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One of the loudest complaints you’ll hear from hammock campers is the cursed Cold Butt Syndrome.
It’s an easy fix when you have the right underquilt, and thankfully there are plenty of cottage companies who specializing in hammock quilts that have stepped in to fill the gap and save your ass (pun intended).
We’ve picked out 13 of the best hammock underquilts for you to peruse, but first we’ll cover some need-to-know info to consider while shopping.
Top Picks at a Glance
Editor’s Choice: UGQ Zeppelin
Ultralight Pick: Western Mountaineering Slinglite
Staff Favorite: Enlightened Equipment Revolt
Upgrade Pick: Warbonnet Wooki
The Best Premium Underquilts
Our list of the best hammock underquilts begins with nine premium options for the discerning hammock backpacker.
These represent the highest quality materials, and (with one exception) exclusively use down insulation. They’re ultralight and portable, with many offering sub-freezing temperature options to keep you warm on winter adventures.
Editor’s Choice: UGQ Zeppelin
What we dig: Handmade in Michigan, this custom underquilt is designed for maximum warmth with minimum weight.
Made with the finest workmanship, the UGQ Zeppelin is crafted from materials carefully selected to strike the perfect balance between ultralight weight, durability, breathability, and water resistance.
The outer shell is available in M10, MRS20, illume15, or HD1.0 DWR ripstop nylon and features dual differential-cut chambers with ultralight nano-mesh baffles to deliver maximum loft. The strategic location of each nano-mesh baffle concentrates the down in the areas that need it most and promotes thermal convection.
The vertical design of the torso chambers allows heat to naturally transfer between your core and extremities, and the chambers are filled to 130% density for optimal warmth.
The Zeppelin provides oversized draft collars on both ends to ensure a snug fit with your hammock.
The Zeppelin also features full-channel suspension with S-biner attachments, 10 secondary connection points, a removable secondary suspension, and foot/head draw cords. When you’re ready to hit the trail, it packs into a 40D SilPoly stuff sack.
Ultralight Pick: Western Mountaineering Slinglite
What we dig: Insanely lightweight yet functional design made with sustainable, ethically-sourced down.
Western Mountaineering is known for their sleeping bags, and they leverage that expertise to make a killer underquilt. The Slinglite features 850 fp goose down with continuous baffle chambers (not sewn through) that’ll keep you warm down to 20℉.
The lightweight materials are breathable on the inside and watertight on the outside. The ultralight underquilt weighs just 13 ounces and compresses to 5” x 10”, so it’s a solid pick for backpacking trips where portability is paramount.
The Slinglite is a universal underquilt that fits most commercial hammocks.
It’s a piece of cake to connect to your hammock with the elastic drawcord and shock-corded end clips, while the side clips and sewn loops ensure you get a snug fit along the sides. The Slinglite also features corner-mounted cordstops for lateral position adjustment.
Staff Favorite: Enlightened Equipment Revolt Custom
What we dig: Streamlined, high-quality underquilt without any unnecessary frills.
Enlightened Equipment offers a stock version of its wildly popular underquilt, but it’s worth the wait to go with a Revolt Custom. You can choose from a variety of prints and materials, including their lightweight and breathable 10D ripstop nylon, an ultralight 7D micro ripstop nylon, or their comfortable 20D ripstop nylon that’s more durable and water-resistant. The standard 850 fp DownTek is more than enough to keep you warm down to 0℉, or you can upgrade to the 950 fp DownTek.
The Revolt Custom features differentially cut inner and outer fabrics to preserve the loft, with KARO baffles to keep the down where you need it most. You can adjust the shock cords at either end of the underquilt to control your base temperature, letting more air pass through when it’s warm or opting for a snug fit when it’s cold.
The Revolt Custom has an adaptable suspension that works with most hammocks, and is so easy to use you can even fine-tune the positioning while laying down.
Upgrade Pick: Warbonnet Outdoors Wooki
What we dig: Last-a-lifetime durability and attention to detail from a Colorado-based cottage company.
The Warbonnet Wooki is a custom underquilt with a wide range of temperature options from 50℉ all the way down to -20℉. It covers the entire bottom section of your hammock, with a 76” x 44” insulated section that tapers towards the feet.
The Wooki works best when paired with a Warbonnet Outdoors Blackbird, Blackbird XLC, Eldorado, or Traveler hammock, though its universal design should fit any end-gathered or mosquito-style hammock. The Wooki’s set-it-and-forget-it setup makes it an ideal choice for beginners, but don’t discount this as a beginner product — it’s a field-tested favorite of seasoned hammock campers.
Warbonnet Outdoors makes a stock version of the Wooki, but we prefer the expanded options you’ll find with the custom Wooki. You’ll see more color options, more temperature points, and you can upgrade to their ultra-premium 950 fp goose down (with overfill available).
