Lightweight camping trips have grown in popularity over the past few years, with more and more people looking to get further away from the roads and do so in the most efficient way possible.
As such, hammock camping setups have replaced tents for a lot of ultralight outdoor enthusiasts looking to travel fast without compromising comfort.
The simplicity of hammocks makes them a great lightweight option – but not without compromise. Being suspended in the brisk night air can make hammocks much chillier than traditional tents, and we, therefore, need some additional insulation to stay nice and cozy from dusk to dawn. Cue the underquilt!
Why Use an Underquilt?
Hammocks leave you much more exposed to cold air than tents – mostly due to the fact that you’re not completely surrounding by a shelter to keep warm air in. You can always use a hammock rain fly as well, but this alone won’t fully protect you from the elements.
Additionally, your sleeping bag will compress beneath your body weight, and lose much of its insulating ability.
Hammock underquilts, however, are lofty quilts that are designed to hang directly under your hammock to keep you nice and insulated. These quilts are not supporting your body weight directly, and so won’t compress when you’re lying in your hammock. Therefore, you have lofty insulation throughout the night to keep you nice and warm!
Some may argue that sliding a traditional sleeping pad into a hammock can also provide adequate insulation. However, keep in mind that a sleeping pad inside your cocoon will slide every which way and you’ll likely wake up with the pad pushed off to the side, or even on top of you!
Now that we know why an underquilt is an essential piece of hammock gear, let’s jump into our list of the best hammock underquilts on the market today.
Best Underquilts for Hammock Camping
We’ve dedicated this article to finding the best hammock underquilt on the market, along with examining important purchasing considerations for this particular product. But before we dive into our list of underquilts, let’s first discuss why you should use one.
ENO Vulcan Hammock Underquilt
Suitable for: Early and late-season camping down to 30 – 40°F.
ENO has become one of the most popular hammock brands around and the quality of its products justifies their position at the top. The Vulcan Hammock Underquilt is no exception. This full-length quilt will work with most hammocks and boasts a water repellent finish that prevents saturation from rain and morning dew.
Further, the differential cut of this underquilt increases comfort as it hugs the natural contours of your body. This very natural and all-encompassing cut also ensures that the Vulcan’s insulation is as evenly distributed as possible, providing excellent warmth all night long
PROS
- Durable construction
- Water repellent finish
- Provides good insulation in below-freezing temperatures
cons
- Slightly shorter than advertised dimensions
- More expensive than other synthetic underquilts
ENO Ember 2 Hammock Underquilt
Suitable for: Early and late-season camping down to 30 – 40°F.
ENO has become one of the most popular hammock brands around and the quality of its products justifies their position at the top. The Vulcan Hammock Underquilt is no exception. This full-length quilt will work with most hammocks and boasts a water repellent finish that prevents saturation from rain and morning dew.
Further, the differential cut of this underquilt increases comfort as it hugs the natural contours of your body. This very natural and all-encompassing cut also ensures that the Vulcan’s insulation is as evenly distributed as possible, providing excellent warmth all night long
PROS
- Lightweight
- More affordable than other ENO underquilts
- Easily warm enough for three-season camping
cons
- Not the warmest underquilt on the market
- Lacks water repellent finish
OneTigris Night Protector Hammock Underquilt
The Night Protector is rated to 40°F, and the Night Protector Pro will provide adequate insulation all the way down to 23°F.
The OneTigris Night Protector Hammock Underquilt is one of the best cheap hammock underquilts on our list. The 20D Ripstop Nylon shell makes the Night Protector a durable option suitable for all standard hammocks and will hold up to the sometimes rough backpacking life.
Additionally, few underquilts have struck such an impressive balance between weight and insulation, as the One Tigris Night Protector. These benefits, along with a very accessible price, move this underquilt towards the top of our list.
PROS
- Lightweight
- Affordable
- Great insulation for both price and weight
cons
- Only fits single hammocks
- Can be nice to have matching underquilt/hammock brands
UBOWAY Unique Hammock Underquilt
Suitable for: Three-season camping down to 32°F.
The UBOWAY Unique Hammock Underquilt is the most affordable underquilt on our list, which makes it a good option for the budget-conscious camper. It is rated down to 32°F, but many users have noted that its length is more suitable for a child than a full-grown adult and doesn’t cover your entire body.
That said, the Unique Hammock Underquilt is also one of the lightest on our list, so it can be a good choice for the fastpacker that is willing to sacrifice a little comfort for weight and speed.
PROS
- Most affordable underquilt on our list
- Lightweight
- Impressive temperature rating for price and weight
cons
- Short length
- Some complaints of durability
Outdoor Vitals Aerie Down Underquilt
Suitable for: Four-season hammock camping, down to 15°F.
The first down underquilt on our list, the Outdoor Vitals Aerie is an excellent option for less weight conscious travelers who are looking to maximize comfort year-round. Made of 20D ripstop fabric and stuffed with 800+ down, the Aerie boasts both durability and warmth.
