Criterion Ultralight 350 £225

■ Lowest comfort ●imit -3°C ■ Size (length x shoulder x foot width) 200x72x41cm ■ Packed size 19x25cm ■ Weight 823g (inc 21g stuffsack)

IT'S GOOD

This is a well-priced bag when you consider it is slightly warmer than some other bags here (it has a -3°C temperature rating) and comes with a very good weight and small packed size. It’s made with 700 fill power down and a Pertex nylon shell with a water-repellent treatment like other quality bags. Importantly you also have trapezoidal construction to keep cold spots at bay along the seams. The zip is full-length, so you can vent the foot area in warmer weather. Get inside and it fits very close, with a hood that can be drawn in further with a drawcord. Overall it feels great for lightweight backpacking.

HOWEVER

The supplied stuffsack doesn’t compress the bag as others do.

If it did then this bag would squeeze down to just 19x16cm. Also there is no shoulder baffle and the zip baffle is slightly smaller than some options. I did find the zip snagged a little more easily than some others, and the hood does not fit quite so well. The bag is also slightly smaller in width and length than others. You don’t get the benefits of hydrophobic down or synthetic insulation either, both of which would absorb less water and dry quicker than the down used here. The price is good for what you get, but of course you can spend less – and you can also get a slightly lighter bag.

VERDICT

Lightweight compact bag with a full-length zip, but does lack some details of heavier/higher-priced bags.