Econ/Saver Top Quilts

*EE Revelation

I have normal HG quilts and my wife has the Econ series. They are not the same fabric (mine are Argon .69 and .9, hers are something else) or down (mine are 850fp goose down, hers are 800fp duck down). The Econ line is heavier and doesn’t seem to compact as much but they represent a really nice value. The fabric on the Econ quilts have a very nice feel.

I’ve been quite satisfied with my HG Burrow and Phoenix over the last 3.5–4 years.

Obviously the normal model is slightly nicer (lower weight and compresses smaller) but I think the Econ series is a really nice option as well.

Loco Libre measures their quilts with the foot box undone and Hammock Gear measures them with the foot box closed up. A bit of the weight difference is from that. My Loco Libre quilt was about an ounce and a half over their listed weight so that probably makes up the rest of the difference. The EE quilt has higher fill power, lighter weight fabric, and vertical baffles. I can’t say for sure if it is worth the $100 difference or not. I kept an EE Enigma and sold the LL Saver quilt. So for me it was.

Regular width Hammock Gear and EE slim is 50″ and regular width Loco Libre Gear is 52″ wide. So a little more room on the LLG quilt.

My Loco Libre quilts all came in slightly over the listed weights, they do have a foot note about weight on their website, given the customizations I had done I was not surprised. My EE quilts all came in spot on. My Hammock Gear quilts were a fraction of an ounch over. My UGQ and Wilderness Logics (under) quilts were within an ounce of spec.

My opinion is that if you are using the quilt in below freezing temperatures then a draft collar is needed. The draft collar on my Katabatic and Loco Libre quilts keep in more warm air than the cinch string neck on my Hammock Gear and EE quilts. I do move around a lot when sleeping and use my quilts at or below their ratings.

In the case of LLG, I’m quite certain the charts on their saver top quilts are the same as their non-saver Argon shelled models, just lacking the 900 fill numbers. My guess is that the HG Econ numbers are more accurate. My HG 20F underquilt came in as speced. My EE 40F topquilt also came in as speced.

For reference, my LLG saver 20 F 75″ L X 55″ W topquilt is 28 oz with the following weight increasing modifications. I added the dee ring pad attachments, the insulated hot footbox, the neck draft and 1 oz of down. The “same” size HG is speced at 25.3 oz. But I would not have been able to add the neck baffle, which I wanted. When considering weights, I have also read that going from an open footbox to a closed one increases the weight by 1 oz. In contrast, the EE Enigma with 10d shells is 19 oz, but it seems to be 3″ shorter and 1″ less in width and have less weight in higher quality down, so in real life is probably comparable. EE allows you to increase the top shell to a 20d, and this increases the weight by 2 oz. The cost difference is in the $75-100.

Back to your original question, my guess is that the saver series Ion shells add about 4-5 oz of weight to a quilt over 10 d shells . You are the one to answer whether that is worth $100. I personally do not think there is much difference between 800 and 850 fill, but I am no expert.

For reference, another manufacturer that offers a good price point is Underground Quilts, but note that their down is not DWR treated https://ugqoutdoor.com/top-quilts/

Another consideration is the kind of outings you are involved in. Do you foresee regularly protecting your quilt and there’s no foreseeable danger to the more fragile 10d shell of the premium quilts? Or do you cowboy camp, go out with dogs or jumpy kids, use it outside your shelter (campfires, sitting on the ground to enjoy the view, etc). If these potentially more abrasive situations apply to you, then the 20d shell of the Ion may make more sense and it will save you money as well. If you want the lightest possible setup, then all those manufacturers offer quilts with 10d shells at similar price points and weights.