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A great starter bag for the littlest car camping enthusiasts. Read More

A near-perfect kids' bag that's comfortable, lightweight, roomy, and cozy. Read More

A well-priced, kid-sized sleeping bag that is sized right and includes extra comfort features. Read More

A sized-down version of a highly-rated adult bag. This is a terrific, technical bag that will keep kids cozy at a great price. Read More

A great bag for living room sleepovers but may not be warm enough for campouts. Read More

A good kids’ sleeping is bag the single most important piece of gear you need to ensure your family camping trip is one filled with happy memories—as opposed to sleepless nights of discomfort.

We tried nine top-rated sleeping bags for kids—from notable outdoor-gear outfitters to high-ranking Amazon finds—to discover the absolute best kids’ sleeping bags for camping.

For the most comfortable sleeping experience under the stars, we recommend the REI Co-Op Kindercone 25 (available at REI) for its high-quality features and its customizable sizing. For older campers or for side sleepers, we love the L.L.Bean Kids' Adventure Sleeping Bag (available at L.L. Bean) for its overall comfort and terrific features. Finally, for a budget buy, we are fans of the ANJ Outdoors (available at Amazon), which keeps kids cozy at a bargain price.

Read on to learn the ins and outs of kids' sleeping bags, what you need to find the best one for your needs, and why these are our favorites.

Here are the best kids' sleeping bags we tested ranked, in order:

The REI Kindercone has one of the smartest designs of all the kids' bags we tested.

Good-looking, affordable, and packed with smart features, this durable kids’ sleeping bag will last your child all the way from toddler to late tween. The REI Kindercone impressed us at every stage of testing and proved to be a great choice for everything from living room sleepovers to casual campouts.

What’s more, my child has owned an earlier incarnation of this bag since 2018, and we've never been disappointed. We got additional endorsements from NoBackHome, where family camping and travel blogger Karilyn Owen says her son Cian has used this bag for nearly six years. At age 12, Cian is only just ready to size up after having taken it on travels all over the world. This bag is strong, sturdy, and seriously goes the distance.

This 25°F bag will keep kids warm right through freezing temperatures. The bag’s best feature, and one that is unique to the Kindercone, is an attached stuff sack. While we love that the stuff sack will never get lost when packing up camp, the real genius of it being attached is that it can be used to cinch the foot of the bag, creating a more compact sleep space for smaller kids.

A drawcord around the hood and a thick draft tube around the zipper make for a well-insulated kids' sleeping bag for cold nights. Likewise, the double zipper allows for ventilation when nights get hot.

While some testers struggled with the zipper when it got off course, the benefits of this bag far outweigh that small con. For campers under 5 feet tall, we can't recommend this bag highly enough.

Cinch chord for customized sizing

The L.L. Bean Adventure is pricier than the other bags we tested, but it comes with smart features.

Sturdy, warm, and versatile, the L.L. Bean Adventure was voted “most likely to be stolen by a shorter adult” by our testers. As a matter of fact, an average-sized friend of mine—with decades of camping experience—used it during a visit and said it was one of the most comfortable sleeping bags she’s ever slept in. Kids like it, too, and it got high marks from tween testers.

A cross between a mummy and a rectangular sleeping bag, the Adventure has a tapered bottom that keeps in heat while offering an extra roomy footbed that is comfortable for back and side sleepers alike.

Added features like a hood that is perfectly cut to hold a pillow in place, a reinforced zipper to prevent snagging, a bottom vent, a thoroughly luxurious liner, and a built-in sleeve to accommodate a standard-sized sleeping pad all make this a sleeping bag that is built for comfort.

Lightweight yet warm and boasting smart features that ensure comfort for a range of sleeping styles, the only con we could really find was a lack of drawcord around the hood, which is only a problem if things get particularly chilly outside. If you tend to car camp or don’t plan to sleep in low temperatures you won’t be disappointed in this bag.

Roomy for all sleeping positions

The ANJ is well-designed, perfectly sized for kids, and come at a terrific price.

