Backpacking gear is a huge investment, and I don’t want you to waste your money on backpacking gear that’s not worth the money! In our backpacking gear reviews, we provide an honest look at how backpacking gear actually performs in the backcountry. In this blog post I offer a full review of the Zenbivy ultralight bed bundle sleep system.

If you’re looking to purchase or upgrade your backpacking sleep system, this Zenbivy ultralight bed bundle review is for you! The Zenbivy ultralight bed bundle is designed to be an all-in-one complete bed system for backpacking and camping, and it comes with everything you need to sleep in the backcountry. But, is it worth the cost and weight of the items? In this blog post I offer a full review of the Zenbivy ultralight bed bundle sleep system. 

I received a Zenbivy ultralight bed bundle so I could fully test and review their backpacking sleep system. However, this review reflects my honest and unbiased thoughts on this system, and whether or not it’s worth your money.

Zenbivy ultralight bed bundle review

The basics: what’s included in the Zenbivy ultralight bed bundle sleep system, and how it works

The first part of this review breaks down what is included in the Zenbivy ultralight bed bundle, and how the sleep system works. There are a ton of combinations and permutations to this system, and I was completely overwhelmed when I first looked at it! Hopefully this breakdown helps you make an educated choice about whether or not this sleep system is for you, and help you understand all of your options when purchasing. 

In the second half of this review I share my honest thoughts and opinions of the Zenbivy ultralight bed bundle, including what I do and don’t like.

How the Zenbivy ultralight bed bundle sleep system works

The Zenbivy ultralight bed bundle is designed to be an all-in-one complete bed system for backpacking and camping. If you order the bundle, you’ll receive an Ultralight Quilt, Ultralight Sheet, an Ultralight Mattress with included inflation storage sack, a 2-piece Minimalist Pillow made up of an adjustable air bladder and pillowcase to stuff with your down jacket in the field, and a Pack Liner for fully-welded, waterproof storage.

The thing that sets this system apart is the way the components are integrated. The sheet, quilt, and pillow all use Zenbivy’s (proprietary?) hook system, which allows you to attach the pillow and the quilt to the sheet for extra warmth and comfort. No drafts here! The components can also, of course, be used individually. 

What’s included in the Zenbivy ultralight bed bundle sleep system

If you’re looking to invest in Zenbivy items for your backpacking kit, you have two options: purchase a bed bundle, or buy items à la carte.

If you already have gear you love and are just looking to upgrade a few items, I recommend going with the à la carte. However, for backpackers looking to upgrade or purchase an entire backpacking sleep system, Zenivy sells an ultralight bed bundle, which offers some savings over purchasing the items on their own.

Zenbivy’s ultralight bed bundle comes with several items from their sleep system lineup, all of which are designed to work together seamlessly. The Zenbivy ultralight bed bundle sleep system, which I’m reviewing in this blog post, comes with the following items: 

• Zenbivy Ultralight Quilt
• Zenbivy Ultralight Sheet
• Zenbicy Ultralight Mattress
• Zenbivy SoftTop™ Pillowcase
• Zenbivy SoftTop™ Pillow Bladder
• Zenbivy Packliner

When selecting your bundle, you’ll need to choose from a variety of sizes, styles, and colors, resulting in a wide variety of customization options. I describe the various Zenbivy sleep system combinations and permutations below.

Note that every choice you make will impact the PRICE and WEIGHT of the final setup.

Zenbivy ultralight bed bundle customization options

Each component of the Zenbivy ultralight bed bundle can be customized with different sizes, and many components offer multiple colors and styles/materials. Below, I break down all of the options for the Zenbivy ultralight sleep system for backpacking. 

Sizing and customization options for the Zenbivy Ultralight Quilt

The Zenbivy Ultralight Quilt has the most customization options, and customizations include the color, size, and fill material. I cover the size and fill materials below.

Zenbivy backpacking quilts come in three sizes: regular (best for folks under 5’8”), large (best for 5’8” – 6’2”), and extra large (over 6’2”). Size accordingly!

For the fill material, there are several options, which is where things get a bit complicated:

1. 25°F ExpeDry Muscovy Down, 900+ FP
2. 10°F ExpeDry Muscovy Down, 900+ FP
3. 25°F ExpeDry Goose Down, 900+ FP
4. 10°F ExpeDry Goose Down, 900+ FP
5. 25°F Ultrasonic Muscovy Down, 950+ FP
6. 10°F Ultrasonic Muscovy Down, 950+ FP
7. 25°F PrimaLoft Gold Synthetic

When selecting your quilt, the options largely come down to your use case (do you live in a wet environment? What temperature rating do you need?), and personal preference regarding chemicals and down/synthetic.

