When it comes to choosing a low cost sleeping bag, it’s important to consider a few factors beyond the price tag. Things like temperature rating, the overall weight of the sleeping bag, its packability, length and its durability are all crucial factors that, when not taken into account, can lead to a very uncomfortable night’s sleep. In this article, we’re going to show you the best budget sleeping bags out there that actually offer performance; the kinds of sleeping bags that you can use for more than just sleeping on the sofa when you’ve fallen out with your other half.
To help you find the perfect sleeping bag for you, we’ve broken this article into different sections and identified the best sleeping bags for different scenarios. We’ve found the best budget sleeping bag for winter camping, the best lightweight sleeping bag for summer use – the kind of thing that would suit lightweight backpacking or bikepacking – and we’ve also identified the best for three-season use too.
Our criteria? We tried to keep all of the options below £100, though one or two of the higher spec options are a touch over that. We looked for sleeping bags that have a good warmth-to-weight ratio and that are from reputable outdoor gear brands we trust. Most of the options are synthetic but we have also included some down filled options. And don’t forget that a sleeping bag is nothing if it isn’t paired with a good sleeping mat.
If you’re looking for sleeping bags specifically designed for versatility, check out our guide to the best three-season sleeping bags. For premium and specialised options, see our complete list of the best sleeping bags. We’ve also got you covered elsewhere on our site if you’re looking for similar recommendations for the best two person tents, camping stoves, best trekking poles and plenty more.
The Best Budget Sleeping Bags for 2025: The Winners from Our Tests
Here are the options that we deem to be the best; the sleeping bags that offer performance, durability and functionality, and at good prices.
- Best Budget Sleeping Bag Overall – Kelty Cosmic Down 20
- Best Value Lightweight Sleeping Bag – Alpkit Cloud Peak 140
- Best Budget Sleeping Bag for Cold Weather – Forclaz MT500 -5
Kelty Cosmic Down 20
Best budget down sleeping bag for three-season camping and our pick for the best budget sleeping bag overall.
Price: £135
Weight: 1.06kg
Fill type: Down
Comfort rating: 0C
Best for: Three-season backpacking
We tested this extensively as part of our research for our Greener Gear Guide and we were mightily impressed by what it brings to the double. OK, at £130 it’s at the higher end of the scale and stretching the definition of ‘budget’, but we’d say that the price is still very good for what you’re getting here. After all, down sleeping bags don’t tend to come cheap. At 1.19kg, it’s light and packable enough to take backpacking and the comfort rating of 0C makes it warm enough for milder nights in spring and autumn too.
We particularly like the fact that it uses RDS (Responsible Down Standard) certified down and that the shell fabrics only use environmental and health-friendly PFC-free durable water repellent (DWR) treatments. There are nice design touches too. The full-length zip, for instance, has a two-way slider for ventilation in warmer weather, while there’s even a handy internal stash pocket that’s perfect for a phone or head torch.
Kelty, in case you don’t them, are a reputable brand that’s been well known over in the States for some time, and they’re starting to really make waves in the UK now. Good kit at decent prices – and this sleeping bag from them is a case and point.
Buy The Kelty Cosmic Down 20: £134.95 at Wildbounds.com
Alpkit Cloud Peak 140
Our choice for the best value lightweight sleeping bag for summer backpacking
Price: £80
Weight: 1.04kg
Fill type: Synthetic
Comfort rating: 11C
Best for: Summer lightweight backpacking
The Kelty Cosmic Down Sleeping bag is a good pick for backpacking and bikepacking, but if you’re after something even lighter that you can use for summer adventures when the conditions aren’t going to get too chilly, this would be a worthwhile consideration. It weighs just 1kg, will pack down to a bundle that’s smaller than a football and it uses a synthetic insulation that will continue to do what you need it to do, even when it gets wet.
We love the fact that this can just be bundled into the washing machine at home when it’s started to get a bit dirty. Credit to Alpkit for using a PFC-free water repellent coating and 35% recycled content too. It’s a brand we tend to trust here at Outdoors Magic. Based on the edge of the Peak District, they make some very decent gear, always at decent prices, and they’re really good when it comes to warranties, returns and repairs.
Buy The Alpkit Cloud Peak 140: £75.99 at Amazon.co.uk
Forclaz MT500 -5
Our choice if you’re looking for a budget sleeping bag for cold nights
Price: £90
Weight: 1.65kg
Fill type: Synthetic
Comfort rating: -5C
Best for: Cooler camps on the edges of spring and autumn.
This might be classed as a three-season sleeping bag, but it’s very warm for the category. In our tests, we found it was reliable enough for nights that didn’t drop below -5C which makes it suitable for use during the shoulders of spring and autumn and even on the more forgiving winter nights. There are lots of touches we appreciated when using this, including the internal draught baffle, zippers that are easy to locate and that glide nicely and its phone or head torch pocket. We also like the fact it has a two-way zip which gives you the ability to open up the bag at the legs when you want a bit of ventilation.
