ZenBivy – the newcomer that’s gaining traction

[George H]

Okay, I’ve been ignorant of ZenBivy so decided to look closer at the specs and compare it to Western Mountaineering. Take note – I’ve never actually seen one, while I have used WM bags for decades.

ZenBivy size L UL Quilt 10°F:

$659

628g 900fp goose

850g total

ZenBivy Insulated Sheet 10°F:

$179

79g 900fp goose

190g total

Complete 10°F Zenbivy without 20”pad: 

$838

707g 900fp goose

1040g total

Western Mountaineering size L VersaLite 10°F: 

$720

565g 850fp goose

905g total

 

On paper the ZB should outperform the VersaLite – maybe it does IRL? It has more down of the same grade, by a long shot. It got the hood, draft collar, and an attempt to solve the achilles heel of quilts: drafts.

If the specs are correct the ZB before filling with down is 333g all in; the VersaLite 340g, of which 50g is the zipper, absent from the ZB. So that seems to check out. Both use low denier fabrics

The VersaLite, with it’s proven mummy features, is likely snugger and more economic with the fill volume to enclosed space ratio; while the ZB’s selling point is sprawl when you need it and the ability to tighten it up when it’s cold.

Does this work as good as battening down the hatches on the VersaLite? The ZB hood seems to lack a draw cord (for real? or am I missing it) and is generally large looking. The Kylie-Curve draw cord on the top of the quilt part could be less than ideal when it comes to bundling up.

The VersaLite can achieve sprawl level by unzipping it totally – something that has worked for mummy users for as long as anyone can remember. The hood in your face when side sleeping? Over blown complaint imo.

When studying the ZB quilt to sheet interface it appears there’s a gap between the draft mitigating side walls of the sheet and the under side opening of the quilt, which possibly could be a leaky area.

I do appreciate the ZB graphic hanging EE’s inferior and underfilled baffle layout out to dry

Would I go out and spend $838 on a ZenBivy? Probably not. It attempts to solve problems that I don’t have. I have also learned to look with skepticism , at least initially, at products that suddenly is everywhere with lots of hype – like Ultra Weave or the latest synthetic fill

[Terran Terran]

Nice detail. Never pay full price. Black Friday is coming, but they want your email first.

I think the ZB may be slightly larger accounting for some of the extra down. I’m personally trying to compare them with Nunatak, who also uses 900 fill, but I don’t see their fill weights.

I’m curious about the hood and how much warmth it actually adds to the system.

[Alex (he/him)]

I use ZenBivy stuff but I use the zenbivy quilt with the uninsulated ultralight sheet and a down hood from another brand that goes on my head. Using the uninsulated sheet rather than the insulated one may be part of why I comfort rate my quilt to about 15 degrees higher than the stated temp. But, the insulated zenbivy sheet just seems to me like it would be inefficient to me at providing insulation where it counts.

I did have draft problems when I used a Katabatic quilt, but maybe that’s because I didn’t get a wide quilt.

I also find the ZenBivy flex mattress to be more comfortable than the Thermarest XTherm that I tried. I don’t wake up with a sore hip or shoulder in the middle of the night or in the morning.

I didn’t set out to become a ZenBivy fanboy, but a good chunk of their stuff does work well for me where more industry standard stuff was uncomfortable for me.

[Bill Budney]

One of the things that I like about ZenBivy is that they offer a more boxy shape. Mummies shave off a few ounces, but the cost in terms of comfort is too much (for me). I just don’t like them. My legs need as much space as my shoulders (or more).

ZenBivy (and Warmlite) are more aware of people like me than almost all other makers. A few companies (including WM) have “semi-rectangular” bags which are a relaxed mummy. It is a half-step in the right direction, but doesn’t do the full job.

Fully rectangular bags have some advantages: unzipped they work like a quilt, zipped like a bag, and two can be zipped together for couples. They are more versatile. Unfortunately it is hard to find them in lightweight fabrics anymore — most current rectangular bags are heavy (for car camping).