The ExpeDRY™ down options (1-4, above) have been subject to a water-resistant treatment that is chemical- and PFAS-free. Alternatively, the Ultrasonic Muscovy™ Down options (options 5 and 6, above) have no water-resistant treatment, and are additive-free. Finally, the Primaloft® Gold insulation option offers a fully synthetic two-layer insulation. The last option is a good choice for backpackers looking to avoid down, but does not come in a 10°F option.

Sizing and customization options for the Zenbivy Ultralight Sheet

I would consider the Zenbivy Ultralight Sheet the signature piece of the Zenbivy sleep system for backpacking – this is what truly sets Zenbivy apart from other things on the backpacking market.

The sheet is designed to block drafts, keep your head warm, hold your pillow in place, and act as a kind of ‘fitted sheet’ between you and your air mattress. The sheet slides over your air mattress and is held in place with straps, and it covers the head and upper portion of the mattress. It has specially designed hooks that can attach to your pillow to hold it in place, and that hold your quilt in place, as well. All of these pieces are obviously designed to work together, since all of these components are designed around Zenbivy’s (proprietary?) hook systems.

The Zenbivy Ultralight Sheet comes in similar fill options as their ultralight quilt, minus the Ultrasonic Muscovy Down (which is not available for the sheet). See below for the available fill options. The fill is only in the upper portion of the sheet.

1. 25°F ExpeDry Muscovy Down, 900+ FP
2. 10°F ExpeDry Muscovy Down, 900+ FP
3. 25°F ExpeDry Goose Down, 900+ FP
4. 10°F ExpeDry Goose Down, 900+ FP
5. 25°F PrimaLoft Gold Synthetic

Again,the options largely come down to your use case, and personal preference regarding down/synthetic.

Finally, the Zenbivy Ultralight Sheet comes in two sizes: 20” and 25”. The size you select should align with the size mattress you buy, or the size you already own and plan to use with this sleep system. See below for more on the Zenbivy Ultralight Mattress options. Thankfully, any size quilt is compatible with any size sheet.

Sizing and customization options for the Zenbivy Ultralight Mattress, pillowcase, pillow bladder, and packliner

Once you’ve selected your quilt and sheet options for your Zenbivy sleep system, the final decisions you’ll need to make are related to the Zenbivy Ultralight Mattress, pillowcase, pillow bladder, and packliner. Thankfully, these are a bit simpler.

For the mattress you’ll need to select the size (20×72, 25×72, and 25×78) and style (regular vs tapered, aka “mummy” style). Remember that the sheet you select should correspond with the size mattress you select:  20″ sheets fit 20-inch mattresses, and 25″ sheets fit all 25-inch mattresses. 

Finally, the pillowcase, pillow bladder, and packliner all come in two size options: regular and large. Buyers can also select from several different colors. The regular pillowcases are designed to fit the regular bladder, and the large pillowcases fit the large bladder, so select accordingly! Pack Liner fits the entire bundle: quilt, sheet, mattress, and pillow. 

What I selected for my Zenbivy Ultralight bed bundle sleep system

The sleep system options you select should meet your personal needs and body size, so this system certainly isn’t one size fits all. Below are the items I selected for my Zenbivy Ultralight bed bundle sleep system:

• Quilt: 10°F ExpeDry Muscovy Down, 900+ FP – 1 lb 9 oz (709 g)
• Sheet: 10°F ExpeDry Muscovy Down, 900+ FP 20” – 6.4 oz (181 g)
• Mattress: Tapered, 20×72: 17 oz (482 g)
• Pillowcase and pillow: size regular, paired with a down pillow topper – 0.9 oz (pillowcase) + 1.4 oz (pillow) + 1.8 oz (down topper) = 4.1 oz
• Instead of a packliner I got a 10L dry sack – 2.3 oz (65 g)

Because I already have a 20°F quilt from a different brand I selected the 10°F to give me additional range for cold weather trips. The priority was to build the warmest possible sleep system. 

Review of the Zenbivy ultralight bed bundle sleep system

Now that I’ve covered the components of the Zenbivy ultralight sleep system, it’s time for my review of the Zenbivy ultralight bed bundle!  

