Backpacker’s Complete Guide to the Best Three-Season Sleeping Bags
Dial in perfect backcountry sleep for the majority of the hiking season with the best three-season sleeping bag for you.
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There’s a lot of great three-season sleeping bags out there. These 25 are the best.
Think of a three-season sleeping bag as your workhorse. With a temperature rating between 15°F to 20°F, these bags will keep you toasty for most of the trips you do throughout the year. We know that choosing a go-to sleeping bag can be a daunting task, so we set out to make your life easier.
To find the best, our team of editors and gear testers surveyed the current field of three-season sleeping bags and got to work, culling the list from 150 to these 25 top performers.
We kept things fair by scoring each bag based on the same criteria (warmth, comfort, features, and packability) to arrive at an overall score. We ensured each tester used multiple sleeping bags so everyone had a frame of reference on which to judge. Here’s a breakdown of the criteria.
- Warmth If a sleeping bag has one job, it’s to keep you warm down to its stated comfort rating. (Side note: EN/ISO Ratings for sleeping bag include ratings for both “comfort” and “limit.” Generally speaking, cold sleepers should look for the comfort rating; warm sleepers should opt for the limit rating.) Warmth is a function of fill material and amount, plus bag shape, and features like draft collars and draft tubes.
- Comfort Even the warmest bag can be a drag if the bag doesn’t match your sleeping type (side, stomach, or back). This category judges a bag based on how to use it, based on dimensions, baffle design, and zipper length.
- Features Here we include all the bells and whistles that elevate a sleeping bag, such as venting, hood design, storage pockets, and snazzy stuff sacks. Features tend to be personal; one person’s beloved second zipper is another person’s extraneous weight.
- Packability Pack space is always at a premium and this category reflects that by quantifying how much volume each bag takes up when its packed.
- Overall After we score the rest of the criteria, we crunch the numbers to output an overall score for each bag. It’s possible for bags with the same scores to feel vastly different, based on which category they pull their numbers from.
That’s how we test and that’s how we found these 25 best three-season sleeping bags. Among these picks, there’s a bag for every body type and budget. Whether you’re just getting into camping or are and old pro, start here to find your next sack. Picks are ordered by score for overall performance.
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1. Best All-Around: Sierra Designs Nitro 800
On the hunt for a bag that’s toasty, light, and relatively affordable? Look no further: The Nitro 800 is a true triple-threat. While camping in Washington’s Olympic National Forest, we woke up to condensation on the bag but no leaking moisture or cold spots thanks to its hydrophobic, 800-fill down and DWR-treated nylon shell. Buy the Sierra Designs Nitro 800 Now / Read the Full Review
Section divider2. Best Fit for Women: Feathered Friends Egret YF 20°F
We find women tend to run cold in unisex bags; the Egret YF’s female-specific design delivered trustworthy performance every time we slept in it. Buy the Feathered Friends Egret YF 20°F Now / Read the Full Review
Section divider3. Most Weatherproof: Big Agnes Star Fire UL 20°F
The sub-2-pound Star Fire UL punches above its weight when exposed to the elements. When we cowboy camped near a lake outside Leadville, Colorado, a drizzle wasn’t enough to penetrate the bag or impact its 850-fill hydrophobic down. Buy the Big Agnes Star Fire UL 20°F Now / Read the Full Review
Section divider4. Best Value: Marmot Trestles Elite Eco 20°F
We slept in the Trestles Elite Eco in just shorts and a T-shirt and were impressed with the interior nylon’s silky feel, especially at this price point. While not as lofty as most bags in the test, the synthetic fibers didn’t migrate between the horizontal baffles. Buy the Marmot Trestles Elite Eco 20°F Now / Read the Full Review
Section divider5. Lightest: Therm-a-Rest Hyperion 20°F
You might forget you have the ultralight Hyperion in your pack, but you’ll definitely notice its warmth come nighttime. We spent a 23°F night on the shores of Grand Teton National Park’s Leigh Lake and were thrilled to wake up warm despite the snow on the ground. Buy the Therm-a-Rest Hyperion 20°F Now / Read the Full Review
Section divider6. Roomiest: NEMO Forte
n the shadow of Colorado’s 14,433-foot Mt. Elbert, the second-tallest mountain in the Lower 48, we slept soundly during two back-to-back 29°F nights while curled up in this synthetic bag, even without a tent. Smart design choices also work to conserve as much heat as possible. Buy the NEMO Forte Now / Read the Full Review
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7. Montbell Seamless Down Hugger 900 #1
Warmth: 4.7
Though pricey, this bag is quite warm. On the shores of Cascade Lake in Colorado’s Indian Peaks, we laid down comfortably sans tent on a 22°F night and felt confident venturing into lower temps.
