Backpacking quilts are all the rage right now. I think that’s for good reason, because unless you’re dealing with winter or extreme high elevation, you often don’t really need a sleeping bag. Alyssa and I both use and love them, and the best value out there right now is the UGQ Bandit.
(I previously named the UGQ Bandit as the best "budget" backpacking quilt. When we originally bought ours it was in the budget category as backpacking quilts go, but it has since become more expensive. I still think it's the best value for a quality, highly customizable quilt, though, so my opinions on it still stand.)
Why Use a Quilt?
First of all, I want to address the term “quilt,” which I think confuses a lot of people. A quilt is defined as “a bed covering made of padding enclosed between layers of fabric and kept in place with lines of stitching”. It turns out that this is exactly how both backpacking quilts and sleeping bags are made; except the fabric is super light and the “padding” is down insulation. This creates a super warm layer for sleeping under.
What makes a quilt a quilt, then, is that you don’t zip it up. You just use it exactly like you would a blanket (or “quilt”) and it’s open underneath, (although most quilts strap around your sleeping pad for security).
The growing popularity of quilts is because of a problem with traditional sleeping bags. The issue is that when you lay on down insulation, it loses all of its insulative value. If that part of the bag doesn't insulate, it's just dead weight on your back. A quilt eliminates that excess fabric and insulation, relying on your sleeping pad to insulate you from the ground (which it’s already doing anyway).
It works great, can save a ton of weight, and after switching to a quilt I’ll never go back to a sleeping bag (except for winter).
Things To Consider
It’s important to note that because a quilt is essentially a blanket, it doesn’t have a hood. In cooler temperatures, you’ll probably want to wear a beanie or a down hood. But even when bringing an extra down hood the weight savings are substantial, and those hoods can actually be really cozy (and multi-purpose).
Another thing to note: backpacking quilts are a niche item, so even the budget options are fairly pricey by true “budget” standards (between $170-$250). This is because they’re usually made custom (as is the case with the Bandit) and in the USA by small companies. I'm calling the $170-$250 range the budget range because high end quilts can easily top $400.
But my quilt is one of my most treasured pieces of gear, and it was worth every penny I spent on it. I promise that if you decide to go with a quilt you won’t regret it, and a high quality down quilt like the Bandit will last for many many years (I’m going on my 5th season with mine).
Best Value Backpacking Quilt: The UGQ Bandit
Now to the review. The UGQ Bandit is an absolutely killer quilt for the price that somehow still flies under the radar. I think that may be because it’s sort of mid-range in price; not the Cadillac of quilts like a Feathered Friends or Katabatic, but not exactly a true budget option like the Hammock Gear Economy Burrow(the industry favorite for a budget quilt).
But in my opinion, it’s a very high-quality quilt at a great weight, and on average it’s only about 10% more expensive than the Economy Burrow. You can get a full-size, fully-featured 20-degree Bandit for $260 USD, and the Economy Burrow with the exact same specs is $215 USD (and it’s almost 4oz heavier). I think the weight, quality, and customization options of the Bandit outweigh that small increase in price.
That said, if every dollar saved is important then the Economy Burrow is a good option as well. Another fairly high-quality budget option is the Paria Outdoors Thermodown 15 Degree Quilt. It’s quite a bit cheaper than the Bandit ($170 USD), but significantly heavier and not customizable.
UGQ Bandit Breakdown
The Bandit is constructed similarly to other high-end options on the market. It has vertical down chambers for the torso section, allowing it to drape over you better while you’re sleeping and hold warm air closer to you. The footbox chambers are horizontal and are designed to create a closed “box” (depending on the option you choose) for maximum foot warmth.
This style works great and fits like a glove. The included pad straps will be necessary for many, but even in fairly cold temperatures I’ve found that I don’t even need them.
