REASONS TO BUY
Comfortable
Leg room for people who want to bend their knees inside the bag
REASONS TO AVOID
Heavy
Not as warm as rated
Not all features are useful
NEMO Disco 15 - Women's Review
This comfortable bag is also one of the heaviest bags we tested and we would only bring it on short backpacking or car camping trips
The Nemo "Blanket Fold" can be comfy and cozy, but can also be a pain to keep tucked inside the bag when it's cold, and often ends up covering the sleeper's face. We prefer a traditional neck baffle.
Credit: Jessica Haist
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Our Verdict
The Nemo Disco has a lot of bells and whistles, some of which we found more appealing than others. Its most defining feature is its “Spoon” shape that gives sleepers extra room in the elbows and knees. This does make it a very comfortable bag, especially for folks who feel claustrophobic in a “mummy” shaped bag, and want to move their legs around inside the bag. However, we think all the extra space inside the Disco means the bag is not as warm as its advertised 17 degree F rating and should only be used in temperatures down to around freezing. The Disco is one of the heaviest bags in our review, and we'd recommend taking it only on short backpacking trips.
Editor's Note: We updated this review on February 28, 2024, to share info on Nemo's latest version of this bag, designed with sustainability in mind.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
NEMO Disco 15 - Women's | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best Value for a Down Sleeping Bag | Best Value for a Synthetic Sleeping Bag | |||
| Price | $179.89 at REI Compare at 3 sellers | $213.69 at REI | $220 List | $169.00 at Backcountry Compare at 2 sellers | $125.93 at REI |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | Although comfortable and a good choice for someone looking for more leg room, this product is very heavy for a down bag | A good sleeping bag that fights off cold weather well, though it doesn't pack as small as more expensive models | "Get Down" with this extremely well priced sleeping bag that will work for short to medium length backpacking trips in the summer | This synthetic model offers snug fitting design that is surprisingly compressible and a good choice to keep you warm in wet conditions | Too heavy and bulky for backpacking but a great choice for car camping comfort |
| Rating Categories | NEMO Disco 15 - Wom... | Mountain Hardwear B... | Sierra Designs Get... | The North Face Cat'... | Marmot Trestles Eli... |
| Warmth (25%) | |||||
| Weight (25%) | |||||
| Comfort (20%) | |||||
| Packed Size (15%) | |||||
| Features (15%) | |||||
| Specs | NEMO Disco 15 - Wom... | Mountain Hardwear B... | Sierra Designs Get... | The North Face Cat'... | Marmot Trestles Eli... |
| EN Temp Rating (Lower Limit) | 17°F | 15°F | 23°F | 20°F | 20°F |
| Insulation | 650 FP Down | 650 FP Down | 550 FP DriDown RDS | Recycled synthetic | HL-ElixR synthetic fibers |
| Measured Weight | 3.31 lbs | 2.48 lbs | 2.36 lbs | 2.50 lbs | 2.75 lbs |
| Female-Specific Features | Women's specific fit | Additional insulation | Women's specific cut | Available in a "Short" length, which is a standard women's size | Women's specific fit |
| Fill Weight | 29.0 oz | Unspecified | 25.0 oz | 38.9 oz | Unspecified |
| Material | 30D ripstop nylon | 20D ripstop nylon | 20D polyester | 20D ripstop nylon, taffeta | 20-denier recycled ripstop polyester |
| Neck Baffle | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Small Organization Pocket | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Sleeping Pad Sleeve | No | No | No | No | No |
| Zipper Length | 58 in | 66 in | 39.5 in | 34.5 in | 53/15 in |
| Shoulder Girth | 62 in | 60 in | 58 in | 60 in | 58 in |
| Hip Girth | 58 in | 50 in | 56 in | 55 in | 58 in |
| Foot Girth | 60 in | 40 in | 40 in | 41 in | 45 in |
| Compression or Stuff Sack | Compression sack and storage bag | Stuff sack and storage bag | Stuff sack and storage bag | Compression sack and storage bag | Stuff sack and storage bag |
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Our Analysis and Test Results
The version we tested is on the left, followed by the updated model on the right. Notice there are some changes in the baffle design between the two versions.