You can’t go wrong at this price for this kid-centric bag. We are fans of the mummy-style with a bottom zip vent, which makes this bag versatile enough for campouts in both cold and slightly warmer weather. The padding is extra soft, making this a wildly comfortable option for kids, and it comes with a convenient little pocket to hold a pillow in place. The exterior of the bag is coated so, while the outside doesn’t have a particularly luxurious feel liquids bead off it, making it one sleeping bag that will stand up to almost any campsite spill.

This great little bag has very few cons to speak of but, you do get what you pay for. The liner fabric feels synthetic, and more sensitive kids will likely complain about it. It also doesn’t feel like a bag that’s built to last more than a few seasons. While this may be a problem for some, keep in mind that it’s a pretty small bag, and you’ll likely be sizing up by the time the bag starts to show signs of wear.

Of note, this bag comes in a couple of different kid sizes, so be careful when ordering. We ordered the extra small and our 8-year-old was at the top end of the sizing spectrum. He’s small for his age, so we can see this being a great, value option for kids ages 3 to 8.

Bottom vent to prevent over-heating

I’m Janelle Randazza, the parenting writer at Reviewed. I’m an avid outdoors woman with nearly 30 years of camping experience: I’m also a total gear nut. On date nights, my husband and I are more likely to go hiking or to REI than to a Michelin-starred restaurant.

I’ve camped New Hampshire’s Mt. Washington in a snowstorm, Joshua Tree in a heatwave, the bottom of the Grand Canyon in the springtime, and in more national parks than I can recall during numerous cross-country trips. Since becoming a parent I’ve also become an avid car camper. (A pastime I scoffed at as “fake camping” when I was childless.)

Some women like diamonds. I like a well-structured piece of gear that I can multipurpose the heck out of. I've tried more sleeping bags in my life than most women have had handbags. When it comes to sleeping bags, I know my stuff.

We recruited kids of varying ages to test out our bags for size, usability, and comfort. Goofy gag glasses were not officially part of testing.

According to many online reviews of kids' sleeping bags, just because a seller (particularly on 3rd party sites) claims to be selling a kids' sleeping bag, that doesn't mean the bag that arrives will be kid-sized. This happens often enough that we felt that one of the most important tests was to determine how these bags fit kids 5-feet-tall or shorter. If what we received wasn't actually a kids' bag—as was the case with the HiHiker—it got docked some serious points.

Next, we tested for usability. We encouraged our 8-year-old, his friends, and cousins to try out the sleeping bags to see if they were comfortable enough to sleep in. They then tested zippers, hoods, and special features for usability. We also got their feedback on the feel of the liner fabric. Bags with uncomfortable liner fabric were retested for bias. If they failed with two or more kids, those bags got sent to the bottom of the heap.

Each bag was kid-tested for comfort (sometimes puppies joined in as well).

We weren’t able to take all of the bags on official camping trips, but we did cozy up in all of them to test for warmth and comfort. Since I’m just over 5’2” I was able to test all but the Kindercone and the ANJ bags myself. Our son and our 10-year-old niece tested the ones that were too snug for me to fit in. That said, I climbed into every single one of these bags to determine the overall comfort of the fabric, the usability, and the durability of each feature.

We reviewed every single component of these bags, from hoods to zippers to drawcords to baffles to footbeds. Each feature was tested for quality and ease of use.

We then combed through online reviews to determine how bags stood up to extended use and numerous washings. If a kids’ sleeping bag doesn’t wash well, it’s not going to last. Most every bag we tested had good washability ratings; those that didn’t, however, lost points as well.

Why do you need to buy a kid-sized sleeping bag? Can’t you just get an adult one for them to grow into? If you’re buying a sleeping bag for anything other than spreading out on a living room floor, the answer is no.

The reason why you need a kid-sized sleeping bag comes down to warmth. The air pockets that are created in a too-big sleeping bag are basically cold air conductors. In order to stay warm, you need a well-fitting bag—this goes for adults, too. If you see an extra-large sleeping bag on sale and you’re only of average height, you want to skip the sale and splurge on getting one that is the right fit.

All of the kids' sleeping bags we tried were tested in our yard.