Tech Specs
In my reviews I normally give tech specs to start off, but the UGQ Bandit is a made-to-order product (and extremely customizable at that). Instead I’ll break down the options, then go over all of them in detail. Keep in mind that many of the premium options do come with a price increase.
- Fill: Down
- Fill power: 800 (duck), 850 (goose), or 950 (goose)
- Temperature Rating options: 0 degrees F to 50 degrees F in 10 degree increments
- Width: 50” or 55”
- Length: 66”, 72”, 78”, or 84” (Bandit XL has larger options)
- Overstuff: None, 1oz, or 2oz
- Footbox overstuff: None or 1oz
- Many fabric options
- Many color options (14 at the time of writing)
- Dynamic tension control available
- Draft collar available
- Foot Box: Zipper and draw cord, boxed flat sewn, or insulated
- Full taper or no taper
- Spare pad strap option
- Mesh storage sack option
Fill
First off, the fill. UGQ Bandit quilts are made only with down, which is superior to synthetics in every way except that it won’t insulate when wet. If you’re careful with how you handle it, that should pretty much never be a problem.
They offer 800, 850, and 950 fill power. 800 is the cheapest and heaviest option, but it’s really only slightly heavier than 950, which is much more expensive. If you want to pay the extra for the higher fill power you certainly can, but the weight reduction is pretty minimal (unless you’re getting an XL; then it might be worth it).
Temperature Rating
I find that the temp rating on the Bandit is spot on. It’s a limit rating, so if you buy a 10 degree bag, you’ll really only be fully comfortable down to about 20 degrees (depending on how you sleep). I personally like a 20 degree rating for three seasons, but I sleep hot and usually recommend that people get a 10 degree quilt to start with. The beauty of the quilt is that if it’s too hot, you can just use it like a blanket and kick your leg out to cool off.
Quilts are different from sleeping bags, so if you’ve never tried a quilt I recommend getting a lower temp rating than your sleeping bag. This will help you transition while you figure out how you best sleep with a quilt.
Width/Length
55” width is standard, and it’s what most people will want to go with. It’s a little heavier and $5 more expensive than 50”, but unless you only sleep on your back and you’re smallish (their size chart is comprehensive, so check it out), 50” probably won’t be enough.
The Bandit comes in four lengths (66”, 72”, 78”, or 84”), and they recommend buying a slightly longer length than you are tall. This definitely makes sense for first time quilt buyers. Once you get comfortable sleeping with one, you’ll know if you can afford to size down. At 5’7” (or 67”) I can use a 66” quilt and be fine, but it’s a little tight and wouldn’t recommend it for a first-time quilt buyer.
Overstuffing
Overstuff is extra distributed insulation, and UGQ offers overstuffing for both the entire quilt and just the footbox. We didn't add any overstuff, but if you’re a really cold sleeper, you may want to add it on (at $7USD per extra ounce). It’ll boost the warmth of the bag a bit without jumping a whole temperature rating. It will also add loft if you know you won’t be regularly washing it.
They offer regular overstuff, distributed throughout the entire quilt, and footbox specific overstuff, which is added just to the footbox. The footbox overstuff is a cool feature, and since I get cold toes it probably would have been a good idea for me. I haven’t noticed any toe issues with the Bandit yet, but it could be nice for colder temps.
Fabrics/Colors
The default fabric is MRS20 fabrics. These are their most durable option and only slightly heavier than their more ultralight options (M10T and MRS10). We have the MRS20 and it feels very durable and quite thick when compared to the default fabric on the Enlightened Equipment Revelation (my usual go-to). You could save an ounce or two with the lighter fabrics, but I like the added durability of the MRS20.
Another cool thing about the Bandit is that they have a ton of color options. Alyssa loves her Robin Egg Blue, and I think a Moroccan Blue/Charcoal Grey combo would look super sharp. They also have some other fabric options with some really unique color prints, but they come at a premium.