New Disco Endless Promise Bag
Nemo re-released the Disco 15 with their new Endless Promise designation, designed to keep products out of the landfill. The previous bag was constructed with a nylon shell, but this updated version uses 100% recycled polyester ripstop that's fully recyclable, so when it reaches the end of its life cycle, you can send it back to NEMO, and they'll turn it into something new. We're linking to the Endless Promise version of the Disco in our review.
Nemo re-released the Disco 15 with their new Endless Promise designation, designed to keep products out of the landfill. The previous bag was constructed with a nylon shell, but this updated version uses 100% recycled polyester ripstop that's fully recyclable, so when it reaches the end of its life cycle, you can send it back to NEMO, and they'll turn it into something new. We're linking to the Endless Promise version of the Disco in our review.
This feature-packed bag is a good choice for folks who want to move their legs around freely, but the extra room and features come with a cost of less warmth and more weight.
Performance Comparison
The Nemo Disco is a good choice for car camping or short backpacking trips.
Credit: Jessica Haist
Warmth
The Disco is a somewhat warm sleeping bag, with a few caveats. It is a lofty bag and is EN Comfort rated to 17 Degrees Fahrenheit, but we would not bring it out in temperatures that low. We tested it in the desert down to 40 degrees and were very comfortable. The detractor to the Disco's warmth is that it's so roomy there's a lot more air to heat up inside the bag when it's cold. We didn't notice much of a temperature difference when the “Thermo Gills” were open or closed. It may make a difference when the camper is in more extreme heat or cold.
The Disco 15's name is a bit confusing. It has an EN comfort rating of 17F. We don't think it's as warm as advertised and would only bring out in temperatures down to around freezing.
Credit: Jessica Haist
Weight
Weighing in at 3.3 pounds, the Disco is one of the heaviest bags in this review, whether it's down or synthetic fill. We are very disappointed in its weight since it is a down bag, which is meant to be lighter. We think all its features like the “Blanket Fold” and extra zippers on the “Thermo Gills” add weight, but we don't think they're worth those extra ounces. The Disco also has low quality, 650 fill power down, which is heavier than a higher fill power for the same amount of warmth.
Comfort
Comfort is this product's main draw for many folks. This bag does have lots of room to move around, bring your knees up and even cross your legs if you're sitting up. If this is the main priority for you in a sleeping bag the Disco could be a winner. We'd score it higher on comfort if we didn't wake up in the night with the “Blanket Fold” over our faces.
We don't think the Thermo Gills are very effective at venting heat when open and did not notice any difference in temperature when they were open or closed.
Credit: Jessica Haist
Packed Size
The Nemo Disco is around average packed size for a lower-end, 650 fill power down bag. It's larger than we would want to take with us on an extended backcountry trip. It does come with a compression sack which is helpful for getting it smaller.
We are disappointed in the Disco's packed size — it doesn't compress down as small as most other down products we tested.
Credit: Jessica Haist
Features
The Disco is a feature-packed bag, but some of our testers don't find most of them very useful. Just because a bag has a lot of features, doesn't mean it's going to score high in this area. We like the pillow pocket where you can stuff some extra layers and have a simple pillow. We also like the snag-proof zipper pull and the little stash pocket for storing small items like a headlamp or earplugs.
However, the Thermo Gills don't seem very effective for temperature regulation, and the “Blanket Fold” takes some effort to tuck in. Some of our testers loved this feature, but others found that if it's not properly tucked in, it ends up flapping in your face, leaving you feeling smothered. We'd prefer a regular collar or baffle feature around our necks.
We like the Disco's small stash pocket on the outside of the bag.
Credit: Jessica Haist
Value
The Disco is right in the middle of price points for down bags, not quite as expensive as the high-end models, but not priced as a value model either. We think it's on the expensive side and would choose a down bag that weighs less and packs smaller that is around the same price.
We like the Disco's anti-snag zipper pull.
Credit: Jessica Haist
Conclusion
The main draw of the Nemo Disco is its wide shape for side sleepers or folks who don't like their legs confined as in a mummy bag. This does increase the bag's comfort but detracts from its scores in many other areas including weight, warmth, and packed size. We think the Disco could do with a few fewer features to slim down its weight as it's one of the heaviest bags in this review.
—
Jessica Haist
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