Teton Sports Celsius XXL 0F Sleeping Bag Review

Bottom Line

The Teton Sports Celsius XXL 0°F is one of the warmest and most affordable options on our best sleeping bags for camping guide. This thing is a dream for cold sleepers, folks on a budget, and anyone who likes to spread out when they snore. Senior Gear Analyst Ian Krammer’s used it for dozens of frigid winter nights car camping outside of Moab, Utah, but it’s been one of his favorites for year-round use, including summers in Colorado.

The wide, spacious design and poly-flannel lining are a soft and luxurious blend that makes it feel like a giant, cozy comforter. The huge rectangular design is inclusive for different heights and body types. Testers between 5’1” and 6’1” have used this bag with no issues, and it’s plenty wide for tossing and turning. The bag is updated with a mummy hood and improved diagonal baffles. It fully unzips into a blanket for lounging or extra ventilation, and an awesome bang for your buck, so it’s a great budget buy, too.

However, the Celsius XXL is one of the heaviest and bulkiest options on our sleeping bags guide, and takes up a lot of space in a trunk and gear closet. The shallow hood doesn’t easily accommodate a full-sized pillow. Some elements of the bag are awkward, too: the zipper tends to snag material, the overly long cinch cord gets in the way, and outer shell material can be noisy. It’s also too warm and a bit excessive for hot, high-humidity conditions. It performs best 45°F and below, so we’d save this one for the fall, winter, and spring, or higher elevations. Still, it’s super comfy, affordable, and easy to love – and at this price, a great bag to keep in your arsenal.

Comfort

Our team gave the Celsius XXL 0F strong marks for comfort. Our favorite thing? The cozy poly-flannel interior lining. Gear Analyst Ian Krammer loves the incredibly soft feel of this material. Combined with the heft of the bag, it feels more like a weighted comforter than a sleeping bag. Plus, the Celsius can fully unzip for more versatility when sleeping or relaxing around the campfire. For extra warmth and comfort, the current version of this bag now includes a mummy hood with double cinch cords to add a more snug fit around the head when temperatures are low.

The Celsius XXL is true to its name: it’s luxuriously large. The huge rectangular shape is perfect for different body shapes and sizes. Whether you crash out on your stomach, side, back, or a combo, this model suits any sleeping position. Thick draft tubes block cold air from creeping in and add a plush feel at the neck and along the zippers.

However, it’s not perfect. We like the new hood, but it’s fairly shallow. Ian finds it’s not quite big enough to accommodate a full-size pillow, but not small enough to wrap fully around around our heads like a mummy bag. We find the long cinch cord tends to flop inwards onto the neck and face when sleeping. The outer material is also a bit noisy, especially on certain sleeping pads. Still – these are small complaints. If you sleep cold or simply want lots of room to spread out, you will love this bag.

Warmth

The Teton Sports Celsius XXL is one of the warmest options on our camping list. Ian’s taken it on dozens of cold camping trips in the Utah desert and Colorado mountains because it thrives in temperatures between 10°F and 45°F. Once we’re zipped inside, the thick synthetic hollow fiber insulation heats up fast – usually only a minute. The Celsius stays dry, too – with a water-resistant polytaffeta shell, it’s a solid choice for damp conditions and tents with heavy condensation.

On warm nights, the wrap-around two-way zipper can be opened at the bottom to stick your feet out and dump heat. On cold nights, the hood helps trap heat, and the double-cinching mechanism – one for the hood and one for the neck – adds extra security against the cold. Draft tubes along the zipper and neck reduce heat loss, and Teton Sports’ improved diagonal baffle design blocks the cold and keeps the heat. 

That said, we don’t recommend the Celsius below 10°F. It’s incredibly warm down to that point, but when temps approach the teens, it gets cold spots in the corners – a downside of the rectangular shape. The hood is functional, but too shallow to offer a snug fit and full warmth around the head.

Finally, this bag is too warm for temperatures above 50°F. Ian was sweating buckets when he brought this bag along on a warmer 60°F evening, even when the bag was opened up like a blanket for more breathability. However, for temperatures between 20°F and 60°F, the Celsius XXL is a great pick.

