A close look at two sleeping bags buyers cross-shop. Both are solid; the right one depends on the specs you care about most.
| Katabatic Gear Flex 15 | Outdoor Vitals StormLoft Down TopQuilt | |
|---|---|---|
| GearScore | 86✓ | 67 |
| Comfort rating | 25 °F | 25 °F |
| Weight | 26.8 oz | 24.3 oz✓ |
| Warmth-to-weight | 5.9 /100g | 6.5 /100g✓ |
| Packed size | 9.5 L | n/s |
| Fill power | 850 FP✓ | 800 FP |
| Price | $429 | $365✓ |
| Fill | Down | Down |
| Style | Quilt | Quilt |
| Shape | Quilt | Quilt |
Highlighted cells mark the better spec: Flex 15 in blue, StormLoft Down TopQuilt in amber. A blank spec is never counted as a win. A lower comfort rating in °F means a warmer bag, so the warmer bag takes that row. GearScore is the overall rating (0 to 100); re-weight it on the full bag comparison. Prices are current MSRP.
Put the Katabatic Gear Flex 15 next to the Outdoor Vitals StormLoft Down TopQuilt and the trade-offs are clear. The Flex 15 wins on fill power, and the StormLoft Down TopQuilt pushes back on low weight and warmth-to-weight.
The Flex 15 is higher fill power (850 vs 800). The StormLoft Down TopQuilt is 3 oz lighter, stronger on warmth-to-weight, and $64 cheaper. On the default GearScore the Flex 15 leads 86 to 67.
Pick the Flex 15 if you care most about fill power, which makes it the better call for your priorities. Pick the StormLoft Down TopQuilt if low weight and warmth-to-weight matter more to you, or you are focused on counting grams on long miles.
The Outdoor Vitals StormLoft Down TopQuilt. It is 3 oz lighter than the Flex 15.
The Katabatic Gear Flex 15. It is higher fill power (850 vs 800) than the StormLoft Down TopQuilt.
The Katabatic Gear Flex 15, 86 to 67 on the default algorithm. You can re-weight the factors to match your trip.
It depends on your priorities. Go with the Flex 15 for fill power, or the StormLoft Down TopQuilt for low weight. The spec table above shows exactly where each wins.