Marmot Angel Fire Review
Our Verdict
Compare to Similar Products
![]() This Product
Marmot Angel Fire | |||||
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Awards | ![]() | ||||
Price | $259 List $278.95 at Backcountry | $340 List $209.95 at Amazon | $275 List $259.24 at Backcountry | $179 List | $209.93 at Amazon Compare at 2 sellers |
Overall Score ![]() |
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Star Rating | |||||
Pros | Comfortable and warm | Comfortable, lightweight, excellent materials, not constricting | Comfortable, warm, roomy | Comfortable, inexpensive, recycled materials | Good price for a down sleeping bag, warm, comfortable |
Cons | Not light, hood draw cords hard to use, large for a women's sleeping bag | Comforter sometimes does not stay tucked in | Heavy, bulky | Heavy, bulky | Low quality down fill, heavy, packed size, no storage sack |
Bottom Line | This bag earns high marks for comfort and is a decent backpacking choice, but has added 4 ounces it the most recent iteration | A great, high-quality choice at a relatively low price for those looking for a lightweight bag that doesn't sacrifice comfort | This middle-of-the-pack sleeping bag is comfortable, warm, and fine or short backpacking trips and car camping excursions | This well priced synthetic bag is a great choice for your car camping needs | This competitively priced down sleeping bag is a good entry-level bag for backpackers looking to hit the trail on a budget |
Rating Categories | Marmot Angel Fire | Sierra Designs Clou... | Mountain Hardwear B... | Marmot Trestles Eli... | Kelty Cosmic 20 - W... |
Warmth (25%) | |||||
Weight (25%) | |||||
Comfort (20%) | |||||
Packed Size (15%) | |||||
Features (15%) | |||||
Specs | Marmot Angel Fire | Sierra Designs Clou... | Mountain Hardwear B... | Marmot Trestles Eli... | Kelty Cosmic 20 - W... |
ISO/EN Comfort Rating | 27 F | 26 F | 15 F | 20 F | 25 F |
Fill Type | Duck down | PFC-Free DriDown | 650-fill-power down | HL-ElixR synthetic fibers | 550-fill duck down |
Measured Weight | 2.7 lbs | 1.7 lbs | 2.5 lbs | 2.8 lbs | 3.4 lbs |
Total Weight | 43.6 oz | 27.4 oz | 39.7 oz | 44.0 oz | 54.0 oz |
Fill Power | 650 | 800 | 650 | Synthetic | 550 |
Women specific features | Women's Specific Fit - more Insulation in Key Areas | More insulation per square inch than men's version | Additional insulation | Women's specific fit | Increased foot room |
Fill Weight | Unspecified | 14.8 oz | Unspecified | Unspecified | 20.7 oz |
Material | 20D 100% nylon mini ripstop, 30D 100% nylon, DWR finish | 15d nylon risptop | 20D Ripstop Nylon | 20-denier recycled ripstop polyester | 20D 400T nylon, PFC-free C0 DWR finish |
Neck Baffle | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Yes - Internal Stash Pocket and Heater Pocket in Footbox | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
Sleeping Pad Sleeve | No | Yes | No | No | No |
Zipper Length | 63 in & 13 in | N/A | 66 in | 53/15 in | 59 in |
Shoulder Girth | 56 in | 59 in | 60 in | 58 in | 58 in |
Hip Girth | 56 in | 58 in | 50 in | 58 in | 52 in |
Foot Girth | 46 in | 39 in | 40 in | 45 in | 40 in |
Stuff Sack included? | Stuff sack and storage bag included | Stuff sack and storage bag included | Stuff sack and storage bag included | Stuff sack and storage bag included | Stuff sack only |
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Marmot Angel Fire performs well throughout all metrics and is a decent choice for shorter backpacking trips.
Performance Comparison
Warmth
The Angel Fire's EN comfort rating is at 27 degrees Fahrenheit, which seems right on the money based on what our testers experienced. The Angel Fire kept us warm on cool and frosty nights. It has a 650 fill power down insulation, providing an average level of warmth. We love its cozy draft collar with a drawcord, adding more warmth. This bag feels lofty and warm in most summer and shoulder season conditions. As with most of the other bags we tested, the Angel Fire has water-resistant-treated down insulation to help the bag keep its loft when damp. Its shell materials are not DWR coated.
Weight
This Marmot bag weighs in at 43.6 ounces, which is heavier than we would like our sleeping bags to be for any long trips. It has gained some weight from its previous version, as Marmot has added another small zipper to the foot box and possibly heavier shell materials, adding some weight. Overall, it's not the lightest option out there but still functions well for short backpacking trips.
Comfort
We think the Angel Fire is very comfortable. It seems like Marmot has increased this bag's size and we found it very roomy. Our tester's 5-foot, 11-inch husband tried it out and fit in it just fine (although a little snug in the shoulders). So, if you're tall and narrow-shouldered, this bag is a fine option.
The roominess increased this bag's comfort. However, it does mean more cold air to heat up and therefore potentially less warm. We like the cozy hood. This year the foot box has changed and has an extra zipper to open it for more space. We don't really think this feature adds significant comfort because the area around your legs stays constricted. It also had plenty of room in the shoulders to move around and add extra layers if necessary. We find the Angel Fire's extra zipper unnecessary as it detracts from the comfort most of the time. It is nice if you want to take your arms out of the bag and hang out in your sleeping bag, but we didn't find ourselves doing that much. We also didn't like that the second zipper would poke us in the face when mostly done up.
Packed Size
The Angel Fire's packed size is slightly larger than the average down sleeping bag. This is because of all the extra zippers and its lower quality down. The bag barely fits into the provided stuff sack.
Features
We like most of the Angel Fire's features. We were skeptical about this bag's giant "zipper garage" and thought it was a gimmick to please people who have complained about the zipper catching in the past. After some use though, we have decided that it works and is probably worth the extra grams it weighs. Many other bags now feature this type of zipper pull, including some of our top award winners.
We also love the interior pocket that keeps stashed items warm and easy to access while bundled up. We wish the hood's drawcords were different materials so it would be easy to tell them apart in the dark. The addition of the second side zipper and the foot box zipper add weight and are features our testers find they didn't use very much on backpacking trips. If you're planning on spending a lot of time lounging in your sleeping back you may like them.
Value
Marmot keeps the Angel Fire's price at a good value by adjusting the price lower to compete with other similar products, and we appreciate that. The price is right for the performance of this sleeping bag.
Conclusion
The Marmot Angel Fire is a classic option that offers great comfort and warmth at a decent weight. We'd carry this with us for short backpack trips and car camping.
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