Best 20 Degree Sleeping Bags of 2024

BEST BACKPACKING SLEEPING BAG OVERALL

The Western Mountaineering UltraLite is an ultra light and ultra premium backpacking sleeping bag that is our pick as the best overall choice.

What we love the most about this bag is its balance between weight, quality, versatility and comfort. It is rated to 20-degree and only weighs 17oz making it an excellent choice for fast and lite colder weather trips. The UltraLite’s horizontal baffle design allows you to move the feathers to the back of the bag, making it less warm for spring and mild summer conditions. 

The biggest downside of the UltraLite is its price tag. At $525, it’s one of the priciest bags on our list. However, if you’re a true backpacking junkie who wants an all around awesome bag, it might be a worthy investment. 

A close contender to the UltraLite is the Feathered Friends Hummingbird YF20 (and similar bags within their range). If you’re having trouble deciding, one feature we loved about the UltraLite that we didn’t find on others is the full goose down draft collar. This lets you bunker down and seal your body heat, a much appreciated feature on chilly nights.

BEST ULTRALIGHT SLEEPING BAG

The Feathered Friends Hummingbird UL 20 is a super light and packable three season sleeping bag. It’s our pick for the best ultralight backpacking sleeping bag.

What we loved the most about the Hummingbird is the conservative, even borderline generous temperature rating. This is not something we could say about a lot of other ultralight bags out there. The Hummingbird is stuffed with 950+ goose down which makes it extremely warm and light.

One drawback of the Hummingbird is the fit is pretty snug. If you’re a side sleeper or a bigger guy or gal, you might find the narrow dimensions claustrophobic. If you toss and turn a lot and would prefer a more spacious bag, check out the Feathered Friends Swallow and Swift. Another downside is since Feathered Friends is a cottage manufacturer, stock can sometimes be limited and wait times can be long. If you love the idea of owning a handmade sleeping bag that is tailored to your needs, be sure to order well ahead of your next trip.

The Hummingbird UL is in close competition with Western Mountaineering’s UltraLite. which is also featured on this list. While both are excellent choices for serious backpackers, the Hummingbird is 5 ounces lighter, making it a winner for those who are meticulous about cutting weight.

The Hummingbird UL is also available in a 30-degree version.

BEST FOR: A COZY AND WARM HOOD 

Let’s start our rundown of the best 20 degree sleeping bags with the Phase 20 from Marmot. The 850-fill power down insulation provides consistently good warmth for those chillier camping nights. The hood furthermore includes a very handy drawcord, allowing you to cinch it snugly around your head to lock in the heat. 

Marmot has also included an internal stash pocket to keep any items you need close at hand. For my part, I find it very useful to stash my phone at night if I’m listening to music and want to keep the cold air from draining the battery. The down defender treatment also helps keep any moisture from seeping in and wreaking havoc on your insulation. 

While Marmot has certainly produced a beautiful sleeping bag in the Phase 20, it seems they tripped themselves over the zipper. The most common drawback we’re seeing across the board is a small and weak zipper that perpetually snags. So keep this in mind, and remember to handle that zipper with care if you commit to this sleeping bag.

BEST FOR: MODULAR SLEEPING BAG    

Most of the grizzled hiking veterans out there have at least two sleeping bags, right? A light bag for warmer temps and a heavier one for the colder weather. Some folks will even have three or more bags! So how about a modular sleeping bag you can fine-tune to the temperature of your hiking adventures? Sounds amazing to us too, and that’s why The One Bag from The North Face made our list of the best 20 degree sleeping bags – even though it works for a range of temperatures. 

This bag comes with a synthetic outer layer that is rated to 40 degrees alone. Add in the down mid layer with the synthetic bottom for 20 degree temperatures. Or combine the down midlayer with the synthetic top and bottom for 5 degrees. All these layers do add more bulk than a strictly down sleeping bag, however. The complete system clocks in at well over 3lbs and only packs down to 17 liters. 

Bulk aside, this is still an excellent sleeping bag for those of you who don’t want to spend the money buying multiple sleeping bags for warm and chilly conditions. The One Bag allows you to consolidate down to a single sleeping for all your hiking trips, except extreme cold, and for a very reasonable price.

BEST FOR: HIKERS WHO WANT MORE SHOULDER ROOM

Don’t you hate trying to roll over in your sleeping bag and your shoulders seem to get wedged between the upper and lower layers? Us too, and that’s why the AlpinLite is among the best 20 degree sleeping bags. This bag is designed with you broad chested hikers in mind to make sure you can sleep in comfort on every single hiking trip. 

We’ve found the 63” to 65” shoulder girth to give just about everyone plenty of room to snuggle in and find that sweet spot for optimal sleeping. All other features of the AlpinLite are near identical to Western Mountaineering’s UltraLite sleeping bag. This bag is very comfortable due to its 850-fill down insulation nestled in a soft nylon shell. And it’s even manufactured in the U.S.A. 

