Coleman Brazos 30F Sleeping Bag Review

Bottom Line

If you’re looking for an unfussy, affordable sleeping bag without sacrificing comfort, the Coleman Brazos 30 fits the bill. This one steals the show when it comes to budget buys on our best sleeping bags for camping guide. Its soft interior, versatile design, and very low price makes it an attractive entry-level bag for car campers, bargain hunters, and anyone needing multiple bags without breaking the bank.

Senior Gear Analyst Ian Krammer has tested this bag over 20+ nights. From short, dry summer camping trips in the Colorado Rockies to late-fall trips to the Utah desert, our testing finds it’s ideal for warm, mild weather in the 40s and above. The Brazos’ wide, rectangular design offers plenty of room to roll over. A two-way zipper runs from the top of the bag to the bottom corner for ventilation – plus it transforms into a blanket. This one even has a small interior stash pocket for a chapstick or headlamp.

But, the Brazos has some notable downsides. It’s heavy and bulky compared to other synthetic bags, and its stuff sack is not our favorite. We find debris sticks easily to its interior fabric. Despite zipper plows, the zippers tend to catch on the lining. We don’t recommend it for truly cold adventures – the Brazos lacks a hood and barely-there draft tubes do little to block chilly air. But for such an extremely low price, the Coleman Brazos offers exactly what we need for a mild night under the stars: comfort and simplicity.

Comfort

The Coleman Brazos 30 proves you don’t need bells and whistles to stay comfy when camping. The combination of a plush tricot fabric liner and thick synthetic insulation makes for a surprisingly cozy feel that’s inviting and warm. For active sleepers this bag has plenty of room to move around, too, thanks to the Brazos’ roomy rectangular shape. Gear Analyst Ian Krammer tends to shift around quite a bit during the night, switching between his back, side, and belly. He had no trouble rolling over, as this model allows for easy movement no matter your preferred sleeping position.

The Brazos has an L-shaped zipper that fully unzips on one side and the bottom, transforming the bag into a blanket. We love this design for chilly nights around the fire. You can also zip two Brazos bags together for shared warmth with a partner – or a dog bff.

That said, the Brazos earns only average scores for comfort. The main reason is due to the tricot fabric liner – it collects debris and hair like a magnet. Ian set this bag on the ground while pitching his tent and it immediately picked up twigs, pine needles, and dirt, and we ran into the same issue with dog hair. Cleaning it feels like a chore. Luckily, the bag is fully machine washable (front loading, over-sized washers only) helping eliminate most of the lingering grit.

The tricot also tends to catch on baselayer materials including nylon, cotton and polyester. Ian finds there’s plenty of room to roll over, but the tricot can move against clothes causing static electricity and snagging. We grew accustomed to this feeling, but it may miss the mark if you’re sensitive to textures.

Warmth

The Brazos 30 is reliably warm. If you’re camping in temps between 40ºF and 70ºF, the Brazos gets the job done. Our testing finds Coleman’s synthetic fill retains warmth as well as any bag on our list, making it a solid choice for moderately chilly conditions. During three 40ºF nights on a trip to Lake City, Colorado – a small town buried deep in the remote San Juan Mountain Range – Ian stayed warm and content without any issues.

The Brazos is not water resistant, though the synthetic fibers still kept us warm when the bag got wet. On a particularly dewy night in Colorado’s Lost Creek Wilderness, Ian’s bag absorbed most of the moisture. Still, the bag stayed impressively warm, even as the water soaked in. It also dried quickly – within 2 to 3 hours.

We also appreciate the two-way L-shaped zipper. The footbox unzips so we could stick our feet out and cool down. The Brazos converts fully into a blanket, plus you can zip two bags together to create a double-wide sleeping bag and share warmth.

However, we don’t recommend the Brazos below 40ºF. Ian’s tested this sleeping bag to its absolute limit on snowy trips down to freezing (32ºF), but it required base and mid layers as well as a very warm sleeping mattress. The Brazos doesn’t have a hood, and there’s no cinching mechanism around the neck to trap warmth, which can make for a drafty experience. Last, Coleman advertises a draft tube along the zipper, but it’s very minimal and doesn’t prevent the cold from seeping in. Keep the Brazos for laid-back, mild-weather adventures where chilly temperatures and wet conditions aren’t a concern.

