10 Best Lightweight Budget Sleeping Bags [Bikepacking & Backpacking]

Last Updated on 27 June 2024 by Cycloscope

10 of the best ultralight budget sleeping bags for backpacking, cycle touring, & bikepacking

Cheap, affordable, lightweight sleeping bags on a budget [2023/2024]

Looking for a cheap but reliable camping companion? Welcome to our comprehensive comparison of the best ultralight budget sleeping bags for backpacking, cycle touring, and bikepacking.

We’ve meticulously reviewed a range of options, from snug insulation to efficient packability, that won’t weigh you down – both on your bike and in your wallet.

A quick note about how we selected the best budget sleeping bags

The lightweight sleeping bags listed here are certainly not the best in the market for backpacking, hiking, and bicycle-touring/bikepacking, but do you really need the best?

The sleeping bag is probably the single most important piece of equipment when facing cold climates, but for most of us, who do not really travel in extreme environments, a budget lightweight sleeping bag would just do the job.

We selected 10 relatively cheap sleeping bags trying to feature different models for different travel conditions and traveler’s tastes – several of them we have personally tested, others we have seen in action and collected personal opinions from fellow adventurers, a few we’ve researched online.

Most of these ultralight backpacking sleeping bags will keep you warm down to 5°C, some even in lower temperatures, a bunch of others are instead designed to handle more tropical climates.

You’ll find all the info needed to make the right purchase for you in the buying guide section, below our list of the best budget sleeping bags.

Best budget lightweight sleeping bags for bikepacking & backpacking in a nutshell

1. Marmot Nanowave 55 – Best Ultralight Summer Sleeping Bag (New Entry 2023!)
2. Kelty Tuck 40F – Best Ultralight for Tall People
3. Naturehike CWM – Best Ultralight Quilt Sleeping Bag
4. Aegismax Mini 6 – Best Ultralight Cheap Winter Sleeping Bag
5. Hyke & Byke Snowmass – Best Ultralight Winter Sleeping Bag
6. Hyke & Byke Shavano 32F – Best Quality Budget Sleeping bag
7. Snugpak Jungle 36F – Best Ultralight for Tropical Climate
8. Marmot Trestles 30F – Best Budget Ultralight Sleeping Bag
9. Big Agnes Buell 30 – 2023 Editor’s Pick!
10. East Hills Outdoors Jungle Explorer – Best Ultralight Hammock

Best Cheap Ultralight Sleeping Bags for Bikepacking & Backpacking

1. Marmot Nanowave 55 [+/- 70$] – New Entry 2023

Best Ultralight Summer Sleeping Bag

The Marmot Voyager 55 Sleeping Bag offers lightweight portability ideal for bikepacking and outdoor adventures.

Transitioning from a bulkier bag, I appreciated its compactness and weight. However, sizing proved tricky; as a 6’5″ person, the ‘Long’ size was too lengthy, causing discomfort with the hood and twisting when side sleeping.

The zipper occasionally snagged on the micro-draft tube fabric, demanding careful use. Nonetheless, the bag’s warmth and comfort were notable.

I found the head pouch handy for my inflatable pillow, and the zipper operated smoothly when not catching. A liner bag added extra warmth, enhancing its versatility in colder conditions.

The 4-way stuff sack packs to a size of 9.8 x 5.5 in | 25 x 14 cm, while with a proper compression bag, it can get down to 2.75 liters only!

• Material: SpiraFil high-loft insulation
• Weight: 1.8 lbs / 0.8 kg
• Dimensions: 84x33x20″
• Packed: 9.8 x 5.5 in | 25 x 14 cm
• Temperature rating: 55F | 12C

2. Kelty Tuck 40 Degree Thermapro [+/- 90$]

Best Ultralight Sleeping Bag for Tall People

This is an interesting 3-season sleeping bag, wide enough to sleep in more comfortable positions it has an additional cool feature.

Should you feel too warm you can just un-zip the Comfort-Tuck Zipper system stick your feet out and give your toes a breath of fresh air. Plus, a media storage pocket keeps your devices close to you all night.

This oversized mummy bag is filled with ThermaPro synthetic insulation giving a pretty good ratio of warmth and compressibility.

A great budget choice for summer/spring camping adventures or for those so fortunate to never get night temperatures below 40F (4C).

Light enough to be carried with you when bike touring and compact enough to meet the needs of ultralight backpackers.

Fits up to a 6’6 ft tall fella. Kelty is based in Boulder, Colorado.

• Material: Synthetic
• Long Size Weight: 2lb 10oz. / 1.2 kg
• Regular Size Weight: 1 lb 7 oz, 0,70 kg
• Stuffed size: 7.9 x 14 in / 20 x 35 cm
• Temp rate: 40F/4.4C

3. Naturehike CWM280 Goose [+/- 100$]

Best Ultralight Quilt Sleeping Bag

The sleeping bag we brought with us on our bikepacking trip through Africa – super light and compact, this Naturehike sleeping bag is an excellent product despite its limitations.