Although a bit heavier than some of the other underquilts on our list, this option more than delivers on comfort. Outdoor Vitals also intentionally designed the Aerie to be multifunctional.
While it serves as an excellent underquilt, campers can also use it for a hammock pod system, sleeping bag, or technical blanket. When two are purchased, they can zip into each other to create a double sleeping bag.
PROS
- Very comfortable, even in the coldest temperatures
- Multi-functional design
- Durable
cons
- A bit heavier than other options
- Down anything can be easily compromised in wet conditions
Snugpak Hammock Under Blanket
While absent of a temperature rating, users note that this underquilt is suitable for spring and summer temperatures.
The Snugpak Hammock Under Blanket is another good underquilt option for the budget centric hammock camper. Synthetic travelsoft filling traps body heat and the outer fabric is not only water repellent but has also been coated with Paratex antibacterial and anti-microbial treatment.
While we don’t have a specific temperature rating, the fill weight of the Snugpak Hammock Under Blanket is similar to the company’s two-season sleeping bags.
PROS
- Affordable
- Water repellent and antibacterial/anti-microbial treatment
- Works with most hammocks
cons
- Heavier than similar alternatives
- Not warm enough for late fall, winter, early spring hammock camping
KING SHOWDEN Hammock Underquilt
Suitable for: Use in temperatures as low as 23°F.
The KING SHOWDEN Hammock Underquilt is a versatile, and affordable option that works with most hammocks. With a temperature rating dropping all the way to 23°F, the manufacturers have created this underquilt with winter camping in mind.
The 20D Ripstop Nylon coating makes this underquilt water repellent, and it’s relatively low weight is impressive for a quilt with such a low temperature rating.
KING SHOWDEN uses 200g hollow cotton for filling which clearly provides warmth but leaves us with some questions regarding how it will hold up in wetter climes.
PROS
- Affordable
- Endorsed for winter camping
- Lightweight (especially for temperature rating)
cons
- Narrow design; may not completely cover all hammocks
- Some criticism about weak attachment points
- Unsure about hollow cotton filling
Ayamaya 4 Season Hammock Underquilt
Suitable for: Four seasons of hammock camping when temperatures drop as low as 20°F.
Like many of the other hammock underquilts on our list, the Ayamaya 4 Season Hammock Underquilt is constructed with 20D Ripstop Nylon along with an accompanying water repellent treatment, helping to keep you dry during light showers or morning dew.
The polyester pongee lining of this underquilt provides a warm and cozy filling and is a reasonable weight for the comfort it provides. Further, the stock elastic strap setup is very user friendly, but Ayamaya throws in a couple of extra carabiners as well if you prefer to set it up in a different way.
Overall, we’re most impressed with the low temperature rating for this particular underquilt and feel that this is an excellent option for hammock campers heading into cold weather.
PROS
- Excellent cold temperature rating
- Affordable
- Water repellent
cons
- Only works for single hammocks
- A bit small; better for shorter people
Lixada Multifunctional Outdoor Hammock Underquilt
Suitable for: Spring, summer, and fall hammock camping when temperatures stay above freezing.
While perhaps not the best hammock underquilt on our list, the Lixada Multifunctional Outdoor Hammock Underquilt is a good entry-level option that can be used for more than just hammock camping. Given its design, the Lixada underquilt can serve you as an underquilt, sleeping bag, or blanket.
It is constructed with 240T anti-tear polyester taffeta which adds to this quilts durability. Like the KING SHOWDEN Hammock Underquilt, the Lixada is filled with 200g hollow cotton which keeps the price down but leaves us questioning its usability during rainy spells.
PROS
- Affordable, entry-level underquilt
- Relatively lightweight
- Design lends itself to multiple uses
cons
- Concerns about hollow cotton filling
- Some complaints about zippers and cords; budget construction
- Heavier than similar higher end underquilts
Onewind Hammock Underquilt
Suitable for: Four-season hammock camping and for temperatures down to 35°F. When combined with the Onewind blanket, the rating drops to 14°F.
The Onewind Hammock Underquilt is one of the best cheap hammock underquilts on our list. Given its quality performance, the slightly heavier weight is hardly worth mentioning.
Coming in at 36 ounces, the Onewind has proved warm, comfortable, and durable in all types of weather.
We give it bonus points for environmentally-conscious construction and an affordable price point.
To truly make the most of the Onewind Hammock Underquilt, pair it with the company’s blanket and drop the overall temperature rating by over 20°F.