Comfort: 4.0
Among the loftiest tested, the Seamless Down Hugger’s neck baffle wraps all the way around the sleeper, sealing out any drafts, though the hood itself is on the smaller side.
Features: 3.9
In lieu of traditional baffles, the Seamless Down Hugger uses an internal, weblike sewing pattern to keep down evenly spread and save on materials, weight, and bulk. The 7-denier nylon shell was the least durable tested, though, and the zipper frequently snagged.
Packability: 4.8
Easy to stuff thanks to 900-fill down, this ultrapackable bag compresses down to the size of a bunch of bananas.
Overall: 4.4
$670; 1 lb. 12 oz.; 15°F; one size
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8. Sea to Summit Women’s Journey Joll 18°F
Warmth: 4.5
We took this bag down to 14°F while camping in Indian Creek, Utah, and with a light puffy on we stayed warm throughout the night. A hefty coat of condensation after camping in Wyoming’s high desert didn’t dampen the Journey’s dry-treated, 650-fill down.
Comfort: 4.2
Designed for women’s bodies, the down chambers are overstuffed in the chest and footbox. Thanks to a boxy shape, this bag delivers comfort to women with wide shoulders and those who toss and turn.
Features: 4.1
Ventilation is easy thanks to an extra zipper around the footbox. A 360-degree neck baffle ensures no cold drafts slip in through the top.
Packability: 4.5
The Journey Joll is easy to pack down to toaster-size in its compression sack.
Overall: 4.3
$330; 2 lbs. 10 oz.; 18°F; regular, long
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9. Sea to Summit Flame Ultralight 15°F
Warmth: 4.6
A stormy, near-100-percent humidity night in Washington’s Snoqualmie National Forest didn’t challenge the Flame Ultralight: Water pilled on the tightly woven 10-denier nylon shell, and the dry-treated down didn’t get matted. We snoozed through 20°F temps.
Comfort: 3.8
A mix of horizontal and vertical baffles keeps the 850-fill down in the most important areas—around the core and feet—and the women’s-specific cut prioritizes spaciousness in the hips rather than the shoulders.
Features: 4.2
The hood, large enough to accommodate a pillow or pile of clothes, also cinches small enough to completely seal out drafts. The vertical chest baffles help keep down concentrated on sleepers’ cores.
Packability: 4.7
This bag compresses to the size of a one-liter Nalgene, among the smallest in the test.
Overall: 4.3
$550; 1 lb. 15 oz.; 15°F; regular, long
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10. Marmot Yolla Bolly 15°F
Warmth: 4.2
We slept through 20°F nights on Colorado’s Hagerman Pass without a hitch in wool baselayers, and on other evenings spent in a T-shirt, didn’t notice temps had dipped below freezing until seeing the morning frost.
Comfort: 4.9
With extra-wide shoulder, hip, knee, and footbox girths (63, 58.5, 46, and 45.5 inches, respectively) this 650-fill down bag makes side-sleeping dreams come true. The hood (only cinchable along the top) is lined with soft, fuzzy nylon taffeta fabric.
Features: 4.8
A 2-foot-wide, down-filled flap sewn along the full length of the bag’s interior of the bag eliminates drafty dead space while adding cozy, blanket-like comfort. When fully unzipped, the Yolla Bolly unfolds with both flaps opening to the sides, creating a full-sized quilt.
Packability: 3.0
This boxy bag packs down to the size of a soccer ball.
