Vango rate the Cobra 600 sleeping bag as four season, yet the product weighs in at just over 1100g. I was interested to see if the bag really was a s warm as it suggested. Normally for a four-season sleeping bag, I’d be expecting it to be a bit heavier. The sleeping bag is also reasonably priced compared to others with a similar rating.
Features include:
Four season rating
Size: 210cm by 80cm
Pack size: 32cm x 17cm
Comfort temperature: -5C
Extreme rating: -30C
Fill: 90/10 700 fill power duck down
Hydrophobic down
Ethically sourced down
Aluminimised layer to reflect heat back inside
Inner and outer fabric: 20D 380T Nylon (water resistant)
Box welded construction
Ergonomic fit around head and shoulders
Full length two-way zip with is autolocking
Integrated zip guard to minimise snagging
Insulated zip baffle with 3D shaping
Insulated shoulder baffle
3D hood
Internal pocket
Shoulder baffle
Zip baffle
Four-way compression bag
Large mesh storage bag
Weight: 1100g (my scales show 1170g)
Unisex
Also see Cobra 900.
Price: RRP Vango £325, now £219 on Amazon (I earn a small bit of commission for sales through this website.)
My thoughts: Vango Cobra 600 Down sleeping bag
This is a surprisingly warming sleeping bag for the weight. A bag that weighs a little over 1kg and offers 700 fill-power of down is excellent. Vango has rated it four season but with a comfort rating to -5C. I am not sure I would class this as four season though because it definitely gets colder than this overnight in a Scottish winter and I would be looking for a bag with a comfort rating to below -10C. I have seen this sleeping bag listed by some retail companies as three season and I think this is more accurate.
If you are travelling to destinations where the overnight temperatures dip lower, this sleeping bag apparently has an extreme rating of -30C but I am not at all convinced it would keep many people warm enough.
Of course, sleeping warmth is very subjective and you will know how cold or warm you are when you camp.
I tested the bag in temperatures hovering around 0C. The sleeping bag is certainly very cosy and once inside it warms up really quickly. I do get cold at night, especially in spring, autumn and winter, so I wear thermal tights, a thermal long-sleeved top, down camping booties and sometimes a lightweight insulated jacket as well.
Tip: I fill a plastic Nalgene bottle with hot water and place it inside a down glove as a hot water bottle, too.
When sleeping in the Vango Cobra 600 Down sleeping bag I didn’t need my insulated jacket and I actually found my feet got too warm. This is a very rare occurrence for me while camping.
The bag felt like the right length and width. I am quite slim though so if you are a larger frame you might feel a bit more constrained. Some people like to fit neatly into a sleeping bag, while others, like me, prefer a bit of wriggle room.
I really appreciated the shoulder baffle and hood. At the start of the night I had the shoulder and hood area tightened up around my head and body. Then, halfway through the night, I had to open up the top of the bag because I felt a bit too warm.
I noticed that the bag puffs up nicely with warm air once you are inside. Vango report that it’s the box-welded construction – removing the need for stitching holes – that helps the bag retain its loft and further minimises heat loss when in use.
Yet, the bag still packs down nicely. As well as considering the weight of a sleeping bag for a backpacking trip, it is an advantage to have a bag that packs into a small space. The four-way compression sack helps to eliminate air from the down.
The full-length two-way zip is great. I only opened it from the top end but if you need more air circulating around your feet on a warmer night there is the option to do so.
You should note that a down bag can end up quite damp from moisture, firstly from your body and from the air, especially when it’s cold and you are warm.
The hydrophobic down will help to reduce the potential for the down to become too damp. Damp down can reduce the warmth rating.
The Vango bag also has a nylon outer shell fabric to resist moisture. This doesn’t make it waterproof, rather it helps to keep out the damp air.
The compassion bag has some water resistance, too. You could swap this for a dry bag so that the sleeping bag remains dry if you are carrying a rucksack in very wet weather.
The RRP is £325 but I have seen the sleeping bag for sale for £219. In my opinion, this is very good value compared to other three-season rated sleeping bags.
I also used the Vango Cobra 600 Down sleeping bag with the Vango Aotrom Thermo Platinum Inflatable Mat.