Rab Alpine 800 Down Sleeping Bag | Tested and reviewed

If you want a winter sleeping bag from a big-reputation brand like Rab, but don’t want to spend £500+, the Rab Alpine 800 is your best bet. It’s well-priced at £330, delivering first-rate features, a clever design and a solid overall warmth-to-weight ratio. The price is affordable because you only get 650 fill power down, which isn’t a particularly high grade.

There’s an 800g fill weight of it, which is quite substantial, but nevertheless the Alpine 800 lacks the plush, thick loft of more premium down. Rab doesn’t state EN/ISO temperature ratings for the Alpine 800, instead quoting its in-house Rab Sleep Limit of -16C. This is based not on lab tests but, according to Rab, on “real-world assessment” of past experience and feedback from athletes (yet, in our eyes, is broadly similar to the EN/ISO ‘comfort limit’ rating).

All-round warmth is good, but not exceptional. We’d happily use this bag in single-digit sub-zero temperatures, but wouldn’t push towards -10C without worrying. The Alpine 800 features ethically-sourced down with a Nikwax hydrophobic coating, while the outer shell is a weatherproof Pertex Quantum fabric. Features include YKK zippers, an adjustable hood, a cosy footbox and chevron-shaped baffles, which help ensure even down distribution.

Temperature ratings

For many of its three-season sleeping bags, Rab does state the EN/ISO grades – but for many of its winter sleeping bags, it does not. “Why would it do such a thing?” you might well ask. Rab says that “the EN/ISO test is not an accurate representation of a sleeping bag’s capabilities at really cold temperatures”, and instead believes its in-house ‘Rab Sleep Limit’ is a more useful measurement. This is not based on lab tests, but instead is Rab’s “real-world assessment of a sleeping bag's usable temperature limit”, based on past experience and feedback from Rab’s athletes.

We guess there is some logic to this. The EN/ISO lab tests do have their flaws and, by all accounts, at very low temperatures their effectiveness is reduced. Throwing in some “real-world” insight into the mix seems sensible. However, arguably this adds subjectivity into what ideally should be an objective assessment, and while the EN/ISO tests are conducted by third party labs, here Rab is effectively marking its own homework. So this approach is a tad annoying for the average consumer and doesn’t help when trying to make like-for-like comparisons.

Having said all of this, for many consumers, the simplified Rab Sleep Limit system – which publishes just one temperature – might prove a useful decision-making tool when shopping around. The Alpine 800 has a Rab Sleep Limit of -16C. If you were to compare this to the EN/ISO standards, Rab says "the Rab Sleep Limit will generally fall in a similar zone to the EN test's ‘limit of comfort’, however it represents a more real-world scenario”. In our eyes, this seems roughly accurate. So, for direct brand-to-brand comparisons, your best bet is to consider the Rab Alpine 800 as having a ‘comfort limit’ of about -16C.

But, as with all comfort limit ratings, this is probably the lowest usable temperature, and many campers won’t feel warm or cosy at this level. Instead we think of the Alpine 800 as suitable for single-digit sub-zero temperatures, but we’d be cautious at anything lower than that. It all depends on how badly you feel the cold and a multitude of other factors.

Insulation type, fill power & fill weight

The Rab Alpine 800 is filled with 800g of 650 fill power European duck down. This delivers pretty good warmth overall and feels reasonably thick. However, 650 fill power is not a particularly high grade of down and it lacks the plush loft of higher quality down. Indeed, for £330, only 650 fill power seems a little stingy and we’d perhaps have expected better from Rab. But maybe we’re being unrealistic - that’s probably where the market prices are right now. For a higher grade of down, you’ll have to pay £570 for the Rab Neutrino 800, for example, which has 800g of 800 fill power down and a Rab Sleep Limit of -22C.

The down in the Rab Alpine 800 has a Nikwax fluorocarbon-free hydrophobic finish, which ensures the down dries quicker, absorbs less water, repels water for longer and retains its loft better when damp. This improves performance compared to regular down, when the interior of your tent is damp or struggling with condensation.

On top of this, you get an excellent Pertex Quantum shell – made from a 20-denier recycled ripstop nylon, with a PFC-free DWR (durable water resistant) coating. Pertex Quantum is a soft, lightweight and windproof fabric, which adds additional weather protection to your sleeping bag. This works well and is a positive design feature.

All of the down used by Rab adheres to the Responsible Down Standard, ensuring it meets important ethical criteria. It’s also worth noting that Rab states: “hand-filled in the UK, all our down bags benefit from never having had their down compressed before use, maintaining the down’s loft and warmth”. This is a reassuring thought and a much better approach than cheaper brands, which sometimes store and ship their sleeping bags in a compressed state.

