A warmer sleeping bag isn’t always the answer to a cold night. Often a fleece liner inside the bag you already have does the job, in the rooftop tent or a swag. The Coleman Stratus is a soft green fleece liner with a full zip, rated to 10 °C on its own and to add some warmth inside another bag.
It cost us $30, and it comes on the cooler trips.
What’s in the box
A rectangular green fleece liner, 190.5 × 83.8 cm, with Coleman’s ZipPlow zip down the side and across the foot, an elastic storage strap and a black stuff sack. The label on the sack lists its ratings: 10 °C (50 °F) on its own, and 12 °F (about 6.7 °C) extra when you use it inside another sleeping bag. It fits people up to 1.8 m, it’s machine washable and Coleman gives it a 5-year warranty.
What we like
- Soft, cosy fleece
- Rated to 10 °C on its own
- ZipPlow zip doesn’t snag
- Opens flat as a blanket
- Machine washable
What we don’t
- Heavy at 775 g
- Bulky: 28 × 17 × 17 cm packed
- Short for over 1.8 m
Quick Specs
| Spec | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | Coleman |
| Material | Polyester fleece |
| Colour | Green |
| Weight | 775 gwith stuff sack |
| Size | 190.5 × 83.8 cmfits up to 1.8 m |
| Packed size | 28 × 17 × 17 cm |
| Rating on its own | 10 °C |
| Added warmth as a liner | 12 °Fabout 6.7 °C |
| Warranty | 5 years |
Fleece and warmth
The fleece is soft and feels cosy the moment you climb in, and it’s thick enough to feel substantial. On its own it’s rated to 10 °C, so on a mild summer night it works as a light sleeping bag. Inside your main bag Coleman rates it to add 12 °F, about 6.7 °C: enough to stretch a three-season bag into cooler nights, not to turn it into a winter bag.
The label also says “zip together compatible”, so it can zip to another Coleman bag with the same zip.
The ZipPlow zip
Fleece and zips usually don’t mix: the fabric catches in the teeth. Coleman’s ZipPlow has a little red guard ahead of the slider that pushes the fleece out of the way, and it works: ours runs smoothly with no snags. The zip goes down the side and across the foot, so it opens out flat as a blanket, handy around the shoulders on a cold morning with a coffee.
Size and fit
At 190.5 × 83.8 cm and rectangular, there’s plenty of room to move and turn over, without the tight feel of a mummy liner. It suits people up to 1.8 m; taller sleepers will find it short. An elastic strap at the foot holds it when you roll it up to pack.
Weight and packed size
It weighed 775 g on our scale in its stuff sack, and packs to about 28 × 17 × 17 cm. That’s a lot heavier and bulkier than a silk or nylon liner, so it’s one for the car, not the hiking pack. Washing is easy: it goes in the machine, and your sleeping bag stays clean.
How it compares with the other linersLiner comparison
We’ve tested the Coleman next to four Sea to Summit liners. The Reactor Fleece adds more warmth at half the weight, and the Reactor Extreme and Reactor Lightweight pack much smaller. The Comfort Blend is made to keep you cool.
The Coleman is the roomiest, the cheapest and the only one that opens out flat, but also the heaviest by far. For a tiny liner, see the 128 g Naturehike ZY20, and our sleeping bag liners guide has all six.
This one Coleman Stratus |  Comfort Blend |  Reactor Extreme |  Reactor Fleece |  Reactor Lightweight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adds warmth | 6.7°C | – | 6°C | 8°C | 4°C |
| Material | Fleece | Coolmax, Tencel | Thermolite Pro | Grid fleece | Thermolite Pro |
| Shape | Rectangular | Rectangular | Mummy | Mummy | Mummy |
| Opening | Full zip | Top, no zip | Top, snaps | Side zip | Top, snaps |
| Packed size | 28 × 17 × 17 cm | 15 × 7.5 × 12 cm | 19 × 11.5 × 11.5 cm | 20 × 13 × 13 cm | 18 × 10 × 10 cm |
| Weight | 775 g | 290 g | 350 g | 379 g | 286 g |
| Price paid | $30 | $60 | $130 | $110 | $90 |
| Our score | 9.1 | 8.5 | 8.9 | 9.3 | 8.7 |
Conclusion: Coleman Stratus Fleece Sleeping Bag LinerConclusion
The Coleman Stratus Fleece Sleeping Bag Liner is a soft, roomy fleece liner for about $30. It works on its own to 10 °C, adds about 6.7 °C inside another bag, the ZipPlow zip doesn’t snag and it goes in the washing machine. At 775 g and 28 × 17 × 17 cm packed it’s heavy and bulky, and it’s short for anyone over 1.8 m. For car camping and stretching the sleeping bag you already own into cooler nights, it’s great value.
A soft, roomy fleece liner for about $30.
It works on its own to 10 °C, adds about 6.7 °C inside another bag and the ZipPlow zip doesn’t snag. At 775 g it’s heavy and bulky.
- Car campers
- Travellers
- Hikers
Yes. For about $30 it stretches your sleeping bag into cooler nights and works on its own on mild ones. It’s heavy, so it’s one for the car.
