{"id":196119,"date":"2024-04-05T09:09:04","date_gmt":"2024-04-05T16:09:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=196119"},"modified":"2025-05-02T11:16:35","modified_gmt":"2025-05-02T18:16:35","slug":"first-look-rei-co-op-sleeping-bags","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/camp\/first-look-rei-co-op-sleeping-bags","title":{"rendered":"First Look: Three REI Co-op Sleeping Bags Now Come in Nine Genderless Sizes\u202f\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In August 2022, REI Co-op product developer Lauren Bowman asked hundreds of gear testers of all shapes and sizes to hunker down in sleeping bag samples.\u202f Bowman wanted to take measurements while actual people used the \u200bbags \u200bto pinpoint optimal fit for real-world backpackers. So while testers played cards and read books in the bedding, she noted where the baffles pinched, gapped, sagged and bulged. The goal: to create better-fitting bags.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These fit sessions were part of a comprehensive REI Co-op initiative that looked critically and exhaustively at how well this piece of gear served the growing demographic that wants to spend time outdoors. Inclusivity motivated the reevaluation, explains Bowman.\u200b \u200b\u200b\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research and rigorous testing ensued, ultimately informing the design of nine new genderless sizes for three of the co-op’s most technical sleeping bags\u2014the Magma 15<\/a>, Magma 30<\/a> and Zephyr 25<\/a>\u2014in a big move away from limited sizing based on a binary gender model.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf we say the outdoors is for all, how do we facilitate that by actually having bags that people can sleep in?\u201d she asks.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n

The Sleeping Bags<\/strong>\u202f\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n
\n
\"Five<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Sleeping bag sizing ha\u200bs\u200bn\u2019t changed much since their 1876 invention by the redundantly named Welshman Sir Pryce Pryce-Jones (who also launched the first-ever mail-order catalog business).\u202f For decades, REI Co-op has mostly sold its house-brand sleeping bags in two sizes\u2014regular and long\u2014for men and women. While these bags worked for some people, shorter folks ended up with unnecessary space that cost them weight and warmth (the extra room compromises thermal efficiency). And because product girths didn\u2019t vary, slender folks tolerated too-big bags while larger shoppers weren\u2019t accommodated at all.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe were hearing from some customers that they were frustrated trying to find the right fit,\u201d explains Bridget Stephas, REI Co-op product designer. The desire to create better sizing led REI to widespread testing and fit sessions and, eventually, the debut of new sizes for three existing REI Co-op sleeping bags.\u202f\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Magma 15, Magma 30 and Zephyr 25 are now each offered in nine sizes instead of four, ranging from short narrow to long wide, and are no longer labeled by gender. Importantly, they maintain the same technical features backpackers expect from these long-standing sleeping bags, like a water-resistant finish, thoughtful pockets and a roomy footbox.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe want to serve people that haven\u2019t been well-served [by sleeping bags] in the past,” Meade said.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n

The Sizes<\/h2>\n\n\n

Determined to take a fresh look at a classic piece of backpacking gear, REI designers built on the brand’s 85 years of experience. \u201cWe wanted to make no assumptions,\u201d explains Bowman, the product developer who played a driving role in the reevaluation. \u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

