All 21 bivvy bags we track: 12 waterproof bivi bags for sleeping out without a tent, and 9 emergency bivvies and survival bags for a walker’s kit or a power cut. Weights, waterproofing and the lowest UK prices, with every spec sourced.
Reusable bivi bags in waterproof, breathable fabric, from 236 g to 1,130 g and £24.99 to £339.99. Lightest first.
4 photosLightest
Ultralight 10,000 mm sleeping bag cover with taped seams, a zipped mesh hood and a 20 × 9 cm pack size.
From
£182.75RRP £215
15% off · at Trekitt
6 photosUltralight
A 285 g, 3-layer bivvy rated 20,000 mm waterproof and 30,000 g/m² breathable.
From
£159.99
at Alpkit
6 photosBest valueThe UK wild-camping default: 10,000 mm, taped seams, 330 g, under £60.
From
£54.99
at Alpkit
Cheapest
The £25 way to try bivvying before you commit to a serious bag.
From
£24.99RRP £39.99
37% off · at Mountain Warehouse
4 photosBest with a zip
Military-spec Paratex bivvi with a half-length zip and almost no condensation.
From
£96.95
at Military Kit
Lightest premium
A 440 g Pertex Shield Air bivi with a bathtub floor for alpine and bothy nights.
From
£249.99RRP £299.99
16% off · at Ultralight Outdoor Gear
4 photosLightest hooped
A 511 g single-hoop bivvy in recycled Pertex Shield NetPlus, with a clamshell entry, insect mesh and twin vent flaps.
From
£239.99RRP £274.99
12% off · at Ultralight Outdoor Gear
Roomy cutA 547 g zipped bivi with a 10,000 mm head and 10,000 g/m² breathability, cut for bulky bags.
From
£108.95RRP £145
24% off · at Cotswold Outdoor
Best hoopedA hooped, freestanding bivi with a midge door that feels like a tiny tent.
From
£339.99RRP £419.99
19% off · at Ultralight Outdoor Gear
11 photosHooped bivvyA free-standing hooped bivvy: 900 g, two alloy poles, 10,000 mm outer and side-zip entry.
From
£109.99
at Alpkit
3 photosMilitary surplusBritish Army surplus
Ex-forces surplus MTP bivvy bag in a waterproof, breathable Gore-Tex-type membrane, with no zip and a drawcord hood.
From
£29.99
at Springfields
9 photosBivvy-tent hybridA hooped bivi shelter with a 5,000 mm fly, 8,000 mm bathtub floor and mosquito net, 1.13 kg.
From
£127.46RRP £149.95
14% off · at Trekitt
Light bags to keep in a rucksack, a car or a home emergency kit, from 105 g to 385 g and £4.99 to £48.71. Lightest first.
3 photosLightestThe lightest bag on test from a British mountaineering brand.
From
£18
at Rab
5 photosBest all-rounder
The benchmark reflective bivvy: sealed seams, 90% heat return, and a rescue whistle.
From
£19.99
at Needle Sports
2 photosBest value reflective
DofE-recommended metallised bag that packs smaller than a drinks can.
From
£10.95RRP £14
21% off · at Cotswold Outdoor
2 photosTwo-person
A 150 g emergency bivy for one or two people that packs to 5 × 5 × 9 cm.
From
£21.28RRP £25.95
17% off · at Alpinetrek
2 photosBest breathableA breathable bivvy you can actually sleep in without waking up soaked.
From
£47.34
at Oliunid
5 photosCheapest
The cheapest way to tick the survival-bag box on a kit list.
From
£4.99
at Highlander Outdoor
Reusable ripstopA tough, reusable 70D ripstop emergency bivy for one: 280 g with a rolltop stowaway bag.
From
£48.71RRP £64.95
25% off · at Alpinetrek
10 photosBest for twoThe heavy-duty orange polythene bag every UK mountain leader carries.
From
£5.99
at Cotswold Outdoor
6 photosWarmest
Mountain-rescue kit: three insulating Reflexcell layers vacuum-packed flat.
From
£40.79
at Medisave
For sleeping out on purpose, choose a waterproof bivvy bag. It goes over your sleeping bag and mat, keeps off rain, dew and wind, and lets moisture from your body escape. Compare the fabric’s hydrostatic head (waterproofing, in mm), the weight and the entry: a side zip is easier to get in and out of, and a hoop keeps the fabric off your face.
For emergencies, choose an emergency bivvy or survival bag. These are light, cheap bags that keep you out of the wind and wet if you’re stuck on a hill or at home without heating. Our power cut guide covers what to keep at home. Most aren’t breathable, so they’re for a night in a crisis, not for regular camping. See survival bag vs space blanket for which to carry.
Bivvy, bivi or bivy? All three spellings mean the same thing, and all come from bivouac, a basic camp without a tent. We compare camping bivvy bags. Fishing “bivvies” are small tents for anglers, which we don’t cover.
Want a shortlist? Read our pick of the best bivvy bags in the UK. Weighing up a bivvy against a tent? See bivvy bag vs tent, including where you can legally sleep out.
A bivvy bag doesn’t replace insulation: you still need a warm enough sleeping bag. Compare sleeping bags to go with it.
