Left Side Zipper?

[robow8]

I've been a pretty good boy this year, so I'm hoping Santa brings me a new sleeping bag for Christmas. But I have a zipper question. Which side should I get? I'm leaning on a left side, because: I sleep mostly on my left side, so the zipper would be in front of me, and, the tent door is to my left, so the zipper would be closer to the door, making it easier to get in/out of the tent/bag.
Do I have this figured out correctly, or is there something else I'm not factoring in?
Thanks for your help. (Again)

[markskor]

From what I understand, depends on what handed you are.
If right handed, then a left zipper fits you best ...can reach over easier from inside the bag.

[rlown]

hmm. I'm left handed and my zipper is on the left side. If you share a tent or even solo, you need to decide where the zipper is to easily get out of the tent at night.

[longri]

markskor has it right, as a general rule.

But other factors can play into the decision. For example, I had a left zip bivy bag at one point so I went with a left zip sleeping bag to match it. Another example is when couples want to be able to zip their bags together. Opposite side zips work best.

I have a quilt now. No zipper.

[Wandering Daisy]

I have a right side zipper. Like you, I mostly sleep on my left side. Matching the tent door is not a big issue for me. I am small enough that zipping my right zip with my right hand is not awkward. This may be not the case if you are wider, and fill the bag more than I do. Most bags come standard left zip. I had to special order my right zip.

For we side-sleepers, you have to also look at the entire hood system. Most hoods assume you sleep on your back. So when you cinch the hood, and want to sleep on your side, you do not want the zipper under you - it is lumpy. Thus the right zip. However, when I do not cinch up the hood, and simply roll over on my left side to sleep, my right zipper is on my back, which tends to be colder, and I then wish I had a left zipper.

So I do not really think it makes a whole lot of difference. Either side, it will not be ideal in all situations. You will tend to adjust to whatever you have.

What is more important, is to get a bag that has a good quality zipper and baffle that has some stiffness on the zipper side so that you can zip the bag with one hand without snagging.

[gary c.]

I'm right handed and prefer a left sided zipper. It's just easier for me to reach across my chest and zip up or down.

[freestone]

I dislike zippers on sleeping bags, no matter what side of the bag they are on.

[sambieni]

Left handed, but recently bought right side zipper. I am also a side sleeper who usually sleeps on right side. Makes it easier to open with my left arm. I felt I lost some warmth with my old bag with zipper at my back rather than my front. And other reason I got the right side was some sort of feng shui thing. (Not literally). But subconciously, I hated the zipper at my back and sense it could be opened behind me w/out my knowledge. Yea, call me weird. It also does happen, that almost always sleep with the tent door open before my as I sleep on my right side so I can easily enter/exit as needed as well. YMMV.

[Gazelle]

Holy cow I never even thought about it!! But I have a tent with dual side doors but literally never even thought about it other than to make my bivy zipper match that of my sleeping bag