Zip and Neck Baffle/Collar Design

Criterion offers five different configurations of zip and neck baffles within our sleeping bag ranges. These offer the best warmth to weight ratios for the activities our sleeping bags have been designed for.

Zip Baffles

All Criterion sleeping bags use full-length YKK zips which allow easy access and egress and full zip venting. However, zips create cold spots, each zip is therefore protected by a “zip baffle”. This is a tube containing down insulation that covers the zip along its full length and ensures you stay warm inside. To help prevent the zip from “catching” and damaging the sleeping bag an “anti-snagging” feature has been incorporated into all of our designs.

Neck Baffles and Collars

Neck baffles are an insulated collar designed to prevent cold draughts and help to insulate the body by reducing the heat loss due to having an open hood, neck baffles allow the bag to be drawn tighter around the neck and shoulders which traps heat within the body of the bag. The baffle is drawn snugly around you by a one-handed pull on its drawcord. The drawcord is elasticated to allow for “give” when you are turning over in your sleep.

In addition to having a drawcord closure, the neck baffle is also fastened by a velcro strip. When not in use (for example during warm nights) the “hooked” part of the velcro strip can be folded back and held in a closed, hidden position by the use of a cleverly positioned secondary velcro, which prevents hair, clothing, fluff, dirt and other unwanted “bits” from catching in the hooks.