The CWM280 is one of the lightest sleeping bags you can get your hands on. Naturehike though has revised their excessively optimistic temperature ratings, so now the comfort temp for this quilt is 11C with a limit around 6C (52/42F), much more realistic than the 36F stated some years ago.

Anyway, they also manufacture a CWM400 version (that you can purchase at the same link) which is slightly heavier but boosts a comfort rating of 6C (42F) and a limit of 0C (32F).

To maximize warmth to weight ratio, Naturehike utilizes twice as much insulation on the top of the bag as on the bottom.

Weighing only 1.25lb it packs extremely small with the included 4-point compression sack, down to just 10 x 5 inches. It can be stuffed into a bike saddlebag while still leaving room for a jacket and some food.

The Naturehike CWM ultralight sleeping bag uses light and tough materials. The 15D ripstop fabric allows you to shave weight off of the sleeping bag, making this budget sleeping bag one of the best available if you’re looking for the comfort given by the rectangular shape.

The downsides are the lack of a hood and somehow weak zippers, we had to replace one after a couple of years of use.

• Materials: Goose Down 15D/400T nylon
• Weight: 1.26 lbs / 570g
• Size: 74.8x 28.3″
• Packed: 4.7×10.2″

4. Aegismax Mini 6-Degree

Good Ultralight Cheap Winter Sleeping Bag

This cheap Down Sleeping Bag by Aegismax is one of the lightest available at only 440g and has more room in the shoulders and hips than traditional mummy bags. It’s quite ideal for spring, summer, fall, and even warmer winters, perfect for a December bike trip around the Mediterranean.

As someone who loves trying out new outdoor gear, the Aegismax 6 Mini sleeping bag has really caught my attention. It’s a bit bigger than your usual sleeping bags, measuring 200 x 86 cm (79″ x 34″), and comes with a nifty sack to keep the fluffiness of the down intact when you’re not using it – which is a cool touch.

Now, what’s really neat is how tiny this thing can get when you squish it down. There’s a photo where they compare it to a regular coke can, and it’s seriously impressive.

They claim it’s made with some fancy 800 Fill Power 95/5 White Goose Down stuff, which sounds cozy.

I like that it’s shaped like a mummy to keep you snug and warm, and there’s this draw-cord around the neck to make it feel snugger. They say you can even zip a few of these bags together, though I haven’t had the chance to try that out.

Aegismax claims the temperature rate down to about 7 degrees Celsius, which sounds about right for most of my trips. The only tricky part seems to be getting it back into its compression sack – apparently, there’s a knack to it. But hey, with a bit of practice, it’s probably no biggie.

An interesting product I would like to test for one of my next bikepacking trips.

• Material: 20D Nylon 650+ FP Duck Down.
• Weight: 1 lb / 440g
• Size: 79x34x20″ (regular)
• Packed: 8x8x10″
• Temp: EN Limit +6° C/43° F | EN Comfort +11° C/52° F

5. Hyke & Byke Snowmass [+/- 150$]

Best Ultralight Winter Sleeping Bag

Hyke & Byke is a new brand of outdoor gear that started small but has quickly made a big impression on outdoor enthusiasts across the world. We chose this exact sleeping bag for our recent trip on the highest roads of the Indian Himalayas and were quite satisfied.

The Snowmass is one of the lightest 15-degree mummy down sleeping bags available, just over 3 lbs, another nice budget sleeping bag that can withstand cool temperatures.

Made of ultralight water-repellent 400T 20 D ripstop nylon fabric liner with double large YKK zippers and anti-snag slider, it features a wide shoulder and foot space, drawstring, horizontal baffles, and compression stuff sack.

Available in size Short, Regular, or Long (Tall / XL), this sleeping bag has many positive reviews on Amazon and it’s seriously a bang for the buck.

The only downside? It packs quite large and doesn’t fit in most bikepacking bags – it will require a pannier or to be attached somehow outside the bags in a bikepacking setup.

A nice thing about Hyke & Byke is that they have a strong corporate ethic, trying to offer premium products for great value while also working to alleviate poverty through funding microloans.

• Material: Hydrophobic 650 FP 80/20 Duck Down (Responsibly sourced)
• Weight: 3.35 lbs / 1.5g
• Compressed Size: 8″ X 13″
• Temp: comfort 30ºF / -1ºC | limit 15ºF / -10ºC

6. Hyke & Byke Shavano 32F [+/- 140$]

Best Quality Budget Sleeping bag

Another Hyke & Byke budget lightweight sleeping bag, the Shavano 32 is one of the lightest mummy sleeping bags available with a 0°C rating, weighing barely over 2 lbs. Again great quality for the price.

