I was browsing engineered sleep website and stumbled upon their Explorer mattress which is a 10" hybrid priced at only $599 which is significantly cheaper than their other mattresses. it is geared toward RVs but after calling them and discussing the details it sounds like a great deal for an everyday mattress has anyone tried one of these?? So curious.. I feel like i just discovered a life hack considereing their other mattresses hover around the 1500 dollar price range. I am aware they have the “today mattress” which is even cheaper but the explorer seems like a more cushioned better option for me.
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Hey Sleepdevotee.
It’s a good question. The price is definitely attractive and Engineered Sleep does great work, but there are a few reasons the Explorer sits at $599 while their flagship lines are closer to $1500.
The Explorer actually does use pocketed coils, but they aren’t the same heavy-duty, high-count units you’d find in their Duo series. These are lighter-gauge coils designed for RVs, where saving weight and being flexible enough to fit through small doors are the priorities. While that’s perfect for a camper that gets used occasionally, those lighter coils can become a weak link when they’re under the stress of 365-night-a-year use.
You also lose the modularity that makes their higher-end beds so valuable. With the Duo, you can unzip the cover and swap out layers as they wear or if your comfort needs change. The Explorer is a finished, “closed” mattress, so once a layer starts to dip, the whole bed has to go. It’s a solid choice for a guest room or a van, but as an everyday primary mattress, it’s likely to have a much shorter lifespan than their more expensive builds.
NikkiTMU
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Wow thank you for the detailed insight! My understanding is that the coils in the explorer are 15 gauge (14.75 gauge being their commonly used size in other mattresses.) This difference sounds so insignificant that I cant imagine it being that noticeable? Sure they will be a bit more flexible but after speaking with ES on the phone they assured me they have been using these 15 gauge Leggett and Platt coils for over a decade and even use them in some of their top of the line mattresses on occasion when customization is requested.
As for missing out on the bells and whistles, I actually prefer a simpler design and am more attracted to a thinner look of a 10" mattress purely for aesthetic reasons which obviously should take the back seat when talking about comfort haha.. but we eat with our eyes first right?
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I could not figure if ES Duo had zippered covers for either the base or comfort layers. Are you certain that either of these have zippers? Thanks in advance
15 gauge coils are absolutely fine. What may matter more is spring density, height, pre compressed or not and various other things.
The price point is so low that you probably can’t go wrong even itpf they get replaced every 4-5 years.
Okay so the engineered sleep today bed uses leggett and platt coils. I was confused if it were the quadcoils or leggett
Duo does have a zipper in the topper portion, but not in the base. The base uses 1.5" of high density soft foam on one the side where the words “engineered sleep” are right side up, and 2" of firmer foam on the side where the words are upside down. And they use the firm quadcoil in the duo base. Which im not sure how it works to have a layer of really soft foam underneath a topper. I guess its to make the firm coils feel not as firm. But im guessing it doesnt engage the coil action much with that foam being there. Still the beds are real nice. My #1 favorite from them is the lift because it uses micro springs in the base rather than foam, and there is 2" of wool in the top of the topper, then 3" quadmini springs, ans then 1" of wool on the bottom. Its a really innovative and unique design.
My #2 favorite is the today mattress because despite the price it still feels so good. Anyone could buy a $480 queen and sleep great on it and if you wanted to put a little topper on it you could. Theyll actually sell you a 1.5" layer of their bounce foam that goes in the explorer for $100 but…i like the feel of a quilted top rather than just a flat layer of foam on top. Its just more interesting. And though my diy bed just has a flat top with a nice fabric and sleeps great, i sure wish i had a nice sewn in top surface. Still im extremely happy with my diy build so i have no right to complain.
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This is not true as of today. ES does NOT have any zippered toppers or bases. You must buy the entire topper when it dies.
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