When you think of budget-friendly camping gear, there’s one name that’s hard to ignore. For the casual, budget-conscious camper who simply needs a sleeping bag that’s insulated enough to handle at least three seasons, the Coleman Brazos may just fit the bill. At only $35, it’s inexpensive enough that you can buy a set for the whole family. However, we just had to know if this rectangular sleeping bag was more than just a good deal—was it also a worthwhile purchase? It’s also not a do-it-all kind of sleeping bag, as it’s more built for a night of car camping or even a kid’s sleepover party.

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When you think of budget-friendly camping gear, there’s one name that’s hard to ignore. Coleman’s storied history dates back to 1900, when William Coffin Coleman introduced the world’s first portable, gas-powered lantern. Today, you’d be hard-pressed to walk through any general-merchandise big-box store in North America without coming across one of their products. Pretty much everyone has used at least one Coleman product in their lifetime, whether it’s a lantern, a cooler, a grill, a camp chair, a tent…you get the idea.

For the casual, budget-conscious camper who simply needs a sleeping bag that’s insulated enough to handle at least three seasons, the Coleman Brazos may just fit the bill. At only $35, it’s inexpensive enough that you can buy a set for the whole family. However, we just had to know if this rectangular sleeping bag was more than just a good deal. Was it also a worthwhile purchase?

Warmth

We did not have high expectations for the warmth of this $35 sleeping bag, but as it turns out, it’s sort of better than it has any right to be. It’s often listed as the Brazos 30; however, its 30°F (-1°C) temperature rating is in fact the comfort rating, while the tested lower limit is 20°F (-6.7°C). This is accomplished using Coletherm synthetic polyester insulation that utilizes what Coleman calls Fiberlock construction to keep the insulation from shifting and creating cold spots. There’s also a Thermolock draft tube along the zipper to hold in body heat. Discovering that this bag deals out three-season support was a pleasant surprise; it’s actually more suited for chilly nights than our other low-budget sleeping bag, the Kelty Callisto 30, which also costs an additional $10.

Comfort

It was in the comfort category that the Coleman Brazos started to show a few weaknesses. The tricot knit liner isn’t particularly elegant and in fact is a bit of a debris magnet. That is to say, if you’re not careful about brushing yourself off before you climb inside, you’ll find at the end of your trip that the liner has turned into a bit of a keepsake display for various items from the forest floor.

We would have expected that an everyman sleeping bag like the Brazos to fit, well, every man, but unfortunately, that is not the case. Dimensions for this bag are 75”x33”, but the Coleman website states it will only accommodate campers up to 5’11” in height. The 66” girth throughout the bag could have also benefited from a bit of expansion.

Weight & Packed Size

For having a knit liner and far from space-age insulation, the Brazos still managed to come in at a reasonable 4.1lb, which is just a hair lighter than its main competitor on our 2021 list, the $45 Kelty Callisto 30. Packed size, i.e., compressed volume is pretty much negligible with this bag; it’s simply not built for backpacking but rather for camping. That being said, the bag comes with a stuff sack that does a decent job of keeping everything together. The sleeping bag itself also has roll-control fasteners that hold the bag straight as you roll it up as well as no-tie cords to keep the whole package together, making packing up a breeze.

Features

If you expected this budget bag to skimp on the bells and whistles, well, you’d probably be right. However, it does come with a comfort cuff for your head and an internal stash pocket for your cell phone. Still, we would have preferred if the pocket could be closed with a zipper rather than Velcro, but that might be just us splitting hairs. You snugglers out there can also use the anti-snag zipper to join two of these sleeping bags into a double bag.

The Bottom Line

Although it’s already been stated a couple of times already, it’s still worth noting—this bag is only 35 bucks! You can’t get much more budget than the Coleman Brazos, but it’s also not a do-it-all kind of sleeping bag. It’s more built for a night of car camping or even a kid’s sleepover party. Still, it’s capable of handling three seasons, and Coleman even managed to throw in a couple of party pieces. The bag is also machine washable and comes with a 5-year warranty that covers wear and tear.

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