We tried the 4.5 tog Duvalay sleeping bag – Here’s what we thought

Duvalay are a family run business based in Yorkshire who specialise in bespoke products for the leisure industry.

Quick Verdict

Best for: Camping/caravanning or for tucking in the bottom of the wardrobe for when the kids have someone sleeping over

Price: £144.95-£303.95

Rating: 4 out of 5 (It only loses a point as I still haven’t got the knack of rolling it back up snugly into the bag – my son can do it in moments, showing me up!)

In a nutshell:

This is a great solution, particularly for sleepovers. The cover comes off so easily and they’re percale poly-cotton and they wash & dry at low heat in the machine, so it takes no time to clean.

Boys Night

We planned to use this sleeping bag on our summer holidays – a trip in the campervan through Austria and Italy, but it came into its own before that as the ‘boys night’ before Mack’s prom became a mass sleepover!

Five boys sleeping on the living room floor.   

We wound up piling duvets down for padding, with just one person getting the Duvalay. After much discussion, Ted was the lucky one, and he declared it the ‘comfiest sleep I’ve ever had… on the floor…’!

I gave it a quick wash in the afternoon afterwards as I had a sneaking suspicion that it might be needed again after prom & sure enough, another of Mack’s friends turned up.  The single Duvalay was just the right size to fit in his bedroom at the side of his bed, so at least the living room floor was free!

In the Campervan

So, we have a transit-sized camper, and to be honest, with all the luggage & kit for the three of us there wasn’t a great deal of room to pack it (36 X 36 X 66cm approx). Couple that with the searing temperatures, we decided to leave it at home for the long trip.

The weekend to the Lakes was a different thing altogether! Mack used the Duvalay in the top sleeper, which got surprisingly chilly overnight. He wasn’t too hot & sticky when he first went up to bed, and he didn’t get too cold in the night, so I’d say that is a big win!

If I’m honest, I think we could have made space for it on the longer trip but as usual we’d overpacked on clothes, so that’s a lesson learned for the next trip!

A Problem

There is just one problem I’m currently facing. Mack is going to Leeds Festival in August, and he is very keen to take the Duvalay with him. As you can imagine, I’m not quite so enthusiastic! Leeds Festival is not exactly known for being the cleanest or most gentle environment, and festival essentials have a habit of coming home looking a little worse for wear (if they come home at all). I’m all for him being comfortable, but it’s a hard no from me!

Overall, I think that this product is really well made and clearly designed for how people would want to use it in real-life.  It’s a good practical option for camping and for sleepovers, I’m pretty sure it will get used this weekend again, as the twenty-somethings are out on the Otley Run for someone’s birthday!

It isn’t the cheapest on the market, but its quality and ease of use/cleaning/storing make it a worthwhile buy for families who enjoy camping or who have lots of sleepovers.

By Sally Bendall

Image credit – Sally Bendall