Sleeping Bags
Twenty years of CPSC NEISS emergency-room records for this consumer product category, combined with demographic breakdowns, multi-year injury trends, and matching recall notices.
Sports Protective Equipment & Gear · CPSC Code 3252
Down 14% over 5 years
The verdict
Sleeping Bags carry a danger score of 35/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 552 ER-treated injuries a year that are declining by about 14% over the last five years.
- 35/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 552
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 12.7%
- end in hospital admission
- 5-14
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 3252 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 35/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for sleeping bags - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume552 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)12.7%
- Fatality rate0.06%
- 5-year trend-14%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Sleeping Bags (CPSC product code 3252, in the Sports Protective Equipment & Gear category) generate an estimated 552 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 11,034 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 35/100 for this category (low risk), combining raw injury volume, demographic reach, severity of outcome, and multi-year trend. The five-year trajectory shows that injury counts are declining by about 14% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2017 (925 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2005 (117 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for sleeping bags is laceration to the face, accounting for approximately 545 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by other to the lower trunk (422 cases). The 5-14 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 3,658 cases over the NEISS window, and males appear slightly more often than the opposite sex in that cohort. Severity outcomes from the NEISS disposition field show that 12.7% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer, and a small fraction (0.06%) result in fatality.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 6 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how sleeping bags fail in real households. Every figure on this page comes from CPSC-published data: NEISS projects national estimates from a probability sample of about 100 U.S. hospital emergency departments, while SaferProducts.gov collects voluntary reports from consumers, manufacturers, and clinicians. The danger score, trend indicators, and demographic breakdowns update automatically when CPSC releases a new yearly NEISS file, which is why this page is dated 2024-12-31. For regulatory context, consult CPSC recall notices and the SaferProducts.gov public database linked below.
Annual Injury Estimates (2005–2024)
Source: CPSC NEISS national estimates CPSC NEISS national estimates Injuries represent ER-treated cases only
Who Gets Injured?
| Age Group | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 357 | 401 | |
| 5-14 | 2,035 | 1,623 | |
| 15-24 | 375 | 701 | |
| 25-34 | 597 | 392 | |
| 35-44 | 1,326 | 515 | |
| 45-54 | 693 | 446 | |
| 55-64 | 529 | 381 | |
| 65-74 | 102 | 214 | |
| 75+ | 62 | 280 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Face | Laceration | |
| Lower Trunk | Other | |
| Head | Concussion | |
| Face | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Mouth | Laceration | |
| Ankle | Strain, Sprain | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Upper Trunk | Other | |
| Lower Leg | Other | |
| Shoulder | Fracture | |
| Lower Arm | Other | |
| All Parts Body | Other | |
| Upper Trunk | Derma/conjunct | |
| Foot | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Hand | Other |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
11YOM PRESENTS TO ED WITH A FOREHEAD LACERATION. PT. WAS BRUSHING HIS TEETH WHEN HE SLIPPED ON HIS SLEEPING BAG WHICH CAUSED AN OBJECT TO FALL FROM A SHELF ONTO HIS HEAD. DX: FACIAL LACERATION
63 YOM REPORTING PAIN ALL OVER HIS BODY AFTER BEING FOUND IN A WET SLEEPING BAG. DX: FROSTBITE OF BOTH FEET.
60 YOM WAS FOUND IN A PARKING GARAGE IN A SLEEPING BAG WHEN HIS TORSO WAS RUN OVER BY A VEHICLE MAKING A THREE-POINT TURN. +RIB FRACTURES, BILATERAL PHEMOTHORACES, BLADDER RUPTURE, DISPLACED FRACTURE RIGHT ACETABULUM, RIGHT HUMERAL HEAD DISLOCATION, LEFT CLAVICLE FRACTURE, DX: CRITICAL POLYTRAUMA, TRAUMATIC SHOCK.