You'll likely be hard-pressed to find a down-filled sleeping bag that's made for younger kids. There's a reason for that. Poly-filled sleeping bags are (in our opinion) the only choice for kids. They dry more quickly if there are liquid spills, late-night wetness, or even moisture due to the elements. What’s more, in almost all instances poly-filled sleeping bags are machine washable.

Be sure to double-check reviews as to how a sleeping bag stands up to machine-washing. We did the legwork for you here in our scoring, but if you decide to buy a sleeping bag off another list, do your due diligence with this.

While down bags are generally more lightweight and can stuff down smaller than most other bags, if you’re car camping, there is no reason to seek out a down-filled sleeping bag.

On most bags, you'll see a temperature rating printed on the outside of the bag. Most often you’ll see 40°F or 30°F for kids’ bags but, for adults, they can go all the way down to negative 40°F.

It’s important to know that just because a bag says it’s a 30°F bag that doesn’t mean you should expect a good night’s sleep if temps reach 30°F degrees; it just means you won’t get hyperthermia. If you plan to winter camp with your kids, make sure you’re buying a kids’ sleeping bag for camping that covers the temps you’ll be sleeping in.

Likewise, you don’t want to get a 20°F bag “just in case” if the bulk of your camping will be done during the summer. That bag will be too warm for comfort.

We asked kids to zip and unzip the bags, to make sure every bag we recommend can be easily used by kids.

There are a few technical things that you should look for when shopping for a kids’ sleeping bag. While you can get super technical with even more details and features than listed here, these are components we consider essential when shopping for a sleeping bag and may not be elements a novice is familiar with.

Bag shape: Mummy and rectangular are the two key shapes for sleeping bags. A rectangular bag can often be unzipped on three sides, allowing it to double as a quilt or a picnic blanket. People tend to prefer rectangular bags for indoor sleeping bags.

A mummy bag is generally the preferred shape for outdoor sleeping bags as the contoured bottom helps retain warmth, keeping feet warmer. A mummy bag, however, can sometimes be uncomfortable for side-sleepers.

Drawcord: A drawcord allows you to tighten and loosen an area of a sleeping bag. When these cords are positioned around the collar or the hood of a sleeping bag they can be tightened to prevent heat loss.

Draft tube: This is an insulated tube that runs the length of the zipper on the interior of the bag. It stops heat from escaping the prevents cold air from entering the bag. We never recommend buying a sleeping bag without a draft tube.

Baffle: The seams running across the exterior of a sleeping bag are called baffles. They work like quilting and keep the insulation of a sleeping bag in place so that it doesn’t shift or bunch up when a bag is stored or washed. Baffles help to keep cold spots and heat loss to a minimum. If you see a bag without baffles stitched in, don't buy it.

Footbed: This is the area of the bag where the feet go. It’s important to consider the size of the footbed when shopping for a sleeping bag. While preferences may differ, we personally like a shorter footbed for children. While slightly older kids or more experienced campers may prefer a longer footbed where they can store a water bottle or items they want to keep close, for smaller kids a longer footbed just turns into a bottomless pit of lost toys.

This is truly a terrific, kid-sized mummy-style sleeping bag. It’s warm, it's well-structured, and it offers exceptional comfort thanks to a fluffy fill and a silky liner. Coming in at $50, if you’re looking for a technical bag at a great price, we highly recommend the Kelty Mistral Kids.

Made with high-quality materials and construction, this bag is certain to last through numerous growth spurts. The extra snuggly hood comes with top and bottom drawcords to make things cozy as well as extra padding at the top of the hood to keep warmth contained during chilly nights. If the sizing or specifics of the REI Kindercone doesn't look like the right fit for your family, you should definitely give this bag a look.

For better or for worse (depending on who you ask) the Kelty Mistral comes with an extra-long footbed, with 19 inches of space from the bottom of the two-way zipper to the bottom of the bag. For my family that's a con and makes for a less versatile bag. You may feel differently, but it's worth noting this feature before you buy.

