When a company that specializes in outdoor gear really impresses us with their high quality products, we always like to pass that information on to our readers.
One product line that really impressed us was Rab® sleeping bags. Rab® was founded in the early 1980’s by Rab Carrington – and he specialized in understanding what gear climbers and mountaineers wanted and needed.
Today Rab® produces incredibly well designed outdoor gear that can be used from the more standard outdoor adventures to the very extreme cold weather mountaineering adventures!
What we wanted to concentrate on in this article is the best Rab sleeping bags. They make some of the best cold weather down sleeping bags in the world, but also have some very affordable down sleeping bags that everyday outdoorsmen will enjoy using!
What is even more amazing is that these down sleeping bags are still filled by hand at Rab’s factory in Derbyshire, UK. If you are looking for dependability and quality – Rab is off the charts!
Below is our list of the best Rab sleeping bags- and they really do create something for everyone!
Table of Contents
Rab® Ascent Series Sleeping Bags
For most of our readers who are looking for a very high quality down sleeping bag, we are going to recommend the Ascent Series from Rab.
The Ascent Series brings a lot of flexibility- they are designed for everyday outdoor use unlike some of the more specialized lines from Rab. Seeing how most of our readers are outdoors from March until it gets too cold – this line will be ideal for you!
This line has seven different options you can pick from – Ascent 1100, Ascent 900, Ascent 700, Ascent 500, Ascent 300, and the Women’s Ascent 700 & 500.
All of these sleeping bags are filled with hydrophobic duck down. The number determines the amount included in the sleeping bag. Ascent 1100 has 1100g, Ascent 700 has 700g and so on.
The more down material, the colder the temperatures you can use these sleeping bags in. However, the more down material, the heavier the sleeping bag is going to be.
All of these sleeping bags are going to have a hooded design, down materials, a compression stuff sack, and will be made from very durable materials.
The standard size for these options are going to be 72.8 inches in height (should fit adults up to 6 feet 1 inches in height), 30 inches wide at the shoulders, 25.5 inches wide at the hip, and 19.5 inches wide at the feet.
The Women’s versions are a little bit smaller in size. They are normally 67 inches in height (fits adults up to 5 feet 7 inches), 29 inches wide at the shoulder, 26 inches wide at the hip, and 19.5 inches wide in the foot area. Since they are smaller in size, they do weigh less as well.
Weight and temperature rating are going to vary significantly depending on which version you pick. For example the Ascent 300 has a temperature rating of 34°F and weighs about 1.85 pounds – which is ideal for hikers!
The Ascent 1100 has a temperature rating of -13°F and weighs 3.5 pounds. Again, the more down material you have means you will have a lower temperature rating, but it will weigh more.
Most of our readers will be interested in the Ascent 300, 500, or 700 options because they will be ideal for early spring to late fall camping in most places. The 1100 and 900 option are great choices if you need a slightly warmer sleeping bag or you do live in a colder region of the United States.
Each sleeping bag comes in a different color scheme, and the price is going to range from around $245 to $400 depending on which option you pick.
Because of its flexibility, incredible down materials, and an overall design geared towards heavy outdoor usage, this is our #1 recommended Rab sleeping bag option for most people!
Rab® Expedition Series Sleeping Bags
The Rab® Expedition sleeping bags are designed for polar environment adventures – so you better believe these are well-built and super warm.
You have 3 options in the Expedition Series – the 1000 sleeping bag, the 1200 sleeping bag, and the 1400 sleeping bag.
The number refers to the amount of high quality European Goose Down that is included in each bag. For example, the Rab® Expedition 1000 has 1000g of European Goose Down.
All 3 of these choices are made with the Goose Down, have water-resistant linings, a hood design, a strong outer fabric and inner fabric lining, a tight fitting neck baffle design to keep you extra warm, and an overall mummy shape for the design.
From a size perspective, each bag is identical. They are 76.8 inches in height, 31.5 inches wide at the shoulder, 25 inches wide at the hip, and about 17.5 inches wide in the foot area. This extra-large space is designed to fit the extra bulk that comes from wearing expedition/cold weather adventure clothing. This is a really nice design element that a lot of other companies don’t think about when producing cold weather sleeping gear.
