What makes it an ultralight quilt?
For the sake of this guide, we consider any backpacking quilt that is comfort-rated down to freezing and weighs 23 oz or less in standard/medium/regular sizing to be an ultralight quilt. However, there is no technical definition, and weight benchmarking is also relative to the temperature rating that you are shopping.
For 30 degree bags, we might consider the cut off to be 20 oz, and for 10 degree bags, closer to 30 oz, since they require more down, more fabric to contain the down, and extra interior space to layer.
How to sleep warm in a backpacking quilt when its cold
People are sometimes worried about sleeping cold in their backpacking quilt, but we find this to be a non-issue, even when using ultralight quilts in temps well-below freezing in the depth of winter. Most people quickly master the ability to move around inside a quilt without letting gaps form, or recognizing the occasions when they do and adjusting accordingly.
Choose a backpacking quilt that is warm enough
Unlike sleeping bags, quilts are not given EN/ISO warmth ratings, so we highly suggest you refer to our modeled comfort rating to understand the true comfort range in which you can expect to use a particular quilt. But if you can’t find the quilt you’re looking for in our guide, assume the comfort range is approximately 10 degrees lower than what it says in the product name.
The REI Magma 30 trail quilt, for example, isn’t comfortable at temps below 40. For people with cold feet, we recommend choosing a sleeping bag with a sewn closed footbox, rather than one that can be opened with a cinch or zipper. The sewn closure means no cold spots. Plus, it is the best option for maximizing warmth-to-weight.
Choose a backpacking quilt that is wide and long enough
To prevent drafts and warm air leaking out, you must choose a quilt that is wide enough to drape and pool at the ground on both sides of you. This creates a draft-free seal.
Carefully read the manufacturer’s size guide and always size up in the event that you are unsure or in between sizes. Many quilts also have sleeping pad attachment points that can be utilized to keep the edges of the quilt tucked neatly around you, though we rarely even find the need for this. It is also important to choose a quilt that is long enough.
When sized properly, you should be able to stretch out fully and still have the quilt coming up around your face without pulling it taught. This allows for spare room to wiggle and shift without creating gaps.
Choose a sleeping pad that is warm enough
Because quilts are backless, it is important to use a high R-value sleeping pad. While the back of a sleeping bag is one of the least hard working parts of the entire garment, it still adds a small insulation boost, and quilt users need to compensate for this loss.
To ensure we sleep warm on three season trips, we prefer the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT, which has an R-Value of 4.5. In winter, we may even use its warmer sibling, the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm NXT, which has an unprecedented R-value of 7.3
Wear a hat to bed, and/or choose a mid-layer and puffy that both have a hood
To insulate your head on cooler nights, backpacking quilt sleepers need only wear a warm hat to bed. We actually find this to be comfier and more freeing than a sleeping bag hood. In truly frigid conditions, you may want to wear a fleece or down puffy to bed and can pull the hood up around you to further insulate your head and neck. If you are still concerned, you might even purchase a modular down hood. This is effectively a puffy balaclava, and we start to consider using them when camping in temps below 20 degrees.
Use the snap closure to form a seal around your neck.
It sounds obvious, but don’t forget to use the snap closure to seal out drafts at your neck and shoulders. This is the easiest step to take and every quilt has one!
Why focus on 20 degree backpacking quilts and sleeping bags?
For ease of comparison, this buyer’s guide focuses exclusively on 3-season backpacking quilts and sleeping bags with 15-20 degree ratings in their product name. This translates to a 25-30 degree lower comfort limit, which we feel is the most useful, all-purpose insulation level which provides a few degrees of buffer below the lowest temperatures most backpackers will experience in a season.
However all of these sleeping bags can also be purchased in 0, 10, and 30 degree versions, and the same recommendation qualifiers apply when comparing models. Unsurprisingly, the best overall 20 degree sleeping bag is also the best overall 30 degree sleeping bag.
Warmth-to-weight ratio is key for an ultralight quilt
Sleeping bags have one main job – keep us warm. And so long as they’re doing that, the next most important thing is not to weigh down the backpack when carried. That’s why our guide focuses on warmth-to-weight ratio as the ultimate measure of performance for backpacking quilts and sleeping bags.
We’ll pass on all of the bells and whistles, so long as you give us a high warmth-to-weight sleeping bag at a good price.
Most features are nice, but not necessary
While significantly less important than having a good warmth-to-weight ratio, other features are worth considering to evaluate the entire user experience. Zipper snag guards, and the ability to cinch down around your head or neck are the two most important. But beyond that, which are worth their weight is fairly subjective.
