Quilts are becoming increasingly popular among hikers, backpackers and mountaineers because they are lighter, less bulky and more adaptable than mummy sleeping bags. Unlike a sleeping bag, a quilt leaves your back in direct contact with the sleeping pad (the bottom of the quilt is open) and doesn’t have any zipper. However, it is typically big enough to be partially tucked under your body. The main argument for using a quilt instead of a sleeping bag is that the insulation on the underside of a sleeping bag gets smashed by your body weight and is thus just an excessive weight to carry because smashed insulation provides very little warmth. Typically quilts also feature a foot box for better insulation in the feet area and come with straps so that they can be attached to a sleeping pad.

Quilts require less fabric and insulation than sleeping bags and are thus in average 30% lighter and smaller (when packed) even while using the same materials. Because they don’t fit snugly around your body, they also enable you to wear clothes during the night for extra warmth. However, quilts also have disadvantages in comparison to sleeping bags. They have to be used with a sleeping pad and they don’t prevent air drafts as good as sleeping bags, since the warm air escapes to the outside when you wiggle around. Therefore, they are not recommended for very cold weather, but most quilts do offer sufficient warmth for 3-season hiking.

In this review we selected the best backpacking quilts for 3-season adventures. We were especially looking for highly functional products which have a great warmth-to-weight ratio.

1. Our Backpacking Quilt Picks

1. Sea to Summit Ember III Ultralight Down Quilt
2. REI Co-op Magma Trail Quilt 30
3. Sierra Designs Nitro Quilt 20
4. Therm-a-Rest Corus HD Quilt
5. Kammok Firebelly Quilt 30

2. Comparison of Backpacking Quilts

Feature/Product	Sea to Summit Ember III Quilt	REI Co-op Magma Trail Quilt 30	Sierra Designs Nitro Quilt 20	Therm-a-Rest Corus 32 Quilt	Kammok Firebelly Quilt 30
Weight	1 lb. 11 oz. (regular size)	1 lb. 3 oz. (regular size)	1 lb. 9 oz. (one size)	1 lb. 4 oz. (regular size)	1 lb. 9 oz.
Weight (Metric)	757 g	538 g	708 g	560 g	708 g
Insulation	Down	Down	Down	Down	Down
Fill Power	850+	850	800	650	750
Insulation Weight	1 lbs. 4. oz.	10.5 oz.	15 oz.	12 oz.	n/a
Insulation Weight (Metric)	500 g	297 g	420 g	340 g	n/a
Type of Down	Ultra Dry Down	Goose down	DriDown	Nikwax Down	Downtek
Outer Material	10-denier Nylon	Pertex ripstop nylon	15-denier Nylon	20-denier Polyester	15-denier Nylon
Packed Size	7 x 8 in.	13 x 4.75 in.	13 x 7 in.	10 x 6.5 in.	12 x 7 in.
Packed Size (Metric)	18 x 20 cm	33 x 12 cm	36 x 20 cm	25 x 17 cm	30 x 18 cm
Lower Limit Rating	14° F (EN Standard)	30° F	21° F (EN Standard)	32° F	30° F
Lower Limit Rating (Metric)	- 10° C (EN Standard)	- 1° C	- 6° C (EN Standard)	0° C	-1° C
Fits up to	72 in. (regular), 78 in. (long)	72 in. (Regular), 78 in. (Long), 66 in. (Short)	75 in.	72 in. (Regular); 78 in. (Long)	88 in.
Fits up to (Metric)	183 cm (regular), 198 cm (long)	183 cm (Regular), 198 cm (Long), 167 cm (Short)	191 cm	183 cm (Regular); 198 cm (Long)	224 cm
Footbox	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Straps for Sleeping Pad	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes

3. The Selection

1. Sea to Summit Ember III Ultralight Down Quilt

Suitable for:

• Hiking
• Mountaineering
• Backpacking
• Climbing
• Camping
• Travelling

The Sea to Summit Ember Ultralight quilt comes in three versions; the Ember I ( temperature rating 50°F), the Ember II (temperature rating 35°F) and finally the Ember III (temperature rating 25°F), which we chose for this list. The Sea to Summit Ember EB III quilt is very light (it weighs merely 757 grams in the regular size) and  thus perfect for those who prefer lightweight hiking. Despite its low weight, it offers great insulation – it has the lower limit rating of -10°C by the EN standard. The shell and lining are made of  a lightweight 10-denier nylon which provides great durability for the weight. The quilt uses 850+ fill power Ultra Dry Down which is treated with DWR (Durable Water Repellant) so that it resists moisture. Sea to Summit claims that Ultra Dry Down absorbs 30% less moisture than untreated down and is up to 60% better at retaining loft when wet. The Sea to Summit Ember III Ultralight quilt also features a footbox with a drawcord and an adjustable strap system for easy attachment to the sleeping pad. Press studs down the side of the quilt allow you to close the lower half for better insulation. The Sea to Summit Ember Ember III quilt is due to its low weight and superb insulation a great option for hikers, mountaineers and other outdoor enthusiasts who need reliable sleeping equipment for  2.5 -season hiking.