Overall: 4.2
$320; 2 lbs. 13 oz.; 15°F; short, regular, long
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11. REI Magma 15°F
Warmth: 4.3
In Spearfish Canyon, South Dakota, we battened the Magma down tight for a no-complaints 25°F night.
Comfort: 3.7
A supersoft nylon lining and wider-than-average, 57-inch hip girth deliver a “bed at home” feel. Two hood drawcords (one outside, one inside) facilitate precise cinching.
Features: 4.1
The Magma’s zipper crosses atop the collarbone, rather than the shoulder, which makes it easier to regulate temperatures without fully exposing an arm, but a bit more cumbersome to exit the bag. A 15-denier shell is slightly more durable than average.
Packability: 4.6
The Magma squishes down to a hair larger than a one-liter Nalgene.
Overall: 4.2
$380; 2 lbs. 4 oz.; 15°F; men’s, women’s; regular, long
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12. Therm-a-Rest Questar 20°F
Warmth: 4.8
Cowboy camping atop Colorado’s Kenosha Pass (elevation: 10,000 feet), we woke to a frosted bag and slushy water bottle at 30°F, but no cold spots or moisture leaking through the bag’s shell.
Comfort: 4.0
The 63-inch shoulder and 61-inch hip girths satisfy most sleeping positions in this mummy. Sleepers can slip their feet into a baffled pocket (sewn into the footbox) to warm up cold toes.
Features: 4.0
The Questar delivers the standard mummy basics—draft collar, full-length zipper, and an ergonomic shape.
Packability: 3.5
The Questar and its 650-fill down packs down to the size of a basketball in its compression sack, about average for the test.
Overall: 4.1
$280; 2 lbs. 3 oz.; 20°F; short, regular, long
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13. Feathered Friends Hummingbird YF 20°F
Warmth: 4.5
When bivvying just below the summit of 14,264-foot Mt. Evans on a 28°F night, we didn’t lose a wink of sleep in this 900-fill down bag, which has an extra-plush draft tube around the neck.
Comfort: 3.9
Upside: extra baffling along the zipper ensured no cold spots. Downside: uncinched, the hood is droopy and lets in air.
Features: 3.1
A 20-denier ripstop nylon shell is more durable than most bags in the test, and the minimalist hardware (three-quarter zip, one snap closure at the neck, and a hood cinch cord) keeps the Hummingbird YF light.
Packability: 4.4
Though not the easiest to stuff (this bag squeezes down to smaller than a loaf of bread), the Hummingbird nails its comfort-to-bulk ratio.
Overall: 4.0
$429; 1 lb. 10 oz.; 20°F; regular, long
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14. Big Agnes Torchlight UL 20°F
Warmth 3.9
We used the Torchlight during several autumn climbing trips around Wyoming’s Vedauwoo formations and felt comfortable down to 30°F.
Comfort 4.6
Two-way zippers run down each side, revealing expandable panels when opened and allowing sleepers to customize the bag’s width.
Features 4.5
The polyester taffeta lining was among the silkiest we tested. A hood conforms to sleepers’ heads when cinched and moves with the body, if tossing and turning, without feeling claustrophobic; as one tester said, “It’s better than most jacket hoods—the best I’ve ever used.”
Packability 3.0
With some elbow grease, we compressed this bag to match a rotisserie chicken—about average in its weight class.
Overall: 4.0
$400; 2 lbs. 4 oz.; 20°F; men’s, women’s; petite, regular, long
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15. NEMO Tempo 20°F
Warmth 3.0
While sleeping in the Tempo, we added additional clothing over our baselayers when temps dropped below freezing.
Comfort 4.5
The Tempo’s relaxed mummy shape adds extra room throughout (62 inches around in the shoulders and knees, and 58 inches around the hips)—ideal for side- or toss-and-turn sleepers.
Features 4.1
An external, extra-large draft collar tucks in below the chin, replicating a cozy blanket feel which the silky-smooth polyester taffeta lining augments.
Packability 3.8
The Tempo squishes to a little bit larger than a basketball, about average for a synthetic bag.
