
⊕ Can be used as a winter bag liner
⊗ Extremely fragile
Even in the world of ultralight quilts, this 900-fill power, 40-degree cocoon falls into the fairy dust weight class. Achieving a sub-10 ounce weight requires an extra-thin, DWR-treated, 7-denier ripstop nylon shell (most competitors use at least 10-denier), overstuffed water-repellent duck down, and stripped-down features.
Despite its ultralight specs, the quilt is built for maximum warmth. Its bottom 19 inches are horizontally baffled and sewn shut for warmth and weight-savings. The upper two-thirds are vertically baffled—designed to keep the down from migrating to the sides—with an open seam up the middle. The Summer Quilt encloses around the body with one simple snap in the middle and an elastic drawstring at the neck to eliminate drafts (size up if you like snuggling your face under). A pad attachment strap is sold separately for around $10. It also comes with a Dyneema dry bag and packs down to the size of a foot-long sub.
Our test quilt arrived mid-September, just in time for unseasonable humidity in northern Minnesota—ideal hypothermia conditions. Even with rumors of cougars in the area, our testers, in the spirit of minimalism, cowboy camped under cloudy skies using a pad with an R-value of 4 underneath. The upshot: One tester was plenty warm over two nights in humid temps that hovered in the low 50s. The other, though armed with warm baselayers and a beanie, was chilled, and told us she’d be hard pressed to use this near the claimed 40-degree limit. In the humidity, the quilt felt clammy, but didn’t lose its loft. The thin shell never ripped, but we would not trust it around anything sharp or prickly. When the sun broke out and we laid the bag’s black interior face-up, it dried in record time.
Best Warmth-to-Weight
NEMO Pulse Quilt
Size: Regular, Long
Weight: 18 oz (regular)
Pros and Cons
⊕ Great warmth-to-weight ratio
⊕ Innovative baffle system
⊗ Very expensive
⊗ Static attachment straps
Here’s one thing the NEMO Pulse is not: affordable. But for those willing to shell out for best-in-class gear, the Pulse is hard to beat. The stats alone are impressive: 1000-fill ExpeDRY down, a claimed temperature rating of 20 degrees, and a total weight that tips the scales at just 18 ounces.
That list is sure to raise eyebrows, and it’s also not entirely accurate according to our testing. As is the case with many quilt temperature ratings, we didn’t stay warm in the Pulse down to 20 degrees. But we did find it warm and comfy down to a few degrees below freezing, which is impressive for any quilt, let alone one that barely weighs more than a pound.
How does it achieve such a great warmth-to-weight ratio? The combination of a gossamer 10-denier polyester shell with 1000-fill down plays a part. So do the “Karo Step” baffles. Rather than using the sewn-through baffles often found on summer quilts or the box baffles found in many cold-weather bags, Karo Step is a square or diamond-shaped series of baffles that aren’t fully enclosed (each corner is open). This allowed for plenty of loft, kept down from migrating between baffles, and contributed to a lighter overall weight. The permanently sewn footbox, the simplest and warmest way to enclose the bottom of a quilt, helped keep things toasty, as did the thick, cinchable draft collar at the neck.
According to our testers, it’s a winning combo: It kept us warm down to the same temperatures as the similarly-rated Katabatic Flex 22 while being 5 ounces lighter. If you’re an ultralighter who prioritizes weight above all else, the Pulse is definitely worth a look.
Best Synthetic Quilt
Enlightened Equipment Revelation Apex 30
Size: Short, Regular, Regular Wide, Long Wide
Weight: 24.8 oz (regular)
Pros and Cons
⊕ Excellent in damp conditions
⊕ Affordable
⊕ No cold spots
⊗ Heavier than equivalent down quilts
For backpackers devoted to finding the best and lightest gear available, down is hard to beat. But experienced hikers also know there are exceptions to every rule. When conditions are damp, humid, or rainy, synthetic insulation easily bests down, thanks to its ability to retain warmth and loft while wet and dry out quickly once the sun is out. For trips in humid environs, a synthetic bag is a must, and our favorite ultralight model is the Enlightened Equipment Revelation Apex 30. That’s largely down to the Climashield Apex insulation found inside, which we’ve concluded is one of the most durable, warmest, and cost-effective synthetic insulators on the market. After testing numerous synthetic quilts and bags on trips as long as six-month thru-hikes, the Apex came out on top, especially when it came to retaining loft and warmth after long-term use. Compared to down, though, it’s no match: Packed down, it’s nearly twice the size of a comparable 30-degree down quilt and testers resorted to using a compression sack to get the Revelation Apex down to a manageable size.