Packed Size

With the Celsius XXL, you’ll trade top-tier comfort and warmth for a big packed size. At 7 pounds, it’s one of the heaviest bags on our guide, and packs larger than most at 17.5 by 12.5 inches. You’ll need plenty of room in a storage closet, as well as dedicated space in your trunk, to accommodate this model. The main reason is this one has a ton of materials, and all that  synthetic insulation doesn’t compress as much as lighter, thinner options.

But, thanks to a simple, effective stuff sack design, it’s easy to transport between car and campsite. The sack is large and forgiving, so there’s no need for a wrestling match – it takes about 30 seconds to pack the Celsius away. Plus, it has a huge nylon handle on the bottom to make carrying a breeze.

Features

When it comes to functionality, the Teton Sports Celsius XXL has all the basic features we want in a sleeping bag. The bag’s newly added mummy hood offers extra warmth and coziness to help retain heat, perfect for cold nights. The large internal pocket is big enough for most phone models, and comes with a hook-and-loop closure that prevents small items like a chapstick or headlamp from falling out. Plus, this bag can be unzipped completely to transform into a blanket for two, or a cozy way to bundle up when hanging around the campsite on chilly evenings.

Our biggest complaint with the Celsius comes down to the zipper and cinch cords. Testing finds the zipper track is not as smooth as most other bags and snags on the inner lining, so it takes a bit more focus and attention to get in and out of the Celsius. Also, the cinch cords are fairly long, so they can flop against our faces in the night when tightened.

Still, the simplicity, warmth, and comfort of this model far outweigh its simple feature set. This heavy-duty bag has been a staple in our winter lineup for years, and despite its budget-friendly price, it gets the job done. Sure, it’s not the most premium option out there, but for the cost, it’s hard to complain.

Should You Buy The Teton Sports Celsius XXL 0F?

The Teton Sports Celsius XXL 0F is a stellar budget buy for car campers, cold sleepers, and anyone who wants a durable, affordable, and roomy sleeping bag for chilly conditions. Its cozy flannel polyester lining offers excellent next-to-skin comfort, making it feel more like a bed than a bag. The spacious rectangular shape is inclusive for different body types and sleeping styles, and works perfectly for people who like to spread out. The added mummy hood, thick draft tubes, and cinch mechanisms trap heat to retain warmth on chilly nights – or open it up into a huge blanket for kicking it at the campfire. We also appreciate the newly designed and durable shell for years of rough outdoor conditions. 

However, the Celsius XXL packs extra, extra large, which means it takes up significant space in both a trunk and gear room. It’s too warm for temps above 45°F. We also find the outer material is a bit noisy, and the hood is shallow. The hood cinch cords can get in the way at night, and zippers aren’t the smoothest. But, we don’t mind these downsides because the Celsius is so comfy and warm – which is why it’s in our top 5 bags of the year. It’s a great choice if you need a budget-friendly, spacious, and comfortable place for cold-weather car camping.

What Other Camping Sleeping Bags Should You Consider?

Visit our guide to the best camping sleeping bags to see how the Celsius XXL compares to our other top picks of the year. And while you’re here, dig into these other great options:

ALPS OutdoorZ Redwood -10 Review: The ALPS OutdoorZ Redwood -10 is an excellent alternative to the Celsius – it has a similarly bulky, weighted feel, impressive warmth, and super cozy flannel interior. However, it’s much heavier, lacks a hood, and is not water-resistant.

REI Siesta Hooded 20 Review: The REI Siesta Hooded 20 shares the Celsius’s comfortable fabric liner, rectangular shape, and large hood, making it another super cozy choice. This one is a bit more expensive and isn’t as warm, but it offers much lighter weight and considerably less bulk than the Teton.

The North Face One Bag Review: The North Face One Bag offers similar warmth, comfort, and a wider shape like the Teton Sports Celsius XXL. You can add or remove layers to make it adaptable for 5°F, 25°F, or 40°F, for awesome flexibility to camp in various seasons, though it costs more.