The Best Inclusive-Size Sleeping Bags: Tested

Camping often asks you to leave the day-to-day comforts at home, but that doesn't mean you need to squeeze into a too-tight sleeping bag just to get out. Many sleeping bags today are available in longer and wider varieties in addition to the "standard" dimensions (typically 60 or so inches around the shoulders and 58 around the hips) because manufacturers acknowledge that campers come in all shapes and sizes.Still, it can feel stressful to wade through the data specs to find the best sleep sack for your sizing preferences. That's why we asked nearly a dozen plus-size co-op members (ranging from XL to 4X) to test the best long, wide and roomy sleeping bags available at REI. They spent three seasons getting after it, and when it was all said and done these were their five faves. So make sure you're up to speed on how to choose a sleeping bag, peruse our buying advice for wide bags and then jump ahead to see our picks.Test ResultsBest Wide Sleeping Bag for Car Camping & REI Co-op Editors' Choice Award Winner: Big Agnes Echo Park 20Best Wide Sleeping Bag for Three-Season Backpacking: Marmot Trestles Elite Eco 20 (Women's, Men's)Best Wide Sleeping Bag for Year-Round Backpacking: Mountain Hardwear Bishop Pass 15 (Women's, Men's)Best Wide Sleeping Bag with Down Insulation: REI Co-op Down Time 25Best Wide Sleeping Bag Money Can Buy: Big Agnes Anvil Horn 15* The Down Time 25 is available in a women's version, but only the men's (or unisex) has a long wide size option. We did not test the women's regular in this round robin.* The Anvil Horn 15 is available in a women's version (called the Daisy Mae 15), but only the men's (or unisex) has a long wide size option. We did not test the women's regular in this round robin.Buying AdviceA quality sleeping bag can make or break your next camping adventure, but it may feel daunting if you don't understand what to look for before making your choice. Here are a few factors to consider when snagging yourself a sleeping bag, regardless of its price tag.Weight and SizeWhen it comes to car camping, you can simply pick the warmest, roomiest sleeping bag you like because you won't be shouldering it. For a rundown on all the things to consider, read How to Choose Sleeping Bags for Camping.For backpacking, however, you'll want the warmest, roomiest sleeping bag that fits inside your pack and doesn't weigh you down. You can of course tote however much weight you'd like backpacking, but in this guide, the Marmot Trestles Elite Eco 20, Mountain Hardwear Bishop Pass 15, REI Co-op Down Time 25 and Big Agnes Anvil Horn 15 are the best for it. They're lighter and a bit more compact than the Big Agnes Echo Park 20.Note that some sleeping bags have a men's or unisex version and a women's version. Though this is how the brand has distinguished them, a more helpful delineation is to think of them as "warm sleeper's" and "cold sleeper's."Warm sleeper's bags (or men's or unisex) have bigger dimensions and more forgiving temperature ratings. Cold sleeper's bags (or women's) have smaller dimensions and warmer temperature ratings thanks to added insulation. That often makes the cold sleeper's version of the bag heavier and bulkier, despite its smaller dimensions.Wide SizesThe sleeping bags in this guide are all available in wide sizes to accommodate more folks. If you're looking for a sleeping bag available in inclusive-size options, consider two dimensions: the circumferences around the shoulders and the hips (both are posted in the specs for each review here).In a traditional mummy (or tapered) sleeping bag, a standard shoulder girth is between 60 and 64 inches while the hip girth is typically in the ballpark of 58 inches. The sleeping bags in this lineup are each broader. The best way to find a perfect fit for you is to go into a store and try some out, but you can always estimate your dimensions at home with a tape measure.A third measure—length—should also be considered, particularly if you're taller than 6 feet. Most standard-size sleeping bags are 72 inches long, but many are available in longer dimensions. Typically called "long," these varieties are often 6 inches longer.Wide sizes tend to also be long—wider at the shoulder and hips, plus 6 inches longer.Cold sleeper's bags (or women's) are rarely available in wide or long dimensions.Type of InsulationSleeping bags are filled with either down insulation or synthetic insulation. In general, down insulation (made from goose or duck plumage) is lighter and more packable, offering the best warmth to weight. Down isn't inherently water-resistant, but today, most is treated to make it hydrophobic. Down insulation is also very durable and will likely hold up to years of packing and unpacking it into a stuff sack. Trade-off: It tends to cost more than synthetic.The Mountain Hardwear Bishop Pass 15, REI Co-op Down Time 25 and Big Agnes Anvil Horn 15 use down insulation.Note: If you opt for a down sleeping bag, be sure to check out the ethical practices of the company making your sleeping bag. These days, most outdoor brands have standards that protect the welfare of the animals, but it's a good idea to be informed.On the flipside, synthetic insulation (like polyester) retains more warmth when wet, making it a popular choice with folks who live in moist climates. It also dries faster than down and is less likely to aggravate allergies. As an