5 Best Solar Powered Coolers
Updated: Nov. 17, 2023
Ditch the hassle of ice by harnessing the power of the sun to keep your food cold. Here are our favorite portable electric — aka solar-powered — coolers.
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What Is a Solar-Powered Cooler?
Technically, there’s no such thing. When people talk about “solar-powered coolers,” they mean coolers connected to a power station that’s charged by solar panels. But as solar power becomes more commonplace in our lives, the catchy marketing term emerged as a way for companies to associate their products with green energy.
Regardless, these products are great inventions that introduce more people to solar power. For the record, this article is about portable, electrically powered compressor-based coolers and how to pick the correct unit for you.
These coolers operate like your home refrigerator, but draw much less power. Plus, they have several advantages over your old ice-filled cooler, including:
- No more ice to buy;
- No more ruined, soggy food that’s fallen into the water;
- No more draining the cooler every day;
- Can store food longer and more safely;
- Some units make ice and freeze items;
- Allows for longer off-grid camping;
- Keep things cold on remote job sites and campsites via the power of the sun!
We bring a powered cooler along in our rugged, extended off-grid desert adventures. We enjoy it so much we’ll never revert back to buying ice and playing the try-to-keep-the-food-dry game.
When we’re driving, we power our cooler through a 12-volt lighter socket. And when we get to camp, we plug it into our Goal Zero Yeti 1500x power station. We charge the latter with our solar array of Goal Zero and Biolite panels or an AC 120-volt plug into a standard power outlet.
When selecting a portable powered cooler, consider:
- The size of the unit versus your vehicle’s cargo area;
- The number of people and days you’ll need it for;
- Rated amps of your vehicle’s 12-volt socket versus the unit’s power requirements;
- Whether you need refrigeration and freezing capability;
- Length and type of warranty.
Here are some of our favorite top-rated solar-powered coolers.
Best Large and Best Splurge Electric Cooler
The Rolls-Royce of electric coolers, Dometic’s 75-Liter CFX3 Dual Zone ($1,400) offers luxuriously spacious refrigerator and freezer compartments with separate lids, so cold air doesn’t escape from both when grabbing a snack. It also only draws 60 watts of AC power on average because the compressor cycles on and off.
Other features include a control panel display that lets you set temperatures for each side and an optional battery accessory. It’s a large cooler, so check the dimensions vs. your cargo space.
Sweden-based Dometic has long been an industry leader in RV refrigeration, making electric coolers since 2007.
Best Value Electric Cooler
Besides the friendly price, the BougeRV Dual Zone E55 ($540) is a convenient size (59 quarts) for packing a lot of food without taking up all your cargo space. It also features dual zones with separate temperature controls. However, it only has one lid.
Other features include a control panel display and the same versatile power options as higher-end units.
Psst! For a pool party, consider our top picks for floating coolers.
Best Weekend Getaway Electric Cooler
The compact yet powerful Dometic CFX3 ($1,194) is perfect for a weekend car and tent camping adventure. It’s big enough (35 liters) to handle beverages and a few meals, but small enough to easily carry a short distance into a campsite.
It features a single zone with a convenient control panel display, and comes with Dometic’s quality reputation and product support.
Best Affordable Heavy-Duty Electric Cooler (Also Best for Tailgating)
The rugged ICECO VL45 Portable Fridge ($609) can handle the bumps and vibrations of off-road conditions. Featuring a metal shell and thickened inner wall, it can be operated at up to 40% tilt. It’s a single-zone cooler with one lid that can be set to various temperatures.
Other features of this portable fridge include metal latches to keep it from accidentally popping open, along with max cooling and energy-efficiency settings. It fits the bed height of a pickup truck, so it’s good for tailgating as well. There are some fancier off-road coolers around, but for three times the price.
Best Job Site and Best Beach Day Electric Cooler
You can’t beat the convenience of Worx’s 20-volt Electric and Battery Powered Cooler ($499), which runs off the same Worx batteries that power more than 75 tools in the Power Share family. Unlike most other models, it comes with two 20-volt batteries, which you can charge with your solar panels.
It can cool to 32 degrees in just 15 minutes, and ultimately cool to -4 degrees. Its lighter weight, roller wheels and heavy-duty pull handle also make it ideal to zip down the boardwalk or into the park. It comes with topside cup holders and a bottle opener for picnicking, along with a USB charging port.
All prices and links were current as of publication.
Originally Published: March 21, 2023