The custom Wooki also gives you more materials to choose from, with an ultralight 10D fabric, a heavy 20D fabric, and a middle-ground 15D fabric that hits the sweet spot between weight and warmth.
Warbonnet Outdoors makes a torso-length (¾) version of the Wooki called the Yeti that’s designed for backpackers who carry a seat pad to supplement their underquilt. They also make a Wooki-style underquilt called the Lynx that’s intended for bridge-style hammocks like the Warbonnet Ridgerunner.
Sub-Zero Pick: Loco Libre Carolina Reaper
What we dig: The most customizable underquilt on the market can take you into truly frigid temperatures.
With temperature points ranging from 40℉ down to -40℉, Loco Libre Carolina Reaper offers up an impressive range of temperature options. In fact, the the -40℉ option takes home the prize for the warmest underquilt you can buy.
Loco Libre uses responsibly sourced down from DownTek, with options for 800 fp duck down and 900 fp goose down. The outer shell is constructed from Argon 90 nylon, a cutting-edge material that blocks out wind and water without sacrificing breathability.
A true premium underquilt, the Carolina Reaper features chevron baffles, standard draft collars, and a secondary suspension system to block out the cold. The underquilt also comes with Beastee Dees for extra attachment points, a silnylon stuff sack, and a cotton storage bag to keep your gear safe between trips.
Best Synthetic Underquilt: Arrowhead Equipment New River UnderQuilt
What we dig: A top-quality synthetic underquilt perfect for wet climates.
The New River UnderQuilt from Arrowhead Equipment takes the cake for the best synthetic underquilt.
It costs a little more than some of the mass-produced synthetic underquilts, but it’s worth an investment for the quality and attention to detail you get from a cottage company like Arrowhead Equipment. If you’re planning a winter adventure on a budget, the four-season New River (rated down to 0℉) is a solid choice.
The New River UnderQuilt is designed to work with any end-gathered hammock, though it doesn’t use the traditional shock cord perimeter. Instead, the New River employs a drawstring channel on each end with shock cord loops and mini-carabiners to attach the quilt to your hammock suspension. Each side offers three grosgrain loops to hold the quilt on the sides, providing a tighter cocoon-effect.
Thanks to its flat, rectangular design, you can use the New River UnderQuilt as a top quilt or camp blanket when it’s not strapped to the bottom of your hammock. The New River is also available in a torso-length model, the Jarbridge.
Jacks R Better Mt. Washington
What we dig: Solid offering from the legendary cottage brand that created the first commercially-available underquilt.
The Mt. Washington brings their classic feature-set to a universal platform that fits any hammock. You can attach it to the bottom of your hammock in less than a minute with the Jacks R Better Suspension System (included), and when you’re ready to hit the trail it stuffs down into an 8” x 9” silnylon compression sack.
The Mt. Washington underquilt is available in a three-season model (20℉ – 25℉) and four-season model (0℉ – 10℉). Both feature a dual differential-cut design that contours to your body, with constant-height radial baffles to protect the loft. All Jacks R Better quilts use active-Dri down with a hydrophobic treatment that protects against moisture impairment without sacrificing fill power, loft, or warmth retention.
Cedar Ridge Convector
What we dig: Print2Fabric materials allow customization to fit any hammocker’s personality.
Cedar Ridge Outdoors has been manufacturing premium, handmade hammock gear in the rolling hills of Tennessee since 2015. This is a true cottage brand, so you can expect superior customer service, attention to detail, and hand-stitched quality.
The Cedar Ridge Convector is a custom down underquilt with four-season, three-season, and one-season insulation options ranging from 50℉ down to 0℉. In addition to the standard shell colors, you can select from 50+ unique designs from DutchWare’s Print2Fabric collection. Even if aesthetics aren’t at the top of your list, it’s a fun way to make sure your gear stands out on your next trip.
The Convector features a differential cut to maximize the loft of the DownTek 850 fp goose down, with primary and secondary quilt suspension to help you nail the perfect fit. It comes with a standard stuff sack, quilt hangers, and ridgeline quilt hooks. The Convector employs a universal design, so you can pair it with most third-party hammocks.
Value Underquilts
Premium underquilts are worth the investment if you can afford to splurge, but there are plenty of good underquilts that don’t break the bank. We picked through the more-affordable options and found four underquilts that represent the best value for campers on a budget.
Overall Best Value: Hammock Gear Economy Incubator
What we dig: An affordable down underquilt with cottage-grade quality.
Were it not for the subtle distinction between goose down and duck down, the Economy Incubator from Hammock Gear would take the cake for best overall value in a down underquilt. With a vastly wider temperature range, three size options, five color options, and a generous 800 fp DWR down with overfill capability, you get far more bang for your buck with the Economy Incubator than you do with the Therm-a-Rest Down Snuggler.
