Best sleeping bags for kids 2022: Ideal for camping and sleepovers | Evening Standard

2022-03-24 11:41:52 By : Mr. Simon Chen

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Keep your little ones cosy and warm, whether they’re on a family camping trip, spending the night in the garden or at a sleepover with friends

here’s nothing more exciting than getting ready for a camping trip and whether they’re at their first festival, on a campsite abroad or even in their own back garden, kids will absolutely love snuggling up in their own special sleeping bag.

But with so many options available, it’s difficult to know which one to choose, especially for first-time campers.

So to help you decide, whether you’re looking for a toddler’s first sleeping bag or an option for teens, we’ve searched around to find 10 of the best sleeping bags for kids.

There are a number of considerations to take into account when thinking about children’s sleeping bags.

In order to choose the best kids sleeping bags for your family, it’s worth thinking about when you plan to use them. If it’s just the odd summer camping trip, warmth may not be a big consideration. So a one or two season sleeping bag will do the job nicely.

However, if you want to be able to take the kids camping all year round, then you’ll need to opt for a three or four season bag in order to keep them warm and toasty throughout the night.

Weight and size may also be an issue if you’re backpacking or headed to a festival. If you need to keep packing to a minimum, look for a lightweight bag, which can be stuffed into a small compression sack. But, if weight isn’t an issue, for example on a family camping trip, you may prefer to go for extra comfort by choosing more of a roll-up bed.

The age of your child should also be taken into account when deciding on a sleeping bag. In order to keep your little one as warm as possible it’s better not to have masses of empty space underneath their feet. So look for a recommended sleeping bag within your child’s age or height range. It’s also possible to buy extendable sleeping bags which grow with your child and save having to buy new ones further down the line, which is a good option if you’re planning to use it for a few years.

Also, this may sound like an obvious one, but make sure it’s washable! Camping usually equals mud in some shape or form, so being able to pop it into the washing machine as soon as you get home is a must. Likewise, hooks to hang the bag out to air during the day may also be helpful.

Whatever you decide to go for, we’ve got all options covered with our round-up of the best sleeping bags for kids.

The Quechua Children’s Sleeping Bag MH500 is a great option if you’re looking for a super warm bag, which will last your little one years.

It has a comfort temperature of 0C (with a limit temperature of -5C), which means that it can be used on those colder spring and autumn nights. Made from 100 per cent polyester, it also has an adjustable hood to ensure that your little adventurer stays cosy and warm all night long.

One of our favourite features was the ‘Pull & Fit’ system, which means that the length of the sleeping bag can be adjusted thanks to a pull cord on either side. It has been designed to fit a child between 115cm and 155cm and means that no heat is wasted when sleeping. Our little tester loved that it could be made to the perfect size for her.

One thing to note if your child warm up quickly and likes to undo their sleeping bag during the night is that it only zips halfway down due to the pull cord system.

The Quechua Children’s Sleeping Bag MH500 has been designed by parents, so it includes lots of thoughtful features borne from hands-on experience, such as a cute toy pocket on the outside so your their best buddy doesn’t get lost in the night.

It weighs in at 1.2kg, is available in three colours and is machine washable.

If you have a teen who is always freezing, think outside the box (or bag?) and get them a sleep suit instead.

The Selk’bag is made from 100 per cent recycled materials and is essentially a sleeping bag onesie.

It includes an adjustable hood and elastic hand openings which can be tucked over chilly fingers while sleeping. It also has zip-off booties with nylon soles which can be worn at night and then removed to wear normal shoes when moving around.

Made from two layers of synthetic hollow fibre insulation and a water resistant coating, the sleep suit is super soft when on and basically feels like walking around in a duvet.

The small Selk’bag fits those between 4ft 5in and 4ft 9in, so perfect for teens. Plus, a kids-specific range will be released later this year, complete with cute designs.

The Selk’bag is warm enough to wear all year round for camping and while our teenage reviewer loved the thought of being so cosy during the night, the main selling point for her was not having to get out of a nice warm sleeping bag in the morning to walk around a cold campsite. Simply unzip the booties and you can continue to wear the suit until the day warms up. Camping bliss!

If you’ve got a wriggler who doesn’t like being confined in a sleeping bag, the roomy rectangular shape of the Kelty Callisto 30 Sleeping Bag is a great option.

It doesn’t include a hood, so it’s better for sleepovers or camping trips where taking along a pillow wouldn’t be too much hassle.

Suitable for children aged 4 to 10, this sleeping bag has been inspired by the popular adult-sized version. It includes an electronics pocket at the top of the bag, which keeps phones safe in one place at night.

It can be used in temperatures from -1C to 30C and weighs 1.16kg. It is available in navy or plum.