There are slight differences in the amount of Goose Down, weight, and temperature rating for each one.
The 1000 model has 1000g of down material, has a low temperature rating of -22°F, and weighs about 3.6 pounds.
The 1200 model has 1200g of down material, has a low temperature rating of -31°F, and weighs right about 4 pounds.
The 1400 model has 1400g of down material, has a low temperature rating of -40°F, and weighs about 4.6 pounds.
The downside to buying this model of sleeping bag from Rab® is it doesn’t have a lot of flexibility to it. It is designed to be your best option for cold weather camping, expedition camping, and is light enough still to be hiked with in those extreme camping situations. It is not meant to be used during you summer hiking trips – you will boil yourself inside!
From a pricing standpoint, you are looking at around $800 to $1025 depending on which version you pick. That is a great price for sleeping bags made with the best Goose Down materials you can find!
The materials are incredible, it is very durable, well designed, and your best choice for cold weather adventure camping!
There are some other great cold weather sleeping bags that you can take a look at here: BEST WINTER SLEEPING BAGS.
Rab® Andes Series Sleeping Bags
The Rab® Andes Series Sleeping bags are also geared more towards cold weather camping, but have a few differences and are a little bit more affordable than the Rab® Expedition sleeping bags that are listed above.
There are also 3 choices in this line, the Andes 1000, Andes 800, and Women’s Andes 800. The Women’s version is very similar to the normal option – just a little smaller in size, a little lighter in weight, and different in color.
From a size perspective, the Women’s Andes 800 sleeping bag is about 71 inches in height, 29 inches in width at the shoulders, 23 inches wide at the hips, and 16 inches wide at the feet.
The Andes 1000 & 800 are 77 inches in height, 29.5 inches wide at the shoulder, 22.5 inches wide at the hip, and 16 inches wide at the foot. These were also created with a little extra space for your cold weather clothing.
All of these sleeping bags are made with a mummy design built with hikers/trekkers in mind, high quality materials, and a hooded top to keep your head very warm.
The Women’s 800 is “Anemone” in color (a mixture of pink and purple maybe?) vs. the “Satsuma” color the other two options have.
The Andes 1000 has 1000g of European Goose Down, can be used in temperatures as low as -17 degrees, and weighs close to 3.6 pounds.
The Andes 800 has 800g of European Goose Down (I bet you couldn’t have guessed that), is temperature rated for temperatures as low as -8°F, and is just over 3 pounds in weight.
The Women’s Andes 800 also has 800g of down material, is also just over 3 pounds in weight, and has a -8°F temperature rating.
Cost is going to range from $675 to $800 depending on the option you pick. With the Andes 1000 option being the most expensive.
Again, this is another cold weather sleeping bag made for hikers and trekkers.
It is a little bit lighter, a little less costly, and has a lower temperature rating than the Rab® Expedition sleeping bags.
Basically, if you are looking to save a few bucks, and the temperatures you will be adventuring in aren’t below – 17°F – this will be a great sleeping bag option for you! If you are going to be in some very, very cold weather – go with the Expedition Series sleeping bags listed above.
Rab® Summit Series Sleeping Bags
Rab describes their Summit Series of Sleeping bags as designed for year-around mountain use! You can pick from the Summit 800, Summit 600, Summit 400, and Women’s Summit 600.
The Summit 800 has a 5°F temperature rating and is filled with 800g of European Duck Down. It also weighs about 2.9 pounds. The Summit 600 and Women’s Summit 600 have 600g of European Duck Down and a temperature rating of 20°F. The weight for this option is 2.4 pounds. The Summit 400 has a temperature rating of 29°F from 400g of duck down material, and weighs an incredibly light 1.92 pounds!
This sleeping bag series has a standard size of 73 inches in height, 28 inches wide at the shoulder, 23.5 inches wide at the hip, and 18 inches wide at the foot area. The Women’s option is smaller – 67 inches in height, 27.5 inches in width at the shoulder, 24.5 inches wide at the hip, and 18 inches wide at the foot area.
