Best 12 Volt Portable Refrigerator Freezer in 2018
(Camp Addict does NOT accept payment from any company to review or endorse their products.)
You really love to go camping. You love to go for days on end into the wild with your Jeep. Or you are having an all-day tailgating party at the stadium. Maybe you have a big family to feed for a weeklong tent camping trip, and a cooler just isn't going to hack it with the ice melting all over your food. You need refrigerator reviews for the portable 12 volt refrigerator.
You just found your refrigerator reviews! Now there is such a thing as a true 12 volt refrigerator that is portable and it might just be your new best friend.
RVers, overlanders, and day trippers have all benefitted from having a small portable refrigerator in their vehicles. Sure, a 'regular' cooler or a 12-volt cooler might do the job and a 12 volt refrigerator might seem like overkill. It all depends on your needs.
The only type of TRUE portable refrigerator is one with a compressor. There are absorption coolers and thermoelectric coolers that may act like a refrigerator in that they also use an outside power source to work, but the temperature inside the unit cannot be controlled like a true compressor portable refrigerator freezer can.
If you’re looking for a portable refrigerator that can actually keep meat and other foods at refrigerator temperatures for days at a time, then you must go with a compressor style portable refrigerator. These 12-volt units serve as portable refrigerator freezers which mean you can set the temperature and it will keep food cool (or frozen) just as the fridge in your house does.
Some of these 12 volt refrigerator freezers (or coolers) come only with a DC plug (cigarette lighter style). If you want to plug into A/C power, you will have to buy a separate AC cord.
Know this: a compressor style portable refrigerator is not cheap. However, having one sure can enhance your camping or car trip experience and avoid food getting ruined by an inferior type of cooling system. Here are our refrigerator reviews for portable 12 volt refrigerators.
12-Volt Portable Refrigerators Compared
- Capacity (quarts)Capacity (quarts)
- Cooling TechnologyCompressor cooling is the same as what the refrigerator in a house uses. It’s quiet, efficient, and you can precisely control the temperature. Thermoelectric cooling is imprecise and there is no way to set the exact temperature you want.Cooling Technology
- 12/24 Volt DC or 120 Volt AC Power12/24 Volt DC or 120 Volt AC Power
- Dual ZoneYou can use both a freezer and a refrigerator section at the same time.Dual Zone
- Interior temperature rangeInterior temperature range
- Precise temperature controlPrecise temperature control
- Hottest outside temperature that lowest interior temp can be maintained Anything above this temperature and the lowest rated interior temperature of the fridge/freezer cannot be reached.Hottest outside temperature that lowest interior temp can be maintained
- Battery drain protectionBattery monitor to prevent fridge from draining your vehicle's battery. Will shutoff power to device if power source drops below a certain voltage.Battery drain protection
Best 12v Portable Fridge
Dometic CFX
- Capacity (quarts)27 - 49
- Cooling TechnologyCompressor
- 12/24 Volt DC or 120 Volt AC Power
- Dual Zone
- Interior temperature range-8º to +50º F (-22º to +10º C)
- Precise temperature control
- Hottest outside temperature that lowest interior temp can be maintained 90º F (32º C)
- Battery drain protection
Best Dual Zone 12v Fridge
Dometic CFX (Dual Zone)
- Capacity (quarts)56 & 90
- Cooling TechnologyCompressor
- 12/24 Volt DC or 120 Volt AC Power
- Dual Zone
- Interior temperature range-8º to +50º F (-22º to +10º C)
- Precise temperature control
- Hottest outside temperature that lowest interior temp can be maintained 90º F (32º C)
- Battery drain protection
Best 12 Volt Cooler
Dometic Tropicool
- Capacity (quarts)15 - 35
- Cooling TechnologyThermoelectric
- 12/24 Volt DC or 120 Volt AC Power
- Dual Zone
- Interior temperature rangeCan cool interior down a maximum of 86º F (30º C) below ambient temperatureN/A
- Precise temperature control
- Hottest outside temperature that lowest interior temp can be maintained 77º F (25º C)
- Battery drain protection
The Best 12-Volt Portable Refrigerator Reviews
We broke down 12 volt refrigerators into a few different categories so you can find the one that will best meet your criteria. These include the best overall 12 volt portable refrigerator freezers, the best dual zone refrigerator freezers, and the best 12 volt coolers. Each of these serve a different need, so let's get to reading and find out which refrigerator review best suits your needs!