Overall: 3.9
$150; 3 lbs. 12 oz.; 20°F; men’s, women’s; regular, long
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16. Marmot Women’s Teton 15°F
Warmth 4.2
On Colorado’s Hagerman Pass, we spent a comfortable, 25°F night in this 650-fill down bag wearing only baselayers.
Comfort 3.9
A thick, 360-degree draft collar adds pillow-like neck support and allowed us to keep the hood open without cold air sneaking in. A pocket sewn into the footbox allows sleepers to sandwich cold toes between two layers of down.
Features 4.4
Adaptability reigns, thanks to a full-length zipper and a quarter-zip opposite it, plus cinches through the draft collar and the hood. The Teton gave us a range of options from fully ventilated to all cinched up, with a lot of variation in the middle.
Packability 2.8
With some effort, we smashed this bag into the bottom compartment of a 60-liter pack.
Overall: 3.8
$301; 2 lbs. 15 oz.; 15°F; regular
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17. Rab Morpheus 3
Warmth 3.3
We woke up to don more layers during a 20°F night in New Hampshire’s White Mountains.
Comfort 4.2
A wider-than-average mummy shape and zippers running down each side (one three-quarter length, one quarter-length) make for the smooth exits and entries.
Features 4.0
The bag’s bottom side is filled with synthetic insulation to help off the damp, while the top side, hood, and footbox are stuffed with 650-fill down. The 30-denier nylon shell is among the most resilient we tested.
Packability 3.5
When compressed, the Morpheus 3 fits into a grocery store basket with a little room to spare.
Overall: 3.8
$260; 2 lbs. 15 oz.; 16°F; men’s, women’s; regular
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18. The North Face Eco Trail Down 20°F
Warmth 3.9
We stayed toasty wrapped in the Eco Trail on a breezy, 30°F night near Mammoth Lakes, California.
Comfort 3.0
This budget-friendly sack is roomy in the right places, namely the shoulders and hips: “I didn’t feel confined when turning onto my side and moving around,” one tester says. Plus, the J-shape, two-way zipper (it curves down across ankles) makes foot ventilation a breeze.
Features 4.5
The 50-denier ripstop shell and lining (among the most durable we tested) are not only tough, they’re 100-percent recycled, as is the 600-fill down.
Packability 3.2
This bag packs down as small as a 12-pack of suds, and a whole lot lighter.
Overall: 3.7
$200; 2 lbs. 14 oz.; 20°F; short, regular, long, extra-long
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19. Mountain Hardwear Phantom Alpine 15°F
Warmth 2.9
After donning a light puffy when temps hit 26°F camping near Colorado’s Mt. Elbert, a cold-prone tester noted the temperature rating felt optimistic. “Only with a down jacket and pants would I take this bag into the teens,” he said.
Comfort 3.0
The 850-fill Phantom Alpine has a mummy cut and is lined with nylon that’s lightweight, but not as silky as other bags tested. The hood’s cinch, located at the top rather than on the side, can be awkward to use when fully zipped in the bag.
Features 4.0
Zippers on both sides made it easy to open the bag for ventilation or exiting. The lightweight, 10-denier Pertex shell is beefed up to 20-denier fabric along the back from the waist down and around the footbox.
Packability 4.5
This bag compresses to the size of a bike helmet in its stuff sack.
Overall: 3.6
$550; 2 lbs. 2 oz.; 15°F; regular, long
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20. Rab Mythic 400
Warmth 4.2
The 900-fill power hydrophobic down kept us cozy at 25°F while we snoozed in Colorado’s Indian Peaks Wilderness. The airy shell does let breezes through, though.
Comfort 3.1
The taper from a 41-inch hip girth to a 32-inch footbox is more dramatic than most bags here—one tester noted feeling a tad cramped around his legs.
Features 2.8
Just the basics here: a draft tube and anti-snag zippers, which gave us pause due to the relatively high price tag.
Packabillity 4.0
The Mythic 400’s drybag compression sack cinches down to slightly larger than a football.