The only reason why the Kelty Mistral didn’t snag top honors in our testing is it didn’t have the distinguishing features of the REI Kindercone or the L.L. Bean Adventure. Make no mistake, however, this is an excellent kids' sleeping bag. It comes in two cute colors, sells at a terrific price point, and is sized well to last kids (and adults) up to 5 feet tall.

Large footbed may be too big for smaller kids

While this bag is missing many important components for a good camping bag, it’s a comfy choice for sleepovers and some reviewers even said it performed well for kids who slept outside in their yard. The stuffing of this bag is exceptionally luxurious and will provide extra padding for any princess-and-the-pea style sleepers and, even though this particular model doesn't have any sort of hood to keep in warm, the bag itself is well-insulated.

We liked the thoughtful features like extra padding in the collar, the extra-large and reinforced zipper, and the inside stash pocket. This bag also opens up in a quilt style for kids that prefer to use it as a blanket or for those that tend to overheat.

Where this bag fell short is the inside of the bag is made from the same material as the outside, which makes it uncomfortable without a sheet or some sort of liner.

This is a pretty great bag to cozy up in on the couch, but if you want to actually take this camping, buyer be warned.

While the good points are a silky liner that our tween testers loved, a drawcord around the hood and the collar, and an extra-large guide on the zipper, we became less and less impressed when we got to the nitty-gritty of things.

This sleeping bag comes with a travel pillow, which many reviewers love but we—in all honestly—found to be useless. As far as technical features go, this bag doesn’t have a draft tube to keep the bag warm, and it also has about a quarter-inch at the bottom where the zipper doesn’t meet the bag, so you’re always going to get a bit of draft.

Another issue we had is this sleeping bag just isn’t kid-sized and—as we explained in the “What to look for” section—a well-sized sleeping bag is essential for maintaining warmth. Reviews seem to be all over the place, with some reporting their bag came in too small and others saying it was too big. From our standpoint, if you're over 5-feet tall you might like this one, but if you’re hoping for this to be a good fit for a child, you’ll be disappointed.

Draft collar with draw chord

Too big for most kids

When the main draw of a sleeping bag is the fact that it glows in the dark, yet it doesn't live up to that claim, you’re going to face some pretty cranky kids. While this bag did have some fun features it was met with crinkled noses and pouts once the sun went down.

The positives are a removable and adjustable hood, which can either come off entirely or be cinched for extra coziness; a small internal pocket for treasures; and a rectangular zipper to help with ventilation.

At this price point though, you can do better. Much, much better.

Doesn't actually glow in the dark

Pricey for what you get

The liner of the Teton Celsius is one of the most comfortable and cozy of all we tried. That and the impressive reviews of this bag we read on competitor sites made us excited to take this well-priced sleeping bag for a test spin.

The liner has a buttery feel that hovers somewhere between cotton and flannel and kept us feeling warm and comforted when we climbed inside. The pillow pocket is also just right for holding a full-sized sleeping pillow. While this is definitely a budget bag, it looked like a great value for the price.

Where it fell short is, this bag claims to be a 20°F bag, and it just isn't. We'd be surprised if it's a 40°F bag. The zipper leaves a full half-inch of clearance at the bottom, which will allow for drafts on a chilly night. By the same token, the bottom of the bag doesn’t zip open, which is key for cooling off on hot nights.

This bag can’t decide what it wants to be and, unfortunately, doesn’t seem to do the job well enough on either side of the spectrum.

Finally, it comes in some of the most boring shades and styles around. If you’re going be ineffectual, at least look fun.

Hood perfectly holds pillow in place

No bottom seal to zipper

While the design of this sleeping bag is, undeniably adorable, it’s best used as a bed quilt alternative, or for cozy hangouts on a living room floor. While its fill definitely provides lots of warmth, it doesn’t have any features that will keep a kid warm outside of a room with a fully functioning thermostat.

The materials used for the shell proved quick to fray and the synthetic feel of the liner means you don’t really want to climb into it without a sheet barrier or full footie pajamas.

Janelle Randazza is a writer/mother hybrid and taco enthusiast based out of Los Angeles, California.

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