The best camping blankets 2023: for coziness during festival season

When it comes to the best camping blankets, coziness is king. Whether you're at a summer festival or enjoying some time in the great outdoors, having one of the best camping blankets gives you a certain amount of luxury.

What is it that makes the best camping blanket the "best"? After all, a regular woollen blanket from home will surely do the job, keeping you snuggled and warm? Well, the best camping-specific blankets are lightweight, versatile and a real boon to any camping trip or festival adventure.

Like the best sleeping bags, many of the best camping blanket options are stuffed with insulation, while some are crafted from cozy fleece. They are light enough to be taken on backpacking missions and can perform a variety of functions beyond the obvious use as a blanket. From a handy pillow or cushion to sit on to an additional layer over your sleeping bag, their uses are many.

Our favorites among the best camping blankets are the Voited Recycled Ripstop Outdoor Camping Blanket, for its eco-creds and its unbeatable versatility, and the Yeti Lowlands for its robust design. For more on what to look for in a camping blanket, see our guide at the bottom of this page.

The best camping blankets for versatility

If you want a quiver-of-one camping blanket that you’ll get lots of use out of, we’d recommend Voited’s popular and versatile Ripstop blanket. It’s one of the more expensive models on the market, but you get what you pay for – we loved the way the Ripstop doubles up as a comfortable pillow and even as a lightweight sleeping bag. 

This blanket packs down easily into a stuff sack that’s as comfortable as many dedicated camping pillows we’ve rested our heads on. Or you can use poppers along the sides to create a simple but functional sleeping bag that might not be technical enough for more hardcore camping adventures, but is plenty warm enough for summer camping, and makes it a nice choice for festivals. According to Voited, it provides warmth up to around 13°C / 55°F. 

Brilliantly, Voited’s versatile blanket is made with fully recycled materials, using repurposed plastic bottles, and comes in no less than 17 vibrant designs and retro prints (in the US, at least – there are considerably fewer available on the brand’s UK site). It’s also machine washable. 

Read our full Voited Recycled Ripstop Outdoor Camping Blanket review

The best down camping blankets

Once you try a down camping blanket it’s hard to go back to anything else – down offers a brilliant combination of warmth and weight that instantly traps your body heat around you. 

4Monsters’ design can be worn as a poncho as well as used as a blanket and on hot summer nights we found it also works as a lightweight sleeping bag. Unlike some other down blankets on the market, this design is water-resistant enough that light rain will bead right off it, so if it does get wet or there’s a spillage, you won’t be left with a sodden mess. 

However, while this blanket can be washed, we’d avoid doing so if possible, as a large down blanket like this is a hassle to dry, and you may need to re-treat it with a waterproofing agent after a wash. 

When the time comes to break camp, the blanket packs into a stuff sack that straps easily to the side of a backpack and also features its own carry strap so that you can sling it on your back for shorter walks. 

Our tester tested the small version, but there’s a medium and a large version available too, in a range of neutral and smart colors.

Read our full 4Monster Lightweight Down Puffy Blanket review

Kelty’s Galactic down blanket stands out among the best camping blankets for its fun, futuristic tie-dye design. This oversized quilt approaches a double duvet in length, so it’s good for two people to share and can be popped on top of a double air bed if you’re off glamping. 

We also like it as an extra layer over a sleeping bag on chillier nights, as it’s easy to tuck in and adds welcome warmth and weight on shoulder season camps. 

Inside the silky-soft but durable outer fabric are pockets of down, which do a great job of trapping warmth in quickly while still feeling pleasingly light and airy. 

Kelty call this blanket “super compressive” – it’s not tiny but does stuff easily into a stuff sack for storage. 

We love the bright, bohemian design in purple (Grisaille) and red (Cranberry), but would avoid the cream-and-brown (Cathay Spice) version, which just looks a bit muddy. It’s also a pity this blanket doesn’t pop or zip up into a makeshift sleeping bag.

Read our full Kelty Galactic Down Blanket review

Best camping blanket for toughness

Two hundred bucks is, we’d agree, a lot of cash to splash on a simple camping blanket. If you do want to invest in the best of the best, though, that might just be the Yeti Lowlands. 

This blanket is large, heavy-duty and ready to take on the elements, with a fully waterproofed bottom layer and a soft-to-touch outer material that’s designed specifically to repel dirt and pet hair. Squished in the middle is a layer of insulation that provides great warmth. 

We found that this blanket is a lot heavier than many quilted designs, but if you like to sleep under a weightier blanket, it’s a comfy choice. 

On test, it excelled when we were sitting on wet ground – no water will seep through, and we were able to just brush moisture off the waterproof bottom when done. 

Ideal for rough-and-tumble outdoor adventures such as fishing or car camping, especially if you’re bringing mucky pups and messy kids along. 

Read our full Yeti Lowlands Blanket review

The best camping blankets for the environment

Rumpl uses the same technology in this blanket that you’ll find in sleeping bags and down jackets for superior warmth all wrapped up in a soft, cozy blanket. Using 100% recycled materials, this down alternative camping blanket is extraordinarily lightweight but we found it provides instant heat. It does all of this with a smaller than usual carbon footprint.

Though this blanket doesn’t double as a sleeping bag or camping pillow, we were able to use it as a sleeping bag alternative in the warmer months, as well as for picnics and hanging out on the couch watching TV. The fun design makes it a head-turner at festivals too, though you won’t want to get too close to the campfire in it. It might not be flame-resistant, but it’s water-resistant so don’t worry about small spills or tears. When you’re ready to head home, pack it up in its water-resistant stuff sack and throw it in the washing machine to freshen it up.

All in all, its impressive warmth-to-weight ratio, use of recycled materials and eye-popping design make for a winning formula.

