REI Co-op Magma 30 Down Trail Quilt Review 2024 Edition
A versatile, ultralight 30 degree sleep system
February 11, 2024 – By Jaeger Shaw
The REI Co-op Magma 30 Down Trail Quilt 2024 edition is a versatile, fully-featured lightweight backpacking quilt capable of shifting between blanket mode and hood-less sleeping bag by way of a zippered footbox. It’s a good summer sleep system, a solid value, and ready to buy at the Co-op right now. Shop now.
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- Weight: 20.3 oz
- Price: $329
- Down:Â 850 fill power goose downÂ
- Fill Weight: 11.6 oz
- Fabric:Â 15D Nylon with Nonfluorinated DWR. Good price.
- Pros: Lightweight. Zippered footbox for full blanket conversion. Inclusive sizing. Generous down fill.
- Cons: Excess zipper weight. Only offered in 30F temp rating. 15d shell is less choice than 10d
Compare this to more great options in our guide to the best backpacking quilts.
REI Co-op Magma 30 Down Trail Quilt Construction & Features
The REI Co-op Magma 30 Down Trail Quilt is a design with an emphasis on versatility. The zippered, cinch-closure footbox can be fully opened up to convert the entire quilt from hoodless-sleeping-bag-mode to a full on rectangular down blanket. This is great for use in moderate-to-warm conditions, for car camping, or anytime you wish to pack portable warmth for laying about outside.
The chassis is constructed with a 15 denier recycled nylon. Not bad, but you know we would have preferred 10d from an ultralight performance perspective. Compared to the very lightest models in our quiver, Magma 30 uses 2x the fabric weight. That being said, 15d does increase durability, versatility, and lifespan, and many users will find this fabric to offer a happy medium.
Its variable baffles are filled with 850 fill power DWR down, which is solidly good quality, but not exciting. REI has correctly run horizontal baffles on the lower half with vertical baffles along the torso. Vertical baffles on the upper half are extremely important, and we’re glad they paid attention to detail. This orientation prevents down from drifting off the top center down to the sides, and reduces the likelihood of cold spot formation, especially for side sleepers.
Based on the very respectable quantity of down fill, 11.6 oz, we feel this is accurately named to 30 degrees. But like with all sleep systems, you should read it as 10 degree higher, and we wouldn’t want to use it at or below freezing.
A few other notable features include the insulated top draft tube, pad attachment cords and tie off points (we don’t recommend using them, just drape it naturally), and a complimentary stuff sack (which we found to be a bit too small for the long/wide size). The stuff sack is not a dry bag, so you will need to purchase one separately for protective backcountry storage. See more in our guide to the best dry bags.
Size Recommendations
The size offerings available on the REI Co-op Magma 30 Down Trail Quilt are inclusive for a wide array of body types. There is Medium, Medium Wide, Long, and Long Wide. What’s more, unlike other brands, REI has generously not cranked the prices up for longer or wider fits, despite the fact that they are more expensive to manufacture due to the fact that they use a higher quantity of expensive down fill. As such, this is a particular good buy for larger campers who may otherwise expect to fork over an extra $20-$40 to accommodate their preferred size. Thanks, REI!
So what size should you choose? With trail quilts, it’s always correct to err on the side of larger rather than smaller. This important to achieve a good drape all around your body in order to prevent drafts. Our tester is 6′ 185 lbs and found the long/wide model to be the correct fit if not a little bit bigger than necessary. It was similar to long/wide sizes from other quilt manufacturers in the ultralight cottage industry.
For all but the most petite people, we would recommend choosing the wide edition, whether medium length or long length, to achieve that comfortable, draft-free drape. The cutoff for medium to long length is probably somewhere around 5′ 10″. And again, you should always err on the side of caution and size up if you aren’t sure.
Perhaps the only miss is that, in our view, the wide width editions may not be wide enough for larger plus size bodies, which is likely what they set out to accomplish.
REI Co-op Magma 30 Down Trail Quilt Review Verdict
For a versatile, lightweight trail quilt, this seems like a pretty dang good, readily available option, at a reasonable price, from a beloved brand. REI Co-op Magma 30 Down Trail Quilt gets a thumbs up from us!
