What's with the wild price difference in sleeping bags?
 

Sleeping bags - $30 - over $130 for what appears to be the same sleeping device - often rated with the same degree range. Why is there such a big price difference?

Can the fabric/zipper be that much better?

I'm in the market to buy a new sleeping bag - a large/tall style that's pretty warm. We don't backpack so weight is not my main concern.

What's been your experience if you bought a higher priced sleeping bag? Do you think it was worth it?

Build quality and fabric durability are going to be the main differences you'll find.

If you're planning on using it a few times a year for a couple nights each, probably not much reason to spend much money. But if you plan on using it regularly, you might want to invest a little more in something that's going to stand up to the use.

I think the key is often weight. Bags with the same temperature rating can vary greatly in price due to weight.

I chose our sleeping bags by a) going to REI b) looking for ones that were suited for anything over 10 degrees (I'm not going to be camping if it is less than 10 degrees) c) determined which could be zipped together and d) hugged all of the bags and chose the one that was the softest.

I like the high-tech analysis

Sounds like a solid method to me