I tested this setup in the alpine on several back-to-back summer backpacking trips. I run very cold, so even though the evening temperatures only got into the 40s I was still able to get a good sense of how this setup performs. I plan to update this post after doing some colder weather backpacking with it.

In my Zenbivy Ultralight bed bundle sleep system review, I go over the setup time, weight comparison with my regular backpacking sleep setup, and the comfort of the Zenbivy system.

Setup time in the backcountry: Zenbivy ultralight bed bundle review

The Zenbivy ultralight bed bundle does take slightly longer to set up than my typical backpacking sleep setup. The increased setup time is due to several factors. First, the Zenbivy mattress has a very small inflation storage sack, so the process of inflating the pad takes longer than the other pads I own. Additionally, this was my first time using any type of sheet system for backpacking, and that takes some additional time to secure to the sleeping pad. Finally, if you want to secure the quilt and pillow to the sheet system you will need to take a moment to engage the hook systems. This is best done when it’s light out, as the hooks are quite small. Overall, I think the increased time and effort are worth it for very cold weather. The biggest increase in time was from blowing up the sleeping pad.

Backpacking sleep system weight comparison: Zenbivy ultralight bed bundle review

Below, I compare the weight and specs of my current backpacking sleep setup with the Zenbivy ultralight bed bundle. This may give you a sense of if/how the Zenbivy system would improve upon your current setup. 

• Backpacking quilt comparison: I usually use a 3-season Waratah Ultralight Quilt from Neve Gear, which is rated down to 18°F and is 780 grams. My Zenbivy quilt is 709 g and rated down to 10°F, making it lighter AND warmer.
• Sleeping pad comparison: My Zenbivy ultralight mattress weighs 17 oz and has an R-value of 4.8. By comparison, my go-to sleeping pad is the Exped Ultra 6.5, which is 15.5 oz and has an R-value of 6.9. The Exped Ultra 6.5 mummy is warmer, lighter, and faster to inflate, so it will remain my go-to.
• Backpacking pillow comparison: It’s difficult to compare my Zenbivy pillow with my typical backpacking pillow because they differ significantly in terms of weight and comfort. I usually use an Exped Ultra Pillow, which is 1.8 oz and no-frills but still very comfortable. The Zenbivy setup is more than double at 4.1 oz, but it’s also even MORE comfortable. 
• Backpacking sheet comparison: Using a sheet system is new to me, and I loved the comfort the Zenbivy sheet adds to backpacking with only 6.4 oz of extra weight.

Comfort of the Zenbivy backpacking sleep system: Zenbivy ultralight bed bundle review

Overall, I was very impressed by the comfort of this system. I loved how the sheet added significant warmth and comfort to my setup, with minimal weight. The quilt itself is warm and plush, so no complaints there. My other quilt also uses a shinier material that can be a bit loud, so it was nice that the Zenbivy quilt is virtually silent. This setup is extremely warm, and truly seems to hit the 10°F claims. As you might guess, this setup was overkill for my testing trips (given the summer season), and I ended up keeping my feet out of the quilt during the evenings. That said, we had strong wind gusts during our trip, and the sleep system did, indeed, block any drafts. 

Additionally, if comfort is a priority, I think the pillow is 100% worth the investment. As someone that moves a lot in their sleep, it was nice that the pillow can “lock” into the sleeping bag so it doesn’t shift around. With my usual setup, I often wake up in the middle of the night only to find my pillow pushed off my mattress. 

The only component of the Zenbivy backpacking sleep system that I didn’t really like was the Zenbivy mattress. I ultimately would not recommend the sleeping pad, as it’s not as light, thick, or warm as many other options on the market (including my go-to Exped). I also found the inflation storage sack was quite slow to use. That said, if you don’t already own a pad the Zenbivy option isn’t bad!

Final thoughts: is the Zenbivy ultralight bed bundle worth it for backpackers?

Overall, I’m very happy with the Zenbivy ultralight bed bundle sleep system. The system is well-designed, comfortable, and very warm. I appreciate the thoughtful and innovative approach to the materials and design. Zenbivy has certainly earned a permanent spot in my backpacking sleep kit. For me, the only “miss” is the sleeping pad, which just doesn’t compete with my current-go to in terms of weight, R-value, or ease of use.

I hope you found this review helpful. If you did, you can purchase your Zenbivy items with my affiliate link, which will give me a small kickback at no additional cost to you.

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