Read our full Rumpl NanoLoft Puffy Blanket review

If 'pretty' is top of your wish list when shopping for an outdoorsy blanket, get a load of Slowtide’s gorgeous Valen, which features a reversible fleece design in bright primary colors that will look as smart folded up on your sofa as it will gracing a tent, a tipi or a camper van. 

The Valen is at the more affordable end of the best camping blanket spectrum, too. On test, we found it to be a soft, fleecy blanket that’s just big enough for two to share, but best as a roomy choice for one person. 

This design is also fully recycled – all Slowtide polyester products are made from 100 per cent recycled post-consumer waste, primarily plastic bottles. 

We like this simple and affordable fleece for dry-weather camping, festivals and camper van weekends, but a larger version, the camp blanket, which is also water-repellent, is available for £50, and will be able to tackle tougher camping trips.

Read our full Slowtide Valen Blanket review

The best budget camping blankets

Can you score a decent camping blanket for under a tenner? You can with Trespass’s fleece-y little number. 

This simple fleece blanket is soft, cozy and roomy enough for one or two people to share. It’s easy to machine wash, and rolls up small enough to pop in a backpack when we were on the go. 

We found the fleece to be, admittedly, on the thin side and only offers limited warmth compared to heftier, down-stuffed camping blankets we tested, but at this price, we can’t really knock it – it’s a functional fleece that makes for a nice lightweight layer on spring and fall forays. 

Its affordability makes it handy just to have around the house – other reviewers report using these blankets for everything from caravan holidays to Scouts camp-outs. At this price, you can afford to buy a few to stick in your car, van, tent and garden ready for your next chilled-out evening around a fire. 

Read our full Trespass Fleece Blanket review

Many of the best camping blankets can be surprisingly expensive – not so Mountain Warehouse’s Compact Camping Blanket. 

Light quilting offers comfy warmth in balmier spring-fall conditions (but we’d pick something more heavyweight for cold weather), and there’s a handy built-in pocket you can stuff the blanket into, making a decent camping pillow when bedtime comes. Or, when the blanket’s rolled out, we were able to put a camping pillow in there for a very comfy nap setup. 

We’d have liked this design to be larger, to work for two people, but at this price we won’t complain. A great option to have handy in your car, camper van or camping kit bag for summer adventures, and the blanket’s pillow alter ego makes it a good choice for long-haul travelling, too. The light blue colorway is lovely but could look dirty quickly.

Read our full Mountain Warehouse Compact Camping Blanket review 

Best camping blankets for keeping insects away

If you love camping and hiking in tropical climates or regularly brave the Scottish Highlands in summer, you’ll know that biting insects such as mosquitoes and midges can really ruin the fun of outdoor adventures. 

A good tent with a mesh inner lining and the best insect repellents are your first defence, but adding insect-proof clothing and an insect-repelling camping blanket to your arsenal can also really help. 

Keela’s clever blanket uses Insect Shield Technology, which does what it says on the tin – it’s a built-in insect repellent that we found offered long-lasting protection from mosquitoes, ticks and other bugs that can carry dangerous diseases. 

Two sizes are available, but we’d recommend picking the larger one for more protection. Besides this handy bug-be-gone tech, the blanket is cosy and soft to touch, although the three primary colors available are a bit on the bright side. 

Read our full Keela Insect Shield Blanket review

How we test camping blankets

The camping blankets featured in this guide have been put to the test in outdoor scenarios ranging from camping trips to al fresco evenings spent stargazing, in a variety of temperatures and conditions. 

For more details, see how Advnture tests products.

How to choose a camping blanket

For a seemingly simple product, there are many varieties of camping blankets. Remember that blankets are different to camping quilts. If you're interested in a quilt, see our feature on camping quilt vs sleeping bag. Otherwise, read on for the lowdown on what to consider when choosing the best camping blanket.

Weight and size

Have a think about where and how you plan to use your new camping blanket before you invest. If you’re going wild camping or usually only camp for a weekend at a time, then small, lightweight models that compress into a stuff sack so that they can fit into or strap onto your backpack are your best bet. Look for lighter designs weighing under 500g. 

If your idea of a good camping holiday is full bells and whistles for two weeks, staying in a posh glamping tent, car camping or camper vanning, you can afford to pick a larger but heavier blanket at over a kilo in weight. It’ll be more comfortable but bulkier to store. 

Most brands list the weight and dimensions of their blankets, so if you want something smaller for one person or larger to fit on a double air mattress, figure out what size works for your before you shop. 

Materials

We usually recommend picking a quilted and insulated camping blanket, ideally one that uses ripstop material to protect the insulation. These are usually the lightest and warmest blankets you’ll find, and are also easy to pack down into a stuff sack for transportation. If you’re on a budget, simple but soft fleece blankets offer less warmth than insulation but still work well in warmer weather, are easy to stick in the wash and are often fully recycled. If you need something hardy you can sit on as well as wrap up in, look for a design featuring a waterproofed bottom.

Design

A lot of camping kit is admittedly pretty boring to look at, but the best camping blankets seem to buck this trend, and often come in a range of bright and beautiful colors and patterns. These colorful options look good when adorning the fanciest of glamping tents, or just thrown on your sofa at home, so you’re likely to get more bang for your buck by picking a good-looking design. Of course, there are more simple, subtle designs in our round-up 

Features and other uses

Some blankets are just that – a square of warm material. Others are designed to double up for other uses. Some can transform into camping pillows by stuffing the blanket in a stuff sack. Other can multitask as sleeping bags by zipping up the sides, or as a poncho, by using some kind of neck attachment. Some blankets are water-resistant or have waterproof bottoms, which will help deal with the thrills and spills of camping trips. The more bells and whistles, the more expensive the camping blanket usually is, but many of them are worth the extra spend if you’re planning on using your new blanket regularly.