Onewind Whirlwind 11′ Ultralight Hammock Review

When it comes to outdoor adventures, finding the right hammock that’s both lightweight and functional can be a challenge.

Picking ultralight equipment means you often end up having to compromise on either price, durability or weight.

The Onewind Whirlwind is an affordable ultralight hammock that makes up part of Onewind’s innovative modular design system. While the Whirlwind might seem minimalistic at first glance, there’s more to it than meets the eye.

But does the Onewind Whirlwind have to compromise? Find out in my Onewind Whirlwind review below.

Our verdict on the Onewind Whirlwind Hammock

Right off the bat, I’ll say that this hammock will be coming with me for pretty much every camping trip from now on.

The Onewind Whirlwind hammock does what it says on the tin. It’s lightweight, packs down small and is surprisingly comfortable. I also found setting up this hammock to be quick and fairly painless. It will be an excellent companion on backpacking trips or even just setting it up as a place to lie down when camping.

As per usual, it does rely on using lightweight, thinner materials to keep the weight down. So do bear this in mind if you would prefer something highly durable rather than something very light. But this is a common trade off.

So would I recommend the Onewind Whirlwind? Absolutely! This hammock wins our best buy award.

Do note that we’ve reviewed the hammock itself. You would probably also want to pick up some of the modular addons, such as a bug net and a tarp for weatherproofing.

• Ease of setup: 9/10
• Comfort: 8/10
• Durability: 5.5/10
• Versatility: 8/10

Onewind has reached out to us and offered all of our readers an extra 5% off their store using the coupon code: WILDERNESS

Who is the Onewind Whirlwind for?

The Whirlwind is great for:

✅ Ultralight backpacking
✅ Camping
✅ As a place to sit
✅ Budget hammock camping

I do not recommend it for:

❌ Extreme weather
❌ Cold weather

Our hammock review criteria & testing 

As with many modern hammocks, the Whirlwind is a modular design which means that other accessories can be added to this hammock to make it a suitable sleeping area. Even in the middle of summer, I don’t think I would trust sleeping out in Scotland without some sort of roof over my head. You might want to also pick up the tarp and a bug net.

[9/10] Ease of setup 

Setting up the Onewind Whirlwind is fairly straightforward thanks to the basic design of the hammock. There are not a lot of features to cause confusion. This means this hammock can easily be set up by one person and by beginners. 

I would recommend that, if this is your first hammock, you do a little research on how far apart the trees you are using to sling your hammock from should be and what sort of tension you should be looking for. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of instructions that come with the hammock to help guide the set-up. 

It only took me a few minutes to set this hammock up – I had just finished setting up the Onewind Tempest however so I was familiar with the design of Onewind hammocks. That being said, I would be surprised to hear if anyone struggled with setup for any longer than 10 minutes – even total beginners. 

Taking the hammock down again is a breeze, especially if you make use of the stuff sack feature of the carrying bag. By threading the straps through the stuff sack and leaving it attached to your taut hammock, when it comes to putting it away again, you simply feed the hammock material into the sack. 

Then wrap the straps up and place them in the space left over in the sack. You can leave the buckle for one side of your hammock dangling out of the stuff sack for easy set-up next time you come to use the Whirlwind. 

Overall, the set-up and packing away of this hammock is very efficient and straightforward. Hammock setups can be daunting for beginners, but the lack of frills on this ultralight hammock means that the process isn’t overly complicated. 

Pros:

• Straightforward setup
• Stuff sack feature makes it very easy to put away the hammock

Cons:

• Beginners might need additional help

[8/10] Comfort 

The hammock is really lightweight (around 0.5 kg or 1.1 lbs) so it’s definitely comfortable to carry. It certainly won’t feel as heavy in your pack as some of the more conventional hammocks or tents you might be used to carrying around. 

Whilst the Whirlwind has prioritised shedding weight as an ultralight option, you don’t feel like comfort has been sacrificed in the pursuit of weight savings. The material is, admittedly, not very cushioned and can feel quite thin but it is soft and feels comfortable against your skin rather than scratchy or rough. 

You feel how thin the material really is for the first time as you place your weight on top of it and hold your breath as the material tenses. However, once you realise that you can trust the hammock to hold your weight, getting in and out of the hammock becomes a lot easier and more comfortable. 

The depth of the hammock gives a good balance of feeling cradled but not sinking too far so you feel lost in the fabric. At about 5’ 7”, I’m not able to guarantee that the Whirlwind is long enough for the tallest of campers to lie comfortably but I would say there was enough space for someone a foot taller than me to lie down comfortably in the hammock. 

The Whirlwind comes with a pocket organiser that is one of the most comfortable, ergonomic design features I’ve seen on a hammock. There’s plenty of space for a phone, a battery pack, a small eReader or book and a water bottle – with a pocket left over! There’s also a handy hook for hanging a lantern. 

The only feature I consider missing from this hammock is a bug net. If, like me, you live in Scotland and are used to dealing with no-see-ums, chances are you’ll already be camping with about seven different tactics for fighting them off (skin so soft, citronella candles, bug net hats, etc) so it’s not the end of the world that the hammock doesn’t have one – as long as you aren’t sleeping in it. 

If you are, Onewind does offer bug nets you can buy for some of their hammocks. I haven’t tested any of these so I can’t comment on their quality.

However, having used the Onewind Tempest which does come with a built-in bug net, it kept the no-see-ums out when I used it. It is definitely nicer to be able to sit in the hammock with the net protecting you, rather than worrying about keeping your skin protected. 

