Bottom Line
The brand-new Exped Terra 15 is a mid-level sleeping bag that delivers reliable warmth, comfort, and practical features at a very approachable price point. We tested it in the Rocky Mountains’ Indian Peaks Wilderness during a chilly fall, with nighttime temperatures dropping into the high 20s, and it kept us warm all night. The 650-fill-power down may not offer the loft of premium options, but the generous 28 ounces of fill compensates, making it a dependable, three-season bag for most backpackers.
The Terra 15’s mummy shape balances warmth with a bit of extra room, especially in the gusseted footbox. The hood fits well, and the 20D shell and liner feel soft yet durable. Exped also packs in plenty of thoughtful features including a cinchable hood, draft collar with snap, interior pocket, and glow-in-the-dark zipper tab. The Terra also comes with a compression sack that reduces packed size significantly.
As you’d expect at this price, this bag is one of the heavier ones we tested. For top-performing ultralight options, see our guide to the best backpacking sleeping bags.
Still, the Terra 15 offers excellent value for new or casual backpackers seeking a reliable, comfortable, and fully featured three-season bag.
HOW WE TESTED
We tested this brand-new sleeping bag in Colorado’s Indian Peaks Wilderness to see how it stacked up against backpacking’s long-standing favorites. We evaluated every detail – from warmth and comfort to overall usability – in real-world conditions to determine how well it performs when it really matters.
Quick Specs
Exped Terra 15
Best Budget Buy
CleverHiker Rating: 4.5/5.0
Price: $250
Comfort Rating: 26F ISO
Weight: 3 lb. 5 oz.
Fill Power: 650
Fill Weight: 28 oz
Pros
- Affordable
- Practical features
- Much lighter than synthetics
- Included compression sack
Cons
- Weight
- Medium quality down
Warmth
The Exped Terra 15 performs beautifully in cold conditions for its price point. While 650 fill power isn’t the loftiest insulation out there, the generous 28 ounces of fill weight helps to compensate. In our experience, it definitely lives up to its ISO-tested 26ºF comfort level. The Terra kept us warm all night during a chilly fall in the Rocky Mountains with nighttime temperatures down into the high 20s/low 30s.
The bag is thoughtfully designed to keep drafts out, with a generous draft collar that snaps snugly in place and horizontal baffles which keep the down from shifting around and creating cold spots. The bag’s classic mummy shape also acts to increase its thermal efficiency.
For a mid level, affordable three-season sleeping bag, the Exped Terra 15 (also available in 0ºF and 30) is one of the best-performing mid-tier options we’ve found.
Comfort
One of our favorite characteristics of the Terra 15 is the balance between a thermally efficient mummy shape and comfortable roominess. Although it’s not as roomy as spoon-shaped or rectangular bags, it’s a step above most mummies.
The gusseted footbox is absolutely cavernous. If you tend to karate kick in your sleep, this is the bag for you. Moving up, the hips and the shoulders both provide slightly above average girth for a mummy bag. The shoulders are 60” around, which is great for most people, but broad-shouldered folks might consider the 67-inch wide version. The 20D shell and liner fabric strike a good balance between softness and durability.
The hood is a good size as well – big enough to hold a small pillow but snug enough to keep your head warm.
Weight & Packability
The Exped Terra 15 trades a bit of weight and packability for its approachable price point. Its 650-fill-power down helps keep costs reasonable, but that lower fill power means it’s heavier and less compressible than premium options. The regular version weighs 2 pounds 11.5 ounces on its own, but with the included compression sack, total weight creeps up to roughly 3 pounds.
The compression sack is impressively effective though, shrinking the packed size to a compact 10 by 8 inches. If you’d rather save a few ounces, you can skip the sack and free-pack it, but it’ll take up considerably more room in your backpack.
For seasoned ultralighters, 3 pounds may sound hefty, but for most backpackers, it’s a big upgrade from entry-level synthetics bags.
Features
The Terra 15 is a fully-featured bag, sacrificing very little in terms of convenience. It even comes with one thing that most down bags don’t – a compression sack.
The bag itself features a plastic, webbing-lined zipper with a glow-in-the-dark pull tab, a cinchable hood, one interior pocket, and a draft collar that snaps closed. The zipper glides smoothly for the most part, though we occasionally struggled with the final few inches. That glow-in-the-dark tab, however, is a surprisingly useful touch when getting in or out of the bag after dark.
The hood’s drawcord is easy to access and tightens evenly for a snug seal, and the draft collar snap helps close the smallest gaps. The interior pocket is nice for a phone, headlamp, or water filter, but it’s not huge. It barely fits large smartphones.
Should You Buy the Exped Terra 15?
The Terra 15 is an excellent choice for casual backpackers building out their first ultralight kit. It also offers a significant upgrade from heavy, entry-level synthetics. The 650-fill-power down is much more affordable than 850 fill power or higher. Exped packs the bag with a generous amount of down to keep you warm all night.
In addition to its affordability, the Terra’s strong point is its practical feature set. The cinchable hood, draft collar with snap, interior pocket, and glow-in-the-dark zipper tab all make bedtime in the backcountry just a little more convenient. Although it adds a bit of extra weight, the compression sack is a handy bonus that’ll save you valuable pack space.
Ultralighters seeking to shave every gram with a top performing bag can find better options. But the Exped Terra offers solid performance for its price point.
What Other Backpacking Sleeping Bags Should You Consider?
To weigh the Terra 15 against all of our favorite bags, check out our full guide to backpacking sleeping bags.
Mountain Hardware Bishop 15 Review: The Bishop 15 is very close to the Terra 15 in performance. It has the same quality 650 fill power down, soft fabric, handy features, and a semi-roomy build. It has a slightly lower fill weight though, making it lighter than the Terra 15 but not as warm.
NEMO Disco 15 Endless Promise Review: If you perked up at the mention of a roomier bag, you might want to check out NEMO’s Endless Promise line. This is a “spoon-shaped” bag over a true mummy, giving it lots of extra room especially at the shoulders and hips. It even has “Thermo Gills” to fine tune temperature control.
REI Magma: Stepping up one more level in quality and performance, the REI Magma is one of the best value down bags out there. It’s made with lofty, lightweight, and packable 850 fill power down and has reliably kept us warm on dozens of nights in the backcountry.
