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A hammock underquilt is considered an essential piece of equipment for anyone who wants to get the most out of their camping experience. They can make your hammock much more comfortable, and also protect you from insects and animals.
Whilst some underquilts can cost a small fortune, there’s also a growing range of cheap hammock underquilt brands offering better value for money. In this guide, I’ll take a look at some of these and share my recommendations with you.
Are Cheap Underquilts Any Good?
A budget hammock underquilt can make a world of difference to your hammock camping trip and is always better than no underquilt. But, what compromises do you have to make compared to the more expensive options? Let’s take a look at three:
- Firstly, the quality of the material can be a factor. Premium products will almost-always use nylon for the shell whereas budget underquilts may resort to polyester instead. Polyester isn’t as strong as nylon and tends to be slightly heavier. As for the filling, cheap underquilts will always use synthetic materials rather than down which is a more effective, but more expensive alternative.
- This brings me on nicely to weight. Cheaper products tend to weigh more which makes them less well suited if you’ll be carrying it a long distance such as a hike or multi-day trek. They also don’t tend to be as compact when stuffed away.
- Finally, there’s the effectiveness of the product. Cheaper underquilts tend to be two-season or three-season, this means they won’t stand up to the harsher Winter temperatures. You’ll rarely find a cheap underquilt that can be used below freezing (although they do exist, see below!).
So, if you’ll be camping out at warmer times of the year and don’t need to worry about lugging gear around with you for days on end, you should have no problems opting for a cheaper brand.
Best Cheap Hammock Underquilts
The best cheap hammock underquilts available to buy right now are:
- Best Overall: OneTigris Hideout
- Runner Up: ENO Ember
- Budget Pick: WISEOWL Flare
- Lightest Underquilt: Easthills Outdoors Cocoon
- For Freezing Temperatures: AYAMAYA
Below are my full reviews of each underquilt, with specs and some key considerations before you buy.
Best Overall: OneTigris Hideout
Packed Size: 12 x7.5” // Temp Rating: 41-68°F (5-20°C) // Packed Weight: 32oz // Shell Material: 210T Polyester // Price: $
OneTigris is one of the worlds leading brands of tactical gear. They have products suitable for a variety of occasions with the Hideout being the cheapest underquilt in their range.
The Hideout is a highly functional and warm underquilt for your hammock that doesn’t break the bank. It’s made of 210T polyester which isn’t as strong or durable as the two previous nylon hammocks, however, this does mean it’s fast-drying and is one of the reasons why it’s such good value for money.
The 700g polyester cotton filling keeps you well insulated through the cold nights, with an operating temperature between 41°F – 68°F. This underquilt comes with elastic straps, short bungee cord loops, and a compression bag for easy stowing in your backpack.
The Amazon product listing suggests this is a 4-season product, however, in my experience, this would not be suitable for winter temperatures. If you need gear for year-round, check out my guide to the best winter underquilts.
Runner Up: ENO Ember
Packed Size: 13.25” x 7” x 7” // Temp Rating: 40-60°F (4.4-15.6°C) // Packed Weight: 27oz // Shell Material: 40D Ripstop Nylon // Price: $$$
The ENO Ember is a lightweight, fully adjustable underquilt that allows you to get the most out of your camping hammock. Two layers of recycled synthetic insulation will keep you warm even when temperatures drop as low as 40°F (4°C) but might not stand up to harsher conditions or storms.
It’s made from 40D ripstop nylon. This is thicker than the other underquilts and nylon tends to be stronger than polyester for its weight. Although nylon tends to absorb more water, ENO have got around this with a durable water-repellent finish that offers protection from the elements.
At 27oz it weighs less than the others compared here and packs down to 13” x 7” x 7”, allowing you to easily take it on all of your adventures! Although it’s an ENO design, it can be easily attached to any hammock using the 2 attachment points on each side and the fully adjustable shock cord suspension system.
It’s the most expensive of those listed here, however, compared to the rest of the market it is still relatively cheap and offers great value for money.
Note: When it comes to temperature ratings, ENO tends to work on ‘comfort zone’ which is an advised temperature for comfort, whereas the budget brands below tend to use a ‘limit rating’ which is the worst-case temperature to use the product.
Budget Pick: Wise Owl Flare
Packed Size: 12″x7.5” // Temp Rating: Down to 40°F (4.4°C) // Shell Material: 20D Nylon // Price: $$
The Wise Owl Flare hammock underquilt offers excellent value for money. It’s very compact at 12″ x 7.5″ and is very fast to set up once you have erected your hammock. It’s suitable to temperatures as low as 40°F so can be used for three seasons of the year.
As with the ENO underquilt, this one is also made from nylon, although at 20D it has a lower density and therefore not as durable. It has a high-density polyester filling, re-enforced stitching throughout, and a durable DWR water-resistant coating.
The Wise Owl budget underquilt is suitable for both single and double hammocks, no matter which brand they are. However, you can pair it up with a Wise Owl hammock for optimum sizing.
Lightest Pick: Easthills Outdoors Cocoon
Packed Size: 7.5” x 11 // Temp Rating: Down to 45°F (7.2°C) // Packed Weight: 30oz // Shell Material: 20D Ripstop Polyester // Price: $$
Whether you’re camping or backpacking, this quilt will keep you warm and comfortable without adding too much weight or bulk to your pack. It fits campers up to 6’6” tall, so there’s no need to worry about fitting inside of it!
And at just 30 ounces, this underquilt is the lightest and most compact of those reviewed, however, it also has the poorest temperature rating only suitable down to 45°F whereas most others I reviewed are suitable down to 40°F or even 20°F as with the next one.
It’s made from synthetic insulation that will keep you warm and comfortable all night long. Plus, it has an adjustable elastic cord along each side so you can raise or lower it depending on how cold it gets outside.
This underquilt attaches to your hammock’s tree straps and eliminates drafts so you can enjoy staying out all night long. It weighs just 30 oz and packs down into its own stuff sack, making it easy to bring on any adventure.
For Freezing Temperatures: AYAMAYA
Packed Size: 14.9″ x 7.4″ // Temp Rating: 20 – 68°F (-6.6 – 20°C) // Packed Weight: 42oz // Shell Material: 20D Ripstop Nylon // Price: $$
The AYAMAYA Hammock Underquilt is designed to keep you warm and comfortable no matter which season you’re camping in thanks to a temperature rating below freezing (20°F – 68°F) which far exceeds any other underquilt here.
Unlike other underquilts with a similar temperature, AYAMAYA have stuck with a synthetic filling rather than using down feathers. This means that the underquilt has more weight and is bulkier than similarly rated products from other brands. This is how they have achieved such a competitive price but makes it less suitable for long hikes where you’ll be carrying gear.
This underquilt uses a technique found in more premium products where the stitching keeps the cotton filling evenly spread so you stay warm at night. The outer material is made from ripstop nylon. Ripstop is a way of weaving reinforcement yarns through the material for extra strength.
Its irregular shape does make it difficult to put away afterward, but after a few tries, you’ll get the hang of it (excuse the pun). Shown here is the single underquilt, you’ll need to purchase the double version if you have a larger hammock.