40 YOM C/O NECK PAIN AFTER SLEEPING ON A SLEEPING BAG. DX: CERVICAL STRAIN
43 YOM WAS FOUND COLD ON SIDEWALK. PATIENT REPORTS HE HAS BEEN STAYING IN SLEEPING BAG ON SIDEWALK, AND HAS BEEN GETTING RAINED ON, GETTING WET AND COLD FOR PAST SEVERAL DAYS. PT REPORTS HE DRANK 8 BEERS AND SEVERAL SHOTS OF VODKA. BAL 224. DX: HYPOTHERMIA DUE TO EXPOSURE, ALCOHOLIC INTOXICATION.
64YOF, REPORTS THAT SHE FELL OVER ASLEEP BAG AT HOME LANDING ONTO HYPEREXTENDED KNEE, NOT ABLE TO BEAR WEIGHT, DX: OTHER CLOSED FRACTURE OF PROXIMAL AND OF RIGHT FIBULA; SPRAIN OF RIGHT KNEE
55YOF WAS CAMPING AND SLEPT IN A BRAND-NEW SLEEPING BAG AND DEVELOPED A RASH ALL OVER DX: CONTACT DERMATITIS
9YOF WITH A DENTAL INJURY. SHE WAS PLAYING AT GRANDMOTHER'S HOUSE WITH HER BROTHER. THEY WERE PULING EACH OTHER ON SLEEPING BAGS. WHEN HER SLEEPING BAG WAS PULLED FORWARD SHE WAS ON HER KNEES AND FELL FORWARD. SHE HIT HER JAW ON THE FLOOR AT THAT TIME.
30YOM,SLEEPING BAG HOMELESS,FEELS INSECT IN EAR,DISCOMFORT,DX:FB EAR
62YOM PRESENTS WITH LEFT SHOULDER INJURY FOLLOWING A MECHANICAL FALL DOWNSTAIRS. PT TRIPPED ON A CORD FROM A SLEEPING BAG & FELL DOWN A FLIGHT OF STAIRS PTA. HE STUMBLED DOWN 12 STEPS. STS HE DRANK A COUPLE OF BEERS TODAY. BAL 192.0. INJURY OCCURRED AT HOME. DX: INTERTROCHANTERIC FRACTURE OF LEFT FEMUR; ALCOHOL INTOXICATION;CLOSED FRACTURE DISLOCATION OF LEFT SHOULDER JOINT
34YOF WAS GETTING SOMETHING OUT OF A VAN AND TRIPPED, SHE CAUGHT HER FOOT ON A SLEEPING BAG AND FELT HER TOES TOUCH THE FRONT OF HER ANKLE MAKING HER FOOT BEND UPWARDS, HAS BEEN HAVING SEVERE PAIN IN THE FOOT AND ANKLE DX: RIGHT FOOT STRAIN OR SPRAIN
25YOM PT WAS CAMPING OUT GETTING INTO HIS SLEEPING BAG WHEN HE FELT PAIN ON CHEST WALL PT WAS BITTEN BY A BUG ON CHEST WALL PAINFUL DX BUG BITE CHEST WALL PAIN
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
On 7/21/12 we purchased a child's Disney/Pixar slumber sack/sleeping bag 30x54 (zips closed to form a "bag") for our 4 year old grandson, for when he stays overnight at our house. On 7/21/12, the first time he used it he went to bed with the sleeping bag. About 10 minutes after lights out, I checked to see if he was asleep yet and I didn't see his head, so I turned on the lights to see where he was and he was burrowed head first all the way into the bottom of the sleeping bag, (not with his head out the top of the bag as it should be, but totally upside down in the bag). Then he had apparently had rolled over so he was twisted tightly inside the sack. I had to roll him over to untwist and then unzip the bag to get him out. The fabric is a tightly woven silky material and is insulated with a layer with fiber fill inside, so it has three layers of fabric (front, inside and back). It's made to keep the cold air out, so obviously it's not porous and not much air gets through it. Our grandchild is a heavy, heavy sleeper, so apparently he didn't wake up when he got hot & sweaty. When I saw that he was upside down in the bag I immediately, frantically unzipped and untwisted the bag to get him out, he was soaking wet (sweating), pale and very lethargic. I believe if he'd been in there longer he would have suffocated. This is very dangerous for a child and poses a serious danger for suffocation. If he had been in there longer I think he would have probably passed out, suffocated and we wouldn't have found him until the next morning. This would be equally dangerous for a toddler or smaller child who also might crawl inside while playing. This sleeping bag, which is geared for children (Disney Cars/Pixar design on fabric) should be recalled from the market immediately. It is manufactured by Idea Nuova, Inc,. New York 10001 1 866 772 1666 (Made in China) K316943 Disnet/Pixar Bar Code INI:04111259114
I was camping with the NEMO Forte 20 Sleeping Bag - Men's. I placed a high powered flashlight on the bag and it began to burn. This happened a few times and I found it alarming. Fortunately, I was not injured and there was no significant property damage.
