If you only own one sleeping bag, then a sleeping bag liner is a sure-fire way to make you a little bit warmer while snoozing under the stars.
They also provide the benefit of protecting your sleeping bag and extending its useful life.
But, with so many options available today, it can be difficult to decide what liner is right for your needs.
To make things easier, we’ve created this sleeping bag liner buying guide that covers the ins and outs to help you decide which liner is best for you.
Our Top Pick: Sea to Summit Silk Premium Mummy Bag Liner
Sea to Summit is known for making top-notch sleeping bag liners and this silk liner is no exception.
Made with premium grade silk in a tapered mummy design, the Sea to Summit Silk Premium liner is specially designed to increase your sleeping bag’s thermal efficiency while remaining compact, light, and comfortable.
At only 125g, this liner will add just a small amount of weight to your camping gear and its ability to keep you warm during cold evenings and cool during warm nights makes it all worth it.
This fantastic sleeping bag liner even comes with its own ripstop stuff sack for easy transport and storage, so you can take it anywhere.
What’s the catch, you ask? At around $100, the Silk Premium Mummy Liner from Sea to Summit certainly isn’t cheap.
That being said, this liner uses the best materials and a proven design that’s sure to impress. But, if you ask us, despite the price, we definitely think it’s worth it.
Best Value: Roman Cotton Sleeping Bag Liner
If comfort is key, then you won’t go wrong with this sleeping bag liner from Roman. Made of extra-soft cotton fabric, this liner is breathable and comfortable in any condition.
This liner’s fabric is super soft to the touch and the standard rectangular design means you’ll have all the wriggle room you need at night.
Since you can wash it regularly, using a Roman liner is a great way to keep your sleeping bag clean and extend its usable lifespan. The liner even includes a convenient stuff sack for transport and storage, so it’s really a no-brainer.
Budget-conscious campers will love this affordable liner, which is great for kids and adults, alike!
Best for Warmth: Sea to Summit Thermolite Reactor Plus Sleeping Liner
Cold sleepers will absolutely love this sleeping bag liner from Sea to Summit.
The Thermolite Reactor Plus is a super warm liner that increases your sleeping bag’s temperature rating by an unbelievable 11 degrees C, so you can kiss cold, uncomfortable nights goodbye.
Made with 100g/m thermolite construction in an ergonomic mummy design, this liner will keep you nice and toasty on its own or in conjunction with your existing sleeping bag.
Even better: the drawcord hood is cosy and warm, so you’ll sleep tight from head to toe.
Although it’s not silk, the Thermolite Reactor Plus packs down quite small in its ultra-sil stuff sack.
This liner is even machine washable and has run-proof colours, so you can wash it instead of fussing with trying to clean your sleeping bag.
The liner’s size means it’s best for campers under 1.8m tall and it’s sure to be a fan favourite with everyone in your group.
Sea to Summit Expander Travel Liner
Campers who want the quality of a Sea to Summit sleeping bag liner without the exorbitant prices of silk have found their perfect match in our value pick – the Expander Travel Sleeping Bag Liner.
Made of stretch knit poly cotton, this liner is soft and stretchy, so it’s great for people who like to wriggle in their sleep.
Sea to Summit designed this liner with anti-microbial properties which help it stay odour free while extending the life of your sleeping bag.
There are also models of this liner that come with a pillow insert that stops your pillow from falling off your sleeping mat or stretcher in the middle of the night.
We’d recommend the Sea to Summit Expander to anyone in need of a versatile, yet affordable sleeping bag liner.
Since it’s made of cotton, it’s particularly well suited for dry conditions, and less so in wet locales. But, wherever you take this liner, it’ll impress you with its warmth and comfort.
Sea to Summit Silk Rectangular Sleeping Bag Liner
If you’re not looking for the lightest gear on the market, you probably don’t need a mummy sleeping bag liner, so you can save some money and enjoy the extra wiggle room in a rectangular liner.
This Sea to Summit liner is the rectangular version of this buying guide’s top pick and has many of the same properties with some added bonuses.
Made of premium AA grade ripstop silk with polyester and lycra stretch gussets, this is one comfortable sleeping bag liner.
This rectangular liner has a bit of stretch built in so you can sleep without feeling restricted.
Machine washable and colourfast, this rectangular silk liner from Sea to Summit increases your sleeping bag’s thermal efficiency and is slightly less expensive than the mummy version.
We’d recommend the rectangular liner for campers who aren’t too worried about the weight or bulk of their gear or campers who prefer a little extra space in their liner.
Sleeping Bag Liner Buying Guide
Here are a few things about sleeping bag liners that you ought to consider before you buy:
Material
Not all sleeping bag liners are equal here, and the silk liner generally reigns supreme.
Silk’s amazing ability to keep you warm on cold nights yet cool on warm nights means it’s incredibly versatile. But, that comes at a price.
Cotton and thermolite (polyester) are great alternatives for budget-wary campers and we have some of these options in our review.
Length
If you’re on the taller or shorter ends of the height spectrum, you’ll want to listen up: sleeping bag liners come in a variety of lengths, so if you want one that fits, you’ll need to pay particular attention to each model’s dimensions.
Shape
Some liners are a classic rectangular shape, which gives you plenty of space to roll around at night.
Others are ‘mummy’ shaped, so they try to match the contours of our bodies.
Mummy liners save weight and bulk by reducing excess material bus some campers find them restrictive and uncomfortable to sleep in.
Packed size
Silk liners tend to pack down quite small while cotton and fleece liners are often quite bulky. If you’re a space-conscious camper, you might want to opt for a silk liner for its small size.
Price
Brace yourselves, here – sleeping bag liners can be surprisingly expensive.
But, with liners, an increase in price often means superior materials (e.g. silk), so you can consider it a good investment.
Cotton and fleece tend to be cheaper alternatives that suit most campers just fine.
