Rab Neutrino 400 - Women's Review
Compare prices at 2 resellers Pros: Lightweight, compressible, comfortable
Cons: Expensive, not particularly warm
Manufacturer: Rab
Our Verdict
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Rab Neutrino 400 - Women's | |||||
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Awards | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ||
Price | $364.97 at Amazon Compare at 2 sellers | $414.00 at Feathered Friends | $379.00 at Amazon Compare at 3 sellers | $519.95 at Backcountry Compare at 2 sellers | $330 List |
Overall Score ![]() |
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Star Rating | |||||
Pros | Lightweight, compressible, comfortable | High-quality down, warm, lightweight | High-quality down, warm and lofty, light, a top tier product | Lightweight, high-quality materials, comfortable | Comfortable, lightweight, excellent materials, not constricting |
Cons | Expensive, not particularly warm | Sizing not for everyone, fabric is a bit noisy | Expensive | Expensive, included compression sack is heavy | Comforter sometimes does not stay tucked in |
Bottom Line | A great choice for fast and light adventures, the Neutrino is comfortable and compressible | The highest three-season performance of any model in our bunch | The premium product comes at a premium price, but is very high performing | This bag has high quality materials, is super light, and will fit most women | A well-priced, comfortable alternative to a mummy bag that keeps weight low on long backpacking trips |
Rating Categories | Rab Neutrino 400 - Women's | Egret UL 20 | Sea to Summit Flame 15 | Mountain Hardwear Phantom 15 | Cloud 800 |
Warmth (25%) | |||||
Weight (25%) | |||||
Comfort (20%) | |||||
Packed Size (15%) | |||||
Features (15%) | |||||
Specs | Rab Neutrino 400 -... | Egret UL 20 | Sea to Summit... | Mountain Hardwear... | Cloud 800 |
EN Comfort Rating (F) | 21 F | 20 F (not EN rated) | 15 F | 23 F | 26 F |
Fill Type | Goose down | Goose down | Goose down | Goose down | PFC-Free DriDown |
Measured Weight (in lbs) | 1.7 lb | 1.7 lb | 2.0 lb | 2.0 lb | 1.7 lb |
Total Weight (oz) | 27.2 oz | 27.5 oz | 31.2 oz | 32 oz | 27.4 oz |
Fill Power | 800 | 950+ | 850+ | 850 | 800 |
Women specific features | Women's specific fit | Extra fill in footbox and chest | Women's specific fit - more insulation in key areas | This bag comes in a "Short" length, which is a standard women's size | More insulation per square inch than men's version |
Fill Weight (oz) | 14.1oz | 17.3 oz (medium) | 22.9 oz | 20 oz | 14.8 oz |
Material | Pertex Quantum | Pertex Endurance UL | Ultralight 10D Nylon Shell | 10D nylon ripstop | 15d nylon risptop |
Neck Baffle | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Yes | No | No | No | No | |
Sleeping Pad Sleeve | No | No | No | No | Yes |
Zipper Length | 62" | 62" | 56" | 59" | N/A |
Shoulder Girth | 60 in | 54 in | 60 in | 58 in | 59 in |
Hip Girth | 56 in | 56 in | 58 in | 52 in | 58 in |
Foot Girth | 38 in | 38 in | 40 in | 44 in | 39 in |
Stuff Sack included? | Stuff sack and storage bag included | Stuff sack and storage bag included | Compression stuff sack and storage bag included | Compression sack and storage bag included | Stuff sack and storage bag included |
Our Analysis and Test Results
This lightweight, minimalist bag is packed with 800 fill ethically harvested Nikwax Hydrophobic down. It packs down small, is lightweight, and keeps you warm in summer conditions. The Neutrino is an ideal 3-season bag for a frequent backpacker or alpine climber.
