Making sense of Cumulus comforter vs quilt temperature ratings?

[dueurt]

I’ve been eyeing a Cumulus quilt, but started considering one of their comforters instead. They can be cinched like a quilt, but where their quilts havea zippered foot box, the comforters has a row of eyelets for cinching and pad attachment. Cumulus describes their quilts as “quilts first, but usable as comforters occasionally” and their comforters as “comforters that can be used as quilts in an emergency”.

I much prefer sleeping with a blanket over me to being stuck in a bag, so the comforters sound perfect.

The advertised temperature rating of their comforters is 4C comfort / 0C limit. Their Quilt 250 has identical temperature ratings.

The Quilt 250 has ~110g down/m2, but the comforters have ~160g down/m2.

Their Quilt 350 has the same ~160g down/m2 as the comforters, and is advertised with 2C comfort / -4C limit. That makes me think the comforters rating doesn’t take ‘quiltmode’ into consideration. Now I mailed Cumulus, but apparently they didn’t really understand my question.

 

Now, I use my sleeping bags as quilts (awkwardly draping them on top of me), but have no experience with dedicated quilts. I’m sure a closed or zippered footbox makes a difference, but I have a hard time believing it is the equivalent of 40% more down.

I need a sleep system that will comfortably get me down around 0C, and safely through a night of -3C or so. Getting a large comforter (their L500 is 227 cm x 140 cm) seems like that should easily do it (extra material would help block drafts and could double up in places to increase insulation with minimal dead space loss). Obviously there’s a weight penalty over just getting a dedicated quilt (~60g), but I’m quite willing to take that for the added comfort of – well sleeping with a comforter.

 

Any thoughts?

[Bill Budney]

Sure, I’ve used unzipped sleeping bags like quilts since I was a kid. Just seemed obvious at the time.

Quilts are smaller, lighter, and have less down than a comforter of the same loft. Cumulus comfort-rates their comforters accordingly.

Everything you say is correct — a comforter will be fine. Maybe even more comfortable than a quilt. It’s heavier because it is larger and rectangular, while the quilt is smaller and tapered. A difference of 2C in comfort rating is small — your personal variation in comfort will be greater.

On cold nights, wearing your jacket and pants (puffy if you have them) will help to reduce any possible drafts when you roll over.

[Terran Terran]

Looks like the difference is in the width. The quilt is 4″ wider at the top and the comforter is 8″ wider at the bottom. The wider top width would allow it to be tucked in better at the top, while the wider width at the bottom would make up for no footbox. Personally, I like a footbox. It’s not confining like a mummy, I can still leave my feet out on warm nights or if it has a zipper, unzip it. When used, it helps me keep the quilt in position which is nicer on cold nights.

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