Dynamic Tension Control/ Draft Collar
For an extra $10 you can get dynamic tension control, which is a little bit of elastic running along the edges of the torso that holds the bag in place around you better. It’s a cool add-on that might be a big benefit to some people who have issues with drafts. If I was to buy it again I still probably wouldn’t add DTC, but it’s nice to have the option (especially if it was going to be a designated winter quilt).
In the same vein, they offer a draft collar, which is an extra tube of insulation at the neck line. It keeps warm air from escaping at the neck and is another good option for cold sleepers or cold temperatures. I wouldn’t add it on for a summer quilt, but some may want to.
Footbox
Again it depends on what option you choose, but I think on the whole this is one of the best quilt footboxes out there. For the zipper option (which is standard, no extra charge) the zipper zips together the foot section and the draw cord cinches up the open end at the bottom. The zipper is smooth and the zipper/draw cord combo makes a nice tight fit when you need to.
They also have boxed flat sewn, which costs extra but weighs less, and fully insulated, which is the best option for cold temperatures. For regular summer and shoulder season temperatures, I think the versatility of being able to unzip is more valuable than a tighter seal (plus it keeps the cost down).
Pad attachment
Pad attachment is a necessity for many people who toss and turn and want to reduce drafts. The Bandit comes with a simple pad attachment system which just uses loops and toggles. I like the simplicity and it works well (although I almost never use it).
The Good
Price To Quality Ratio
The Bandit isn’t the cheapest quilt, but what you get for the money beats just about every other quilt out there. And considering similar quilts can (and often do) cost more than double what this one does, I think it’s the best value on the market right now.
Customizability
Many quilts are made to order, but the Bandit is about as customizable as they come. Tons of fabric options, three fill choices, several lengths and widths and numerous other add-ons mean you can tweak this quilt to be exactly how you want it.
This ultimately means you'll be happier with the result, and it'll probably be lighter as well. If you had some really specific requirements, you could also contact UGQ and they’d be happy to help.
The Not So Good
The Weight (sort of)
At the lower price point, this quilt isn’t the lightest one out there. With some pricey upgrades you can get it there, but if you want to keep the price down it’ll lean a little heavy. Both the Economy Burrow and Paria Outdoors Thermodown Quilt are less expensive for the weight (something that wasn't true when I first wrote this). People looking for the absolute best bang for the buck in terms of weight may want to check those out.
But when compared to other premium options, it's still very light for the price. Alyssa’s 10-degree Bandit weighs 25.5oz(w/ stuff sack), which is only 1 oz heavier than a 10-degree Enlightened Equipment Revelation in the same size (which doesn’t have a zippered footbox). That’s pretty good for being more than 50 bucks cheaper. And at under 2 pounds for the heaviest options in the largest sizes, I doubt the weight will be an issue for anyone.
Recommendation
The UGQ Bandit is our pick for the best value backpacking quilt. As with any quilt (that doesn’t have highly questionable quality), it’s not cheap. But it’s made with high-quality materials, is reasonably light, and is one of the cheapest fully-featured quilts on the market. For individuals who want top-quality for a great value, this is the quilt for you.
Beware of the cancellation and return policy. I would not do business withe UGQ again.
Which policy specifically are you referring to? I skimmed them before we bought ours, but didn’t have any issues so never had a run-in with it.
Thanks for this detailed review! My wife and I are just getting into UL backpacking and are looking at quilts to upgrade to. I had been thinking about an EE quilt but just heard about UGQ and it seems to be a solid buy. This is definitely bumping my decision more into the UGQ column.
You’re welcome, glad you found it helpful! I have one of the old EE Revelations and I love it for the most part, but I got mine before they adjusted their temp ratings and I’m still reluctant to buy another, knowing that I essentially got burned out of 10 degrees of warmth on my first one. These days the custom Bandit and custom Revelation are roughly the same price and weight for the same specs, but UGQ has way more customization options so I’d still go with them if I were buying a new one right now.