REI Co-op Siesta Hooded 20 Sleeping Bag Review

The REI Siesta Hooded 20 sleeping bag is warm, comfortable, and has an assortment of extra features that make it stand out for its ease of use and overall comfort and performance. While its hefty bulk and weight will preclude it from being used on overnight backpacking trips, it checks all the boxes that make it an ideal car camping sleeping bag. The roomy rectangular shape comes in four different sizes, and it has heavy-duty zippers, an anti-snag zipper lining, a hefty draft tube, and its cozy insulated hood and draft collar keep you snug no matter your preferred sleeping position. After a handful of backyard campouts and family camping trips in the Lake Tahoe area, the Siesta 20 has already become one of my top one or two favorite car camping sleeping bags. Below, I detail my experiences with the REI Co-op Siesta Hooded 20, but check out our guide to the best camping sleeping bags to see how it compares to the competition. 
 

Table of Contents

• Warmth and Comfort
• Size and Fit
• Weight and Packability
• Materials and Construction Quality
• Features
• Other Versions
• What We Like/What We Don't
• Comparison Table
• The Competition

Performance

Warmth and Comfort

The REI Co-op Siesta Hooded 20 has a recycled nylon shell and synthetic insulation that combine to yield a 20-degree temperature rating. While temperatures didn't get down this low during my testing period, I was plenty warm in temperatures dipping down to about 40 degrees Fahrenheit. The overall warmth and feel are also consistent with other 20-degree sleeping bags that I’ve used during my decades of camping and backpacking experience. Though rectangular-shaped bags like the Siesta 20 won’t provide the warmth of a mummy-style bag that more closely conforms to the shape of your body, they do provide much better comfort and mobility by allowing a wider range of sleeping positions.
 

The recycled nylon shell strikes the right balance of being smooth and soft without being too slippery or crinkly, and the synthetic insulation provides a good amount of loft and compressibility. The generous rectangular shape, along with a long list of features like an oversized insulated hood, draft collar with cinch cords, full-length draft tube along the two-way main zipper, and an additional offside zipper, all add up to make the Siesta feel like getting tucked into bed rather than scrunched inside a sleeping bag.
 

Size and Fit

The Siesta 20 is available in four different sizes (Medium, Medium Wide, Long, Long Wide) to allow you to choose your preferred fit based on your body size and shape and your personal sleeping preferences. The Medium and Medium Wide sizes are said to fit users up to 71 inches tall (5’11”), and the Long and Long Wide sizes are said to fit users up to 77 inches tall (6’5”). The “Wide” versions add about 3.5” of width to the bag. At 5’11” tall and about 175 pounds, I opted to test the Long Wide version, because I’m a side sleeper and wanted the extra room to stretch out and roll around inside the bag. This certainly adds some weight and bulk to my setup, but while car camping, I’m more concerned about comfort and space than shaving a few ounces or pounds.

Weight and Packability

Like most car camping sleeping bags constructed from synthetic materials, the Siesta 20 is pretty heavy and bulky. The Long Wide version that I tested is listed at 6 pounds, 7.5 ounces, but I personally weighed it at 6 pounds, 3.5 ounces. The other smaller sizes will save a bit of weight, with the size Medium coming in about a pound less, at 5 pounds, 7.3 ounces. This hefty weight is to be expected given the overall size, warmth, and added features. While this is on the heavier end of the range of sleeping bags, the Siesta is surprisingly compressible (especially for a synthetic bag), and easily fits within the generously sized stuff sack included with purchase. 
 

Materials and Construction Quality

The Siesta 20 is constructed with a nice recycled nylon material (with a nonfluorinated DWR treatment) that does a good job of balancing the performance tradeoffs that are typically seen in camping gear. The material is lightweight (but not so light and thin as to sacrifice durability), and is soft and smooth (but not so silky that it feels too slippery or crinkly). The material is very livable—it feels high-quality without being too fancy, too techy, or too fragile. 
 

I was very impressed with the Siesta 20’s construction quality. The fit, finish, and attention to detail are excellent, especially for a product at such a reasonable price point. The zippers are robust, and I really appreciate the anti-snag lining along the main zipper. This strip of thicker material helps reinforce the seams around the zipper (which is a common stress and wear point) and helps prevent loose fabric from getting jammed in the zipper. I only experienced a few small zipper snags on the draft tube when I fully opened (and then zipped shut) the bag. During normal use of zipping and unzipping a shorter portion of the zipper, I had no snagging issues. 