PROS
- Very comfortable and boasts low temperature rating
- Made with environmentally friendly materials
- Durable construction
- Affordable price point
cons
- Take caution to adjust correctly to your specific hammock
- Early models had short suspension (has since been addressed)
- Need to combine with Onewind blanket to lower temperature rating
How to Choose the Right Hammock Underquilt
Temperature
The most important, and probably most obvious, thing to consider when choosing the best underquilt for hammock camping is the most common climate in which you plan on using it. Each underquilt is rated to a specific temperature, and when you compare underquilts the temperature rating can be a good place to start, but it is not the end all be all.
Generally, these ratings are comfort ratings – indicating a lab-tested estimate of the lowest temperature that the equipment is still comfortably usable. Outside of a controlled lab setting, there are still many variables that cannot be tested including the preference of each individual camper.
If you tend to be a warm sleeper, maybe you can get away with a higher temperature rating. If you generally get cold while sleeping, consider an underquilt with a lower rating.
When selecting for temperature, hammock campers also need to consider the time of year they plan on sleeping out in the elements, how long they will be out, and where in the world they plan on exploring. Carefully examining these variables will help you narrow down your underquilt temperature requirements.
Length
Underquilt length is another important variable to consider as you prepare to purchase your newest hammock camping accessory, and it ultimately comes down to comfort. As you shop for underquilts you will notice that they are sold in full, half, and three-quarters lengths – each with its own set of pros and cons.
Longer quilts will be heavier to carry but will provide protection for more of your body. These are good options for winter campers or cold sleepers.
Half quilts are designed to cover your core and your core only, making them a good choice for ultralight campers or warm sleepers. Three-quarter length quilts land somewhere in between. They run the length of most of your body and are a little lighter than full quilts.
When shopping for length, you need to again consider a personal preference between weight and comfort. If you are lucky and happen to be shorter yourself, you may be able to reap all the benefits of a full-length quilt while toting around a half or three quarter length alternative.
Insulation
When it comes to insulation you essentially have two choices – synthetic or down-filled. In short, down-filled underquilts will be warmer and lighter. Synthetic alternatives, though heavier and bulkier, are better suited for wetter conditions and inclement weather.
Keeping this in mind, it should be easier to narrow down your choice. If you plan on hammock camping in climates where rain or snow is a real possibility, consider a synthetic underquilt. While they may be a bit heavier, synthetic quilts/blankets/jackets will retain warmth even when wet and will also generally dry a little quicker.
If you don’t see yourself hammock camping wet conditions, then down is your best option. Down underquilts pack down small, are very light, and provide impressive warmth for their weight. When wet, however, virtually all insulation capability is lost.
Water Resistance
Water-resistance is a great thing to consider for any piece of outdoor equipment. Many of the underquilts on our list come with a DWR water repellent coating which won’t last forever but will provide some much-needed resistance during those unexpected rainy spells.
Water-resistance is especially nice for down quilts which, as stated above, simply do not tolerate saturation.
Arguably more important than any water-resistant treatment is how you take care of your underquilt.
Like anything else you want dry at the end of the day, make sure it is packed deep in the interior of your pack and, if possible, stored in a dry stuff sack. In the evening, set up your entire sleep system quickly and efficiently when you arrive at camp so everything is completely dry when its time for bed.
Weight
One of the biggest draws to hammock camping is the ability to cut weight in your pack and move faster and further into the backcountry. By eliminating a full tent from your go-to camping setup you can shave ounces and even pounds from your backpack.
As such, weight is a major consideration when choosing each component of a hammock camping setup – all the way down to the underquilt. There are many lightweight and ultralight underquilts on the market. Like many other pieces of outdoor gear, weight often equates to comfort.
Heavier quilts will typically be more robust and rated to lower temperatures. Lighter quilts will save you valuable weight but may not be as comfortable when temperatures drop. Finally, there are more expensive underquilts that have struck a great balance between both weight and performance. Of course, with these options, you are paying for the best.
Price
Last but certainly not least when it comes to selecting the right hammock underquilt for you is the price. Underquilts range from very affordable to more expensive and, like other pieces of outdoor gear, you often get what you pay for.
Higher-end products will come at a higher price point. Lower quality quilts will be more affordable and are maybe a better option for those experimenting with hammock camping for the first time.
In the middle is a wide range of hammock underquilts that have found an impressive middle ground between price and quality. Ultimately it is up to you to decide how much use you will get out of your quilt and how much you are willing to spend on it.
Final Thoughts
Whether you are hoping to move quicker, travel further, or carry less weight into the backcountry, hammock camping may be the best solution. Eliminating a tent from your pack and simplifying the rest of your sleep system is the easiest way to cut weight.
While you will need to invest in new essentials, you will quickly find that sleeping in a hammock can be just as (if not more!) comfortable as sleeping in a tent. One often overlooked yet essential piece of equipment that ensures your comfort in a hammock is the underquilt.
As you shop around for the best hammock underquilt on the market consider the characteristics above and find one that meets all of your biggest needs.
There is no shortage of options available, and each one is guaranteed to take your hammock camping kit one step closer to unbridled comfort.
