Real owners lean toward the NEMO Disco 15: 81% of 185 owners recommend it, vs 69% of 54 for the The North Face Cat's Meow 20.
Verdicts aggregated from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube owner comments — affiliate reviews excluded. Sample sizes differ; judge accordingly. How we score
Optimistic temperature ratings are the shared caveat for owners of the NEMO Disco 15 and The North Face Cat's Meow 20, with some Disco sleepers feeling colder than the 15-degree mark and several Cat's Meow owners judging theirs closer to a 32- to 35-degree bag, and owners of each also flag bulk and weight. The Disco's fans single out its roomy spoon shape, which lets side and stomach sleepers stretch without the boxed-in mummy feel, though they note it weighs around 3 lbs, runs too warm for summer, and can feel tight for sleepers near 6 ft. Cat's Meow owners lean on durability, reporting bags still usable after 10, 13, even 20-plus years, and cite it as a strong entry-level value around $179 while faulting how poorly it compresses. Campers who prize sleeping room and comfort for restless positions gravitate to the Disco. Those wanting a dependable, long-lasting starter bag at a lower price lean to the Cat's Meow. The decision hinges on whether roominess or long-haul durability and price matter more.
“Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL3 tent, Hyperlite Southwest 55L backpack, and Nemo Disco 15 sleeping bag were the big items. All did phenomenal”— spacerace2mars on Reddit
“Nemo disco 15 gang ✌️ awesome bags individually and together. No complaints”— pm_me-ur_feelings on Reddit
“Same thing happened to me when I took a Nemo Disco 15 out in low 20s when I first got into backpacking. Cold as heck from 3 am on.”— Scrandosaurus on Reddit
“I used the north face cats meow 20° bag for both my Pct thrus and was happy with it.”— jrice138 on Reddit
“Next to it are 2 North Face Cat's Meow synthetic mummy bags. They are older but still work great - classic product.”— cwcoleman on Reddit
“I did not like my North face cat's meow. I was very cold at 35-40 degrees in it in my puffy.”— GrimTuesday on Reddit
Optimistic temperature ratings are the shared caveat for owners of the NEMO Disco 15 and The North Face Cat's Meow 20, with some Disco sleepers feeling colder than the 15-degree mark and several Cat's Meow owners judging theirs closer to a 32- to 35-degree bag, and owners of each also flag bulk and weight. The Disco's fans single out its roomy spoon shape, which lets side and stomach sleepers stretch without the boxed-in mummy feel, though they note it weighs around 3 lbs, runs too warm for summer, and can feel tight for sleepers near 6 ft. Cat's Meow owners lean on durability, reporting bags still usable after 10, 13, even 20-plus years, and cite it as a strong entry-level value around $179 while faulting how poorly it compresses. Campers who prize sleeping room and comfort for restless positions gravitate to the Disco. Those wanting a dependable, long-lasting starter bag at a lower price lean to the Cat's Meow. The decision hinges on whether roominess or long-haul durability and price matter more.
Owners point the NEMO Disco 15 at side and stomach sleepers who hate mummy-bag confinement, and bigger, broad-shouldered, or tall campers needing room.
The most-cited downside of the NEMO Disco 15 is heavy and bulky for backpacking (around 3 lbs). For the The North Face Cat's Meow 20, it's warmth rating feels overstated, several owners got cold in the 20s-40s and say it performs more like a 32-35F bag than a true 20F bag.