Overall, the Onewind Whirlwind is not only comfortable in your backpack thanks to the ultralight design but also provides a comfortable space to relax at your campsite. 

Pros:

• Lightweight and easy to carry.
• Soft, comfortable material.
• A very handy pocket organiser for storage.

Cons:

• No bug net – beware of insects.

[5.5/10] Build quality and durability

As I’ve mentioned, the material of the hammock feels very thin (as would be expected with an ultralight hammock) but it is certainly strong enough to support most campers. The maximum weight of this hammock is 210 lbs and I wouldn’t recommend pushing beyond that limit. 

The material is much thinner than on other hammocks I have used including the Tempest which has a 70 denier hexagon-shaped ripstop and abrasion-resistant fabric design. In comparison, the Whirlwind is only 20D and does not feature the hexagon-shaped design, making it more vulnerable to damage by branches, keys or other hazards when camping. 

I did have a couple of concerns about the construction quality of the hammock – unfortunately, there were a few frayed threads at one end of the hammock.

So far this hasn’t presented any significant issues but I will update this review if these concerns lead to any issues with the durability of the Whirlwind. 

I found that the adjustable ridgeline on both the Whirlwind, and the Tempest which we have also reviewed, was initially quite stiff and required a bit of strength to initially move it – which given my concerns about the general quality of construction was worrying. 

However, once it had initially slackened and loosened, the ridgeline was much easier to adjust after that. 

Unsurprisingly as a lightweight hammock, it comes with a single-layer design. This means there is no space for sliding a sleeping pad underneath you. So if you are looking for something to sleep in at night and prefer to use a pad, then this might not be the hammock for you. 

One of the great features of this hammock is the tree-friendly straps. Unfortunately, lesser quality straps which are similar to rope can actually damage the tree. 

With ultralight equipment, there is usually a trade-off between weight, comfort and durability. In reviewing the Whirlwind, I would say it looks like durability has understandably fallen behind weight efficiency and comfort in the priorities. However, time will tell how durable this hammock really is.

Pros:

• Sturdier than it initially looks.
• Tree friendly straps that shouldn’t cause damage.

Cons:

• Thin materials make it vulnerable to rips.
• Some frayed threads in places.
• Adjustable ridgeline worryingly stiff initially.

[8/10] Versatility 

I didn’t realise how much I wanted a hammock like this until I got it. It’s so small, lightweight and comfortable that for me, it ticks all the boxes. 

It does everything I could want from it really well. Not only is it lightweight enough that you can easily bring it along on shorter backpacking trips alongside a tent for sleeping in and not feel weighed down but it is also comfortable enough that it’s perfect for any camping trip. It’s even great for throwing into the car before you head off to the beach for the day. 

As I said at the start of this review, I haven’t tested out any of the additional accessories for this hammock – so I can’t really comment on those.  

However, I will say that I love the fact that Onewind offers those additional products like bug nets and under quilts to make the hammock more versatile for different needs whilst keeping the core product lightweight. 

Pros:

• Great for both backpacking and camping.
• A useful accessory to take outdoors just for somewhere to sit.

Cons:

• Need to pay extra for the insect net and tarp.

Extra Thoughts 

The hammock is easy to clean. So far, I haven’t encountered any dirty patches that can’t be cleaned with a simple wipe. If at some point I need to machine wash the Whirlwind, I’ll update on how well the hammock washes.  

The double-sided stuff sack also means you can pack away the hammock without dragging it across the floor. Not only is this hammock easy to clean, but it’s also easy to keep clean as well. 

The aesthetic design of the hammock is quite nice and basic. It’s not camo although Onewind does offer hammocks with camouflage designs, but it certainly isn’t going to stick out like a sore thumb. 

There are no garish colours – apart from the bright blue elastic bands used to hold excess material from the tree straps folded neatly away. If you drop it on the forest floor, you’ll easily be able to see it thanks to its distinctive colour. 

However, the colour can’t help you if you decide to keep the band in a safe pocket when setting it up, forget about it and then spend half an hour kicking over leaves cursing about how you can’t see something which is meant to be so distinctive before giving up, getting home and emptying your pockets to find that little blue band was tucked away in your pocket all along…

Value for money

The Onewind Whirlwind 11’ ultralight hammock is priced towards the budget end of the market. It definitely performs very well for this range.

I’ve got an older Decathlon budget hammock which will be going to a new home, as the Whirlwind is a BIG step up.

I would also note that ultralight hammocks provide really good value for money compared to ultralight tents. You can get a lightweight model for a fraction of the price.

Do, of course, make sure that any route you plan has enough trees along the way. For example, there are stretches of the West Highland Way that would be impossible to hammock camp along.

Price comparison

At the time of first testing the Onewind Whirlwind Hammock, Onewind sold it for as little as $55 on their website including shipping.

Onewind has reached out to us and offered all of our readers an extra 5% off their store using the coupon code: WILDERNESS

Review updates

• 15 August 2023: Review first published.

Wrapping up our Onewind Whirlwind review 

So would I recommend this hammock? Absolutely!  

The hammock is so lightweight and so small, I can’t imagine many camping trips I’ll be going on in the future that I don’t throw the Whirlwind into my bag. And that’s not just backpacking trips – you can get heavier hammocks with other features like built-in bug nets or more storage pockets for camping. But in all honesty, the Whirlwind is still a solid option for car camping trips as well. 

It’s a super versatile, easy-to-use and lightweight hammock that is the perfect accessory for any camping trip.