Pack size & weight

The Rab Alpine 800 (regular) clocks in at a weight of 1,351g on our scales, including the stuff sack (42g). This is pretty lightweight for a winter sleeping bag and offers a decent weight saving compared to some other bags. The Alpine 800 is 463g lighter than the Simond Makalu III, for example, and 1,057g lighter than the synthetic Thermarest Saros 0F. But the low 650 fill power down grade means the Alpine 800 can’t compete with the warmth-to-weight ratio of the Sea to Summit Spark -18C, which clocks in at just 1,255g (96g lighter).

The stuff sack provided by Rab is rather basic, lacking any compression straps (although it does have a top drawcord), so you may wish to upgrade to something a little more technical. Nevertheless, the Alpine 800 still packs down compactly to 40cm x 25cm in this stuff sack, which is a good, packable size for a winter bag.

For storage at home, a much bigger zippered storage sack with a water-resistant base is provided. Using this cuboid-shaped sack ensures you won’t ruin the down’s loft by storing the sleeping bag compressed for months on end.

Materials & sustainability

The women’s specific version of the Alpine 800 has a cut slightly streamlined to the female body shape. Its official dimensions are: max user height 170cm, length 200cm, internal shoulder girth 156cm, internal hip girth 134cm and internal foot girth 102cm.

The outer shell of the Alpine 800 sleeping bag is made from a 20-denier Pertex Quantum ripstop nylon, with a PFC-free DWR (durable water repellent) coating. Pertex Quantum is a soft, lightweight and windproof fabric. The lining of the sleeping bag is a 20-denier, 100% recycled nylon.

Eager to avoid any greenwashing, Rab also states the overall recycled content of all its products through its innovative Material Facts initiative. This is a market-leading level of transparency and a wonderful antidote to the misleading marketing claims about sustainability from some other brands. The Alpine 800 has an overall 18% recycled content.

The Pertex outer is 0% recycled, but the liner is 100% recycled. The down is 0% recycled, the zips are 38% recycled and the trims are 8% recycled. No harmful PFAs are used and 64% of the energy consumed in the manufacturing process comes from renewable sources. While the overall recycled content isn’t the highest we’ve ever seen (the Rab Neutrino 400 is 43%, for example), the Alpine 800 has good eco credentials overall.

Size & shape

According to Rab’s official size guide, the regular Alpine 800 sleeping bag is sized for anyone with a height up to 185cm. The sleeping bag length is 215cm, the internal shoulder girth is 160cm, the internal hip girth is 134cm and the internal foot girth is 102cm. There is no wide version in the Alpine 800, but a long version is available. This long version is suitable for campers up to 200cm tall and it adds 15cm to the length and 2cm to the shoulder, hip and foot girths.

In terms of fit, the Alpine 800 – as the name suggests - has a tapered mummy design with an alpine-style cut. Some will love this cosy, snug fit; others may find it too restrictive, particularly side sleepers or those who tend to toss and turn at night. The tapered mummy shape is Rab’s narrowest bag shape, designed to eliminate ‘dead space’ (which can lead to cold spots) and maximise thermal efficiency. While compromising on space, this shape improves performance and keeps pack size and weight to a minimum.

Features

Rab sleeping bags always have good features and the Alpine 800 is no exception. You get a ¾-length YKK main zipper, with a down filled baffle to trap warmth. You can choose to have this zipper on the right-hand or left-hand side, depending on your preference.

The YKK zippers also feature anti-snag inserts and anti-snag internal zip guards, which help to stop that annoying issue when zips “catch” on the liner or shell. Internally you get a little zippered stash pocket, which is useful for storing a headtorch, earplugs or whatever else you want.

The comfy footbox is angled and shaped for a “relaxed sleeping posture”, according to Rab, while the adjustable 3D neck collar has a close fit designed to decrease any heat loss. You also get a good hood, which can be cinched in using a drawcord for a fine-tuned fit.

Rab are experts when it comes to baffle design too. Here you get trapezoid boxwall and chevron-shaped baffles across the torso, with the angled, arrow-like shapes helping to “reduce down migration” (the problem of down spreading out unevenly within baffles), “distribute the down evenly around the whole body” and “maximise warmth”.

This is all premium design engineering, which helps to increase loft and warmth – something you won’t get with lesser brands or cheaper products.

Verdict

The Rab Alpine 800 is solid-performing sleeping bag from a much-loved brand – but 650 fill power down is a little disappointing for £330.

See how this bag compares to our best lightweight sleeping bags roundup

About the author

James Forrest writes regular features and route guides for Trail and has been one of our main gear testers for the last few years. James is based on the edge of the Lake District so when he isn’t off on his latest crazy adventure or challenge, he’s walking in his local fells.

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