Being too cold at night when camping can take the gloss off a great trip. So this year we decided to get new sleeping bags for all the family. Check out this review of Skandika sleeping bags to find out how we got on.
Introducing Skandika
Skandika are not a household name in the UK but they are big on the camping scene in Germany. They specialise in tents with around 100 in their product range. They also sell sleeping bags, sleeping mats, camping tables and backpacks.
I reviewed one of the Skandika Copenhagen tent a couple of years ago and have been enjoying camping in it ever since. In my experience, Skandika gear falls in the category of higher quality, but at a reasonable price, so they provide great value for money.
I have not seen their gear in stores in the UK. However it is available to buy direct from Skandika via Amazon and ebay, or from their online store Maxtrader.
Sleeping bags for all the family
Whether you want to camp all year round, or only sleep out in warm warm conditions, Skandika have the sleeping bag for you. From the minus 25 °C Greenland bag to the plus 10 °C Stowaway suited to plus 10 degrees – and everything in between – they have most conditions covered.
The Skandika range also offers something for everybody regardless of age. There are small funky bags for young kids, medium ones for juniors and of course plenty of adult options including extra long and extra wide. They really do offer sleeping bags for all the family.
The style of sleeping bags varies greatly too. There are mummy shaped bags, traditional rectangular ones and those designed to be joined together. They also offer double sleeping bags which are perfect if you are not a fan of zipping two together.
Review of Skandika sleeping bags
This year we got three new sleeping bags. They have been tested in rather cold wet camping in May when the temperature dropped to under 5 °C and and very warm temperatures in July of pushing 20 °C when we put them to bed (but colder later). Here is how we got along:
Review of Sorgenfresser sleeping bag by Skandika
RRP £35, 170cm long, 300g/m² Microfibre, +13 to -12°C
For our four year old we got the Sorgenfresser sleeping bag which is the smallest in their range. It is based on the hugely popular German series by the same name which translates as ‘Worry Eater’.
The sleeping bag comes with a large pocket near the bottom in which you can put away your fears and worries. For older kids it could be a good way to find out what is worrying your children as they try to get to sleep. However, our son uses the pocket as a sleeping bag for his teddies – whatever makes them happy!
The bag comes in the style of six different characters from the show all of which have a different colour scheme. There is a pirate one called Flint, plus there are orange, green, blue, brown or pink options. Much to our surprise our son insisted he wanted Polli which is the pink sleeping bag – no gender stereotypes when we’re camping!
During this review of Skandika sleeping bags for all the family, our youngest has grown to love the Sorgenfresser. He was plenty warm enough in the cold weather with the hood snuggled around him.
In the warm temperatures he was slightly too warm when we put him to bed. But he just undid the sleeping bag and was fine. Later in the night it it cooled down and he was snuggled down deep in the bag looking all nice and toasty.
Find out more at: www.skandika.com/sorgenfresser
Review of Vegas sleeping bag by Skandika
RRP £60, 220cm long, 300g/m² Microfibre, +13 to -12°C
When ordering we made a mistake and accidentally got the adult Vegas sleeping bag instead of the junior one. Our eldest is seven years old so it is way to big for him, but he loved it so we kept it.
Also when considering sleeping bags for all the family it is useful to have an adult bag that one of the kids sleeps in. This is because the kids sometimes end up in mummy and daddy’s bed, which means there is no room for daddy! But with an adult sleeping bag I can get in the single and everyone gets some sleep.
On one of our trips I ended up relegated to the kids sleeping bag so during this review of skandika sleeping bags I got to test the Vegas for myself. It is very wide – actually classified as XXL at 110cm width. I am not exactly a huge chap but I have fairly broad shoulders and really likes the wider bag as it is less claustrophobic.
To be honest its far too big for our eldest, but he loves being able to twist turn and wriggle in it. There had been no issue with him being too cold, or too warm and the only time he (and his little brother) wanted to get in with us was when there was a huge thunderstorm.
Learn more at: www.skandika.com/vegas
Review of Orkney sleeping bag by Skandika
RRP £80, 235cm long, 300g/m² Coletherm, +7 to -13°C
Finally for the adults we replaced our single season double sleeping bag with the three season Skandika Orkney. Even in the middle of summer we had found our previous sleeping bag (which had come with an air mattress around a decade ago) a bit too chilly and had ended up using blankets to keep us warm.
After our first camping trip of the year my wife declared the Orkney to be the most comfy sleeping bag she has ever slept it. Part of this is the soft and warm flannel lining, but the thick puffiness of the filling certainly helps.
As the zip goes all the way around you can undo it and treat the top as a duvet. This is something I found very good during this review of Skandika sleeping bags – particularly on warmer nights.
I thought I’d find the Orkney too warm on all but cooler nights. But when I get too hot I just do the same as I would with a duvet at home and kick it off. But when the temperature was cooler we did it up and I felt very snug and comfortable in the Orkney.
More info can be found here: www.skandika.com/sleeping-bag-orkney
Review of Skandika sleeping bags: Size and sack
All the Skandika sleeping bags come in a stuff sack with both the Orkney and Vegas having compression straps to help reduce their footprint. This is a good job as packed away they are all fairly big sleeping bags. But then they are all three season so thicker than the one or two season bags I have previously had.
Unfortunately, the straps don’t compress bags a huge amount. I have had sleeping bags in the past that reduce to less than half their normal volume. But the Skandika sleeping bags for all the family only reduce by around a third.
The size is absolutely fine for the kind of camping we do, which usually involves parking close to our pitch. However, if I was going to be hiking with all my gear I would prefer a smaller volume sleeping bag. This is where some of the top level – and far more expensive – sleeping bags excel as you can get the warmth without the volume.
Review of Skandika sleeping bags: Conclusion
Skandika clearly sell great sleeping bags for all the family. They are well made, with good materials and in my opinion are priced in the mid to low range while being mid to high quality. It is worth keeping an eye on their special deals as prices come down considerably, and there are serious bargains to be had.
I would say their sleeping bags are more suited to car camping than backpacking or hiking as they are quite bulky so would take up a lot of room in a pack. Having said that, when I was a kid there was no such thing as a small sleeping bag and lugging them around never did me any harm.
I hope you found this review of Skandika sleeping bags for all the family useful. To see their full range go to: www.skandika.com/sleeping-bags-and-mats
