Last Updated on 10 February 2025 by Colette
When it comes to choosing the best camping sleeping bag for kids or in fact the best sleeping bags for family camping, I’m going to start by saying that I really do think you get what you pay for. If you buy yourself a cheap sleeping bag from the supermarket for a tenner, you’re going to be cold and uncomfortable and will start questioning if in fact camping is for you! The right sleeping bag will make a big difference to your experience and a good sleeping bag will last you for years.
I’ve seen plenty of people say they just prefer to take their duvet with them when they go camping but in all honesty if that’s the case, I think they’ve just not found the right bag yet. Your duvet will take up huge amounts of space in the car (and in fact in the tent too) whereas a sleeping bag packs down small for storage and transport. The design of a sleeping bag means that you’re tucked well in which will keep the warm air around your body – a duvet just isn’t designed for outdoor sleeping. What I will say is that it’s much easier to turn over at night under a duvet and far easier to get up if you need to go to the toilet or something. I’m quite a claustrophobic person so if my sleeping bag is too small or the zip is difficult to move, it can make me a bit panicky but I’ve negated these things by buying a really good quality, larger sized bag with plenty of room for side sleeping! The benefits of a good quality sleeping bag far outweigh the negatives for me.
When you start to do your research, you will notice that sleeping bags come with a comfort or temperature rating – this will tell you the minimum temperatures the sleeping bag is recommended for. We tend to choose a three season bag which is designed for camping from spring to autumn with a comfort rating below freezing – we are never planning to camp in temperatures below freezing but believe me I’d rather just have to stick my leg out of my sleeping bag when I get a bit warm in the middle of the night than to be freezing cold (make sure you can unzip from the bottom of the bag for this!) – you’d be amazed at how cold nights can get and as I always say to my kids, it’s far easier to stay warm than to get warm.
Another feature we like to look out for when choosing the best sleeping bags for our family camping trip is a hood – these are typically referred to as “Mummy sleeping bags” – there are a number of reasons we prefer a mummy-style sleeping bag, the first being that the hood provides extra comfort if you don’t have a pillow (though I’m a bit of a princess and do like to take my pillow camping with me), but more importantly, having the sleeping bag come up around your head, even if you don’t pull it in tight, helps to keep your warm – the shape of the bag tucks in around your shoulders (unlike the traditional rectangular sleeping bags from when we were kids) and the hood traps your body heat, and we all know the stats about how much of your body heat is lost from your head.
I am really fussy about the lining of my sleeping bag – I don’t like it to be slippy like the outside of my bag as I feel that makes it sweaty, I prefer more of a cotton lining that feels like a duvet cover if that makes sense? A while back we replaced my sleeping bag, not realising the lining was different and I just couldn’t sleep in it – I ended up having to give it to one of the kids!
For young children, it’s worth investing in a kids’ sleeping bag (or even a toddler sleeping bag if you’re taking the camping really young!) – the shorter length will mean they don’t slip down inside it and the narrower fit will keep them warmer as less of their body heat will escape. We found our three children graduated to adult sleeping bags at around 10 when they needed more leg room than a smaller sleeping bag could offer. Making sure your kids are comfortable and have the best sleeping bag will ensure a good night’s sleep for both them and you.
Your sleeping bag should be stored in its stuff sack – this will keep it clean for your next camping trip and makes it easier to transport – however I fully recommend giving your sleeping bag a good airing on the line if you can before putting it away. Looking after your sleeping bag properly will mean you get years of use out of it!
Dave and have previously had a pair of sleeping bags that could be zipped together to create a double sleeping bag – he really liked the idea being able to share body heat whereas I just felt completely claustrophobic and had to make him unfasten it all again so we could sleep separately. Our first sleeping bags lasted us for about five years before we decided to upgrade – I would anticipate our newest ones will last even longer making them really good value on a cost per use basis!
I like my sleeping bag to be reasonably spacious – and with Dave being 6ft 5 he needs a bit of extra length in his so we both currently have, and love, the Berghaus Transition XL 300 sleeping bag. I love the feeling of the lining, the wider and longer construction of the sleeping bag gives that bit of extra space which suits us both. The synthetic insulation is lightweight but super cosy and I really look forward to snuggling down into my sleeping bag at night. This is a three-season use sleeping bag with a comfort rating of 1°C – something I never plan on testing! Thanks to a two way zip, I can open the foot of the sleeping bag if I want to cool down a bit. Of course a Berghaus sleeping bag does come with a higher price tag but we picked ours up in the sale and knew that they were worth the investment. (It has become a bit of joke in our family that I’m a bit obsessed with Berghaus now! )
When we first started camping, the kids used their sleeping bags with a SIM (a self inflating mattress – basically a sleeping pad on the floor. We would lay blankets underneath this as it helps to keep it warm. Dave and I would use a standard blow up mattress which frankly I hated. We all now use camp beds which means we are raised off the floor and immediately warmer as a result. For extra warmth, socks, jumpers and hats are all recommended but it is rare that I’ve found a need for that – in fact only when we decided to go camping at the end of September once and that was more about the fact we were cold before we got into bed. I’m definitely not a fan of camping in cold weather; we found ourselves going to bed quite early just so we could get cosy!
Whilst the colour of your sleeping bag obviously doesn’t matter – we do tend to choose different coloured sleeping bags for the kids so that they can easily spot whose is whose. And if you’re trying to encourage little ones into a sleeping bag then having their favourite colour or character might just help entice them to snuggle up for the night! Dave and I usually make sure we have zips which go in different directions so that we are able to work out whose bag is whose – I’m genuinely very fussy about my sleeping bag, can you tell?
Things to look for when you’re investing in a sleeping bag:
Comfort rating – what is the temperature range that your sleeping bag covers?
Seasons – how many “seasons” is your sleeping bag designed for? We recommend a three season sleeping bag for general family camping
Length – make sure if you’re buying a sleeping bag for little kids that it isn’t too long, equally if you’re taller than average you’re going to want to make sure your sleeping bag has enough room.
Insulation – Whilst down insulation is super cosy, it can be a pain to dry out if you bag gets wet. Synthetic fillings are lighter weight and easier to wash / dry if necessary.
Mummy bags vs Rectangular bags – Mummy sleeping bags are much better at preventing heat loss due to their shape and personally I think they are way more comfortable than a traditional sleeping bag.
Price – I really do believe you get what you pay for when it comes to things like this – but I think it’s important to work on a cost per use basis. We use our sleeping bags for multiple trips each year – for family camping trips, for festivals, for Scout camps and for family sleepovers – so I feel we are more than justified in spending a bit extra to get a really good quality sleeping bag. It is of course worth looking out for sales and discounts too!
I hope this has helped a bit in terms of what to look for when choosing a sleeping bag for your next adventure! Ben is currently super keen to try wild camping but that will require a totally different set of kit I think – perhaps a bivvy bag for Christmas!
For more camping content, have a look at these posts next:
Camping kit we recommend investing in
The best tents for large families
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