Best sleeping bags UK 2026: 7 picks for British nights, compared

The Helium 400 has exactly the rating we'd choose for most of the British camping year: an ISO comfort of 0 °C and a limit of -6 °C, which covers April to October and the odd clear, cold night either side. It does that at 820 g, nearly 600 g lighter than the typical synthetic bag rated 0 to +5 °C. Mountain Equipment is a British brand, the down is RDS certified and traceable, and the shell is recycled. The magnetic Lode Lock closure on the hood and collar works with one hand, even in gloves.

The bag we'd buy if we could have only one. The fit is slim, so if you're broad or sleep on your side, check you have room. It isn't treated to resist damp, so keep it dry in a bivvy or a tent with good ventilation.

It's rare to get a lab-tested rating at this price: +2 °C comfort and -4 °C limit for about £40. That's warm enough for campsites from late spring to early autumn, and the draught collar and adjustable hood hold the heat in better than most cheap bags. It's DofE Recommended, widely stocked, and there's a shorter 250S for smaller adults and teenagers.

The safest cheap bag for a first camping trip or a Duke of Edinburgh expedition. At 1.6 kg it's heavy to carry for days, so if you'll be walking with it every weekend, save up for something lighter.

Down loses much of its warmth when it gets damp, and in a British tent, damp is normal: condensation on the walls, wet kit, a soggy week in the Lakes. Synthetic fill keeps insulating when it's wet, and the Klimatic III is the lightest synthetic bag we compare with a comfort rating of +1 °C or lower: +1 °C at 1.22 kg. Ultralight Outdoor Gear, which stocks it, says that 'temperature-wise, the Klimatic III is impressive'. The insulation and fabrics are recycled, and it has a full-length zip for venting.

The one to choose if you camp in wet weather and don't want to baby a down bag. It's bulkier than down, so check it fits your rucksack before your trip.

Decathlon's MT900 brings the same 0 °C comfort rating as our top pick for about £170, with 800 fill-power down on the top of the bag, where it does most good. It weighs 930 g, about 110 g more than the Helium 400, and it's cut generously for a mummy at about 72 cm across the shoulders. Decathlon publishes the fill weight and the lab rating, which not every cheap down bag does.

The easiest way into a light down bag without paying £250. It's sold only by Decathlon, and the price can't be checked automatically, so look at the price on Decathlon's page before you buy.

From November to March, or high in the Scottish hills at any time of year, you need a comfort rating of -5 °C or lower, and that's what the Ascent -12 °C has, ISO tested. The down has a water-resistant finish, the shell is Pertex Quantum, and the bag is filled in the UK. Its wide mummy cut leaves room for a warm layer inside, which you'll want on a winter night.

A dependable winter bag at a fair price. At 1.35 kg it's heavier than premium winter bags, and the zip is only three-quarters length. For a lighter bag rated even lower, see our winter sleeping bags comparison.

500 g for an ISO comfort rating of +5 °C, packing down to 16 × 30 cm. Rab gets there with 900 fill-power goose down treated to resist damp, a heat-reflective lining and a very short zip. Ultralight Outdoor Gear says it 'sits at the very light end of the market'.

For backpackers, bikepackers and long-distance walkers who count every gram, from late spring to early autumn. It costs about £400, and the short zip makes it hard to cool down on a warm night.

If you never carry your bag further than from the car to the tent, weight doesn't matter, and room does. The Arpenaz is a 215 × 80 cm rectangle with a hood and an ISO comfort rating of 0 °C. That's warm enough for a cold May bank holiday, and the full-length zip opens it out into a duvet on warmer nights.

A warm, roomy family-camping bag for about £60. At 2.2 kg and 29 litres it's far too big to carry, and it's sold only by Decathlon.