Overall: 3.5
$525; 1 lb. 7 oz.; 19.5°F; one size
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21. Rab Solar 3
Warmth 3.8
At 25°F, we threw on a puffy while sleeping in Colorado’s Tenmile Range.
Comfort 2.9
With average mummy roominess, breathability was challenging in this synthetic bag—ventilation without completely unzipping proved tough on nights above 40°F.
Features 3.1
All the basics covered are covered: draft collar and tube, anti-snag zipper, mummy cut. Synthetic fill and a 20-denier, DWR-treated shell kept heavy doses of dew at bay.
Packability 4.0
While the included stuff sack is limited in how much it can compress (down to roughly the size of a basketball), using a sack with more range got the bag down to half that size.
Overall: 3.5
$140; 2 lbs. 12 oz.; 21°F; regular, long
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22. Mountain Equipment Glacier 450
Warmth 2.8
During freezing nights in Colorado’s San Juans, this 700-fill down bag kept us mostly toasty, but after feeling chills throughout a 30°F night we weren’t stoked on testing it in colder temps.
Comfort 3.1
The Glacier 450 is on the slim side with 60-inch shoulder and 40-inch footbox girths, and the width sometimes caused issues: When we side-slept and our bottom or shoulders pressed against the bag, we felt cold spots.
Features 3.3
With all the basics (like draft collars and water resistance), but no bells and whistles (say, ventilation aids), this bag rings more expensive than similarly performing bags.
Packability 4.5
Getting this bag into its toaster-sized, waterproof stuff sack is easy and convenient for multiday backpacking.
Overall: 3.4
$395; 2 lbs. 1 oz.; 18°F; men’s, women’s; regular, long
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23. Sierra Designs Synthesis 20°F
Warmth 3.0
Though we reached for multiple extra layers when sleeping in this synthetic bag below 35°F, its affordability makes it a decent pick for warmer climates.
Comfort 3.2
A smaller-than-average footbox had one tester “kicking and screaming,” while the nylon-taffeta liner had them “purring” over its silky feel.
Features 4.0
With a no-zip foot vent (layered fabric reliably stymies drafts) and two zippers (one half-length, the other quarter-length), ventilation is this bag’s strong suit.
Packability 3.5
For a synthetic bag, we emerged impressed that it packs down to the size of two twelve-packs.
Overall: 3.4
$140; 2 lbs. 10 oz.; 20°F; regular, long
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24. ALPS Mountaineering Aura 20°F
Warmth 2.7
Up on Tumwater Mountain in Washington, we added a puffy jacket to this synthetic bag when temps dropped below 35°F, and another pair of sweats below freezing.
Comfort 2.9
The Aura has plenty roomy for side-sleepers thanks to a 64-inch shoulder girth, but the lining isn’t as cozy as most bags and the insulation was among the least lofty we tested.
Features 4.0
A half-length zipper on the opposite side of the full-length zipper not only makes ventilation easy, but also facilitates sitting up to read a book or hang around a campfire. An additional baffle stretches across the collarbone and helps prevents warm air from leaking out.
Packability 3.2
In line with similar synthetic bags, the Aura packs down to the size of two one-gallon milk jugs stacked together.
Overall: 3.2
$100; 3 lbs. 5 oz.; 20°F; short, regular, long
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25. Kelty Cosmic Synthetic 20°F
Warmth 2.5
Once temps hit 30°F in Washington’s North Cascades we noticed some cold spots along the zipper, which doesn’t have a down baffle.
Comfort 2.9
The taffeta lining is buttery-smooth to the touch and the nylon shell reliably fended off morning dew. Heavy synthetic insulation made ventilation tough—we had to fully unzip the bag on warmer nights.
Features 3.0
Highly affordable, this relatively bulky mummy bag best serves campers in warmer weather or during car-camping adventures. A zippered pocket for a headlamp or phone eliminates fumbling during midnight bathroom breaks.
Packability 2.0
Compressing the Cosmic Synthetic as small as possible in its stuff sack is difficult, and it takes up about half a 60-liter pack.
Overall: 2.6
$100; 2 lbs. 13 oz.; 20°F; regular, long