[Alex (he/him)]

I didn’t really reply to the main post comparison. I guess I would say I think ZenBivy competes more directly against quilt manufacturers than against Western Mountaineering. If one’s happy with a sleeping bag and the minimal associated weight penalty, they’re an easy and draft-proof system. Personally, I’m a rotisserie side sleeper and did find the hood in the face issue to wake me up over 15+ years of sleeping bag use. I would need to wake up to switch sides and bring the bag with me, whereas I must be switching sides without waking up in my ZenBivy quilt.

Zenbivy needs a lower skill level to work well than a Katabatic or Nunatak quilt. The ZenBivy system may be more draft proof than even those quilts with a high skill level, not sure since I don’t have a high level of quilt skill. There are more closure points on a ZenBivy than a Katabatic, but the draft collar seems more fool proof on a Katabatic.

[jscott]

Old school here. I use a 900 down filled mummy bag with a hood, and a plush pad beneath. Most importantly, I’ve learned the ‘skill’ of rolling over in my bag without dragging the whole thing with me. easy peasy.

the whole tent/bag (quilt)/pad have to be thought of as a system. kudos to Zenbivy for designing for this! Except the tent is left out of consideration–single versus double wall etc. No single item functions independently from the other. for example a single wall tent with a high beak to encourage circulation will invite drafts that make a quilt more susceptible to cold. A double wall tent with half panels may mitigate this last. Etc. etc,

I tend to hike into high altitudes where even in summer months, temps can fall below freezing at night. Maybe that’s why I’m baffled (pun intended) by quilts.

[Dustin V]

Just curious ZenBivy users, do the extra attachment points keep the quilt from rotating on the pad when you turn better than a more traditional quilt? And how easy or tricky are the pad attachments to undo?

[Brad W]

They certainly went after all the Youtube hikers to promote their stuff. Seems to be an effective campaign.

[Alex (he/him)]

Dustin – compared to Katabatic, which has a decent pad attachment system already, the extra ZenBivy attachment points reduce/eliminate drafts from the hip area to the chest. Note that I may have bought a not wide enough Katabatic – I’m not an experienced quilt user. The Katabatic wasn’t rotating on me to begin with, just lifting up the tiniest bit behind me when I laid on my side.

[Dave P]

Dustin – I have never had any issues with the ZenBivy quilt rotating on me and I am an active sleeper who rotates from side to side many times a night. The wing attachments hold the quilt in place really well. In terms of how hard it is to undo and then redo the hook and loop attachments during the night, it takes a night or two of practice but then becomes second nature.

[Dustin V]

Does it work for you guys that you don’t really tuck the quilt sides? Is the sheet stretchy enough to keep things pulled in? Do you think you could get away with a narrower pad if the sheet will keep your arms contained? I could see the ZenBivy system being great inside a tent where there is a lot of airflow.

[Bill in Roswell]

ZenBivy has a sale on new gear, returned gear, used gear and repaired gear. Would be a good way to try out a system. I have rarely seen used ZenBivy gear for sale at any of the usual outdoor gear sites.

[Dave P]

The sheet is not very stretchy nor do I think it was intended to be. The wings anchor the quilt to the mattress such that the quilt never lifts off of the mattress. Even when you roll and shift in the night there is always several inches of quilt laying on the mattress. In this way the wings don’t function at all like the elastic straps that typically hold a quilt in place. Straps pull the quilt back to the mattress, while the ZenBivy wings keep the quilt from ever lifting.

I have only used the ZenBivy on a 25 inch mattress where the quilt feels like sleeping under a down comforter at home. The narrower mattress might feel more like you are inside of a traditional mummy bag.

[Alex (he/him)]

I tried my kids’ 20” wide Zenbivies and definitely felt more constricted than in my 25” setup. I can’t testify as to whether it would keep one’s arms off the ground because I decided I didn’t like it and got out ASAP.

