REI Co-op Siesta Hooded 20 Review

Two key attributes make the Siesta Hooded stand out: its lightweight design and very large, square hood. This versatile, go-anywhere bag is also warmer than we anticipated.

Performance Comparison

Warmth

To the touch, the Siesta Hooded feels lightweight and somewhat basic in construction, so we were pleasantly surprised to discover its ability to keep us warmer than we anticipated. The 98% recycled polyester insulation really performs well at keeping warm air in and cold air out.

A massive, insulated hood and extended front flap are huge players in ensuring this 20-degree bag retains body heat. Both the hood and the bag's main opening have independent drawstrings and can be cinched tight over the head and shoulders when temps begin to plummet. The generous hood is also large enough to secure a normal bed pillow from home, a huge plus in making camping a little more comfortable. During the early morning, when temperatures tend to feel the coldest, we especially loved the ability to burrow into our Siesta Hooded and wait for the sun to warm things up.

The Siesta Hooded not only kept us warm at camp. Its insulating prowess was also substantiated back at home in front of the TV. After setting our home thermostat to the designated testing temperature, we encased ourselves into our Siesta and laid flat for 5 minutes. Then, we measured the bag's interior temperature with a laser thermometer. Its 93.5-degree measurement bested nearly all of the bags in our lineup.

From hood to foot box, the Siesta Hooded is covered in features aimed at retaining heat. Some are hard to find, but we scoured every inch of this bag to uncover all of its secrets. One of our favorite finds was a small, triangular piece of fabric down at the bottom of the bag. This seemingly insignificant little whatchamacallit sits at the very end of the zipper and is a bonafide warrior fighting to keep feet and toes warmer. It's small but super effective at blocking cold air from entering the gap between the zipper end and the bag's main body.

Comfort

We tested the longer version (78 x 32 inches) of the Siesta Hooded and gave it above-average scores for comfort, especially for taller campers. The Siesta is also available in a regular length (72 x 32 inches). Even though this bag is a little narrower than we would prefer, its recycled polyester lining is silky smooth, making twisting and turning a little easier.

We placed our Siesta Hooded directly onto a concrete driveway and laid in it for several minutes in order to determine its natural ability to cushion. Its 98-percent recycled fill isn't the thickest compared to the other bags we tested, but it certainly provides a decent amount of protection from the hard ground. This bag is also easy to get into and simple to move around in. We think our favorite comfort feature is the additional short off-side zipper that allows the bag's top cover to be folded down like bedding. It's not a critical feature, but it certainly is charming and makes it easier to read or play with your phone.

Features

On par with many REI products, the Siesta Hooded is not short on thoughtful features. In fact, it's one of our top performers in this metric. One of our absolute favorite features is the ability to machine wash and dry it at home in our own laundry room.

In addition to its generous hooded design, the Siesta Hooded has an interior pocket, reversible zippers, two velcro zipper closures, barrel-locking drawstrings, and off-set quilting. We also found its recycled polyester shell to be very water-resistant.

A full-length zipper draft tube is another key feature that sets this bag apart. Although we feel it could be a little wider, it still adequately covers the zipper and keeps airflow through the zipper teeth to a minimum. A reinforced zipper guard is also incorporated into the draft tube. This addition is an excellent preventative feature that greatly reduces zipper snags and is often omitted by manufacturers.

Packed Size

Our long version of the Siesta Hooded packs up a little larger (22.75 x 12.5 inches) than the standard-sized model (20.5 x 11.75 inches). Either version is still a little above average in size, but surprisingly lightweight.

At just 5.5 pounds, our Siesta Hooded was super easy to throw on top of a cooler and carry from car to camp. In addition to being easy to transport, its silky polyester exterior and oversized stuff sack make breaking camp a breeze. In fact, we felt this was one of the easier bags to stow out of the whole bunch.

Should You Buy the REI Co-op Siesta Hooded 20?

Tons of features, great warmth, and a reasonable price tag make this bag quite appealing. It's the right bag for you if you want a lightweight hooded bag that can hold your pillow from home, keep you toasty, and be cleaned in your own laundry room. This bag is great for basic tent camping, RVing, or even a river trip. It's lightweight enough to be added to your checked luggage if you're flying to your camping destination. We recommend this bag for kids, teens, and adults; however, it isn't very wide, so broad-shouldered, barrel-chested lumberjacks, beware.

What Other Camping Sleeping Bags Should You Consider?

If you love the hooded design of the Siesta but you really need a larger bag, take a look at the Teton Sports Celsius XXL or Teton Sports Deer Hunter. Both offer a hood and are the largest single-person bags in our lineup. The Kelty Tru.Comfort 20 Doublewide and Nemo Jazz 30 Double are hooded as well and are supersized to accommodate your favorite bunk buddy.