It’s important that your kids sleep well at night because when they do so do you. Your kid’s warmth and comfort is your responsibility if you are the parent.
However, children have different requirements to adults when it comes to sleeping bags. The design of children sleeping bags are a lot more simpler.
Manufacturers usually make use of cheaper materials to make kids sleeping bags. Most are filled with synthetics rather than down. It’s fair to assume that if you’re going to invest in a high quality kids sleeping bag it’s not going to be something your children will grow out in a few years.
It’s not only price that’s the reason why synthetics are used instead of down. Less care is needed when using synthetic sleeping bags and when wet they’re easy to dry. This property is convenient especially when your kids are in the nappy years. You’ll rarely ever see kids sleeping bags with down fillings but the Montbell UL Alpine Down Hugger #3 Sleeping Bag is one of the best if you can afford it.
For backpacking, weight is an important consideration. However, since kids sleeping bags are small, the difference may not be very big.
Lower quality kids sleeping bags are more popular. Down may be overkill anyway since kids sleep warmer than adults. They may seem likely to lose more heat than adults while sleeping in the cold because of their smaller bodies, with a bigger surface/volume ratio, but they tend to have a higher metabolic rate.
Most non-rectangular kids sleeping bags have a hood, draft tube and draft collar. The hood is critical in really cold weather because you lose a lot of heat through your head.
The North Face Tigger is a popular choice of its safety features. With no cords to adjust the hood or chest section there’s no way for a kid to get tangled in sleep.
A draft tube is an insulation-filled tube that runs alongside the bag’s main zipper. It is designed to keep warmth from escaping between the zipper coils. Draft tubes are sometimes present to prevent heat from escaping up the sleeping bag.
You’ll find that kids sleeping bags are also made by REI, Deuter, Lafuma, Big Agnes and Slumberjack among others.
The bags ranged from the low-budget baby-fat types to more sophisticated models with draft collars, shaped hoods, pad loops and more. Kids sleeping bags are relatively cheap in general but higher end bags can cost up to $500.
Tags: Outdoors Activities