[George H]

Comparing price and weights to a quilt:

Katabatic Alsek wide – 22°F – 900fp down weight 15.5 oz – Total weight 24.2 oz – $459

ZB – 25°F – 900fp down weigh 11.5 oz – Total weight 21.6 oz – $538

I chose a wide Alsek because I found their sizing falling more into a Narrow/Regular and a Regular/Wide. Most users will have less drafts with their ‘wide’ cut.

The main take away here is that Katabatic gets you a lot more down for less money – but obv without the bed features. ZB’s 11.5 oz of down is actually even less than the 30°F Palisade (12.2 oz).

I think ZB’s specs for a 25°F quilt is too far off – more so when considering  their 10°F option actually has more down than comparable rated Versalite, even without counting the down of the insulated sheet.

Makes me think the 10°F is the better performing ZB option for the conditions each was designed for

 

[Terran Terran]

If things go right, I’m getting a 10″ light bed.

Large

2 pounds 3 ounces 996 grams

706 grams 800fp hydrodry duck

Going up by Nederland on Saturday. Low around 20′. Starting out with a ccf pad with an R value around 5.

[talagnu]

I picked up the ultralight pad the other week. while I haven’t used it on a hike yet, I did sleep on it a cold patio and was impressed with it’s comfort/support. the packed size due to the mylar insulation is also impressive. looking forward to taking it out in the coming months

[kyle p]

I am considering investing in a Zenbivy setup during the up coming sale. I have a Katabatic flex 15 quilt and it’s just not wide enough. Unfortunately, life distracted me beyond the 30 day return period so I’m stuck selling it.
Sleep has been tough for me at home recently and getting a comfortable system for the backcountry has become a paramount issue for me. More important than weight by a long shot. It doesn’t seem likely here, but has anyone tried the 30” Zenbivy setup? If so do you see any disadvantages to the wider setup other than weight?

[Alex (he/him)]

Terran Terran – that’s exactly what I have! If you think to report back, I’d be interested to hear if you are warm enough this weekend!

[JG H]

For anyone considering a ZenBivy (ZB) quilt that they intend to use alone (w/out the full bed system), remember that ZB’s sizing reflects the measurements when the fabric is cut – it is NOT the finished size. This means that the quilt will be slightly shorter and slightly narrower than their published measurements.

Also, ZB doesn’t use a differential cut like Katabatic and Nunatak and Gryphon do, so their quilts won’t drape and retain warmth quite like those other quilts will. That said, I assume ZB uses a standard cut for two reasons: 1) easier and cheaper to manufacture; 2) their quilts are designed to integrate with their sheets so they wouldn’t need a differential cut when used as part of that system.

None of this is to say that ZB doesn’t make good quilts. I’m sharing this so that anyone considering a ZB quilt can make a better, more informed decision.

(Disclosure: I’m a Katabatic fanboy and currently have three of their quilts.)

[Terran Terran]

[Terran Terran]

Alex – certainly. I don’t think I should preempt the video though.

What pad have you been using? Do you know the R-value?

[JG H]

For clarification, the girth measurements in Terran’s post above include having the sheet attached. They’re not the width of the quilts themselves. The capture I included is what ZB provides for its quilt measurements, including the caveat about the dimensions being “several inches shorter”. I’m not sure how many inches would be equivalent to “several”, but if you aren’t using the entire ZB bed system then their quilts are going to run noticeably narrow.

 

[Alex (he/him)]

I’ve been using the ZenBivy Flex, R-Value 4.8.

[Terran Terran]

I figure my xw EE quilt measures 62″. Adding  a 25″ pad and subtracting 6″ for overhang leaves me about an 81′ circumference at the shoulders. Compared to 76″ for the ZB.

I see theyre coming out with a -5/+5*f.

999g 800fp duck down.-5

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