The Revelation Apex shares a design with the down version of the Revelation quilt, a longtime Backpacker favorite, with a zippered footbox that allows the quilt to lay flat—a godsend on hot, muggy nights when you need all the airflow you can get. Add in the 10-denier nylon shell and liner fabrics, and this quilt hit our benchmarks for breathability. “My AT thru-hike totally changed when I swapped out a down bag for this quilt,” one tester said. “I was instantly so much more comfortable at night.” Other features include two sets of elastic pad straps with wafer clips, an adjustable collar with both a cinch cord and snap button (but no draft tube), and a complete absence of sewn-through seams, allowing the Apex insulation to loft to its full potential.
Honorable Mentions
- Feathered Friends Flicker ($469-549): This range of hoodless bags with full-length zippers is a versatile intermediate option between a quilt and a bag. They perform admirably, especially when temperatures are at or near the Flicker’s comfort rating, but our testers preferred the weight-savings of a true quilt on most trips.
- Enlightened Equipment Revelation 20 ($321): The 850-fill down companion to the Revelation Apex is a great bag in its own right. It compares favorably to the Katabatic Flex 22 on price, but doesn’t have quite as many cold-weather features to batten down the hatches.
- Hammock Gear Burrow ($290-390): A worthy competitor to the Cumulus Quilt 250, with more customization options but a slightly higher price tag.
How to Choose an Ultralight Sleeping Bag or Quilt
Choosing a high-quality bag or quilt is a tough decision. It has a big impact on both your wallet and baseweight, and there are more options to choose from than ever. Here are some questions to consider before pulling the trigger.
Should I Buy a Bag or Quilt?
For fans of ultralight gear, choosing between a bag or a quilt is no easy call. The main difference to note is that a quilt does not have a bottom. Instead, the sides tuck between you and your sleeping pad, usually with the help of straps. At the limits of a quilt’s temperature rating, this can lead to a draftier and colder night of sleeping than a comparable bag. That said, modern quilts have features like pad attachment straps, differential cuts, and draft collars that go a long way to boosting cold-weather performance. While everyone’s tolerance of cold weather is different, our testing team generally agrees that quilts perform well in conditions down to about 20 to 25 degrees before the lack of insulation under the body and occasional drafts leave us wishing for a traditional bag instead.
In warmer conditions, the opposite is generally true. Using a quilt makes it easier to vent heat and prevent a sweaty night’s sleep compared to a zippered bag. Our side-sleeping testers also appreciate quilts, which allow them to shift tangle-free, while a sleeping bag might twist as they move throughout the night. If you’re looking for a do-it-all quilt or bag, remember that bags can also be unzipped and used as a quilt. There’s a sizeable weight penalty for the zipper and hood, but it’s a perfectly valid option if you like the security of a bag when temperatures drop.
If you’re making the move to a quilt, it’s worth considering that quilts usually offer more customization options, and getting these right might make the difference between whether you become a full-time convert. Here are a few things to consider:
The bottom of the quilt, or the “footbox,” can be constructed in different ways to prioritize warmth or versatility. The simplest option is a sewn footbox. Quilts with a sewn footbox are sewn together at the bottom, usually with a circular or square panel on the end to give it a three-dimensional shape. Sewn footboxes are generally about two feet in length, and you’ll be fully enclosed to about your knees (depending on your height.) These are the lightest and warmest style of footbox. The next option is a zippered footbox, which can be unzipped to lie flat. Quilts with zippered footboxes also have a cinch cord at the bottom (the zip will connect the edges, while the cord will gather everything together). Some zippered footboxes also have a draft tube to fill in the empty space created by the cinch cord. In general, zippered footboxes are heavier, not as warm, but allow the quilt to be used as a flat blanket in warm conditions.
Then there are pad attachment systems. Most quilts use a system of clips and straps to keep the edges of the quilt secured to your pad. Finding an attachment system you like is especially important when you’re near the temperature rating of your quilt.
There are several different types of straps, but our favorites have some stretch. The most common are either flat elastic webbing and wafer clips, or elastic cord and toggles. Less commonly, some quilts use static cord and toggles, simple fabric ties, or forego straps entirely (this last option is usually only found on quilts designed for use in hammocks). For three- or four-season use, look for straps that loop around the entire pad (rather than only the bottom of the pad). We’ve found that this style of strap offers more security and does a better job of blocking drafts. Some cottage brands that offer custom quilts will offer a strap system as an add-on, so be sure to check if it’s included.
In What Season(s) Will I Use the Bag?