Convertible blankets are very nice, especially in summer. We usually prefer sewn footboxes to ventilated ones for maximizing warmth-to-weight, but an exception would be made for 30 degree summer bags. Internal pockets are generally unnecessary, and we rarely go for draft collars except when winter camping.
Down and fill power for a backpacking quilt
High quality down plumes are the most important part of a sleeping bag’s ability to loft and insulate. Down plumes are rated according to the amount of square inch volume taken up by one ounce. 900+ fill power is considered the loftiest, highest quality, most expensive down, and what is used in ultralight quilts and sleeping bags.
Fill powers ranging from 700-900 are considered good. Fill powers from 500-700 are low-to-mid-tier. We’ve even noticed 1,000 fill power down being used recently. While we believe this is a strict performance upgrade, we’re worried that the most voluminous plumes would also be most susceptible to damage with use over time. Will theyquickly degrade to a 900 fill power level, thus making paying extra for it a bad long term investment.
Will higher fill powers continue to be offered as we get better at sifting the best plumes to the top? We will report back if we learn more.
Down vs synthetic for backpacking quilts and sleeping bags
As of 2023, high fill power down (900+) still outperforms synthetic insulation in warmth-to-weight, which is why all of the best performing backpacking quilts and sleeping bags are still filled with plumes. But technology creeps forward, and every year brings us closer to the day when synthetics surpass down in terms of performance.
At time of posting, top tier synthetic insulation appears to be edging out 650 fill power and is creeping towards 800 fill power. And when manufactured with recycled materials, synthetics are beginning to appear as the more ethical choice too. We’re keeping our eye on the development of synthetic insulation for backpacking quilts and sleeping bags, and will report back as developments occur in this niche.
Fabrics for backpacking quilts and sleeping bags
The best ultralight backpacking quilt fabrics are the lightest ones that reliably encase down, and are just durable enough for backcountry use. To maximize warmth-to-weight, it is important to minimize fabric, as it is a low contributor of insulation. Ripstop nylon still reigns supreme here, and we prefer it in 7 denier (7D). If you’re hard on gear, we recommend you find a sleeping bag with a 10D+ Ripstop nylon.
Backpacking quilt and sleeping bag baffles
From a performance perspective, it is preferable to sew vertical baffles (paralleling the body) along the chest and legs of a sleeping bag. This is compared to horizontal baffles (running perpendicular to the body) in which gravity will slowly cause down plumes to drift off the top center of the body and down to the lower sides. This exposes a cold spot directly on top of the sleeper and must be prevented.
Backpacking quilt > sleeping bag
It is our long-held belief that the best ultralight quilts outperform the best sleeping bags in terms of warmth-to-weight, value, and overall user experience. Quilts are composed only of the three hardest working parts of a sleeping bag (top, sides, footbox) and cut the three least hard working parts (zipper, hood, back).
Compared to down and nylon, zippers are relatively heavy. Compared to fully lofted down on the top and sides of a sleeping bag, down that is compressed by the weight of your body and hood is relatively ineffective. By doing away with zippers, backs, and hoods, camp quilts reduce production cost, save weight, shave inefficiency parts, and increase warmth-to-weight ratio.
When not testing sleeping bags, we always carry backpacking quilts. But we understand why people love sleeping bags. The sensation of fully zipping up and tucking into the hood is cozy and hits just right. That’s why we fully endorse bags in our guide to the best sleeping bags for backpacking. But you are at home here if you want only the best warmth-to-weight ratio.
Backpacking quilt maintenance
While unpacking from your trip, make sure to dry out and re-fluff your backpacking quilt. We recommend running it through a front loading dryer on low for 10 minutes, or until dry. Store it in the big cotton bag it came with rather than compressed in a dry bag. If you notice that your sleeping bag is slowly losing loft, try washing it with Nikwax downwash.
With use over time dirt and body oils will slowly start to penetrate the fabric and build up on the plumes. This degrades their loftiness, thus decreasing the insulating ability of your sleeping bag. We find that washing resuscitates down up to 90% of its original off-the-shelf performance, and we try to do it about once every other year for high-use backpacking quilts.
In conclusion
The best backpacking quilt is such because it has a high warmth to ratio, and a low total weight. The ultralight quilts in this buyer’s guide have the highest warmth-to-weight ratios according to our predictive model. All of the best ultralight backpacking quilts are manufactured by the cottage industry, but we know see some high performance and value quilts from mainstream brands. Any backpacking quilt on this list would make for an excellent next backcountry sleep system.
