49 bags and quilts · 8 brands · published ratings
Sleeping bag temperature rating chart
What the number on a sleeping bag means, which rating you need, and every backpacking bag and quilt we track by its published rating and weight.
Comfort, limit and extreme
- Comfort — the lowest temperature a typical cold sleeper stays comfortable. Plan to this one.
- Limit — the lowest a typical warm sleeper sleeps curled up for eight hours. Often the number in a bag's name.
- Extreme — survival only, not a sleeping temperature.
From ISO 23537 (formerly EN 13537). The chart below lists each maker's headline rating, which for most bags is the limit, so leave about 10°F of margin.
Which rating do you need?
| Season | Rating | Bags here | Lightest here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summerwarm nights; 35°F and above | 35°F+ | 5 | Western Mountaineering Nanolite Top Quilt from 13.1 oz |
| Three-seasonspring to fall in most mountains; 10–34°F | 10–34°F | 35 | Therm-a-Rest Vesper 32f 0c Down Quilt from 15.5 oz |
| Winterbelow 10°F, snow camping | below 10°F | 9 | Western Mountaineering Antelope Mf from 2.31 lb |
Common retail guidance, not a guarantee: your pad, clothing, shelter and how warm you sleep matter as much.
Every bag by temperature rating
“From” is the lightest length or size the maker lists, for bags sold in several; each size's weight is on the bag's page.
Questions
- What does a sleeping bag temperature rating mean?
- Bags tested to ISO 23537 (formerly EN 13537) carry two main figures. The comfort rating is the lowest temperature at which a typical cold sleeper stays comfortable; the limit (lower limit) is the lowest at which a typical warm sleeper sleeps curled up for eight hours. Many brands put the limit figure in the name, so a "20°F bag" is often comfortable only to about 30°F.
- What temperature rating sleeping bag should I get?
- Choose a bag whose comfort rating is at or below the coldest night you expect, or add about 10°F of margin if you only know the limit rating. For most three-season backpacking that means a bag rated 15–30°F; summer-only trips can use 35°F or warmer; winter needs 10°F or below.
- Do I need a sleeping pad with a warm bag?
- Yes. Ratings are measured on an insulated pad (about R 5 in the current ISO test), and the ground takes heat faster than the air. A warm bag on a thin pad will not reach its rating — see the sleeping pad R-value chart.
- Is a quilt rated the same way as a sleeping bag?
- Most quilts are not tested to ISO 23537; their ratings are the maker’s own. Treat them as closer to a limit rating, and add margin.