The velcro straps wrapped around my child's neck during the night.
I did not buy this product; however after reading the reviews and seeing the warnings on the tag, I felt an obligation to report the item. Included is one of the reviews from Amazon: It is a very cute design, my little nephew would have probably loved it. BUT... it has a tag on it that says, "WARNING CONTAINS LEAD!" Why would Walmart sell such a thing?!? It's going back. No wonder it was on clearance for $5.
The consumer saw some sleeping bags in a local retailer and they had the warning: Contains lead, may be harmful if eaten or chewed...Complies with federal standards. The words cancer and reproductive harm was listed on the product and it had Prop-65 listed on it. The consumer does not believe that any lever of lead is safe for children and that these products should either be removed or looked into further. She contacted the retailer and the representative that she spoke with told her that they would forward the information to the appropriate person/department. The consumer took pictures of these items, but did not purchase them. Please see attached pictures for more information I can not stress enough these items contain Lead and are made for small children that chew everything! There is no age on these items and even if there were _ I believe they would be used by young children
We ordered a monogrammed Spiderman Sleeping Bag as a Christmas gift for our Grandson on 10/28/2013 from Pottery Barn Kids and had it shipped to our daughters home in San Diego, CA. We arrived at their home on Dec. 22 and my wife wrapped the unopened box that contained the sleeping bag on Christmas Eve. Our four-year old Grandson ([REDACTED]) was very pleased when he opened the wrapped sleeping bag and immediately went into the bag head first to try it out (his Dad had to point out to him that we enter sleeping bags feet first). He got in and out of the sleeping bag several times. At one point, after all of the gifts had been opened, he was in the sleeping bag and showed all of us a pair of surgical steel manicure scissors that he found IN THE SLEEPING BAG. His family does not own scissors of this type which means they didn't end up in the sleeping bag due to our negligence. My wife ([REDACTED] Grandmother) called Pottery Barn Kids on December 27 at about 12:20 pm to report this incident. I also sent an email to this company describing the incident. Neither of us have received a response.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to sleeping bags on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are sleeping bags?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, sleeping bags have a danger score of 35/100 (low risk). An estimated 552 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from sleeping bags?
The most common injury is laceration to the face, accounting for approximately 545 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from sleeping bags increasing or decreasing?
Down 14% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for sleeping bags injuries?
The 5-14 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 3,658 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by sleeping bags?
Of all ER visits involving sleeping bags, approximately 12.7% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (87.3%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with sleeping bags?
You can file a consumer incident report at SaferProducts.gov, the official CPSC reporting portal. Reports help the CPSC identify emerging hazards and trigger investigations or recalls. You can also call the CPSC hotline at 1-800-638-2772.
Related Products in Sports Protective Equipment & Gear
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 35/100 score as relative risk between products, not your personal odds of injury.
- See where this category ranks against every other tracked product. Full rankings
- Injuries cluster in the 5-14 age group, take extra care if that describes your household.
- Check for active recalls on this product before you assume it is safe. CPSC recalls
NEISS estimates ER-treated injuries from a national probability sample of hospitals; they do not capture injuries treated elsewhere or not treated at all.
Data: CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) 2005–2024 and SaferProducts.gov consumer incident reports. Injury estimates are based on a nationally representative probability sample of U.S. hospital emergency departments. This page is for informational purposes only and is not affiliated with the CPSC.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, scored, and verified.