Sleeping bags are essential. A warm, quality sleeping bag is more critical. I think we can all relate to a time where the sleeping bag was not sufficient. Most of the time, the sleeping bag did not keep you warm enough or got too wet. Without a good night’s sleep, repeating outdoor adventures is difficult to swallow.
A sleeping bag’s purpose in our lives is not just limited to camping trips. Having a sleeping bag in the car for emergencies, random park excursion on a chilly night, a sleepover on a friend’s couch, are all reasonable reasons to own a sleeping bag. As a result, the sleeping bag options one has to sort through are plentiful. More importantly, affordable sleeping bags are beginning to pop up. Sleeping bags for adults under $100 is very reasonable, and you can get a quality sleeping bag!
Determining your budget is a key factor in your sleeping bag purchase. To make this easier, we have found great, high quality, sleeping bags for adults under $100.00.
The next step is to determine if you want a sleeping bag full of down or synthetic material. Here is a post to you help differentiate the differences between down and synthetic materials. Down is light, compressible, extremely warm, but not as effective when it gets wet. Synthetic material is durable, can keep you warm even if it gets wet, but not as lightweight as down.
Another decision to make is if you want the ‘mummy’ style sleeping bag or ‘rectangular’ style sleeping bag. If you move around a lot, the mummy bag does not offer you much room to move around. The mummy-style does shave weight though and doesn’t have as much room to “warm-up”. The rectangular bag is roomy but comes with some additional weight. Don’t neglect to consider your overall comfort. The weight and compression differences between a mummy bag or rectangular bag could be insignificant when it comes to your overall comfort.
Here are 4 sleeping bags that can be purchased for under or near $100 and represent high quality, affordable sleeping bags. Of the many bags currently in the marketplace, the below list represents some of the best made, long-lasting sleeping bags.
1. Marmot Trestles 30
The Marmot Trestles 30 is a 3 season, synthetic, mummy-style sleeping bag. It utilizes a combination of synthetic fibers and spiral hollow fibers, to maximize loft, compressibility, and warmth.
The bag does not skimp on any features. Boasting double zippers (one full length, one partial length) for versatility in getting into the bag, draft tubes to trap the cold air out, and a hood for whole body warm. This bag is an all-around, high-quality bag. It is rated to keep you warm down to 30 degrees F. This is really a “one-stop bag”.
Pros: Lofty for warmth, high quality, affordable, full features, lightweight (3 lbs, 3 0z), unisex
Cons: none really
2. Marmot Electrum
The Marmot Electrum combined the best of both worlds by using synthetic and down fills into this sleeping bag. This creates a weather-resistant sleeping bag for all budgets. The synthetic material is placed on the bottom of the sleeping bag, while super heat-retaining down is used on the top of the sleeping bag.
This combination produces a very lightweight, sleeping bag that is safe to use in wet/damp conditions. The sleeping bag is rated to be used for 3 seasons and will keep you warm down to 30 degrees F. It comes in the mummy-style only.
Pros: Good use of both down and synthetic materials, full-length zipper, draft tubes, and collars to keep cold air out, affordable, lightweight (2lbs, 8oz).
Cons: Pretty slim profile
3. Marmot Mavericks
The Marmot Mavericks took a traditional rectangular sleeping bag and added a pillow compartment. This really gives the user a roomy sleeping bag but is not a big fan of the hoods that go over your head, like in most mummy-style sleeping bags.
This is a synthetic sleeping bag that is rated to keep you warm down to 30 degrees F. It has a great zipper system where one zipper zips all the way down through the foot box area. This allows you to use it completely flat or as a blanket. The 2nd zipper goes down only part of the sleeping bag. Between the 2 zippers, the options are many.
Due to the rectangular shape, it does use more material, which means it is less compressible and weighs more. Other than that, it is a great sleeping bag that gives you many options and more importantly, lots of room.
Pros: Rectangular shape, multiple zipper options, integrated pillowcase, unisex.
Cons: Weight (almost 4 lbs), bulky
4. REI Siesta 30
The REI Siesta 30 is another affordable, high-quality sleeping bag. It is a synthetic material fill, rectangular sleeping bag. As with the Marmot Mavericks, the REI Siesta 30 has a 2 zipper system allowing the user to unzip it entirely to use a blanket or zip it up to use as a sleeping bag. The 2nd zipper is a partial zipper to provide a huge opening to enter the bag.
The REI Siesta is a 3 season bag that will keep you warm down to 30 degrees. The best feature of the REI Siesta 30 is that it can be zipped together with another REI Siesta 30 bag and becomes a double sleeping bag. REI Siesta comes in many color options so individual preferences are accommodated.
Pros: Roomy, multi zipper options, many color choices, unisex, use as a double sleeping bag when zipped together with another REI Siesta bag.
Cons: Weight (almost 4 lbs), bulky.
Marmot has a long history of producing high-quality sleeping bags. It’s refreshing to see manufacturers bringing their prices down and still maintaining quality. It was difficult finding sleeping bags for a better bargain or better quality. Enjoy the outdoors and don’t be afraid to always keep your new sleeping bag close by. You’ll never know when you’ll need it.