Ecocapsule vs Mojave
You can order the Mojave today; the Ecocapsule is preorder, so this is really a choice between a unit in hand and one you are waiting on.
Ecocapsule
A boutique off-grid pod. The famous 2015–2018 original had a built-in wind turbine; the currently sold 'Ecocapsule Home' (€99,000) is solar-plus-battery only. Included for completeness: it is the most expensive square footage in the category and it is not a housing answer.
Mojave
The Mojave is Neo Smart Living's entry-level TRIO unit: a 2BR/1BA expandable THOW that closes to 19 × 7 × 8 ft on its trailer and expands to 400 sq ft via built-in levers in minutes. At $28,900 (Standard Configuration) it is the lowest-priced 2BR entry in this catalog. The Chino, CA showroom and active dealer network make it accessible to Southern California and Arizona buyers today. No HUD or ANSI certification is published; local permitting is the buyer's responsibility.
Which one wins
Mojave is the lower delivered cost ($36,000 – $65,000 versus $130,000 – $195,000 — roughly $112,000 apart at the midpoint). Remember both figures are estimates that already fold in freight, site work and hookups, not base prices. Mojave gives you more deployed floor area at 400 sq ft — well over the Ecocapsule's 90 sq ft. Neither unit has a verified residential certification, so both are portable buildings on paper — fine for jobsite, studio or hospitality use, a permitting problem for a primary residence. Mojave is shipping now; Ecocapsule is preorder, so its numbers carry more uncertainty and its delivery timing is less committed. Some specifications on this page are projected rather than confirmed by the manufacturer — check the badges before relying on a number.
Full spec comparison
| Specification | Ecocapsule | Mojave |
|---|---|---|
| Maker | Ecocapsule | Neo Smart Living |
| Category | Park model hybrid | Park model hybrid |
| Status | Preorder | Shipping |
| Base priceProjected / Unconfirmed | $109,000 | $28,900 |
| Estimated delivered costProjected / Unconfirmed | $130,000 – $195,000 | $36,000 – $65,000 |
| Deployed areaProjected / Unconfirmed | 90 sq ft | 400 sq ft |
| Bedrooms | 1 | 2 |
| Bathrooms | 1 | 1 |
| Folded dimensionsProjected / Unconfirmed | Ships assembled in a crate on a standard trailer / fits a 40 ft container (it does not fold) | 19 ft L × 7 ft W × 8 ft H (closed on heavy-duty double-axle trailer; tow-ready, no permit-load) |
| Deployed dimensionsProjected / Unconfirmed | About 4.7–5.5 m × 2.2–2.3 m pod | 19 ft L × 21 ft W × 8 ft H; ~400 sq ft |
| Setup timeProjected / Unconfirmed | Delivered complete; plug-and-play, sited in a day | Minutes to deploy side panels via built-in lever mechanism; forklift or flatbed repositioning needed at site; no crane required. Foundation preparation, utility hookups, and permitting are separate. |
| Foundation | None required; level pad or can be trailer-mounted | Can be used as a THOW on its included heavy-duty double-axle trailer or placed on a foundation (concrete slab, compacted gravel, screw piles, or piers per site requirements). Neo Smart Living states a proper foundation is required for permanent placement. Forklift access at delivery recommended but not mandatory. |
| Certifications | No certification verified | No certification verified |
| Regions served | European Union; United States (limited export, historically ~$3,500 shipping) | United States — sold through Neo Smart Living's Chino, CA showroom (14762 Central Ave, Chino CA 91710) and dealer network in California and Arizona. Ships to wider US via freight; contact Neo Smart Living for delivery logistics. |
| Lead timeProjected / Unconfirmed | Pre-order, about a month for the current model; historically a limited series | Not published; contact Neo Smart Living for current availability and lead time at 1-888-636-0321 or info@neosmartliving.com |
| Financing | Cash purchase in practice. | Hearth personal loan financing offered on Neo Smart Living's website (5-year term at 10.49% APR; rate varies by credit score; does not require property collateral). Standard priceBase of $28,900 is the Standard Configuration; Certified Configuration costs $39,800. Delivery and transportation are not included — buyer must arrange freight or request vendor referrals from Neo Smart Living. |
| Warranty | Standard warranty, varies by country of delivery | Not published; confirm in writing at purchase |
| Best for | Hospitality & short stay, Disaster relief | ADU / backyard home, Primary residence, Rental investment |
Who should buy the Ecocapsule
Consider the Ecocapsule only if its format genuinely fits your project and you can wait — it is preorder, so confirm price, specs and timing in writing before committing money the Mojave would let you spend today.
