Frequently Asked Questions

"What is the difference between the Zenbivy Bed and the Zenbivy Light Bed?"

Both the original Zenbivy Bed and the Zenbivy Light Bed are 2-piece designs: a sheet that attaches to your mattress and a versatile quilt that attaches to the sheet. One is designed for ultimate comfort and the other for maximum comfort at the lowest possible weight.

A full comparison between the two styles can be found here. Two of the main differences are that the original Zenbivy Bed has an ultra-soft Pongee lining and zippers while the Zenbivy Light Bed has a Nylon Taffeta lining and uses hooks and loops to attach.

"What is included?"

Our original Zenbivy Bed includes the quilt and fitted sheet. To build a Zenbivy Light Bed, the Light Quilt and Light Sheet are sold as separate items.

Mattresses and Pillows are sold separately. Dry Sacks and Compression Caps are sold separately.

The Zenbivy MotoBed™ comes complete with quilt, sheet, dual-layer mattress, pillowcase, and convenient carry bag.

"Is a Zenbivy Bed a bivy shelter?"

No, a Zenbivy Bed is not a bivy sack. It is not a complete shelter on its own. We recommend using it in a tent, like you would a normal sleeping bag.

With the "bivy" in Zenbivy, we're referencing the traditional use of the word "bivouac" which refers to a "minimal encampment". Zen = peaceful & relaxed. Bivy = minimal camp. Zenbivy = Peaceful, minimal camp.

We wanted to choose a name we can grow into - sleeping bags, mattresses, and soon tents and other camp goods. We will most likely come up with a "bivy sack" at some point, we're sure!

"Is the temperature listed the Comfort Rating or the Limit Rating? °F or °C?"

We list the Limit Rating in °F. Generally, you would add 8-10° to estimate the Comfort Rating. Comfort Ratings indicate the temperature at which a naturally cold sleeper might feel most comfortable.

"What's the difference between the Flex Mattress and Light Mattress?"

Our horizontally-cored foam Flex Mattress has a 4-way stretch fabric that allows it to “flex” with your shape and movement. The top feels softer and more supportive than other backcountry mattresses - even at firm air pressures.

Our Light Mattress is ideal for those that backpack often. It is both lighter and more compact than the Flex Mattress. Our Light Mattress is soft, silent and warm with 180g of fully baffled insulation.

Both our Flex Mattress and Light Mattress have a valve that allows for push-button softness adjustment. It can be completely removed to quickly dump air, then inserted backwards when rolling to keep the air out. Both Mattresses also have a full R-value of 5 or higher. And no more huffing and puffing! It comes-with an Inflation Dry Sack for quick inflation, allowing you to breathe easy.

More information on the Zenbivy Mattresses can be found here.

"Will the sheet fit on my current mattress?"

Our sheets are designed to fit most common mattresses on the market, as long as the dimensions are similar. They will even fit tapered styles! When selecting a Zenbivy sheet for your existing mattress, choose the sheet that is closest in size (length and width). We offer sheets in the following sizes and they will fit mattresses up to 3 inches thick: 20x72, 25x77, and 30x80. Please note that there is no 30x80 Light Sheet, our 30x80 size is only available in the original Zenbivy Bed. 

We cannot, of course, guarantee a perfect fit on any mattress except our own. If you are not sure which size sheet will work best with your current mattress, send us a quick message and we would be happy to help!

"I am allergic to down, will your Beds work for me?"

So this is pretty interesting! Did you know that an actual allergy to down is extremely rare? Most people that have reactions to down are not allergic to the down itself, but rather to unclean down. It is important to buy clean, quality down products.

The Responsible Down Standard has become the worldwide certification for ensuring down is responsibly sourced. Zenbivy is proud to be RDS compliant. All of our Quilts have a tag with a code that allows you to track the down used back to its source. Our Light Beds use some of the highest quality 800-fill-power HyperDRY down. You can read the full blog post about down here.

If you prefer synthetic, we do offer two synthetic Beds as well: a 29º Zenbivy Bed and a 40º Light Quilt/Light Sheet.

"How do I wash my Bed? How should I store it?"

Detailed washing instructions can be found here.

When storing your Zenbivy, it's important to give it space. To protect the longevity of the down, you never want to store it compressed. Each Zenbivy Bed comes with a large mesh storage bag. When coming back from a trip, we'd recommend pulling your Zenbivy out of its Dry Sack as soon as you get home. If it's a nice sunny day, hang it up outside for a bit to air it out and let any moisture completely evaporate before stuffing it loosely into the mesh bag.