Bags and quilts generally fall into three temperature categories: Summer (rated 30 degrees F and warmer); three-season (rated between 15 and 30 degrees); and winter (rated 15 degrees and lower—some expedition bags are rated as low as -40 degrees). These temperature ratings are based on “average” sleepers and don’t consider external factors like the thickness and rating of your sleeping pad; climatic factors like wind or humidity; or how quickly your body regulates heat loss or gain. Unless you know that you consistently sleep hot, we recommend buying a bag that’s rated 10 degrees warmer than your expected low. You can always open zippers, but you can’t make extra insulation appear out of nowhere.
What Is Fill Power and Fill Weight?
In addition to sleeping bag temperature ratings, fill power and fill weight are two statistics that can help you determine how a sleeping bag might perform. Often, the two terms are used interchangeably. As a result, they are often misunderstood.
Fill power is a metric—mostly used in reference to down insulation—that measures how much space a certain amount of insulation will occupy. For example, 800 fill power means that one ounce of down will loft enough to “fill” 800 cubic inches of volume. It’s important to note that fill power is a measure of down quality, not warmth. Higher fill power means that a sleeping bag manufacturer can use less down to fill a sleeping bag, but it doesn’t mean that every 800-fill power bag is warmer than every 650-fill power bag.
Fill weight is more straightforward. It’s a simple measurement of how much down is used in a product by weight. By itself, this also can’t tell you how warm a bag or quilt is, because fill power plays a part, too. However, once you account for both metrics, they’ll start to provide some useful information. If two sleeping bags have the same fill weight, it’s generally safe to assume that the one that uses higher fill-power down will be warmer. Likewise, if two bags both use 850-fill power down, the one with a higher fill weight is likely to be the warmer of the two.
What Type of Insulation Is Best for Me?
Down bags and quilts are generally warmer for their weight and more compressible than bags with synthetic insulation. But down bags get wet, take longer to dry out than synthetic bags, and —most importantly—lose insulating capacity when they take on water. Many manufacturers use down processed with a hydrophobic chemical that prevents it from absorbing as much water, while others keep the insulation dry with a water-repellant finish or fabric. In our experience, these are not perfect, and synthetic bags outperform down in consistently humid conditions.
How Much Space Do I Need?
Bags and quilts come in many shapes and sizes, but for ultralight consideration, sleeping bags are generally mummy-shaped. Some brands will offer two different bags that are identical in every way except for width. Other brands simply have regular and wide sizes of the same bag. Quilts and some ultralight bags don’t include hoods. When choosing a quilt, it’s important to figure out the proper length you’ll need. If you use the bag alone, it should be able to cover your face for extra comfort in cold weather. If you plan to pair a hoodless bag with an insulated jacket or standalone hood, you might be able to save some extra weight with a bag that only reaches your neck.
When it comes to quilts, it’s tempting to save some weight by choosing a narrower model. Unless you’re absolutely sure of the width you prefer, this is a risky choice. Quilts first came to popularity among hammock users, who pair a top quilt with an underquilt, and therefore don’t need as wide of a quilt as ground sleepers. Many quilts, especially from cottage makers, still offer narrow sizes that aren’t appropriate to use with a tarp or tent. For ground sleepers, quilts should be at least 54 inches wide at the shoulders, and many people, including anyone with wider than average shoulders or committed side sleepers, will be better off with a 60-inch width.
How We Test
- Number of Testers: 13
- Number of Bags and Quilts Tested: 23
- Number of Nights Slept Outside: 112
- Coldest Night: 14
- Warmest Night: 78
Every year, we gather the latest sleeping bags and quilts from ultralight brands both big and small. Once testing begins, it’s all about one thing: sleeping outside as often as possible. This year’s testers ranged from experienced thru-hikers to brand-new backpackers, and we took trips in Alaska’s Denali National Park, little-known state parks in Pennsylvania, and many places between and beyond—ten states and three countries in total.
During testing, our team takes detailed notes about everything, from minute details like fabric and zipper quality to important questions like, “Will this keep you warm in sub-freezing temperatures?” In all, our reviews take into account comfort, ease of use, warmth, durability, and price.
Meet our Testers
Nathan Pipenberg is our category manager for backpacking sleeping bags, pads, and trekking poles. He’s also Backpacker’s ultralight columnist, an AT thru-hiker, and a one-time trail builder and wildland firefighter. He enjoys making his own backpacking gear in his free time.
Dorn van Dommelen is a geography professor who lives in Anchorage, Alaska. His outdoor exploits include backpacking, orienteering, and putting his GIS skills to use for community mapping projects.
Bruce Etter is an AT and PCT thru-hiker who now lives near the White Mountains in Bethlehem, New Hampshire.
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