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Big Agnes Roxy Ann 15 Review
March 23, 2016


The Good
- Comes in two sizes
- Comes with left and right handed zipper options
- Sleep system integration
- Price
The Bad
- Poor warmth to weight ratio
- No insulation on bottom of bag
- Odd-shaped neck collar
- Not for wiggly sleepers
The very attractive Roxy Ann 15 is a boxy and overly roomy lightweight multi-purpose bag that uses Big Agnes’ complete sleep system but falls short on warmth and overall comfort.
Compressibility
The Roxy Ann 15 compresses with an average amount of effort to a size that is closer to the bulky side than the smaller size of other bags in this category.
Warmth
Although comfortable and cozy, the Roxy Ann 15 needs more down fill for its rating; reviewers found the bag cold when used in temperatures in the low 30s. Big Agnes’ sleeping bags are part of their complete sleep systems and, like other Big Agnes bags, the Roxy Ann has an integrated full pad sleeve for a sleeping pad to slide into it. As such, it relies on the insulation from the sleeping pad rather than providing down on the bottom of the bag. I do not typically find insulation from a sleeping pad adequate for good warmth and the Roxy Ann 15 was no exception; sleeping bags do much better with down on their bottoms. The roominess of the bag (discussed below) and lack of down (even if it uses DownTekTM to repel moisture, improve loft and dry faster) were both likely factors that prevented users from warming up as quickly as would be expected once inside the bag.
Features
The Big Agnes Roxy Ann 15, like other bags in Big Agnes’ Classic series, is a semi-rectangular shaped bag, updated for 2015 to combine a roomier contour shape with a narrower pad sleeve intended to deliver greater insulation next to the body and more efficient heat distribution. It was also redesigned to be taller across the top in order to roll over more freely. Since I toss and turn side to side quite frequently during the evening, I found this feature particularly useful.
On the other hand, when tossing and turning during sleep, I usually like the bag to “come with me.” Using the sleep system requires users to move strictly within the bag (including keeping the hood fairly stationary). Given the roominess of the bag, this did not make the bag uncomfortable, per se, but did restrict movement enough that I elected not to attach the bag to the pad. Stretch fabric panels on the side of the pad sleeves do accommodate different pad thicknesses for those who wish to use them.
The Roxy Ann 15 features a free range hood to allow easy head movement even when zipped, and has a one-hand hood synch cordlock. It also has a no-draft collar and no-draft wedge which, although theoretically improving warmth slightly, is an odd-shape. Theoretically, this is to frame the face better and improve insulation. Unfortunately, for anyone other than a black sleeper or one who does not move much in the evening, it provides mostly show at the expense of function since users found the collar moved around too much and “got in the way.” Notwithstanding the collar, the hood was overall a very comfortable shape. The vaulted foot box was roomy which most users (including myself) appreciate, but the extra space without the extra insulation probably contributed to the warmth problem.
There is also an external zip pocket roomy enough for multiple items such as a music source, earphones, tissue, headlamp or any number of items one would find desirable for easy access (recognizing that being outside the bag, battery sourced objects will be cold).
The shell is breathable with a water repellent finish. The Roxy Ann comes in a very attractive two-tone dark pink / purple combination with light green lining and zippers. It also comes in two sizes, both offering a left- and right-handed zipper (although many manufacturers offer both zipper-side options, they do not all offer them in all available sleeping bag sizes).
Overall Comfort
The Roxy Ann 15’s boxy shape does provide excellent roominess, but sacrifices warmth to get there, ultimately making it less comfortable than one might expect for a women’s-specific bag.
Durability
The Roxy Ann 15 showed no signs of wear and tear during the testing phase. The zipper was quite robust and I expect no issues with durability.
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