Best Women’s Sleeping Bags for Winter and Cold Weather

Compared to unisex bags, winter sleeping bags for women are usually shorter, wider in the hips and narrower in the shoulders. The really good brands of women’s sleeping bags will even put extra insulation in key areas.

As a petite woman, I can tell you that this really matters in freezing winter temperatures. If your sleeping bag doesn’t fit your body, the bag won’t be able to trap heat well. You end up with cold pockets and a miserable night’s sleep.

Also bear in mind that women tend to sleep colder than men. So, a women’s sleeping bag should have more insulation to achieve the same warmth rating.

So, if you are in the market for a new sleeping bag, I suggest you get one specifically designed for women.

Unfortunatley, there still aren’t too many brands making women-specific sleeping bags. I’ve sorted through them to find the best winter sleeping bags for women. All of the women’s sleeping bags here have comfort ratings of 17 degrees F or less.

Also read:

My feet are inside my pack because my old unisex winter bag was too large for me!

Quick Picks

Best Overall: Big Agnes Torchlight UL
Why? The side zips on this allow you to get a perfect fit. It’s also lightweight and compact for a winter sleeping bag.
Available at: Amazon and Campsaver

Runner Up: Nemo Disco 15
Why? Awesome features like vents and waterproof footbox all at an affordable price.
Available at: Amazon, Campsaver

Best for Ultralight Backpacking: Therm-a-Rest Questar 0
Why? It has a comfort rating of 14F yet only weighs 2lbs 9oz and packs down to smaller than 7L. Virtually no sleeping bag in this temp class is that packable!
Available at: Amazon, REI, Campsaver.

Best Value: Marmot Trestles 15 Women’s
Why? This sleeping bag is very affordable yet still well-made and warm down to 15.6F. It is heavy and bulky though, so better for car camping not backpacking.
Available at: Amazon, Campsaver

Comparison Table

Sleeping Bag	Comfort Rating (F)	Limit Comfort (F)	Fill	Compressed Size	Weight
Big Agnes Torchlight UL	24	12	Down	6x7"	2lbs 5oz
Nemo Disco 15	17	5F	Down	9L	3lbs 1oz
Therm a Rest Questar 0	14	0	Down	6.9l	2lbs 9oz
Marmot Trestles Womens 15	16.7	3.6	Synthetic	16.2L	4lbs 8oz
Mountain Hardwear Bishop Pass 0 Gore-Tex	13	0	Down	12L	3lbs 3.3oz
Mountain Equipment Glacier 1000	12	-2	Down	12x10"	3lbs 4oz

Best Winter Sleeping Bags for Women

1. Big Agnes Torchlight UL Women’s

Why choose? You can completely adjust the fit with side zippers. It’s also lightweight and compact enough for backpacking.

Quick Specs:

Comfort rating: 24F
Limit comfort: 12F
Fill: 850 water-repellent DownTek
Weight: 2lb 5oz (petite); 2lb 10oz (regular)
Compressed size: 6″ x 7″
Sizes: Petite (up to 5’5”) and regular (up to 5’10”)
Available at: Amazon, Campsaver

Big Agnes makes really high-quality backpacking gear. So, it’s not surprising that the Torchlight has all the features you’d want from a winter sleeping bag like a hood which you can cinch up with one hand from inside, draft tubes, and an interior pocket. If you use a sleeping bag liner, then you’ll like that there are loops inside for securing the liner in place.

The standout feature of the Torchlight sleeping bag is that it has two zippers along the sides. When fully unzipped, you can expand the width of the sleeping bag by 10 inches. Because they are 2-way zippers, you have the option of unzipping just certain areas – meaning you can give yourself more space in certain areas while getting a snugger fit in others.

I also love that the Torchlight comes in a petite size. It fits women up to 5’5” and the regular size is up to 5’10”.

There are few versions of the Torchlight. The 20 degree UL version is the most expensive but is lightweight and compact. If you are car camping, you can get the regular version. The petite is 2lbs 13oz and the regular is 3lbs.

Get the UL version on Amazon, Campsaver

Get the regular version on Amazon, REI

2. Nemo Disco 15 Women’s Sleeping Bag

Why Choose? Great value and cool features; designed for women who move around in their sleep

Quick Specs:

Comfort rating: 17F
Limit comfort: 5F
Fill: 650-fill-power down
Weight: 3lbs 1oz
Compressed size: 9L
Sizes: Regular (up to 5’6”), long (up to 6’)
Available at: Amazon, Campsaver

There is a reason this is one of the top-selling sleeping bags for women. For starters, it is very reasonably priced for a down sleeping bag yet still has a quality construction for trapping heat within.

The shape of the Nemo Disco is called a “spoon.” It’s great for side sleeping, especially if you curl up in fetal position. It also allows you to move around easily, so is great for women (like myself) who flip around a lot at night.

