Nemo Disco sleeping bag review

The Nemo Disco sleeping bag is billed as ‘The Ideal Backpacking Bag for Side-Sleepers’, and it has an unusual 'spoon' shape – just one of a few clever and innovative features you'll find here. The Disco is available in an impressive array of versions. There are two weights: –9C/15F and -1C/30F, as well as Men's and Women's designs, and Regular and Long in each. At RRP, prices range from $259.95 / £259.99 to $319.95 / £319.99, depending on which version you go for.

I tried out the Men's Regular 30 three-season sleeping bag on a particularly cold camping trip in the UK in late April, to see how it holds up against the rest of today's best sleeping bags. Here's my Nemo Disco down sleeping bag review.

Nemo Disco sleeping bag review: design and comfort

As mentioned in the intro, there are a few variations to choose from. As well as the two fill weights (self-explanatory), you can also choose between a Men's and Women's version. Unnecessary gendering? Apparently not – the Nemo rep I spoke to told me that because women tend to sleep colder, women's bags need more fill in order to achieve the same temperature rating as the men's bags. 

You can also choose between Regular and Long in both Men's and Women's, which is good because the Women's Regular only fits up to 5ft 6, which isn't exactly generous in my (5ft 8) opinion. A Tall Men's should fit up to 6'6" / 198 cm, while a Tall Women's fits up to 6ft / 183cm.

The Disco comes in a compression sack, alongside a mesh storage bag. The 15 Men's Regular packs down to 12.0 x 9.0" dia / 30 x 23cm dia and 2lb 11oz / 1.22kg, which is pretty compact, but there are plenty lighter and smaller options in our best lightweight sleeping bags guide, if that's your priority. 

Really, this bag is all about the comfort. On that front, Nemo has introduced a whole new shape: the 'classic spoon'. This translates to a kind of elongated peanut shape, or one of those little wooden scoops you get with your ice-cream in the theatre, giving you extra room around the elbows and knees. It's not what I'd consider a 'classic' spoon shape, but whatever. 

The idea is that it’s good for side-sleepers, because you can roll over to your side and, to some extent, raise your knees, without having to take the whole sleeping bag with you. This is good because there’s a built-in pillow slot, which obviously loses its usefulness somewhat if it’s behind rather than underneath your head. I stuffed this with Nemo's Fillo pillow (which I was also super-impressed with), but you can of course bung whatever soft thing you have to hand in there to use as a makeshift cushion. It's surprising how much of a difference this slightly edited shape makes – I'd pick it over a classic Mummy shape any day of the week. 

Alongside this different shape, there are a few more interesting features, my favourite being the ‘Blanket Fold’ – essentially a padded flap that sits under the hem that runs beneath your chin. Flap it in and it feels snuggly warm by providing a barrier over your neck and shoulders. This keeps the drafts out an absolute treat, in a much less constrictive way than the traditional drawcord (which this does also have). My tent-mate flapped hers up over her face to keep the morning light out, and another tucked it into the face-hole altogether to keep the chill out, which I guess are both good hacks if you’re not especially claustrophobic, but not ones that I, personally, will be employing. The hood itself is generously shaped to keep the heat in around your head, too. 

If you get a little too cosy, you can deploy the Nemo Disco's ‘Thermo Gills’ – zips halfway up that can be opened to reveal extra fabric. These give you a little extra room around the middle, but the real aim is to help cool you down by revealing sections of less padded fabric, without letting in a draught. This thoughtful detail also seems to work well, and means you don't have to resort to more drastic cooling methods, such as awkwardly poking an entire arm or foot out of your sleeping bag. The nights I slept in the Disco were downright freezing, so there was no need for extra cooling, though. 

The stuffing is 650 FP down, which is hydrophobic, PFC-free, 100% RDS Certified, and traceable to ensure humane treatment throughout the supply chain. In a battle of down vs synthetic sleeping bags, down wins on providing more warmth for the weight, but it'll be ruined if you get it wet. While you'll still need to be careful not to drench your Disco, Nemo has cleverly added a waterproof footbox, which will keep your toes dry and protect the down stuffing if your tent is plagued with early morning condensation.

Finally, there's a full length zip with a generous padded buffer to keep the heat in. Opposite-sided zippers on the Men's and Women's versions let you join two bags together if you feel like snuggling up. I was camping with other journalists, so obviously we did not try this feature out. 

Nemo Disco sleeping bag review: verdict

Now to the important part of my Nemo Disco sleeping bag review: is it any good? Without a doubt, yes. This is just about the comfiest sleeping bag I've ever slept in. The Spoon shape lets you sleep in a range of different poses, and the extra space around the elbows and knees gives a satisfying amount of wiggle room for those who don't want to sleep rigidly on their back like a soldier. 

Genuinely innovative and thoughtful details such as the vents for temperature regulation and waterproof footbox help elevate this sleeping bag from the competition. In particular, the ultra-snuggly Blanket Fold flap that tucks under your chin is a genius addition.

I tested this bag out on a press camping evening with a bunch of other outdoorsy journalists and influencers, and these bags were the number one thing everyone was hankering to take home with them (we were not allowed). The Nemo Disco isn't the cheapest sleeping bag on the market, nor the lightest or most compact, but if cosy comfort is your priority, I'd recommend it in a heartbeat.