Therm-a-Rest Oberon 0 Review
Our Verdict
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Therm-a-Rest Oberon 0 | |||||
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Awards | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ||
Price | $520 List | $650 List | $600 List Check Price at REI | $315 List Check Price at REI | $299 List |
Overall Score ![]() |
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Star Rating | |||||
Pros | Lightweight, warm, and inexpensive | One of the warmest bags in the test, lightweight, compression sack included | Very warm, comfortable, and lightweight | DWR shell fabric, glow in the dark zipper, large draft tube, inexpensive | Dual zipper for venting and sitting up, zippered stash pocket, affordable |
Cons | Down shifts in baffle around neck, lack of hood cinch strap | Lack of hydrophobic down, missing top hood cinch, snug fit not everyone's favorite | Zipper catches, cinch strap loosens easily | Heavy, static drawstring around the face | Heavy, small draft tube allows cold air infiltration, static drawcord over the face |
Bottom Line | One of the lightest bags in our lineup, the Oberon is toasty warm | A truly supreme sleeping bag that stands out for impressive weight savings without missing out on warmth | A lofty, very comfortable sleeping bag that is amazingly warm, lightweight, and has an effective, minimalist design | An inexpensive bag that offers excellent warmth and weather resistance, albeit heavier than most in our fleet | A great first four-season bag that weighs a little more but costs a bit less than most |
Rating Categories | Therm-a-Rest Oberon 0 | Mountain Hardwear P... | The North Face Infe... | Mountain Hardwear B... | Marmot Never Summer 0 |
Warmth (20%) | |||||
Weight (20%) | |||||
Comfort (20%) | |||||
Packed Size (15%) | |||||
Weather Resistance (15%) | |||||
Features (10%) | |||||
Specs | Therm-a-Rest Oberon 0 | Mountain Hardwear P... | The North Face Infe... | Mountain Hardwear B... | Marmot Never Summer 0 |
Measured Weight (size Regular) | 2.63 lbs | 2.68 lbs | 2.68 lbs | 3.13 lbs | 3.19 lbs |
Fill Weight | 27.0 oz | 29.6 oz | 35.0 oz | 36.2 oz | |
Type of Down Fill | Goose Down | Goose Down RDS Cert/Fluorine Free | Down RDS Certified | Down | Down |
Fill Power | 800 | 850 | 800 | 650 | 650 |
Material Weight (excludes down filling) | 15.1 oz | 13.3 oz | 15.1 oz | 14.9 oz | |
Temperature Rating | 0°F | 0°F | 0°F | 0°F | 0°F |
Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | |
Shoulder Girth | 62" | 58" | 64" | 62" | 62" |
Hip Girth | 57" | 52" | 60" | 53" | 57" |
Foot Girth | 46" | Not listed | 44" | Not listed | 48.5" |
Shell Material | 20D polyester ripstop, 20D polyester taffeta | 10D Nylon Ghost ripstop, DWR finish | 15D recycled nylon, 30D nylon taffeta | 20-Denier ripstop nylon | 20-Denier ripstop nylon |
Continuous Baffle | No | Yes | Yes |
Our Analysis and Test Results
The shape of the Oberon is impressive, with one of the best hoods we tested. Whether you sleep with an inflatable pillow or use your down jacket as a pillow, many sleeping bags don't account for that, and the hood can often feel too tight. The Oberon cradled our brain buckets, inducing a state of relaxation. Lofty and lightweight, this sack of down feathers was toasty.
Performance Comparison
Warmth
The Oberon was one of the warmest 0-degree sleeping bags that we tested. With minimal free air space inside and lofty down throughout, we could really feel our body's thermometer rise inside. What really impressed us was the hood, which conforms perfectly to the head, even with an inflatable pillow inside. Since you lose so much heat through your extremities in cold environments, the Oberon keeps you toasty warm by keeping the head, hands, and feet surrounded in 800-fill Nikwax Hydrophobic Down.
Therm-a-Rest placed more down on the top of the bag and less on the bottom, where it will compress down against your sleeping pad. This minimizes air space inside the bag and feels like a warm down comforter on the inside.
Weight
At 2 pounds, 10 ounces, this is one of the lightest bags we tested. The warmth-to-weight ratio is very high, which makes it ideal for those who like to backpack and winter camp.
The zippers, cinch straps, and even the SynergyLink connectors that attach the sleeping bag to the sleeping pad are all minimalist and lightweight.
Comfort
The Oberon was one of the more comfortable sleeping bags we tested. The extra down at the top provides plush comfort, and the hood surrounds your head like an enormous, warm hat. The draft tube along the side zipper is huge so you don't even notice the zipper. Unfortunately, we noticed that there was hardly any down in the middle of the draft collar; it had all shifted to the sides. However, the rest of the bag is so warm and comfortable that it hardly even mattered.
Therm-a-Rest incorporates SynergyLink connectors that attach the sleeping bag to the sleeping pad, which greatly eliminates slipping and sliding off your pad during the night. This feature significantly increases comfort since you can shift around in your sleep without having to wake up and re-position onto your sleeping pad.
Packed Size
Thanks to the thin, soft, and supple fabric, the Oberon packs down very easily. Of course, the down is so lofty, it takes a bit of patience to squish all that warm air out of the bag.
While the compression sack that comes with the Oberon is sufficient, it could certainly be quite a bit smaller, since this bag is so compressible.
Weather Resistance
It's very windy in Wyoming, where we tested this sleeping bag. One of our testing days was particularly windy, with the first major winter storm on its way. The Oberon impressed us with how well it blocked the wind and the giant hood kept our heads protected inside.
With rigorous dunking and pouring techniques, the water did find its way in, but as you can see in the photo below, most of the water beads up and runs right off the shell material. Hydrophobic down inside resists moisture and quickly dries out. So, unless you're planning on an open bivy in a heavy rainstorm, this warm winter bag should shed snowflakes just fine.
Features
The Oberon comes equipped with removable SynergyLink connectors to attach your sleeping pad to this bag. This is a great feature that prevents slippage and barely adds any weight. An external zippered stow pocket fits a headlamp or phone. A single cinch strap tightens the hood, protecting your head from cold air.
There are even loops on the underside designed for quilts or blankets. All of the features are lightweight. A small button prevents the zipper from unzipping. Those with larger hands might prefer a bigger button, though.
Should You Buy the Therm-a-Rest Oberon 0?
The Oberon is a very warm and lofty down sleeping bag that is ideal for winter recreationists who want a lightweight and compressible package. Backcountry snow riders who like to go winter camping will enjoy this product.
What Other Winter Down Sleeping Bags Should You Consider?
If you're looking for a very high-quality, snug-fitting winter bag with an awesome compression sack, check out the Mountain Hardwear Phantom 0. Our favorite winter bag overall, the Western Mountaineering Kodiak MF, is super compressible with an insane warmth-to-weight ratio and awesome comfort.
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