Performance Comparison
Warmth
The Neutrino is a warm sleeping bag, but not the warmest of the bunch. Rab notes that it has an EN rated at 37 F degrees, for comfort with a limit of 27 degrees F; we find the EN limit rating of 27°F to be right on the money. We tested this bag in Yosemite Valley on some cold shoulder-season nights, where temperatures fell below freezing some mornings, and we felt warm in this bag inside a tent. Its redesigned chevron-shaped baffles are meant to keep down in place over your body and eliminate cold spots more effectively. We can't say we noticed a difference with this change.
Rab makes its women's sleeping bags 5-7 inches shorter in length and slightly slimmer than their men's sleeping bags, but use the same amount of down fill for both. This means that the women's bag has more down per square inch and is warmer than the men's version. The cozy neck baffle and draft tube along the zipper kept out the cold air well. Paired with a light weight air mattress and you'll have a great lightweight, compact, 3-season backpacking sleeping kit. The Neutrino only has 14 ounces of 800 down fill, but it should be said that it is just as warm as the other down sleeping bags we tested with lower quality 650 fill.
Weight
Weight is the category where the Neutrino excels. Rab has made a great effort to minimize the weight of this sleeping bag by paring down its features and materials, but still retains the necessities.
Weighing only 28 oz, or 1.75 pounds, it is a pleasure to pack this sleeping bag in your backpack. By using high-quality down, the bag can be very toasty without being bulky or heavy. We think that Rab could have used a ¾ length zipper as they have on past Neutrino models to cut down the weight of this bag even more. The shell material is very lightweight, which is great for weight savings, but is consequently quite delicate and seems more prone to molt down, which is a drawback.
Comfort
The Neutrino is very comfortable. It is on the roomy side for a mummy bag, and we never felt constricted. Its shell and liner fabrics feel light and soft against the skin as well. The bag even has an ergonomically shaped foot box so there is space for your feet as well as any wet socks or boot liners you may want to stuff in there to dry overnight.
Packed Size
Once again, the high-quality down is to this bag's benefit, because it compresses to a small size. This bag comes with an interesting dry bag compression stuff sack that helps you compress the bag to be quite small.
The stuff sack has an inner compartment with a drawstring to stuff your bag into, and then it finishes with a roll-top closure, to ensure your bag will not get wet during the day's hike. This bag could potentially be compressed more with a traditional compression sack if you need to create even more space in your pack. It also comes with a cotton storage sack so you can store it away uncompressed to help keep its loft.
Features
At first glance, this bag does not appear to have many distinct features. It is just a big blue tube. But look closer, and you will discover that many features are hidden just below the surface — literally. The main feature that Rab has introduced for its Neutrino line is Nikwax Hydrophobic down. This down treatment has been specially formulated between Rab and Nikwax in an attempt to make the down absorb less water, dry faster, and retain its loft longer. This treatment does not make the bag waterproof, nor does it take the place of synthetic insulation in wet conditions, but rather allows the bag to function at a higher level for a longer period when the weather is not ideal. Most down sleeping bags we tested now come with some hydrophobic down.
The Neutrino also has more visible features like the small stow pocket right behind the zipper for you to stash your headlamp or contact case on cold nights. We found the drawcords around the face and neck awkward to use and wish they used two separate diameter cords, they have slightly improved in the newest iteration of this product, but they're still not great.
Value
This is one of the more expensive bags in the review, not quite as much as those right at the top of our scoring. Our testers love this bag and think it has a lot of great features to compete with some of the lighter sleeping bags on the market. However, this is no longer the only competitor in the lightweight women's category and is no longer a great value. We think there are a few bags that are less expensive, but just as great.
Conclusion
This bag is constructed with high-quality materials and is warm, comfortable, and quite versatile. It is hand-stuffed with 800 fill Nikwax Hydrophobic down and is among the lightest and smallest bags in this review. It's not quite as warm or high-quality as our Editor's Choice winner, but we still love this bag. Remember, ounces equal pounds and pounds equal pain - so save yourself some pain and go with lightweight gear when you can!
— Jessica Haist