Packed Size

The Coleman Brazos 30 has a large packed size of about 12 inches by 19 inches. It also weighs nearly 7 pounds, making it one of the heavier one person synthetic sleeping bags we’ve tested. The thick insulation does well in terms of warmth, but it doesn’t compress well, resulting in a bulky package. That said, the Brazos isn’t that much bigger than the competition. We’ve always found a place in our gear closet or trunk for this one, and it’s still fairly easy to move between car and campsite.

Our biggest gripe with the Brazos is that it’s tough to pack up. The included stuff sack is small, so mashing the bag back inside requires muscle and patience. The stuff sack has a lengthwise zipper on the outside to help compress the width of the bag by a few more inches, but it’s even more challenging to close.

This bag also features Coleman’s “Quick Cord” system, with two cords on the bottom of the bag. One cord creates a loop, and the other is a standalone with a plastic hook at the end. When the bag’s rolled up, attach the hook to the loop – although we find the Brazos is even more unwieldy packed this way. Our solution? Use the cost savings to buy a cheap mesh laundry bag for storing the Brazos.

Features

The Coleman Brazos 30 is a minimalistic design, but it does have a few standout features. The small pocket with a hook-and-loop closure on the inside of the bag is perfect for keeping small essentials close at hand when you’re sleeping, like a lighter or headlamp, though it’s a bit tight for most phones. The L-shaped zipper allows the bag to be transformed into a blanket or zip together with another Brazos. While it doesn’t have an adjustable hood, the roomy interior makes it feel comfortable and spacious, allowing for a cozy night under the stars.

On the downside, the Coleman Brazos 30 lacks most of the luxurious features we see in higher quality bags. It doesn’t include a neck cinch cord, zipper garage, or hook-and-loop closure at the neck to prevent the zipper from coming undone when shifting at night. The Brazos lacks a hood and it’s draft tubes are extremely narrow. We also find the zipper system can be finicky and can catch on the lining.

Still, the Brazos proves that enjoying the outdoors doesn’t have to come with a hefty price tag. It delivers all the key features we expect from a sleeping bag: warmth, comfort, and versatility for night after night of sleep outdoors..

Should You Buy the Coleman Brazos 30F?

The Coleman Brazos 30 is perfect for budget-conscious campers who want an affordable, simple bag for mellow summer trips. Its spacious rectangular design offers extra room to move around. If you’re a first-time camper or only venture out a few times a year, the Brazos is a practical, low-cost option for staying warm in temperatures as low as 45ºF. The ability to unzip the bag partially for ventilation, or all the way into a blanket, makes it a versatile pick. It’s also a good option for families or couples who want to share space, since two bags can also be zipped together. The cushy lining is soft against the skin, and a small stash pocket is helpful to keep track of little items in the night.

However, if you want high-end features or lightweight portability, the Brazos misses the mark. Its bulky size, heavy weight, and challenging packing process aren’t a great fit if you want a more streamlined option. The tricot liner fabric tends to collect debris and dirt, and the external fabric is not water resistant. This model also lacks a hood, draft tubes, and a cinching mechanism, which can make it feel a bit drafty and cold.

That said, Coleman is king when it comes to budget products, and the Brazos is a fine bag for occasional campers, mellow adventures, and value shoppers. If you don’t want to spend an arm and a leg to sleep outside, this is the one.

What Other Camping Sleeping Bags Should You Consider?

Hike over to our best camping sleeping bags list to see how the Brazos compares to the competition. And consider these other options: 

The North Face Wawona 20 Review: The Wawona is also rectangular and has a wrap-around zipper and a cushy fabric interior. However, it weighs less, is much easier to pack, and is more durable and comfy – but costs more.

REI Siesta Hooded 20 Review: The REI Hooded 20 is our top pick – it has a big spacious inside, smooth fabric, and a cinchable, wide hood. This one’s got a higher price tag, but it’s worth it for superior warmth and quality construction.

Teton Sports Celsius XXL 0F Review: The Celsius is a big, cushy, super warm bag with budget-friendly pricing and a rectangular shape. It’s a significant step up in terms of durability and comfort, and now includes a hood.