SLEEPING BAG TEMPERATURE RATINGS

Understanding sleeping bag ratings is crucial for planning your backpacking adventures. Whether you're after a high-performance down-filled bag for Arctic expeditions or a budget-friendly option for summer camping, our guide will help you choose the right one.

Each sleeping bag (or backpacking quilt) comes with a temperature rating, often found in the product name. These numbers aren’t always the exact temperature rating, but they provide a general idea of the bag’s warmth.

Don’t assume the numbers directly reflect the bag's performance though; a brand will round up or down to a number that ends in a 0 or a 5, and there are no rules about whether they round up or round down. So always look at the actual test rating on a bag, not merely the number in its name.

Understanding Sleeping Bag Ratings

  • Manufacturers’ Standards: Temperature ratings are usually established through standardised testing methods, such as EN 13537 or ISO 23537, which replicate conditions in a controlled environment. Keep in mind that personal experiences may differ due to factors like body type, clothing, and sleeping position.
  • Factors Influencing Warmth: Personal factors, such as your metabolism and sleeping habits, the type of insulation (down versus synthetic), and additional features like hoods and draft collars can all impact the performance of a sleeping bag.
  • Research on physiological differences between genders consistently shows that, on average, women tend to feel colder than men when using the same sleeping bag. As a result, the comfort rating—designed for colder sleepers—became the logical temperature benchmark for women’s sleeping bags. This is why brands still use the comfort rating for women’s bags today.

HOW TO USE SLEEPING BAG RATINGS

1. Match to Expected Conditions:

  • Comfort Rating: Choose a sleeping bag with a comfort rating that matches the lowest temperatures you expect during your trip. This ensures you’ll stay warm in typical conditions.
  • Lower Limit Rating: If you're prone to feeling cold or expect temperatures to dip lower, opt for a bag with a lower limit rating that provides extra warmth below the expected temperatures.

2. Consider Your Personal Comfort:

  • If you tend to get cold easily, select a sleeping bag with a comfort rating lower than the expected temperatures. This ensures you'll stay warm even if conditions are colder than anticipated.

3. Factor in Insulation Type:

Down Insulation: Known for its superior warmth-to-weight ratio and excellent compressibility, down insulation is ideal for cold, dry conditions. However, it loses effectiveness when wet.

Synthetic Insulation: Designed to retain warmth even when damp and dry quickly, synthetic insulation is perfect for wet or unpredictable environments. 

4. Consider Additional Features:

5. Account for Personal Factors: 

Factor in your body type, sleep position, and clothing, as these elements can impact how warm you feel inside the sleeping bag. It's important to remember that even a high-quality sleeping bag has its limits in providing warmth. To ensure optimal comfort, always pair it with a suitable sleeping pad to insulate against the cold ground. Additionally, having a spare pair of warm socks and a hat on hand is a good idea in case temperatures drop further.