Neve Gear Waratah Pro Quilt Review: The Best Value High-Performance Quilt?

Introduction

Finding a sleep system that balances warmth, weight, comfort and price can be a challenge. Often, you have to be prepared to pay a decent amount of money for a high-quality, ultralight sleeping bag or quilt.

We think that the Neve Gear Waratah Pro quilt is the best value high-performing quilt on the market. It boasts a wide range of features that make it accessible and comfortable for a large number of hikers, all while remaining cost-effective. For those looking for premium performance without the absolute top-tier price tag, the Waratah Pro is a compelling option.

Quilt vs Sleeping Bag

While traditional sleeping bags offer simplicity and have fewer moving parts, a quilt provides a thermal advantage for those looking to optimise their sleep system.

When you’re in a sleeping bag and roll over during the night, the entire bag often moves with you. This means the insulation that was compressed and useless beneath your body is now on top, creating a cold spot as the flattened down struggles to regain its loft.

In contrast, a quilt is typically secured to your sleeping mat, allowing you to move freely underneath it. Because the quilt stays put, the insulation remains on top of you, providing consistent, uninterrupted warmth throughout the night. This makes it a more thermally efficient system, and more akin to sleeping with a doona at home.

Testing

Between our guides and our clients, we have spent a collective 250+ nights using the Neve Gear Waratah Pro quilts in the Australian Alps. This extensive field testing covers both the regular and long versions of the 950 fill-power down model, which has an accurate comfort rating of -8°C (17°F).

Features and Specs

One of the key appeals of the Waratah Pro quilt is its versatility, designed to cater to a wide range of sleep preferences and conditions. The quilt has a number of features which allow for excellent temperature regulation, starting with a cinchable footbox to keep your feet warm or vent them in milder weather. For warmer nights, a bottom zipper allows the quilt to open completely into “blanket mode,” while insulated neck baffles and an anti-draft pad attachment system work together to seal out cold air when the temperature drops.

Specifications:

Price: $619.95
Temperature rating: -8°C (they also make a -2°C version)
Weight: 725g + 45g straps (770g total)
Down weight: 525g
Down rating: 950+
Fabric: 10D nylon with DWR coating
Construction: Boxed baffles
Dimensions (shoulder/hip/foot): 150/130/105cm
Lengths: Max height of 183cm, 198cm

Pros & Cons

Pros

Great value for money 
Versatile cinchable footbox 
Excellent draft collar 
Secure pad straps 
Lightweight and packable 10D fabric

Cons

Heavy pad straps 
The stuff sack is too tight 
Lack of a 7D fabric option

Discussion

The Neve Gear Waratah Pro quilt carves out a fantastic niche for itself in a competitive market by successfully balancing high performance, user-friendly features, and value for money. The cinching footbox, effective draft collar, and secure pad attachment system are practical, user-friendly features that make quilt-camping more comfortable and accessible, especially for those transitioning from traditional sleeping bags.

The main drawback for us is that the stuff sack is slightly too small. This can make it hard to stuff the quilt unless standing upright and using your weight to push it down. Other trade-offs come primarily in the form of weight. The secure pad straps are noticeably heavier than minimalist alternatives, and we would prefer the option of a lighter and more breathable 7D fabric.

It’s also worth dispelling the myth that quilts are lighter than sleeping bags. The weight of quilt straps almost entirely offsets the weight saved by removing the bottom fabric. Instead, the benefit is in the improved sleeping comfort by having a sleep system that you can roll inside of whilst holding the insulation in place. We also think -8°C is the lowest temperature we would use a quilt – any lower and we would prefer to use a sleeping bag that completely eliminates drafts. Whilst the pad straps are good, they never completely eliminate all drafts throughout the night.

Finally, a quilt is a great option if you use a full length inflatable mat. This is because the structure of the mat is required to securely fasten the quilt and minimise drafts. If you plan on using a foam mat, or a 3/4 or half length sleeping mat, then we would recommend a normal or false-bottom sleeping bag – such as the Cumulus Aerial series. If you’re looking at spending top money on a quilt, then you could consider the Katabatic Alsek which has a more sophisticated baffle design and a superior strap system – however it’s often out of stock.

Warratah Pro vs Warratah vs Feathertail

The Waratah Pro is identical to the standard Waratah in design, with the key difference being the quality of its insulation. While the Waratah Pro uses 950 fill power down, the Waratah uses 850 fill power down instead. This makes the standard Waratah a significantly more budget-friendly option, though it comes with a slight weight penalty (save $200 at the cost of 60g).

For those seeking the most minimalist setup, the Feathertail is constructed similarly but strips away the additional features. It forgoes the side zip and cinchable footbox found on the Waratah models, creating a simple, sewn-shut sleeping bag that is the lightest and most straightforward option they offer. This is the style we would typically use, but opted for the Waratah Pro for our guided trips as others prefer the versatility that it offers.

Conclusion

The Waratah Pro provides excellent warmth-to-weight, a wide range of features, and does it all at a price point that is hard to beat. While there are a few minor areas where weight could be trimmed, its overall performance is excellent. For most sleeping preferences, the Waratah Pro is arguably the best-value high-performance quilt available today.