ZenBivy Light and Ultralight Beds

Hate being stuck in a mummy bag? Love the idea of a comfortable night sleep in the backcountry? Well Zenbivy may have the product for you. Read on to find out

Just the Facts:

Specifications

Includes Quilt and mesh storage sack

Limit/Comfort25° Down: 25°F (-4°C) / 35°F (2°C)10° Down: 10°F (-12°C) / 20°F (-7°C)

Weight25° Down

• Regular: 1 lb 1 oz (482 g)
• Large: 1 lb 3 oz (538 g)
• XL: 1 lb 6 oz (623 g)

10° Down

Regular: 1 lb 10 oz (737 g)

Large: 1 lb 14 oz (850 g)

XL: 2 lb 2 oz (963 g)

Compatible WithAll clip sheets regardless of temperature rating, size, color, or style/year

Quilt DimensionsRegular: 72” x 54” (183 x 137 cm)Large: 80” x 58” (203 x 147 cm)XL: 84” x 64” (213 x 163 cm)*These are the cut fabric dimensions. Filled, lofted quilts will be several inches shorter in both length and width.

FillDown: 900 fill-power ExpeDRY fluorocarbon-free water-resistant 90/10 goose down

Fill Weight25° Down

• Regular: 286 g
• Large: 326 g
• XL: 375 g

10° Down

Regular: 543 g

Large: 628 g

XL: 723 g

FabricShell & Lining: 10D Pertex® Quantum 280x250T, coating-free, cire, fluorocarbon-free DWR, 26gsm

Recommended Dry Sack SizeAll 25° Down: 7LAll 10° Down: 10LDry Sack sold separately

My Story:

What can I say about Zenbivy that I haven’t already said? Yeah, I’m stumped too. Not because I can’t think of anything good to say, but more that I can’t seem to find anything bad to say. I just always end up singing all praise to ZB. So, if you don’t want to hear good tings you may as well quit reading.  

When I first began working with Zenbivy I knew it was a great product. This went back when they only had one thing to offer. Now, they have a whole line of amazing products, and I am going to take some time to show off some of what I have been playing with this summer.

So what makes Zenbivy different from all the others? Some notable features including hydrophobic ExpeDRY down fill which offers superior insulation at extremely low weight. They employ an innovative hook and loop system to adhere the quilt to the bottom sheet insuring you are never left out in the cold. These beds have some great customizable options as sheets and quilts are interchangeable. I love this as it allows me to customize my bed for the adventure at hand. The bottom sheet has a hood that can hold a pillow in place and allows you to tuck the quilt in for additional warmth. The quilt has an adjustable toggle and lace system to cinch the quilt around your shoulders. Lastly, they offer a level of comfort you will be hard pressed to beat when it comes to backcountry sleep systems. So, lets get into the review.

I used this system over a multi-day backpacking trip and found it to be fantastic. Just like all my other Zenbivy beds this sucker is comfortable, and functions as advertised. The 25-degree rating was a little higher than what I thought a good summer bag would be, but I needed to test it out. Holy cow, I am so glad I did as the first night of our trip say temps as low as 32 degrees. Long story short, I stayed warm and comfortable through the night while my friends froze.

The new UL bed is the product I have been waiting for! The first ZB beds I tested were not overly heavy, but they weren’t UL, and when you are packing everything on your back you want to save every once you can. So, ZB stepped up and made it happen. They shaved ounces by making the sheet a bit shorter and taking away the down in the hood area. They shaved a few ounces off the quilt and they came up wit ha whole system that is only 19.7 ounces. I paired this with the ZB soft top pillow (Down topper shown) and it made for a very comfortable night.

I found this system to be perfect for a few back packing trips this season. I was able to maintain my already high opinion of Zenbivy as I found this UL system to be wonderful with comfort unsurpassed. When I got home I was telling my family about my trip and how happy I was with my new system.

As with all the new toys I get to play with my kids wanted their turn. So, on a family camping trip they took over their own tent and they filled it with all the great new and old Zenbivy products we had. Its a good thing too because this night was unexpectedly freaking cold. I’m talking way colder than we planned for and my girls had the right idea. They snuggled themselves into a ZenBivy burrito and stayed warm and happy for that night and the rest of the trip. The only thing better than sleeping in one Zenbivy bead is sleeping in two! You can also clearly see how the bottom sheet holds a pillow.

After our family trip I still needed to get out with the Light Bed and I was able to find a perfect place to do this in the Eagle Cap wilderness of Northeastern Oregon. Before we get into that here is some of the information about this bed.

Zenbivy Light Bed

Just the Facts:

Specifications

• Limit/Comfort25° Down: 25°F (-4°C) / 35°F (2°C)10° Down: 10°F (-12°C) / 20°F (-7°C)
• Weight25° Down
  • Regular: 1 lb 4 oz (567 g)
  • Large: 1 lb 7 oz (652 g)
  • XL: 1 lb 11 oz (765 g)

  10° Down

  • Regular: 1 lb 15 oz (878 g)
  • Large: 2 lb 3 oz (992 g)
  • XL: 2 lb 8 oz (1.13 kg)
• Compatible WithAll clip sheets regardless of temperature rating, size, color, or style/year
• Quilt DimensionsRegular: 72” x 54” (183 x 137 cm)Large: 80” x 58” (203 x 147 cm)XL: 84” x 64” (213 x 163 cm)*These are the cut fabric dimensions. Filled, lofted quilts will be several inches shorter in both length and width.
• FillDown: 800 fill-power HyperDRY™ fluorocarbon-free water-resistant 90/10 duck down
• Fill Weight25° Down
  • Regular: 321 g
  • Large: 366 g
  • XL: 423 g

  10° Down

  • Regular: 609 g
  • Large: 706 g
  • XL: 814 g
• FabricShell & Lining: 20D Nylon Taffeta 380T, coating-free, cire, fluorocarbon-free DWR, 36gsm
• Recommended Dry Sack SizeAll 25° Down: 7LAll 10° Down: 15LDry Sack sold separately
• IncludesQuilt and mesh storage sack

My Story:

Same features but just a little more fluff! This great bed also accompanied us into the wilds. You likely recognize the design as it is similar to the ZB beds. The great thing about the quilt is that we opted for the enclosed foot box and it was a welcomed change from the other ZB quilts. It also has a great feature that allows for the foot box to expand as comfort dictates.

The main difference between the two is weight. It surely isn’t comfort as they are both wonderful. Each is a great option and if it’s a budget issues I think no matter what you choose you will be happy. They are a system that work as well as they look. In the pictures below you can see the quilt as it attaches to the bottom sheet. This shows the hook and loop retention points. You can also see the difference from having and enclosed foot box to the cinch style that this quilt has.

Overall, we could not find any immediate flaws that felt like they would require attention. Overall this is just a great product that opens a level of comfort that is unobtainable through other brands.

The thing about Zenbivy is that they have a product line that will literally cover you for nearly every conceivable outdoor adventure. The bottom line is that they have made comfort there namesake and they nailed it. However, they didn’t give up once they hit the peak, no they decided to make improvements and innovate thus creating a UL line that is very appealing to us weight conscious adventurers. So from car camping or couch surfing and all the way to UL backcountry you can be sure Zenbivy has a quality product that will work for you.

Find it Here:

https://zenbivy.com

What can be done better?

I just can’t think of anything I would change at the moment.