The synthetic fill isn’t particularly lofty and light feeling and instead it feels thick and flat, but it still brings a good deal of warmth without cold spots. We also felt confident that it could resist any moisture from condensation in our tent. At 1650g, it’s on the heavy side, but it’s still a tolerable weight – the kind of weight that we didn’t find to be too much of a burden to carry in a backpack.
Buy The Forclaz MT500 -5: £89.99 at Decathlon.co.uk
Quechua Comfort Double 0
The best rated double sleeping bag for value
Price: £100
Weight: 4kg
Fill type: Synthetic
Comfort rating: 0C
Best for: Summer camping and year-round van touring
With its comfort rating of 0C, this is a double sleeping bag that’s suitable for tent or van camping right from spring through to autumn (though only on those milder nights in those shoulder seasons). In our tests, we were really impressed by the synthetic fill this sleeping bag uses. It feels a lot like down, bringing a remarkably lofty and cosy night’s sleep. The inside liner is very comfortable against the skin and we liked that it doesn’t make a swishy noise when you move. There’s also the fact that it has a zip on either side which means that the top and bottom can be separated to form two duvets. While it might not be mentioned on the Decathlon website, we found that it’s also possible to transform this into two basic rectangular sleeping bags. Very handy.
Buy The Quechua Comfort Double 0: £99.99 at Decathlon.co.uk
Snugpak Softie Expansion 2
Price: £120
Weight: 1.2kg
Fill type: Synthetic
Comfort rating: 2C
Best for: Late spring to early autumn camping
We’ve tested this sleeping bag over the course of about 6 years now and have found that its ‘Softie’ synthetic insulation makes it very comfortable to sleep in. The comfort rating is 2C and, from our experience, it’s suitable for camping in cool conditions from spring through to autumn, though it’s not recommended for when nights are expected to drop below freezing. There are other heavier weight sleeping bags in the Softie range if you’re looking for something warmer.
There are a couple of things that makes this somewhat different to the other sleeping bags in this round up. First of all, there’s an internal zipped gusset that lets you expand the volume of the sleeping bag when you want to splay out a bit more – or want to cool down. It also comes with a pocket that houses a little LED torch which we found handy for those moments when you need to find something in your tent.
Buy The Snugpak Softie Expansion 2: £118 at Snugpak.com
Robens Moraine I +11C
Price: £78
Weight: 615g
Fill type: Synthetic
Comfort rating: 11C
Best for: Warm summer conditions
If you’re after camping equipment that performs well without breaking the bank, Robens is a brand we recommend turning to. We’ve been impressed by all the gear we’ve tried from them – the Robens Klondike tipi tent in particular. For 2025, they’ve got lots of different sleeping bag options to cover all kinds of needs. This one, the Moraine I +11C, is our pick if you’re after a lightweight sleeping bag that will suit warm weather adventures. It’s the kind of thing that will really suit any fastpackers, lightweight backpackers or bikepackers travelling somewhere warm. The whole thing packs down to about the size of lunch box, it has a recycled lining, an inner valuable pocket, and it’s machine washable.
Buy The Robens Moraine I +11: £78 at Robens.de
Mountain Equipment Klimatic I
Price: £130
Weight: 750g
Fill type: Synthetic
Comfort rating: 4C
Best for: Lightweight backpacking in warm summer conditions
Mountain Equipment is arguably one of the best brands out there when it comes to sleeping bags. Another thing that can be said about the brand is that its products, which are often highly technical, can come at some eye watering prices. Not all of them though. There are some exceptions, and the Klimatic I is one of them. It’s a sleeping bag that has the look and and some of the technical details of Mountain Equipment’s top level stuff, but it comes at a fraction of the price – £130. It’s a sleeping bag that’s light and packable and warm enough for summer adventures or year-round van touring. Camps in late spring to early autumn in moderate climates will be fine with it too. The fill is Mountain Equipment’s PolarLoft synthetic insulation which has excellent resistance to moisture and is able to continue to insulate even when it does become saturated.
Buy The Mountain Equipment Klimatic 1: £130 at Mountain-equipment.com
Vango Apex 2
Price: £140
Weight: 1.75kg
Fill type: Synthetic
Comfort rating: Around 0C
Best for: Three-season cool to mild conditions
We’ve been testing this sleeping bag from Scottish brand Vango over a period of two years, including on some chilly camps on the shoulders of spring and autumn. It’s a fully synthetic bag that feels almost like its fully filled with down, but it has the added advantage over down in that it can still provide reliable warmth even when it’s wet.
Its comfort limit is given as -6C but no comfort rating is listed. From our experience, we’d say it’s great for nights when the temperature is around the 0C to 2C mark and we used it comfortably down to around -2C with some warm baselayers and a good sleeping mat. Interestingly, Vango say it has ‘aluminised fabric’ layers within its walls which help to reflect that extra bit of heat back at you without adding on much in the way of extra weight. It’s a nice detail that you tend to see on much higher priced sleeping bag brands and wouldn’t expect to see on one priced at a respectable £140.
It’s a touch heavy and bulky, and those are the main drawbacks here, but we can tolerate them given the price point.
Buy The Vango Apex 2: £140 at Vango.co.uk
You May Also Like:
Best One Person Tents Reviewed
