Many ultralight sleeping bags are as lightweight as backpacking quilts, making them a viable component in an ultralight backpacking sleep system. Sleeping bags also have the advantage over quilts in that they are draft-free because they can be zippered closed at night and have no pad attachment straps to mess around with in the dark. Many ultralight sleeping bags are also available without mummy hoods. They can be easily vented, providing all of the comfort advantages of backpacking quilts for people who prefer hoodless sleep insulation.

Here are the 10 best ultralight sleeping bags that we recommend:

Feather Friends Tanager 20 Sleeping Bag

The Feather Friends Tanager 20 Sleeping Bag is a hoodless, full-length, and zipperless sleeping bag designed for thru-hikers, ultralight backpackers, and alpinists who want to minimize their gear weight and bulk. Weighing 18.9 oz, the Tanager is insulated with 12.7 oz of 950 fill power goose down and is best viewed as a specialized, ultralight alternative to a 20-degree backpacking quilt or mummy sleeping bag. Read the SectionHiker Tanager 20 Review.

Western Mountaineering Flylite 36

Designed thru-hikers, trail runners, and bike packers, the Western Mountaineering Flylite 34F is a fully baffled (i.e. no quilted/sewn through construction) 14.25 oz down sleeping bag with 850+ goose down, a 10 denier liner and shell, and a super light #3 YKK half zipper that packs down to the size of a Nalgene bottle. Complete with a zipper draft tube, and an insulated collar, it is available in multiple lengths.

ZenBivy Ultralight Bed 25

The ZenBivy Ultralight Bed is a sleep system (pad not included) weighing just 20 oz, that spans both the quilt and sleeping bag categories, because it seals out side drafts and has a mummy-style hood. It includes a first-rate backpacking quilt and what ZenBivy calls a “sheet”, which fits over your sleeping pad and hooks into the sides of the quilt to block drafts completely. The sheet also provides a loose-fitting mummy hood, which is large enough to hold a pillow and insulate your head. The quilt is insulated with 900 fill power down and features a 10D Pertex shell with a 25F rating. Experienced quilts users, including thru-hikers, who’ve tried the ZenBivy sleep system love it. Read the SectionHiker.com ZenBivy Ultralight Quilt and Sheet Review. 

Western Mountaineering Summerlite 32

The SummerLite is the lightest bag Western Mountaineering makes in a continuous baffle construction, so you can shift the down to where you need it most. Weighing only 19 ounces, this fully baffled bag has a full-length, two-way #5 YKK zipper to vent the footbox or the top of the bag. It also has a zipper draft tube and tape stiffener to prevent fabric snags. It is insulated with 10 oz of 850+ fill power goose with a 4″ loft. The Summerlite is a bit snug in the chest and is best suited for individuals with a smaller stature.

Enlightened Equipment Convert 20 Sleeping Quilt

The Enlightened Equipment Convert features a full-length zipper and a fully adjustable and ventable footbox, which allows it to be completely closed (like a sleeping bag), completely open (like a blanket), or somewhere in between. It’s available with 850 or 950 fill power down, a draft collar, multiple lengths and widths, and a wide variety of colors and fabric weights. For example, a 20-degree 950-fill power read-to-ship Convert Sleeping Bag weighs just 22.8 oz. Read the SectionHiker Convert Review.

Feathered Friends Flicker 40

The Feathered Friends Flicker 40 UL Quilt Sleeping Bag is a 19.1-ounce quilt sleeping bag designed for backpackers and climbers who want the flexibility and light weight of an insulated sleep system that can be used as a hoodless sleeping bag, an ultralight quilt, or a blanket. It has a full-length zipper, draft collar, and ventable foot box and is insulated with 950 fill power goose down, making it highly compressible for packing. Read the SectionHiker Flicker Review.

Western Mountaineering Highlite 25 Sleeping Bag

The Western Mountaineering Highlite 35 is a 16 oz sleeping bag optimized for compressibility and ultralight weight. It has a super lightweight shell fabric and a one-way #4 1/2 YKK coil zipper cut to half-length to save weight. Its down insulation is held in a combination of sewn-thru and boxed baffles with 1 1/2″ netting to allow unimpeded loft so the effect of its 850+ goose down is fully realized. With a 59″/38″ Shoulder/Foot Girth fit, it’s cut snugly to reduce bulk and weight while reducing excess internal volume so quick heating is realized.