- • Off-grid autonomy — the current model runs 2.8 kWp solar with up to 28.8 kWh of battery plus rainwater collection and filtration
- • Iconic form factor with real pulling power for hospitality operators
- • Delivered complete and immediately usable
Who should buy the Mojave
Buy the Mojave if its specific strengths fit your site and the lower delivered cost matters more to you than certification, and confirm certification with your county before you commit.
- • 2BR/1BA at $28,900 (Standard Configuration) — the lowest starting price for a 2-bedroom unit in the FHS catalog
- • Expands from 7 ft to 21 ft wide using manual lever panels — no crane required; forklift-free setup is possible
- • Physical US showroom in Chino, CA (open for tours by appointment); dealer network in CA and AZ offers hands-on viewing before purchase
Questions people ask about this comparison
- How much does a Boxabl actually cost delivered?
- The Casita's base price is around $60,000. A realistic delivered-and-installed figure in the US is $95,000 to $140,000 once you add freight, crane, site work, an engineered pad, utility connections and permits. On raw land with no services, the top of that range is the honest planning number. Anyone quoting you a turnkey Casita at the base price is leaving something out.
- What is the cheapest foldable home you can actually buy?
- Expandable container buildings sell in the US from roughly $20,000 on marketplaces, and brand-name US sellers like Chery Industrial now start closer to $30,000, sometimes available from stock. They are legitimate portable buildings — excellent jobsite offices, studios and farm structures. They are not certified dwellings in most counties, so if your plan is to live in one full-time on a permitted lot, the real cheapest option is a certified unit at two to three times that price.
- Are the expandable container homes on Amazon any good?
- As portable buildings, some are perfectly fine — a galvanized-steel frame with foam-panel walls that unfolds into 380–800 sq ft for a low price, useful as an office, studio, guest room or short-stay unit. As dwellings, they are a problem: none of the Amazon-sold units in our catalog (Feekercn, EROMMY) carries a verified residential certification, so most jurisdictions will not permit them as a residence, and warranty and support are retail-grade. Buy one for what it is, plan for import logistics and an electrician, and do not mistake a low sticker price for a low-cost home.
- Can I put a foldable home on raw land?
- Physically yes, but the site work is where the budget goes. Raw land with no services means you pay for access, clearing and grading, a foundation, and — the big one — utilities, where a septic system alone can exceed $20,000. On the cheapest units the site work frequently costs more than the building. Plan on roughly base price × 2.2 for an unserviced site, and confirm your parcel is zoned for a dwelling and can pass a septic/perc test before you buy either the land or the unit.
- What is the Boxabl Baby Box?
- A small towable Boxabl launched around $19,999, with a wet bath and kitchenette in roughly 120 sq ft, aimed at offices, studios and guest rooms rather than full dwellings. It is SUV-towable and off-grid capable, but it is RV-classed rather than a permitted dwelling, and several specs — folded dimensions, certification and warranty — remain unconfirmed by Boxabl. Treat it as a preorder with projected numbers, not a shipping product you can pin down today.
- Are foldable homes legal in California?
- Yes, if the unit carries the right certification. California permits factory-built housing with a state modular (HCD) insignia or a HUD label on a compliant foundation, and state ADU law is unusually friendly to accessory units. What California does not permit is an uncertified imported container building used as a dwelling. The certification label, not the folding mechanism, decides the answer.