Sleeping bag liners offer many benefits to outdoor enthusiasts and travelers. But what exactly is a sleeping bag liner? A sleeping bag liner is an extra layer inside your sleeping bag that provides more hygiene, warmth, and sleeping comfort. Additionally, a sleeping bag liner is an ideal summer sleeping bag for on the go. We are happy to tell you more about sleeping bag liners and why a bag liner is indispensable!

More hygiene in your sleeping bag

When you are in your sleeping bag, the liner forms a layer between you and the sleeping bag. Any dirt doesn’t end up in the sleeping bag but in the liner. This keeps your sleeping bag cleaner and makes it last longer. Moreover, you can easily remove the liner from your sleeping bag to wash it, whereas washing a sleeping bag is usually not so easy.

More hygiene while traveling

A sleeping bag liner is also ideal for traveling. Do you encounter less fresh bedding during your travels? Then use the liner as an extra layer. Think of hotels, hostels, boats, airplanes, and sleeper trains. Furthermore, liners are mandatory in mountain huts.

Liner in mountain hut

If you are going on a mountain hut trek, a liner is always mandatory. Mountain huts are often in remote locations and most people stay only one night. Changing the bedding daily is not an option. In the mountain hut, there is bedding that you can use in combination with your own liner and pillowcase. So, if you are staying in a mountain hut, do not forget to bring a sleeping bag liner!

Extra insulation value

Another advantage is that a liner adds extra warmth to your sleeping bag. It gives the sleeping bag an extra insulating layer to keep you warm in colder temperatures. How much warmth a liner adds depends on the material. A polyester liner, for example, adds about 4 degrees of insulation value to your sleeping bag, but there are also liners that add up to 10 degrees of insulation value. You can read more about the insulation value per material further in this article.

More sleeping comfort with fine materials

Moreover, a liner can provide more sleeping comfort in your sleeping bag. There are liners made of various materials. For outdoor enthusiasts, we always recommend choosing a material with good breathability, such as silk and polyester. These materials transport moisture through the fabric to the outside. On average, an adult loses half a liter of moisture during a night's sleep. A breathable fabric ensures that you lose this moisture through the material. If you retain the moisture, you get a damp, clammy liner that cools you down.

But why choose (Egyptian) cotton, flannel, silk, or polyester?

But what is the best liner? Which material should you have? There is no single best material, so we are happy to provide more information about the different materials with their pros and cons.

Cotton liner

Generally, a cotton liner feels pleasant on the skin, but the material has limited breathability. It retains moisture rather than wicking it away. Additionally, cotton is not lightweight and has a limited lifespan.

Insulation value up to +3 degrees

Organic cotton liner

Besides “regular” cotton, there are also liners made of organic cotton. The material is exactly the same and has the same properties but is made without the use of pesticides and fertilizers.

Egyptian cotton liner

The biggest difference compared to a cotton liner is that Egyptian cotton lasts longer.

Insulation value up to +4 degrees

Flannel liner

Flannel also feels pleasant on the skin but is heavier and has a pack volume at least twice as large as a cotton liner. Additionally, the material has a slightly shorter lifespan.

Insulation value up to +6.5 degrees

Silk liner

Silk naturally has temperature-regulating properties that make the material unique. Silk stimulates blood circulation, making you cooler in warm conditions and warmer in cold conditions. Silk liners are lightweight and have a limited pack volume. This makes the material ideal for travelers.

Insulation value up to +5 degrees

Polyester liners

For most synthetic liners, polyester is used as the base material. Polyester has good breathability, is lightweight, and mixes well with other materials. This results in various liner materials, each with different properties, such as Thermolite, Coolmax, microfiber, and microfleece.

Thermolite liner

Thermolite is a synthetic fiber with a hollow core. The material wicks moisture quickly to the surface where it evaporates. The hollow fibers are filled with air, making the insulation value of this material better than all other liner materials. Additionally, a Thermolite liner dries up to 50% faster than a cotton liner.

Insulation value +6 to +10 degrees (depending on the model)

Microfleece liner

Microfleece has good insulating properties and can add up to 8 degrees of insulation value to a sleeping bag. The material is notably heavy, with the weight and pack volume of a light sleeping bag. This makes it less interesting for outdoor activities.

Insulation value up to +8 degrees

Microfiber liner

Microfiber is a lightweight, quick-drying, breathable fabric. 

Insulation value up to +3 degrees

Coolmax liner

Coolmax is a polyester fabric commonly found in sportswear. The material is very breathable. If you sweat a lot, the fabric ensures that moisture is quickly wicked away and evaporated.

Tencel liner

The material Tencel, also known as Lyocell, is also used in liners. The material is 100% sustainably produced. It is made from natural wood fiber, sourced from eucalyptus trees. The material has good breathability, is lightweight, soft, and strong.

Liner as a sleeping bag

In warmer temperatures, a liner is also perfect as a lightweight sleeping bag. 

Mummy or rectangular shape

At Snowcountry, liners come in mummy or rectangular shapes. If you have a mummy-shaped sleeping bag, choose a mummy-shaped liner. This way, you don’t have excess fabric in your sleeping bag. Moreover, a mummy shape is lighter and has less pack volume. If you use your liner more as a sleeping bag in, for example, a hostel, a rectangular shape is usually chosen. A rectangular shape is slightly heavier but offers more freedom of movement.

 

Shop all liners

Buying a liner

Do you want to buy a liner? Then think about what you want to use the liner for and which properties are most important.

  • If you don’t want to carry extra weight, look at liners made of lightweight materials such as polyester and silk.
  • If you get warm quickly, choose a silk liner for its temperature-regulating properties.
  • If you want to make your sleeping bag suitable for an extra season, look for a material with good insulating properties like Thermolite.

When purchasing a liner, not only consider the shape and material but also whether the liner offers an extra insert for a pillow and if the dimensions provide enough space to move.