As with most products from Western Mountaineering, the AlpinLite comes with quite the pricetag. But it’s premium build quality, comfortable materials, and very roomy design easily make this a worthwhile investment for you serious hikers out there.

BEST DOUBLE SLEEPING BAG

The Feathered Friends Spoonbill UL is a two-person sleeping bag for couples who want to lighten their load.

What we love the most about the Spoonbill UL is it gives couples the warmth and intimacy of being in the same bag without having to give up comfort. There are two hoods and two collars that can be adjusted and a zip on each side so you don’t have to worry about bothering your partner when you get in and out. Feathered Friends trimmed unnecessary insulation from the bottom part of the bag and the floor is made of a super lightweight Dyneema fabric. All of this results in a warm, lightweight and comfortable sleeping bag. 

One of the downsides of the Spoonbill is it’s not great for couples who want to cuddle because of its two separate hoods. Another consideration is its price tag is pretty crazy, however if you consider the price of two premium sleeping bags, it might be worthwhile. It also loses major points when it comes to versatility. If one of you decides to go on a solo trip, you’ll need a different bag.

If the price tag puts you off, check out the Big Agnes Sentinel 30. It is a much more affordable double bag option.

BEST FOR: BUDGET SYNTHETIC SLEEPING BAG 

Synthetic insulation has been slowly retreating from the backpacking realm for some time, but it’s still a viable option for a budget hiker. The Trestles Elite Eco 20 is therefore our top synthetic recommendation for not breaking the bank but still hitting that 20 degree rating. 

The proprietary HL-ElixR insulation resists moisture reasonably well, which is certainly a benefit in wet weather. It’s also plenty warm for the majority of your hiking adventures and is very comfortable to curl up in. The drawback to this synthetic insulation, however, is that it is heavier than down and won’t pack down as much for transport. 

But we can’t argue with such a low price, and we definitely feel that the Trestles Elite Eco 20 is a great entry-level sleeping bag. Perfect if you plan on camping only intermittently, or aren’t ready to make a major investment quite yet.

BEST FOR: BUDGET DOWN SLEEPING BAG OPTION 

Finally! A down sleeping bag that doesn’t leave our bank accounts in tears. The Kelty Cosmic 20 provides all the essentials we need in backpacking sleeping bag at a very reasonable price, earning it a place amongst the best 20 degree sleeping bags. 

The 600-fill power is definitely lower than most of the competition, but still manages to provide sufficient insulation in cooler temperatures. Kelty also includes a water repellent treatment to try and lockout as much moisture as possible and keep that down nice and fluffy. We’re also pleased with the external stash pocket to keep gear close, or store your favorite fuzzy sleeping socks when packing up in the morning. 

Keep in mind that the lower price of the Cosmic comes at the expense of build quality and materials. While certainly functional, it lacks the premium feel and durability of the competition. So if you’re liking the low budget Cosmic option, be sure to take care of it!

BEST FOR: LIGHTWEIGHT BACKPACKING 

If you’re always struggling with your sleeping bag’s bulk or weight, then we highly recommend you consider the Hyperion 20 from Therm-a-Rest. This incredible sleeping bag weighs in at only 1lb 6oz. We know blankets and quilts that weigh more than that! What’s more, the Hyperion packs down to only 3.7 liters, taking up almost no room in your pack. 

So how’d they do it? High-quality down for one. The 900-fill insulation is incredibly lofty for excellent warmth, yet very compressible and lightweight when it’s time to move. The majority of the insulation is also located on the top portion of the sleeping bag, with less behind your back. As much as this insulation distribution helps the weight, it does mean you should have a decently insulated sleeping pad to keep from getting cold. 

Therm-a-Rest has also adopted a fairly narrow design that tapers significantly. This can be bad news for you side-sleepers out there as you may take the sleeping bag with you when you roll and expose the less insulated side to the air. But we understand that sacrifices have to be made to achieve such a lightweight design, and believe the Hyperion 20 may be every ultralight hiker’s dream.

BEST FOR: SIDE-SLEEPING HIKERS    

I count myself amongst the side-sleeping crew, and I know the struggle. Constantly pulling the sleeping bag every which way while getting comfortable. But the Nemo Forte and Viola offer a very compelling solution at a reasonable price! 

Both sleeping bags – the Forte for men and Viola for women – feature a unique spoon-shaped design that’s wider at the elbows and knees. This means you can naturally sleep on your side with your arms and legs bent, and not get caught on the wall of your sleeping bag. The sleeping bag also includes Nemo’s interesting heat gills, allowing you to dump excess heat without getting a cold draft. 

As with any synthetic sleeping bag, we must cope with more weight and less compressibility. This is nevertheless an excellent option for side-sleepers who yearn for a comfortable night’s sleep on the trail.