Cumulus X-Lite 200 Sleeping Bag

The Cumulus X-lite 200 is a 32 degree hoodless sleeping bag that only weighs 12.34 oz. It’s insulated with 900 fill power goose down with a 7d nylon liner and shell fabric. In order to save weight, it cinches around the neck and is best used with a down puffy in colder weather. Despite its Ultralight weight design, it features a 2/3 length zipper with a draft tube, unlike the zipperless design of the Feather Friends Tanager 20, shown above. It was a slim fit to minimize the amount of body heat required to warm it up, but still has an anatomically shaped foot box for maximum comfort. 

Therm-a-Rest Ohm 20 Sleeping Bag

The Therm-a-Rest Ohm 20 is a hoodless sleeping bag insulated with 900 fill power hydrophobic goose down that weighs 1 pound 6 ounces (652 g). It is box-baffled and has a full-length, two-way side zipper, a draft tube, a puffy draft collar, and a silky 10d nylon/ripstop shell. The Ohm can be unzipped in warmer weather and used as a blanket or quilt. Read the SectionHiker Ohm 20 Review.

Therm-a-Rest Hyperion 32 Sleeping Bag

The Therm-a-Rest Hyperion 32 is an ultralight down sleeping bag designed for back sleepers that weighs 16 ounces and is insulated with 900 fill power waterproof down. It has a box-baffled construction to eliminate cold spots and a half-length zipper to save weight. When stuffed, the Hyperion 32 packs down to just 2.8L, making it perfect for trips where pack space is at a premium. Read the SectionHiker Hyperion Review.

Ultralight Sleeping Bag Guide

Here is a list of key considerations when deciding between different ultralight sleeping bag options.

Mummy or Rectangular (Hoodless) Sleeping Bags?

Ultralight sleeping bags are available with mummy hoods or hoodless rectangular bags, similar to quilts. Which you choose is a personal preference, but a mummy hood can be a bonus in colder temperatures when more head insulation is warranted. When sleeping in a hoodless sleeping bag, you’ll want to use some head covering, like a fleece or down cap, or sleep in a puffy down jacket with a hood to keep your head warm and seal out drafts at the top of the bag.

Must-have Features

Ultralight sleeping bags should have a draft collar, zipper draft tubes, and snag-free zippers at a minimum. Partial-length zippers, continuous baffles, and even water-resistant down are all nice-to-haves, but you can get by without them to save on cost or because they’re not strictly necessary.

Draft Collar

Most high-quality ultralight sleeping bags have draft collars which is an important feature on bags rated for 20 degrees F or colder. A draft collar is a tube of insulation that drapes over your chest and neck, sealing in the bag’s warmth. Without it, the warm air inside the bag will rush out around your neck when you move. The simplest draft collar is a down tube that covers the front of your chest. Higher-end bags feature a second draft collar that encircles the back of your shoulders and neck, providing additional control to tighten or loosen as needed.

Zipper Draft Tubes

Draft tubes are down-filled tubes of fabric that cover the side zipper, preventing your legs from coming into contact with it (because it’s cold). They also prevent cold air from leaking into the bag through the needle holes that are created when sewing the zipper to the bag. Most bags have at least one zipper draft tube, although some have two, one on top and one on the bottom, that fall into place when you zip up your bag.

Snag Free Zipper

Snag-free zippers prevent the side zipper’s teeth from tearing the shell fabric of your bag and spilling its insulation. The zipper is usually bordered by stiff fabric tape, to keep it away from the down baffles and prevent it from getting snagged on the bag’s outer shell.

Nice-to-have features

Water-Resistant Down

Water-resistant down is a nice-to-have, not a must-have, in an ultralight sleeping bag. The truth is, most people can keep their sleeping bags dry. If you notice moisture on the outside of your sleeping bag in the morning, it doesn’t mean that the down inside is wet. Simply drape it over your tent in the sun while you eat breakfast, and it will dry in no time.

Continuous baffles

Continuous baffles usually run horizontally across a bag. They allow you to shake the down in the baffles and move it to a different location. For example, if you’re too warm, you could shake the down so it falls down the sides of the bag, rather than keep it on your chest. While continuous baffles let you customize the distribution of down for different needs, many people prefer baffles that keep the down in one place reliably and permanently. It’s one less thing to worry about.

Partial length zippers

Partial-length zippers are often used as a weight-saving feature; however, they can reduce use across a wider temperature range by limiting your venting options.

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