Features

This is where the Siesta 20 really stands out as one of the most feature-packed sleeping bags I’ve ever tested. Each of the included features is well-executed and adds to the comfort and utility of the bag. First, the insulated hood and draft collar both have cinch cords and provide a luxurious feel around your face, neck, chest, and shoulders. There is also a short quarter-length side zipper on the opposite side of the main zipper, which lets you fold down the top layer like a comforter on a bed. Next, the two-way main zipper with anti-snag strip is easy to grab, runs smoothly, and can be fully opened to use the bag as a quilt.
 

Additionally, there is a full-length draft tube along the main zipper (and an opposite-side quarter-length zipper) to reduce drafts and cold spots. This draft tube is protected by an anti-snag strip of thicker material that helps separate the zipper from the draft tube and eliminate snags or jams. Finally, there is an interior stash pocket that can fit essentials like a phone or headlamp.
 

Other Versions of the REI Siesta Hooded 20

I tested the REI Siesta Hooded 20 in the Long Wide size, which REI claims will fit users up to 6’5” tall. Since I’m only 5’11”, this bag was plenty big for me, and even spilled off the sides of my sleeping pad a bit. However, I really enjoyed the oversized fit, which left plenty of room for sleeping on my side and rolling over with ease (keep in mind if you plan to camp in colder conditions that it's recommended to have a snugger fit in order to capture body heat and cut down on cold spots). The Siesta Hooded 20 also comes in sizes Medium, Medium Wide, and Long. REI also makes the Siesta Hooded 20 Double. The double version comes in the same four sizes (Medium, Medium Wide, Long, Long Wide) and is essentially two of the single bags attached. 

What We Like

• Generous rectangular shape is available in four different sizes, which allows customization based on body size or sleeping preferences. 
• Materials and construction are top-notch for a sleeping bag in this price range. 
• The full-length draft tube keeps the cold out, and the adjacent anti-snag strip keeps the main zipper operating smoothly. 
• Compresses well and packs into its stuff sack easily, despite its size and bulk.
• Reasonable price given the materials, features, and overall performance.
   

What We Don’t

• Somewhat heavy and bulky compared to most down-insulated sleeping bags. 
• Not versatile for crossover use with backpacking. 
• Only available in one temperature (20°F).

Comparison Table

The Competition

Out of all the sleeping bags we’ve tested, the REI Siesta Hooded 20 is most similar to The North Face Wawona Bed 20. Both bags have a 20-degree temperature rating, synthetic insulation, and include features such as a full-length zipper and draft tube. Both also come in around the same price. On paper, the Siesta 20 is notably heavier than the Wawona, but if we make an apples-to-apples comparison with more similar sizes, the Siesta 20 in size Medium (5 lb. 7.3 oz.) weighs just nine ounces more than the Wawona in size Regular (4 lb. 14.3 oz.). Overall, we give a slight performance nod to the Siesta, thanks to its integrated hood and draft collar, which make for a cozier sleeping experience.
 

For occasional campers looking to save a few bucks, the Coleman Brazos 20 is a good option. It has the same 20-degree temperature rating, but is noticeably heavier, bulkier, and doesn’t have as nice of materials or added features as the Siesta 20. It does come in at less than half the list price though, and is often available discounted even further. This makes the Brazos a solid choice for kids or families, or for campers who just want something affordable and capable to get through a few outings.

Finally, the Nemo Disco 15 Endless Promise is a notable step up in warmth, materials, and build quality, and weighs significantly less than the Siesta 20. It also doubles the price tag. But with 650-fill down insulation, a mummy shape, and a considerably lighter weight (2 lb. 11.0 oz.), the Nemo is a crossover design that can be used for both car camping and backpacking. It will be a bit warmer with its lower temperature rating and snugger-fitting mummy shape, and will be much more compressible and packable thanks to its down insulation. While this could be a great one-quiver option for campers who occasionally venture out into the backcountry, its hybrid design makes it a bit bulky and heavy compared to dedicated backpacking sleeping bags, and probably a bit too warm for most car camping adventures.
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