Top Quilt vs Underquilt

By topquilt.com · Updated Oct 21, 2026 · 6 min read

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The top quilt vs underquilt question confuses many new hammock campers because the names sound interchangeable. They aren't. A top quilt goes over you; an underquilt goes under the hammock, outside it, where your weight can't crush it. Together they replace a sleeping bag, and each solves a different heat-loss problem.

Side-by-side comparison

What a top quilt does

A top quilt is a sleeping bag without the back. In a hammock, it lies over you, with your feet in a footbox and the neck cinched around your shoulders. Because the hammock fabric and your underquilt wrap your sides, you rarely need pad straps. Many hammock campers prefer a zippered footbox so they can vent or get in on the diagonal easily.

The top quilt is also the more versatile of the two: it works on the ground with a sleeping pad, in a tent, under a tarp, even on a couch. See the hammock top quilt guide and best hammock top quilts.

What an underquilt does

When you lie in a hammock, the fabric beneath you is exposed to moving air on all sides. Any insulation inside the hammock — including the underside of a sleeping bag — gets crushed. An underquilt solves this by hanging outside and below the hammock, close to the fabric but not compressed, so it lofts fully and blocks convective heat loss.

Underquilts come in full length (head to toe) and partial lengths (3/4 or torso), with partials paired with a small pad under the feet. They hang from shock cord suspensions attached to the hammock ends. Fit to your hammock matters more than with a top quilt. Learn more in the underquilt guide and how to hang an underquilt.

Why you can't skip the underquilt

Bottom heat loss in a hammock is severe. Even on nights around 60–70°F, a breeze under the hammock can leave you chilled through the fabric. That's why the hammock community coined "cold butt syndrome." Clothing doesn't fix it, because anything you wear is also compressed under you. The alternatives are a sleeping pad inside the hammock (cheaper, but it slides and is less comfortable) or an underquilt. See sleeping pad in a hammock for the pad approach.

How the two pieces differ in design

Shape and closures

A top quilt is shaped around a body: wider at the shoulders, tapered at the feet, with a footbox and a neck closure. An underquilt is shaped around a hammock. It is usually a rectangle or a gently tapered panel with channels at each end for a drawcord, which pulls the ends closed so the quilt forms a shallow cradle under the hammock. Some underquilts are cut asymmetrically to match a specific hammock's diagonal lay.

Construction

Both use baffled down or synthetic insulation, often in the same fill powers. Underquilts more often use horizontal or longitudinal baffles designed to keep down from migrating to the sides, where it would be useless. Top quilts tend to mix vertical baffles at the footbox with horizontal ones at the torso. See quilt baffles explained.

Suspension and adjustment

Top quilts need almost no adjustment in a hammock — you pull them over yourself. Underquilts need to be hung correctly: close enough to touch the hammock fabric everywhere without being compressed, and with no gaps at your shoulders or hips. A poorly hung underquilt is the single most common cause of cold hammock nights. Expect to spend a few minutes tuning it the first few times.

Compatibility

A top quilt fits any hammock. An underquilt must suit the hammock's length and style: a full-length underquilt designed for an 11-foot gathered-end hammock may gap on a bridge hammock, and vice versa. Check the maker's compatibility notes, and see gathered-end vs bridge hammock.

Weather protection

An underquilt hangs in the wind under the hammock, and wind strips heat from down quickly. In breezy or very cold conditions, many hammock campers add an underquilt protector — a thin, windproof shell that hangs beneath the underquilt — or a full hammock sock. The top quilt is usually protected by the tarp and hammock walls. See top covers and hammock socks.

Matching ratings

A good rule: choose an underquilt with a rating equal to or slightly colder than your top quilt. Top heat loss can be patched with a puffy jacket or extra layers; bottom heat loss can't easily. If you own a 20°F top quilt, a 20°F or 10°F underquilt is a balanced pair. Our hammock temperature guide covers pairings by season, and the hammock insulation guide explains the full system.

Worked example: a balanced three-season hammock system

A hammock camper expecting lows around 30°F might pair a 20°F top quilt with a 20°F full-length underquilt, both 850 FP down. Approximate weights: top quilt about 19–22 oz, underquilt about 20–24 oz, so roughly 2.5–3 lb of insulation. The same person could save around 6–8 oz by switching to a 3/4-length underquilt and putting a small foam pad or their sit pad under their feet. The trade-off is a bit more fiddling and colder feet if the pad slides. For a summer setup with lows near 50°F, a 40°F top quilt and 40°F underquilt together often weigh about 1.5–2 lb.

Recommendations by season

Cold sleepers should shift each recommendation one column colder, especially on the underquilt.

Common mistakes

• Buying a warm top quilt and skimping on the underquilt. Most cold hammock nights start underneath.
• Hanging the underquilt too loose. Any gap between it and the hammock lets cold air flow through.
• Hanging it too tight. Pulling it hard against the hammock compresses the down, which defeats the purpose.
• Using a ground-sleeping pad strategy in a hammock. Pads slide and leave your shoulders exposed in gathered-end hammocks.

For model examples, see our reviews of the Hammock Gear Burrow top quilt, the UGQ Bandit and the Kammok Firebelly.

Ground and hammock: one top quilt for both

If you switch between a hammock and a tent, the top quilt is the piece that carries over. Choose attachment points for pad straps, a moderate width (about 52–55 inches) and a zippered footbox, and the same quilt works over an underquilt one night and on a pad the next. The underquilt stays home on ground trips; a sleeping pad replaces it. That makes the top quilt the better first purchase for mixed-use campers, as covered in the hammock insulation guide.

Cost and where to buy

Both pieces cost about the same at equal ratings and fill power. Cottage makers like Hammock Gear, Warbonnet and UGQ Outdoor sell matched sets. Budget options sold through big retailers include synthetic underquilts from brands like ENO and Kammok (check price on Amazon). Compare picks in best underquilts.

Verdict

Choose (or prioritize) a top quilt if…

• You sleep on the ground as well as in a hammock.
• You want one piece of insulation that works anywhere.
• You already have a hammock pad and want to drop the bulky sleeping bag.

Choose (or prioritize) an underquilt if…

• You only hammock camp and currently use a sleeping bag as a top cover.
• You're cold from below — the most common hammock problem.
• You want to stop using a slippery pad inside your hammock.

For year-round hammock camping, plan on owning both. New to hanging? Start with hammock camping for beginners and the hammock gear checklist.