REI commissioned a consulting company that specializes in apparel fit to conduct a large-scale study of Americans\u2019 current bodies. Subjects included 150,000 people representing diverse shapes and sizes, ranging from 25 to 40 years old\u200b. \u201cWe got this massive wealth of body-scan data,\u201d explains Bowman. The results revealed two discoveries.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One was that the current line of REI Co-op premium, backpacking-oriented sleeping bags only provided an optimal fit for just over half of the people scanned in the study. Some couldn\u2019t use them at all because they were too narrow.\u202f\u202f\u202f<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTo get maximum thermal efficiency out of a backpacking bag, you want a close-to-body fit that allows some air circulation but not too much,\u201d explains Jon Almquist, REI Co-op product manager. \u201cThat way, you exploit the full benefit of the high-quality down we put in the bag.\u201d\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Related Reading:<\/strong> How to Choose Sleeping Bags for Backpacking<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The study data also indicated that fit trends didn\u2019t vary much between male and female bodies. \u201cOverall, men\u2019s shoulders trend a little wider, but the difference is so small in relation to how loose over the body a sleeping bag fits that it becomes negligible,\u201d Bowman says. Sleeping bags aren\u2019t like jeans: Even the optimal, body-hugging cut preferred by performance-minded backpackers is forgiving enough to skim over slight variations in body shape.\u202f\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the body-scan data suggesting that gendered fits aren\u2019t necessary, the product creation team considered temperature ratings, which typically vary for men and women.\u202f\u202f\u00a0According to test protocols used by the International Organization for Standards (ISO)<\/a>, heated mannequins are placed inside a sleeping bag to evaluate heat loss. The calculated results produce various temperature ratings: The bag\u2019s T-Limit rating indicates the temperature down to which a warm sleeper\u200b (\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200bassumed to be male)\u200b will feel comfortable; the T-Comfort rating denotes the comfort range for cold sleepers\u200b (assumed to be female)\u200b. Women\u2019s bags\u200b generally\u200b use the T-Comfort rating, while men\u2019s bags display the T-Limit number.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to test protocols used by the International Organization for Standards \u200b\u200b(ISO), there are two different temperature ratings: one for cold sleepers (T-Comfort) and one for warm sleepers (T-Limit). Women\u2019s bags\u200b often\u200b use the T-Comfort rating, while men\u2019s bags display the T-Limit number. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet \u200b\u200b\u200b\u200bfit also influences insulation, notes Bowman. \u201cA body-hugging fit is warmest, while a semifitted bag allows more room for various sleep positions but loses some thermal efficiency,\u201d she explains. For instance, the relaxed shape of a rectangular car-camping bag loses the most heat but emphasizes comfortable movement.\u202f\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The product creation team therefore decided to focus on fit, regardless of gender. Starting in spring 2024, the Magma 15 and Magma 30 (the co-op’s performance-oriented backpacking bags stuffed with 850-fill, water-resistant down) come in nine size\u200bs\u200b each, from short narrow to long wide. The synthetic-fill Zephyr 25 also comes in nine sizes. Honed by meticulous fit sessions, the new sizing options provide an optimal fit for nearly all of the bodies scanned in the comprehensive study.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bags still undergo ISO temperature testing, only now their rating represents the midpoint between the T-Limit and T-Comfort figures (which are also printed on the bags for consumers who want to see the full range). Thus, the new bags are slightly warmer than previous men\u2019s and \u200b\u200bunisex models.\u202f<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe didn\u2019t just make a men\u2019s bag in nine sizes,\u201d says Bowman. \u201cReally, they\u2019re for everyone, of all body types and different sizes.\u201d Women\u2019s data was just as influential in the bags\u2019 creation as men\u2019s input\u2014a key difference from previous products made 40 years ago, explains Bowman. \u201cWe landed on non-gendered bags through research\u200b.\u200b\u201d\u202f\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n

The Results<\/h2>\n\n\n

The unified temperature ratings simplify the shopping process for men and women. They also allow backpackers to choose the bag that suits their body shape and temperature needs regardless of gender: Men who sleep cold, for example, no longer need to browse the women\u2019s offerings to get the optimal product. And nonbinary backpa\u200bc\u200bkers no longer have to start the shopping process by \u200b\u200b\u200b\u200bchoosing among binary gender labels.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As for the biggest benefit to the new genderless size range? More backpackers can find their best sleeping-bag fit and enjoy a good night\u2019s sleep outside.\u202f <\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In August 2022, REI Co-op product developer Lauren Bowman asked hundreds of gear testers of all shapes and sizes to hunker down in sleeping bag samples.\u202f Bowman wanted to take measurements while actual people used the \u200bbags \u200bto pinpoint optimal fit for real-world backpackers. So while testers played cards and read books in the bedding, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14208,"featured_media":196138,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[2218,2262,1686,1812,2120,1538],"internal-tag":[2011],"class_list":["post-196119","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-camp","tag-backpack","tag-behind-the-designs","tag-camp","tag-co-op-brands","tag-first-look","tag-new-products","internal-tag-home-secondary"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/camp\/first-look-rei-co-op-sleeping-bags","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"First Look: Three REI Co-op Sleeping Bags Now Come in Nine Genderless Sizes\u202f\u00a0","url":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/camp\/first-look-rei-co-op-sleeping-bags","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/camp\/first-look-rei-co-op-sleeping-bags"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/04\/Kingman20240223_1748.jpg?resize=150%2C150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/04\/Kingman20240223_1748.jpg?fit=8192%2C5464"},"articleSection":"Camp","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Sarah Grothjan"}],"creator":["Sarah Grothjan"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Uncommon Path \u2013 An REI Co-op Publication","logo":""},"keywords":["backpack","behind the designs","camp","co-op brands","first look","new products"],"dateCreated":"2024-04-05T16:09:04Z","datePublished":"2024-04-05T16:09:04Z","dateModified":"2025-05-02T18:16:35Z"},"rendered":"