All options will have a hooded, tapered mummy style design and will include a compression sack to make it very easy to store. The combination of a nylon outer shell and down inner lining will keep you warm and comfortable, but are also very durable.
A big selling point is this down sleeping bag is still really warm, but doesn’t have to be used in only freezing temperatures like some of the other cold weather options.
Pricing varies by option, but is normally in that $300 to $400 dollar range.
If you decide on this option, you are going to be very happy with your choice!
Rab® Ignition Series Sleeping Bags
Rab is famous for their down sleeping bag options – but they do have one sleeping bag line that isn’t made from down materials. That would be the Rab Ignition Sleeping Bags.
There are four options in this sleeping bag line – the Ignition 4, Ignition 3, Ignition 2, and Women’s Ignition 3.
These sleeping bags all use a polyester-microfiber insulation instead of a down material. The Ignition 4 has 200g of synthetic materials so it has a temperature rating of 19°F. The Ignition 3 has 160g of synthetic material, giving it a temperature rating of 26°F (the Women’s Ignition 3 has the same parameters). The Ignition 2 has 100g of synthetic materials, which allows for a temperature rating of 32°F.
The Ignition 2 weighs 2.3 pounds, The Ignition 3 weighs 2.9 pounds, The Women’s Ignition 3 is 2.75 pounds, and the Ignition 4 is the heaviest at 3.6 pounds.
All of these weights are ideal for backpackers and hikers who are looking to cut down on weight when out in the wilderness!
Looking at size, the Ignition 2, 3, & 4 are 73 inches in height, 27.5 inches in width at the shoulders, 20.5 inches wide at the hip, and a foot width of 16 inches. This will easily fit campers up to 6 feet 1 inches in height.
The Women’s Ignition 3 is 67 inches in height, 26.8 inches wide at the shoulders, 21 inches wide at the hips, and 16 inches wide in the foot area. Since it is slightly smaller, that is why it weighs less.
All of these sleeping bags have the mummy taper shape design, a nylon outer shell, a hooded draw cord, anti-snag zippers, and a nylon stuff sack!
This sleeping bag line was designed to be a light-weight, packable sleeping bag, it can be used by campers, but is a big hit with hikers and backpackers respectfully.
The other big buying benefit to this product line is the cost. Since it doesn’t use down materials, you still get an incredibly well made sleeping bag, but at a fraction of the cost. These sleeping bags will range from $145 to $175.
This is the most affordable line of sleeping bags from Rab, and our number one recommendation for any campers looking for an incredibly durable, synthetic material sleeping bag that can be used year around!
Rab Neutrino Series Sleeping Bags
Another popular line of sleeping bags from Rab is the Neutrino Sleeping Bags. They range from $285 to $550 and are popular with outdoorsmen looking for a well-priced, down sleeping bag!
You can pick from the Neutrino 800, 600, 400, or 200 sleeping bag – and your choice should be made based on how much cold weather camping you should do.
The Neutrino 800 has a temperature rating of -4°F, the 600 has a temperature rating of 10°F, the 400 has a temperature rating of 25°F, and the 200 temperature rating is 35°F. You can see that this is a wide range of temperatures.
The Neutrino 200 only weighs 1.27 pounds – which is a huge reason this sleeping bags are popular with hikers & campers. The Neutrino 800 is the heaviest option, but it only weighs 2.7 pounds!
Your standard size on these options is 73 inches in height, 27.5 inches in width at the shoulders, 20.5 inches in width at the hip, and 16 inches in width at the feet.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, Rab has done a great job of making a wide variety of sleeping bags. From the most extreme hikers, to the standard campers – you are going to be able to find a sleeping bag that fits your needs, and this list of the best RAB Sleeping Bags you help you find the right one!
We will also recommend this brand if you are looking for a sleeping bag made from top of the line down materials. These sleeping bags are durable and awesome – you will love adding these to your outdoor gear collection.
If these are priced slightly out of your budget, we do have a complete guide to sleeping bags listed here…as well as a list of discounted sleeping bags that are priced incredibly affordable!
