Therm-a-Rest Oberon 0 Review

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?