 

2. REI Co-op Magma Trail Quilt 30

Suitable for:

• Hiking
• Mountaineering
• Backpacking
• Climbing
• Camping
• Travelling

The REI Co-op Magma Trail 30 quilt is with the weight of 1 pound and 3 ounces (538 grams) lighter than the Sea to Summit Ember EB III quilt, but on the other hand also less insulated – it has a lower limit rating of 30° F (-1° C). The quilt has a super lightweight shell which is made of Pertex ripstop nylon and treated with DWR. The DWR treatment makes quilt’s outer layer water-resistant. The insulation layer uses a high-grade 850-fill power down and thus provides great loft and warmth. The quilt comes with pad cords so you can easily attach it to a sleeping pad. It also has a trapezoidal foot box for extra warmth and an insulated draft tube which can be cinched around your neck to keep warm air inside. The quilt comes with a stuff sack and measures only 13 x 4.75 inches when packed. It is available in three lengths: regular, long and small.

 

3. Sierra Designs Nitro Quilt 20

Suitable for:

• Hiking
• Mountaineering
• Backpacking
• Climbing
• Camping
• Travelling

The Sierra Designs Nitro 20 quilt is lightweight and provides good warmth. It has a lower limit temperature rating of -8 C° by the EN standard. The quilt features hand pockets which allow you to snugly enclose it around your body when the temperature drops. For good insulation it has an insulated hood and a tight-fitting footbox. It is also slightly wider than the other quilts on this list and thus better at preventing cold drafts. The quilt features a 15-denier nylon ripstop shell which provides great abrasion resistance. The insulation layer consists of 800-fill power hydrophobic down (DriDown) – each down plume is treated with DWR so that it stays dry longer when exposed to moisture. The quilt comes with a stuff sack and measures 13 x 7 inches (33 x 18 cm) when packed. It is also available in a 35° F version.

 

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4. Therm-a-Rest Corus HD Quilt

Suitable for:

• Hiking
• Mountaineering
• Backpacking
• Climbing
• Camping
• Travelling

The Therm-a-Rest Corus HD quilt is another great choice for 3-season hiking. The quilt uses 650-fill power down which is treated with Nikwax so that it repels the water (hydrophobic down) rather than absorbing it. Therefore, it offers better warmth when exposed to moisture than regular down. The shell is made of 20-denier DWR treated nylon for good abrasion resistance and weather protection. The quilt has also an elastic footbox so that it keeps your feet warm at low temperatures. As it features snap loops it can easily be attached to a sleeping pad. It comes in two different sizes – regular (193 cm in length) and long (203 cm in length). The Therm-a-Rest Corus is also available in a 20° F version.

 

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5. Kammok Firebelly 30

Suitable for:

• Hiking
• Mountaineering
• Backpacking
• Climbing
• Camping
• Travelling

The Kammok Firebelly quilt is a great option for 3-season backpacking. The quilt is suitable for temperatures down to 30° F (-1° C) and utilizes 750-fill power water repellent down. The Kammok Firebelly quilt is with the total length of 88 in. (224 cm) a bit longer than other quilts in this selection and thus also slightly heavier for the warmth. Nevertheless, due to its length, it can be efficiently used as an underquilt for a hammock. It fits perfectly under the Kammok Mantis hammock tent (reviewed here). The quilt is also equipped with button snaps and cord ends which allow you to create a warm footbox. It comes with a stuff sack and straps for attaching it to a sleeping pad. When packed in the stuff sack, it measures 12 x 7 inches (30 x 18 cm). Read our first-hand review of the Firebelly trail quilt here.

 

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4. Buying a Quilt – What is important?

Insulation:

Quilts utilize either down or synthetic insulation. Down insulation is more thermally efficient (with a superior warmth-to-weight ratio) and compresses better than synthetic insulation. However, down insulation also has downsides; it is more expensive and unable to provide good warmth when exposed to moisture (sweat, rain, high humidity etc.). Nevertheless, as quilts are primarily intended for lightweight hiking, we only included quilts with down insulation in this review.

The quality of down insulation is measured by the fill-power index which ranges from 400 (low grade down) to 900 (high grade down). The higher the fill-power index, the better warmth for the weight the insulation provides. Down is often treated with DWR (Durable Water Repellant) so that it becomes better at retaining warmth when exposed to moisture. Such down is referred to as hydrophobic down.

Shell Material:

The shell of a quilt is typically made either of polyester or nylon of certain denier. The higher the denier, the heavier and more durable is the fabric. In order to be lightweight quilts are typically made of low denier fabrics (denier value of up to 30). Generally speaking nylon is more durable than polyester.

Temperature Rating:

While manufacturers often list temperature ratings for sleeping bags by the EN standard (scientific method to determine warmth of a sleeping bag), they rarely do this for quilts. Nevertheless, they do typically list the lower limit temperature (temperature at which an average adult male will be comfortable) which they determine through their own tests.

Size:

For good comfort a quilt should be slightly longer than your body.   Some quilts come in two sizes – regular and long. It should be also wide enough to be partially tucked under your body.

Weight:

Quilts are typically very light because they don’t require as much fabric and insulation as sleeping bags. We only included lightweight quilts in this review. To learn why it is important to use lightweight gear, read our article Why hike lightweight.