If your children seem to have weekly growth spurts, then Regatta’s Hilo Boost Expandable Sleeping Bag is a sound investment. Designed specifically for growing kids, the expandable base section allows the length to change from 170cm to 195cm.

This two season mummy sleeping bag has been designed to retain heat and includes an insulated shoulder baffle to minimise heat loss from the top of the bag. Our little tester really liked how cosy she felt in it.

The 10 per cent polyester bag has a two-way zip, which allows for opening from the top or bottom

It’s a great option for camping trips or festivals when you’re trying to pack light. Its compression stuff sack reduces its size and it weighs just 1.3kg.

If your little one wants a bit of luxury on a night under canvas, look no further than the Tot-2-Ten bundle bed, self-described as “the ultimate kids travel bed”.

Designed for toddlers through to 12+ years, it’s a roll-up bed that can be taken anywhere.

As well as being the perfect option for sleepovers, this is a great way to ensure your kids are super comfortable when camping. It includes a 5cm thick self-inflating mattress, a 100 per cent jersey cotton fitted sheet with waterproof lining and a 15-tog duvet, which buttons at the bottom to keep it in place.

It’s also possible to add inflatable bumpers to the bed (£50) to ensure little ones don’t roll off in the night.

Obviously it comes in much heavier than a sleeping bag, at 5kg, but if weight isn’t an issue, then your little one will be guaranteed a good night’s sleep in this.

The idea behind the bundle bed is to create a planet-friendly sleeping option, that doesn’t need to be regularly replaced and everything certainly feels well made. The duvet and pillow are filled with 100 per cent recycled plastic from bottles and feel super soft and comfortable. In fact, we don’t mind admitting that we felt a tiny bit jealous seeing our little tester all wrapped up in the duvet. Time to check out the adult version!

This simple sleeping bag is a brilliant budget buy for teens off to a summer festival or younger children having their first camp out in the garden.

The Vango Homestead Sleeping Bag is warm and lightweight, suitable for temperatures between 6C and 20C.

It has a rectangular, square bottom design, which provides plenty of space to move around. While it doesn’t include a hood, it does come with an integrated headrest and can be used with or without a pillow.

The Polair polyester lining and shell of the sleeping bag are hardwearing and washable. It also includes a two-way zip, which means that it can also be unzipped from the bottom if more ventilation is needed.

The Vango Homestead Sleeping Bag is also available in an XXL size if your teen prefers more wriggle room.

The Snugpak Basecamp Explorer offers the double benefit of a close-fitting hood to keep your little one warm, along with a square shape which creates more room for kids who like to move around a lot.

Our young tester liked that this one felt more roomy than some of the Egyptian mummy-style sleeping bags.

It also has the extra benefit of being able to be unzipped entirely, in order to become a lightweight insulated quilt. This is perfect for those warmer camping evenings or if you have a little one who always feels too hot in a sleeping bag.

The Snugpak Basecamp Explorer includes a supersoft lining and Isofibre insulation and is suitable to use during late spring and summer. It weighs just 1kg and is available in camouflage print or purple.

Ideal for younger children, the Vango Kanto Junior Sleeping Bag is super soft and great for spring and summer camping trips. The combination of the Polair Microfibre Shell and lining, with the mummy-shape means that it provides a very snug fit.

Suitable for children up to 140cm, the Vango Kanto Junior Sleeping Bag also includes insulated shoulder and zip baffles to reduce heat loss. It is suitable for use between 8C and 20C. It is available in coral, blue and grey. Weighing in at 1.1kg, it can be carried in a compression stuff sack.

If you’re camping with babies or toddlers for the first time, it’s always tricky to decide where they should sleep. Enter the Sleeping Pod.

The unique shape is ideal for little wrigglers, allowing them to stay covered up without feeling restricted. The double-layered synthetic fill is designed to keep them warm all night.

Available in a cute unicorn or space design, this is a great option for a first camping trip. It also packs away into a compact bag, which makes it a good space saver.

While it does suggest that this can be used by children aged 0-2, we think it is probably more suitable for a toddler. Our 18-month-old tester was thrilled to wriggle around to his heart’s content in it.

If your child needs a sleeping bag for school trips or group expeditions, Eurohike’s sleeping bag is practical as well as rather stylish. With a polyester shell and synthetic hollow fibre lining, it has been designed for use in cooler temperatures and can be used comfortably from 3C to 23C.

At 1.88kg it is slightly heavier than some of the other sleeping bags we reviewed, but can be squashed into a compression sack to save space in a backpack.

For a good all-rounder,sleeping bag, opt for the Quechua Children’s Sleeping Bag MH500. It provides a high quality, warm option at a decent price point. We also love that it can be adjusted to fit your child, ensuring that they stay cosy all night long. However, if you’re looking for something totally unique, which will transform those chilly camping mornings, splurge on the Selk’bag.