Kids’ Sleeping Bag

Snug as Bug in a Bag

• What: REI Co-op Kindercone Sleeping Bag
• When: 2 years to 66 inches tall
• Why: Affordable, colorful, durable, last for years
• Where: REI

With the weather warming up, our kids have started talking almost daily about camping. We’d never take them if we hadn’t discovered the Kindercone kids’ sleeping bags at REI.

We love the affordable price, compared to other kids’ sleeping bags. We invested in one for our eldest child more than four years ago, and it still looks great. More importantly, despite the significant growth he’s had from age 3 to 7, it still has plenty of room and keeps him warm, even during chilly nights. Yet he doesn’t wake up too hot, either.

The bright colors and adorable patterns made it easy to sell our very particular kid on this particular design. Each one comes with a stuff sack that can’t be lost even during the most chaotic packing, since it permanently attaches to the sleeping bag. You can use the stuff sack to adjust the length up to five feet and six inches in height, stuffing any extra material into the sack and tightening the drawstring. The mummy shape means it has less fabric to get twisted up around them, and the optional hood provides even more insulation for really cold overnights. The thick material also works great for sleepovers, or any other occasion where you need extra sleeping space, inside or out.

The bag doesn’t stuff down as small as some backpacking versions, but you can get a smaller stuff sack if you need to pack it tighter. Like all their products, it comes guaranteed, so you can return it at any time, but even our kids rough and tumble antics on hard surfaces haven’t made a dent in the nylon fabric.

The synthetic fill means you don’t have to fret if the bag gets wet (for weather or any other reason), and it keeps kids cozy in temperatures as low as 25 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius). Though why anyone would want to be sleeping rough in those temperatures is beyond me. I think camping and summer go well together, and I’m not above missing the crowds on the shoulder season, but winter means sleeping indoors as far as I’m concerned.

We loved it so much we went back and bought the Nodder version for our youngest child when he needed a sleeping bag. The Nodder runs about six inches shorter, and has zipper on both sides of the bag. Both types have Velcro flaps to cover the hard zipper, and can double zippers, one on each end, for infinite adjustments. They also both include plenty of loops for attaching to sleeping mats, so kids won’t slide off in the middle of the night. The Nodder comes in one color, currently, while the Kindercone offers a variety. The exact colors and patterns change from time to time, so if you see one you love, grab it before it’s gone.