Marmot Sawtooth 15 Review

The Marmot Sawtooth is an exceptionally warm 15 degree down sleeping bag. It has smart features and is comfortable but it is slightly heavy and does not pack down as small as other down bags. The water resistant down is appealing, but for a lower price point and guaranteed defense against dripping tents and humid climates we prefer the Mountain Hardwear HyperLamina Flame, a lightweight synthetic sleeping bag which won one of our Top Pick awards.

Performance Comparison

Warmth

The Marmot Sawtooth 15 is a warm 3 season sleeping bag. Its hood fits well and is comfortable when cinched. The draft collar is large, soft, and effective. We did not try the internal foot warmer pocket but it may help keep your toes warm if you happen to carry foot warmer packets.

Weight

The Marmot Sawtooth is not a lightweight summer sleeping bag. A size long in this bag weighs as much as the Kelty Cosmic 20 and the HyperLamina Flame, a synthetic sleeping bag tested in our review. The 650 fill down Marmot uses in this bag is not as lightweight as higher quality down found in more expensive sleeping bags. There are panels of heavier fabric on the Sawtooth that promote water repellency but also add ounces to the bag.

Comfort

The Sawtooth has a really comfortable hood that is soft, well-shaped, and features a visor-like protrusion of down that keeps rubbing down on the edge of the hood. The foot-box of the Sawtooth is anatomically correct, allowing your feet to move easily without compromising any of the loft/insulation. We wish a bag this comfortable and warm could be lighter to get some weight out of our pack.

Packed Size

The heavier materials and 650 fill down do not allow the Sawtooth to compress as small as bags like the Western Mountaineering Alpinlite which has a similar cut, is just as warm, and features lightweight fabrics and high quality down insulation.

Features

Testers like the anatomical hood and footbox on the Sawtooth. Attention to detail in the cut in these areas promotes more comfort and better insulation. The other Marmot sleeping bag in our test, the Marmot Plasma 30 also happens to have a very comfortable hood. Kudos to Marmot for attention to this important detail.

Versatility

The Sawtooth is heavy for extended trips and is too warm for summer trips anywhere but at mid to high elevations. We would prefer to carry smaller, lighter bags that adapt to a wider range of temperatures, such as the Western Mountaineering Ultralite.

Best Application

The Sawtooth would be well suited for fall backpacking trips and mild winter trips when temperatures average just below freezing.

Value

The Marmot Sawtooth is reasonably priced for the quality of bag you get. It is warm and comfortable but it lacks the high-quality materials that set more expensive bags apart. The Sawtooth is one of the least expensive sleeping bags in our review and we would still consider this to be a budget backpacking sleeping bag. It was a contender for our Best Buy Award, but it still costs more than the Kelty Cosmic, which ultimately beat it out.

Conclusion