The small packed size 6.5×9″ makes it ideal for cycle touring, bikepacking and backpacking.

While zipper baffles as well as hood and shoulder drawcords to tighten up the bag, help to hold the heat, however, this should still be considered a warm-weather sleeping bag.

Hyke & Byke LLC claims to be committed to improving animal welfare in the duck/goose down and feather supply chain.

The fill used in our Shavano bags is 90/10 premium quality duck down that is responsibly sourced by being a byproduct of the meat and egg industry.

They state to work hard to ensure that down does not come from animals that have been subjected to any unnecessary harm, such as force-feeding or live-plucking.

• Materials: Duck Down Water repellent 400T 20 D Ripstop nylon fabric
• Weight: 2.15 lbs / 980 g
• Packed Size: 6.5″ X 10″
• Temp: comfort 60ºF / 15ºC | limit 45ºF / 7ºC

7. Snugpak Jungle Bag [+/-60$]

Best Ultralight for Tropical Climate

Snugpak is a well-known brand from England. The Snugpak Jungle Bag is the perfect choice for backpackers or bicycle travelers who are heading to warmer climates.

The Jungle Bag was specially designed for humid, hot environments, the Travelsoft insulation was chosen for its exceptional performance in tropical and sub-tropical environments.

The design of the Snugpak Jungle Bag allows it to pack down very small, and with its square bottom, the Jungle Bag can unzip into a blanket or ground cloth.

Additionally, the Jungle Bag features a roll-away mosquito net that can be zipped over the face and fully seal the bag to any ground-borne critters.

Downsides? A little heavy for a summer sleeping bag at almost 900g for a regular size.

• Materials: Nylon Travelsoft insulation
• Weight: 1.9 lbs / 900 g
• Size: 30×86″
• Packed: 7×6″

8. Marmot Trestles 30 [+/- $70]

Best Budget Ultralight Sleeping Bag

Here’s another Marmot sleeping bag. Marmot is certainly one of the most famous brands in the outdoor industry, with a reputation for quality and product testing so they deserve another spot in our list of the best budget sleeping bags for bikepacking and backpacking.

Featuring SpiraFil high-loft insulation, the Trestles mummy-style sleeping bag retains the warmth, softness, and compressibility of a natural down bag, with the added moisture resistance that comes with synthetic insulation.

It is EN rated as comfortable for men to the lower limit of approximately 30°F. The Trestles’ combination wave construction offers warmth and maximum loft on its top side and a plush, blanket-like feel on the bottom. Just a little heavy at 3 pounds and, most importantly for the minimalist bikepackers out there, very very bulky.

• Materials: SpiraFil high-loft insulation
• Weight: 3 lbs / 1.3 kg
• Temp: 30°F
• Packed Size: 18.1 x 8.7 in, 46 x 22 cm

9. Big Agnes Buell 30 [+/- $100]

2023 Editor’s Pick!

In a world where sleeping bags often come with high-tech materials and complex engineering, the Buell 30 sleeping bag stands out for its simplicity – and it really gets the job done.

The Buell 30 to be a surprisingly roomy option for the weight and packaged size, perfect for someone like me who tends to shift around during sleep.

It manages to provide this comfort without compromising on packability. I was able to compress it down to just 8.5 by 9.5 inches, leaving ample space in my bikepacking handlebar pack for other gear.

The affordability of the Buell 30 is maintained through its basic synthetic fill and a tough ripstop shell, foregoing elaborate baffling or welding.

But let’s talk performance. For a price around $110, this sleeping bag kept me cozy as long as the mercury stayed above 30°F. The draft collar, one of my favorite features, fits snugly around my neck and effectively retains warmth while keeping cold drafts at bay, while the ergonomic hood perfectly fits my head without letting cold air in.

• Materials: Fireline Pro Synthetic Insulation with a ripstop shell
• Weight: 1.6 lbs / 725g
• Packed size: 7.5 x 8 inches
• Temperature Rating: 30°F | -1 C

10. Easthills Outdoors Jungle Explorer [+/- 80$]

Best Ultralight Hammock

Crafted from high-strength, breathable 210T Taffeta parachute with triple-stitch edge seams. The No-See-Um mesh on top provides excellent insect protection and ventilation. The mesh contains 2500 holes per square inch.

Measuring 300 x 200cm (118 x 79 inches), it can fit two adults, so you can relax with a buddy or just hog the whole thing for yourself. The hammock supports a maximum capacity of 700 lb. yet weighs only 36 oz. and takes up little space in your pack.

If you like hammock camping, you should definitely get also a hammock sleeping pad.

• Material: 210T Taffeta
• Weight: 3.96 pounds
• Packed Size: 14.4 x 10.5 x 6 inches

Understanding Sleeping Bags temperature rates

The EN 13537 Standard that is now used by many sleeping bag manufacturers, is the official European criterion for the classification of sleeping bags.