added bonus, it is almost always cheaper than down, too. Synthetic insulation is bulkier than down, however, and often comes with a weight penalty.The Big Agnes Echo Park 20 and Marmot Trestles Elite Eco 20 are made with synthetic insulation.ShapeIn this guide, you'll see two shapes of sleeping bags: mummy and semi-rectangular.A mummy is wider in the shoulders before tapering at the knees and footbox. This eliminates extra space inside the sleeping bag, making it easier to create and maintain warmth. It also cuts down on materials and weight, which makes this style popular in the backpacking and ultralight communities.If it fits, a mummy bag will provide the most efficient warmth. The mummies in this lineup are the Marmot Trestles Elite Eco 20 (pictured above), Mountain Hardwear Bishop Pass 15 and REI Co-op Down Time 25.A rectangular sleeping bag looks just like it sounds: a large rectangle. The bag does not taper like a mummy bag does and instead maintains its shape to give campers maximum wiggle room. However, this shape does mean there is more dead space in the bag, making it tougher to stay warm.That's why some brands, like Big Agnes, have gravitated toward what's called a semi-rectangular shape. This style of sleeping bag cashes in on the comfort of a traditional rectangular bag while cutting some corners (literally) to save an iota of space and weight.The Big Agnes Echo Park 20 and Anvil Horn 15 are semi-rectangular.Temperature RatingWe could pen a thesis on how temperature ratings are determined, but for you, dear reader, all you need to know is that the number in the name of the sleeping bag is pretty close to what its lower limit is. So our most basic advice is to purchase a sleeping bag with a number that's 10°F to 15°F lower than what you expect to encounter on your coldest trips. (Err on the side of going too warm because you can always unzip your bag or kick a leg out.) For example, if you do most of your camping in the mountains where temperature drop into the 30s at night, go for a bag that has 20 in the name.In general, summer-season camping calls for bags rated to 30°F or higher. Three-season camping (which includes shoulder seasons) usually requires bags with ratings closer to 20°F. You won't find anything that much warmer for less than $200 on the market (the warmer the bag, the more it costs, generally).Of course, choosing a temperature rating is an exercise in knowing yourself, too. If you're a person who is always cold, take that into consideration.Temperature Ratings, ExplainedRemember that thesis? It would go something like this.Being able to compare one brand's 20°F bag against another's used to be a problem because outdoor brands tested them differently. Decades of work to standardize those ratings thankfully means nearly all brands play by the same rules now, though those rules are complicated.An "ISO" or "EN" temperature rating indicates the test standard used. Either requires rigorous, standardized testing and the two standards are roughly comparable. So, as long as a bag has one of those acronyms, you can compare their temperature ratings. Read Understanding Sleeping Bag Temperature Ratings to learn more.Note that, while these test standards can be applied to most backpacking bags, certain sleeping bags are not covered by the standards and are assigned temperature ratings by varying tests used by the brand.Bags are assigned two temperature ratings: limit and comfort ratings. Lower-limit rating is the lowest temperature at which the bag will keep a warm sleeper comfortable and is generally the temperature assigned to men's or unisex bags. Comfort rating is the lowest temperature at which the bag will keep the average cold sleeper comfortable and is generally the temperature assigned to women-specific bags. If a temperature rating omits the term "comfort" or "limit," then it's likely a brand's estimate, not an ISO or EN test result.Cold sleeper's (women's) bags that use the warmer "comfort rating" as their standard will inevitably be heavier than the equivalent warm sleeper's (men's) bags. It simply requires more of a given insulation to achieve more warmth.A temperature rating is not a guarantee of warmth. Standardized ratings are super important because you can more reliably compare bags from different brands. But metabolisms vary greatly from person to person, as do variables like the pad you pair your bag with, humidity, wind, type of shelter, ground conditions, clothing and personal preferences.MethodologyIn 2021, we asked 11 co-op members from around the country to put pillow to dirt in an effort to test the best inclusive-size sleeping bags available at REI Co-op. Our testers ranged in size from XL to 4X. During the testing months, they frolicked through alpine meadows, endured unseasonable snow, hunkered down in wind and picked grit from their teeth during canyon-country epics—all in an effort to bring the best feedback and testing notes.These co-op member-testers evaluated each sleeping bag on its warmth, comfort, size, durability, packability and features, also taking sustainability attributes and price into account. We combined their ratings and took the average to find the overall scores listed here. The five sleeping bags in this guide earned the highest scores in our round-robin; the Big Agnes Echo Park 20 was the top overall performer. It has been commemorated with an REI Co-op Editors' Choice Award.