A first-time visit to the sleeping bag rack at any outdoor gear store can be enough to induce claustrophobia. The widespread norm in outdoor bedding is the mummy bag — a hooded sleeping bag that tapers from the shoulders to the feet and indeed resembles a sarcophagus.
Such a design keeps the weight of a sleeping bag down, makes it easier to pack and more efficient at maintaining warmth but does little to bolster comfort, particularly for side sleepers.
What to Look for in a Sleeping Bag
Sizes
Most sleeping bags come in two size options: standard, which fit most people up to six feet tall, and long, which fit folks from six feet to 6'6".
Fill / Insulation
As discussed in our guide to the best sleeping bags on the market, there are two types of insulation commonly used in sleeping bags: down or synthetic. Which insulation type you choose depends on preference and intended activity. Down insulation provides more warmth from a smaller amount of volume of material, but does not play well with damp environments. Synthetic insulation is slightly less warm compared to down, and is slightly bulkier and heavier — but works well in wet weather and is more durable.
Structure
Sleeping bags built specifically for side sleepers have a slightly different structure than your typical bag. Often, they’re built with more room in the elbow and knee area to accommodate lying on your side (or stomach). There are two classic shapes when it comes to sleeping bags: mummy, and rectangular. The debate over which is better for side sleepers ultimately comes down to personal preference; however, by their nature and shape, mummy bags are inherently more restrictive. If you move around or shift positions throughout the night, you may want to consider a rectangular bag with a little extra wiggle room. In this guide, we offer options for both mummy and rectangular bags.
The Best Sleeping Bags for Side Sleepers
Big Agnes Sidewinder SL 20 Sleeping Bag
- Temperature Rating: 35°F, 20°F
- Weight: 2 lbs (35°F)
- Fill: 650-fill DownTek and FireLine ECO Synthetic
More than any other sleeping bag available, the Sidewinder is made for side sleepers. Big Agnes designed it like a typical mummy bag, but its opening faces to the side. It's also a slightly wonky (ergonomic) shape that allows side sleepers to bend their knees inside of it and adjust their foot position for comfort — there are even special zones of synthetic insulation in these areas to allow for that too. Another feature is a hood pocket that holds a pillow in place but allows it to move from one side to another in case you roll around at night.
The Sidewinder also comes in a synthetic version.
Nemo Disco 30 Sleeping Bag
Nemo's Disco includes thermo-regulating "gills" that give it a wide range of comfortable sleeping temperatures, but it also has a unique shape the company likens to a spoon. Whether the comparison is accurate or not, the form allows for more space at the knees, making side sleeping and moving around at night easier.
REI Co-op Siesta
- Temperature Rating: 20°F
- Weight: 5 pounds, 5 ounces
- Fill: 98% recycled polyester/2% polyester (bluesign® approved)
For budget-minded campers who sleep on their side or stomach, this bag is a great introduction to the category. The rectangular shape calls to mind sleeping bags of years past, but the recycled polyester face fabric and recycled synthetic fill are very much 21st century stuff. Reviewers have noticed that the zipper tends to easily snag, and although it's billed as being able to fully unzip to make this into a quilt when needed, the frequent catching will deter you from making the full zip. At five pounds this bag is pretty weighty, but that makes it great for car campers who don't mind a couple extra pounds. At the end of the day, this basic bag is comfortable, low-tech and high-return.
Zenbivy Bed 25°
- Temperature Rating: 25°F
- Weight: 2 lb 14 oz (29°F)
- Fill: 700 fill-power HyperDRY fluorocarbon-free water-resistant 85/15 duck down
Zenbivy's approach to comfortable nights under the stars is a modular, hybrid one. The Zenbivy Bed comprises a two-piece design — a bottom "sheet" with an attached hood hugs onto a sleeping pad and zips onto a trail quilt. Campers can mimic a mummy bag by cinching the quilt's bottom and zipping it up or letting it fly free like the duvet at home. Even the middle ground between those options allows for any sleep position, including on one's side.
Sierra Designs Night Cap 35°
The first thing to note on the Night Cap is its lack of a zipper. Instead, it features a sweeping opening and an interior fold that you can choose to tuck in or throw aside. It also has a self-sealing escape hatch for your feet, allowing you near-total freedom from the confinement that ordinary sleeping bags entail. Sierra Designs also included a sleeping pad attachment system so you can shift from side to side without falling off your mattress or cot.
Coleman Kompact 40 Degree Sleeping Bag
- Temperature Rating: 40°F
- Weight: 4 lb 8.7 oz
- Fill: Coletherm Max (synthetic)
While the Kompact isn't a mummy shape, it does offer compact storage thanks to a compressible stuff sack — and for campers that are looking for a deal, as well as more room than a mummy can provide, this is the bag to grab. Synthetic insulation means you won't have to worry as much about moisture, and the 40-degree rating makes the Kompact a three-season, take-anywhere bag. (For extra warmth in the fall, consider a silk liner.)
Big Agnes Torchlight 20F Down
- Temperature Rating: 30°F, 20°F
- Weight: 2 lb 4 oz (30°F)
- Fill: 600-fill DownTek, water-resistant
In contrast to the other sleeping bags on this list, the Big Agnes Torchlight gets its flexibly spacious design from zippers. Each size of the bag includes zippered expanders that can add an extra five inches of width each. What's more, you can adjust these zippers to separately target the lower or upper portions of the body, or both at the same time. The system gets side sleepers the benefit of extra space without leaving the mummy design behind altogether.
Also available in ultralight and synthetic.
How Many of Us Are Side Sleepers?
According to a 2017 study on sleeping positions, that's most of us. And while camping and backpacking are often exercises in forgoing the comforts of home, our nocturnal movements are often out of our control. Getting tangled inside a sleeping bag or camping blanket and waking up tent mates with constant shuffling are real concerns, not to mention having to hike miles the next day on a poor night's sleep.
How Can Side Sleepers Get Comfortable Outdoors?
Luckily these issues are also avoidable, thanks to a handful of gear makers that have revisited the notion of what a sleeping bag should look like. Side sleepers and night shifters now have a growing selection of sleeping bags to choose from. With unusual shapes and zipper-free designs, this new breed of sleeping bag allows comfort-first campers to relegate mummy bags — and nights spent tossing and turning in a tent — to the ancient past.
