A Trustworthy Partnership: Therm-a-Rest & Nikwax

Across all of their products, Therm-a-Rest’s philosophy is a pretty simple one. The brand, who turn 50 this year, advocate for a better rest outdoors, and build each piece of gear to not only meet the basic needs of sleep, but to exceed them. 

For Therm-a-Rest’s sleeping bags, this philosophy is dialed down even further; the outcome of which is a range of down and synthetic bags that are highly durable and packable and support aall types of adventurer on any type of adventure.

When designing each sleeping bag, designers Jim Giblin and Katie Nash deliberate over every possible thread, cut and filament, with every corner thoughtfully considered to ensure the finished product delivers maximum comfort, warmth and robustness.

“Alpinists are deliberate with every piece of gear, from their cams and ice tools to their sporks, before heading up a climb,” says Jim. “We brought that same level of consideration into the design of each sleeping bag.”

The designers’ remit for sleeping bag fill was simple: source a partner that could deliver high-quality, sustainably sourced down that would meet the brand’s needs across multiple temperatures and bag types. The outcome was a long-serving and rewarding partnership with Nikwax – one which started in the early 2010’s and extends well into Therm-a-Rest’s future plans. With a commitment to the Responsible Down Standard, the choice to partner with Nikwax was a simple one to make; for Therm-a-Rest’s down sleeping bags to be considered reliable and tough against even the harshest of environments, their partner not only had to produce the highest quality of down, but be an advocate of impeccable design and responsibility.

Therm-a-Rest Hyperion -6°c sleeping bag. Photo Credit: Scott Rinckenberger

Just one example of this partnership bearing fruit for the brand is the lightweight, highly-versatile Hyperion range of down sleeping bags, available in 0°c for milder Spring nights and a -6°c option for when temperatures start to dip. Packed with 900 fill Nikwax Hydrophobic Down (NHD), the Hyperion strikes the perfect balance between packability and comfort, while NHD performs 90% better than untreated down when wet, which means that a change in climate doesn’t have to impact sleep. Fill power refers to the relative quality and loft of down and it measures the amount of space one ounce of down will occupy in cubic inches. The higher the fill power, the warmer the item will be because there are more pockets in the down in which air can get trapped – thereby insulating the user. Trust in NHD performance means Therm-a-Rest can deliver a sleeping bag that stays dry and retains loft to keep you protected in both wet and dry conditions. 

Therm-a-Rest’s new Parsec 0°c sleeping bag. Photo Credit: Dan Patitucci

Therm-a-Rest continue to utilize Nikwax Hydrophobic Down across their full assortment of down sleeping bags, the latest of which was launched in 2022 with updated 100% recyclable shells. The 2022 Parsec range, complete with 800 fill Nikwax down, cement Therm-a-Rest’s partnership with the Nikwax brand, and ensure this alignment of quality, durability and responsibility continues.