Other standout features are the waterproof footbox, which means you don’t want to worry about getting wet if your feet touch the tent walls. There are also “Therm Gills” on the top of the bag. These are zippers you can undo to vent the sleeping bag if it gets too warm. The gills aren’t holes in the bag though, so you can unzip them without letting a draft in.

Check Prices at Amazon, Campsaver

3. Therm-a-Rest Questar 0 Small Size

Why Choose? High-quality sleeping bag with pad sleeve and quilt connectors

Quick Specs:

Comfort rating: 14F
Limit comfort: 0F
Fill: 650-fill-power Nikwax Hydrophobic Down
Weight: 2lbs 9oz (small)
Compressed size: 9L
Sizes: Small fits up to 66”
Available at: Amazon, REI, Campsaver

The Therm-a-Rest Questar is a unisex sleeping bag but it does have a small size which will fit most women well. Even though it isn’t a women’s specific fit, the bag is designed to be warm regardless of how you sleep. This same design also means it works for various body shapes.

One standout feature of the Questar 0 bag is that it has sleeve pads which will fit almost any pad. There are also loops for connecting a quilt, meaning you can easily use this bag with a quilt in very cold winter weather.

Check Prices at Amazon, REI, Campsaver

4. Marmot Teton Trestles Women’s 15 Sleeping Bag

Why Choose? An affordable cold-weather sleeping bag for car camping

Quick Specs:

Comfort rating:
Limit comfort:
Fill: Durable SpiraFil
Weight:
Compressed size: 2L
Sizes: Regular (up to 5’6”), long (up to 6’)
Available at: Amazon, Campsaver

This is one of the only synthetic sleeping bags for women which is still warm enough for cold weather. Because it is synthetic, the Trestles 15 is much more affordable than down bags. The tradeoff is that the sleeping bag is heavy and bulky. The stuff sack is 22L. Even when compressed down to 16L, it is still huge. So, forget about taking this bag on backpacking trips. It’s great for car camping though.

I personally prefer synthetic sleeping bags for car camping because you don’t have to worry about them getting wet like with down bags. So, if you haven’t figured out how to avoid tent condensation yet, then this is a good choice.

It’s too bad that the other versions of the Trestles sleeping bag don’t come in women-specific fits. Marmot – step up your game!

Check Prices at Amazon, Campsaver

5. Mountain Hardwear Bishop Pass Gore-Tex 0 Sleeping Bag

Why Choose? The Gore-Tex shell keeps you dry from tent condensation. It’s also windproof so good for tarp camping.

Quick Specs:

Comfort rating: 13F
Limit comfort: 0F
Fill: 650-fill-power goose down
Weight: 3lbs 3oz (short)
Compressed size: 12L
Sizes: Short (fits up to 5’8”), Regular (6’), Long (6’8”)
Available at: Amazon, REI

The Bishop Pass sleeping bag by Mountain Hardwear is one of the most popular cold-weather sleeping bags. They have a women-specific 15F version. Unfortunately though, they do not currently have a women-specific fit for this 0F bag. There is a short size though which fits up to 5’8”.

There are a lot of professional-level features on this sleeping bag. The standout feature though is that it has a Gore-Tex shell. It really is waterproof, which will alleviate the stress of accidentally touching tent walls which are wet from condensation. Since it’s also windproof, you can use this sleeping bag when tarp camping.

Check Prices at Amazon, REI

6. Mountain Equipment Glacier 1000 Women’s Sleeping Bags

Why Choose? You are willing to pay for a professional-level sleeping bag

Quick Specs:

Comfort rating: 12F
Limit comfort: -2F
Fill: 950
Weight: 3lbs 4oz
Compressed size: 12x10x9in
Sizes: Regular (up to 6’7”)
Available at: Campsaver

Mountain Equipment makes serious gear for expedition-style adventures. They have a few versions of the Glacier sleeping bag. The 1000 is warm down to 12F. They are so confident that you will stay warm that they even offer a guarantee.

It’s hard to see the difference between the Mountain Equipment Glacier and other sleeping bags which have a similar rating. However, the brand really does use higher-quality materials and better design. There is a zoned fit. The baffles are a combination of trapezoid and slanted box shapes, which allow them to trap heat well and get good loft.

The down itself is a very good quality with a minimum cluster content of 90% and minimum fill power of 700. The shell material is water resistant.

All these features do come at a premium cost though!

Check Prices at Campsaver

Resources:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/8578740_Comparison_of_thermal_manikins_of_different_body_shapes_and_size,
https://findado.osteopathic.org/why-do-women-typically-feel-colder-than-men,
https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/IJCST-11-2021-0161/full/html,
https://phys.org/news/2021-10-reveals-evolutionary-women-colder-men.html