The Economy Incubator features nine anatomically contoured, differential-cut baffles that run the length of the underquilt. The quilt’s unique construction is designed to mimic the natural shape of your body when laying in a hammock, which helps stabilize the down to prevent shifting.
While the chambers are overstuffed by 15% to 20% to keep the down in place, the design allows for some manual shifting when necessary. Combined with the shock-cord suspension system, these features help to provide a snug fit with your hammock for optimal insulation.
Budget Pick: ENO Ember
What we dig: Solid summertime option from the world’s most famous hammock brand.
The ENO Ember is arguably the most popular one-season underquilt on the market. We wouldn’t recommend stretching the 40℉ temperature rating when cooler spring and fall weather kicks in, but it’s a good choice for summer hammock camping.
The Ember pairs perfectly with ENO’s full line of hammocks, though its universal fit adapts to most hammocks from other manufacturers. Setup is a breeze with adjustable shock cords at each end of the underquilt, and it packs neatly into an 8” x 16” nylon stuff sack for storage and travel. The standard size fits a 6’6” camper from head to toe, so you shouldn’t have an issue with exposed feet.
As with most underquilts in this price range, the Ember utilizes synthetic insulation. ENO’s high loft polyester fill fairs well in the field, and the Ember’s hammock-specific cut ensures the insulation is evenly distributed to avoid cold spots. The shape provides a tight fit, though it’s still easy to climb in and out of your hammock.
If you’re a fan of ENO products and looking for better insulation, check out the ENO Vulcan and the ENO Blaze. The Vulcan is ENO’s premium synthetic underquilt, and the Blaze is their premium down underquilt. You’ll get significantly better bang-for-your-buck from a cottage underquilt, but the Vulcan and Blaze certainly pair well with ENO hammocks if you’re already invested in the brand.
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Buyer’s Guide
While traditional sleeping bags are great for camping on the ground, they can lead to miserable nights in a hammock.
The problem is that sleeping bags compress between your backside and the hammock, squeezing the life out of them until they lose their heat-retaining capabilities.
The solution to this problem is fairly intuitive: slice the traditional sleeping bag in half, attach one side to the bottom of your hammock as an underquilt, then use the other half as a comforter on top.
As long as the underquilt is snug against the base of the hammock, you won’t have to worry about loss of heat. The fill retains its loft for optimal insulation, and you’ll arise every morning with toasty cheeks.
Of course, there’s more to underquilts than their ability to attach to the underside of your hammock. Choosing an underquilt that matches your hammock is the first (and easiest) step, but it can get a little complicated from there.
You’ll also need to consider what temperature range your underquilt needs to perform in and what type of fill you prefer for insulation.
Temperature Ratings
Like traditional sleeping bags, hammock underquilts come with temperature ratings to guide their optimal usage. Mass-produced underquilts usually have a fixed rating, while cottage-brand underquilts often let you choose from various temperature points.
You’ll want to tailor your purchase to the environments you’ll be camping in, especially if you’re a backpacker who needs to keep an eye on weight and size.
In addition to providing a temperature rating, some manufacturers throw in terms like “four-season,” “three-season,” and “one-season.”
These can be confusing, as one-season means summer, three-season refers to spring through fall, and four-season really just refers to winter camping. You could use a four-season underquilt year-round, but you’ll be sweating up a storm in the summer.
The temperature points for four-season, three-season, and one-season underquilts are certainly up for debate, but it’s generally accepted that a three-season quilt should be comfortable down to 20℉, and a four-season quilt should keep you warm down to 0℉.
Some manufacturers improperly market their products for winter when they barely qualify for three-season use, so sometimes you have to take it all with a grain of salt.
Often, you’ll get a more accurate picture of an underquilt’s actual temperature capabilities from reviews and field tests.
Down vs Synthetic
When it comes to hammock insulation, down underquilts are preferred for being lightweight, compressible, and substantially warmer. In the ultralight backpacking community, choosing down over a synthetic fill is a no-brainer.
However, here are a couple drawbacks to using traditional down. For one, goose down is more expensive than synthetics.
Traditional down also loses its insulative properties when wet and takes a long time to dry. You should have a tarp to keep your hammock dry at camp, but rain and snow can definitely be an issue when your tarp isn’t in the air.
With that in mind, it’s no surprise that synthetic-filled underquilts are a popular alternative. Not only are synthetic fills less expensive, they generally hold up better when exposed to moisture.
Synthetic underquilts are often heavier and bulkier, but they’re a great alternative for budget-minded hammock campers outside the ultralight fan club.
Another alternative is treated down. While still more expensive than synthetics, modern science has done a lot to boost water resistance for goose down.
For example, DownTek produces DWR-treated down that’s 30% more water-resistant and dries 60% faster when exposed to moisture. Most of the premium underquilts we’re spotlighting today use treated down, though there are some purists who still prefer traditional down.
Time to Get Hanging
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