The EN13537 applies to all sleeping bags with the exemption of sleeping bags for military use and sleeping bags for extreme temperatures (below -25°C).

To be labeled for the EN temperature rate, sleeping bags need to undergo a standardized lab procedure which determines 4 different factors, from Wikipedia:

• Upper Limit — the temperature at which a standard male can sleep without excessive perspiration. It is established with the hood and zippers open and with the arms outside of the bag.
• Comfort — the temperature at which a standard female can expect to sleep comfortably in a relaxed position.
• Lower Limit — the temperature at which a standard male can sleep for eight hours in a curled position without waking.
• Extreme — the minimum temperature at which a standard female can remain for six hours without risk of death from hypothermia (though frostbite is still possible).

These ratings are taken assuming that the subject is using a sleeping pad, tent and is wearing one base layer of thermal underwear. If you want to better understand this rating we recommend this article.

Unfortunately, brands are often not transparent about whether or not they refer to the EN standard, and which factor they consider when they state their sleeping bag’s temperature rating. Apparently, most refer to the lower limit, while others to the more relevant Comfort zone.

Moreover, it is important to be aware that standards like this cannot be taken as universal truths. Plenty of factors are involved in the temperature real feel, which varies widely from person to person. Hydration, nutrition, altitude, and quality of the other gear (sleeping pad, tent, clothes) are also very important factors.

Mummy VS Rectangular Sleeping Bags

The narrower the space inside your sleeping bag, the easier it will be for your body to warm up the air inside, thus giving you a feeling of warmth. That’s why real winter sleeping bags are always mummy-shaped.

The movement though, inside a mummy sleeping bag is very constrained, forcing you to sleep in only a few positions, this can be hell for some (like me for example) and cause intense sweating when the temperatures get warmer.

There is nothing such as a 4-season sleeping bag, 4-seasons means winter. If you’re going to hike, backpack, or bikepack across different climate zones there’s no way you’ll always be comfortable with the same sleeping bag.

check also
> 3-Season Tents VS 4-Season Tents – What Should You Bring With You?

Down VS Synthetic insulation

There are two types of materials used to fill a sleeping bag, bird downs (generally duck or goose) and synthetic materials. The cheapest sleeping bags are usually filled with synthetic materials, less efficient in retaining warmth compared to downs.

The lightweight sleeping bags listed here though, are not the cheapest on the market, but a decent compromise between price and quality. Indeed some of the best budget sleeping bags feature down insulation.

Other advantages of down are that they compress more (reducing the packed size), and are usually lighter.

Few more things to know about sleeping bags

Some sleeping bags feature waterproof coating, do not be fooled though, sleeping inside a wet bag will never be comfortable, so I won’t consider this as a decisive factor, although it will help a lot if condensation is an issue.

Another thing to consider is that not all down are the same: the filling power ratio is a value that measures the insulating power of the down filling.

A down-filling power of 800 is considered high-quality, unfortunately, you’ll hardly find a budget sleeping bag with these characteristics.

What Is Down Fill Power?

Down fill power is a crucial specification that indicates the quality and insulating capability of down feathers used in sleeping bags, jackets, and other insulated outdoor gear.

It’s a measure of how well the down clusters can loft or expand to trap air, which in turn creates warmth. The higher the fill power, the better the insulation-to-weight ratio, resulting in a warmer and more lightweight product.

Fill power is measured in cubic inches per ounce (in³/oz) or in liters per gram (L/g) in the metric system.

For example, if you have down with a fill power of 800, it means one ounce of that down can expand to fill 800 cubic inches of space. This expansion creates more air pockets, which increases the insulating power of the down.

Here’s what different fill power ratings generally indicate:

1. Low Fill Power (300-500): Down with lower fill power provides decent insulation but may require more volume to achieve the same warmth as higher fill power down. It’s often used in more budget-friendly products.
2. Medium Fill Power (550-700): This range offers good insulation and is commonly found in mid-range outdoor gear. It provides a good balance between performance and cost.
3. High Fill Power (750-900+): Down with higher fill power offers exceptional insulation, allowing for warmer gear that’s also lightweight and packable. It’s often used in premium and high-performance products.

Keep in mind though that while higher fill power down is generally more efficient in terms of warmth-to-weight ratio, the actual warmth of a sleeping bag also depends on other factors like the total amount of down used, the design of the baffles, and the quality of the shell fabric.

When choosing gear with down insulation, considering the fill power along with other factors such as the overall design, temperature rating, and your specific outdoor activities will help you find the right balance between warmth, weight, and comfort.

Would you recommend something different? Feel free to contribute to the comment section below!

FAQs about the best budget sleeping bags

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