For more information on these portable fridge freezers, read our guide on portable refrigerators found below the reviews.
Why Only Dometic 12-Volt Portable Refrigerators?
If you own an RV, then you most likely have at least one Dometic product in it. Dometic is a trusted RV appliance manufacturer, but that's not why we rank their portable refrigerator freezers and their 12-volt coolers as the best. We do so because, well, they ARE the best!
What about ARB fridge freezers, Engel refrigerator freezers or Whynter 12-volt portable refrigerators? These are three well known brands in the portable 12-volt fridge market, so why not include them? Simple. Either they are (sometimes WAY) more expensive then the Dometic offerings, or don't have the superior cooling capability of Dometic's CFX line of portable fridge freezers, or sometimes even both.
Dometic has positioned themselves to be the leader in the small portable refrigerator marketplace and we see no reason to not go with the leader when they are the best! ???? Sorry, not sorry ARB Fridges.
Best 12-Volt Portable Refrigerator/ Freezer
Pros
Cons
Dometic's CFX line of small portable refrigerators offers efficient compressor technology which means they function like a fridge in a house but are small and lightweight so you can take them on the go. With a temperature range of -8º to +50º Fahrenheit (-22º to +10º C) these portable 12-volt fridge freezers can act as either a refrigerator or a freezer. Available in capacities ranging from 27 quarts to 90 quarts, there is a Dometic CFX refrigerator for everybody.
Choose Your Capacity
Continue Reading Dometic CFX Line of 12v Portable Refrigerator Freezers Review
Best Dual Zone 12 Volt Refrigerator/ Freezer
Pros
Cons
Need to be able to have both a refrigerator and a freezer compartment at the same time? Then the Dometic CFX Dual Zone portable refrigerator freezers are just what you are looking for. The CFX-95DZW offers true dual zone capability in that you can set an individual temperature for each of the two compartments, while the CFX-65DZ relies on air spilling over from the freezer compartment to cool the refrigerated section.
CFX-65DZ
CFX-95DZW
Continue Reading Dometic 12v Dual Zone Portable Refrigerator Freezer Review
Best 12 Volt Cooler
Pros
Cons
The Dometic line of Tropicool 12-volt coolers are a great option of you are looking for cooling (and/or heating) capability without needing a true portable refrigerator. If you are looking for a 12-volt car cooler or a portable electric cooler to take with you on short trips where you don't have access to a true refrigerator, the Tropicool is a great option. It's available in 3 different capacities.
Choose Your Capacity
Continue Reading Dometic Tropicool Portable Electric Cooler Review
Portable Car Refrigerators: True Compressor Technology in a Compact Size
The Dometic Tropicool line has some great 12-volt car coolers, but if you want an actual car refrigerator, there are better (but more expensive) options. What do we mean by a car fridge? We mean a portable DC refrigerator that uses actual compressor technology (like your home's refrigerator) instead of the imprecise thermoelectric technology used by the Tropicool line (and all thermoelectric plug in coolers).
CF-18
CF-18
The Dometic CFX line are true portable refrigerators using a compressor to cool the units and are great choices for portable car refrigerators. If you are looking for a smaller portable car fridge, then the three choices below from the Dometic CF line are worthy options. If you want anything larger than the three below choices, then it makes sense, from a cost perspective, to go with an offering from the CFX line of portable 12v fridges (which have a better compressor than the below three CF line offerings, allowing the CFX line to cool to a lower temp).
Dometic CDF-11, CF-18, and CF-25 Portable Car Refrigerators
The Dometic CDF-11, CF-18 and and CF-25 are narrow, small capacity portable car refrigerators that have true compressor technology, allowing you to precisely set the interior temperature. They can operate as either a refrigerator or freezer, with capability of cooling down to 0º Fahrenheit (-18º C).
CF-25
Camp Addict co-founder Marshall has a Dometic CDF-11 (pictured below). It is the smallest portable compressor refrigerator Dometic makes, with a capacity of 0.4 cubic feet. You aren't going to fit much into it, but it will keep the contents at a precise temperature. And it makes a brilliant center console (cup holders included!) if you have the space between two seats.
CDF-11
CDF-11
CDF-11
CF-18
CF-25
These portable mini refrigerators cost more than the Tropicool line of thermoelectric portable electric coolers, but that's because they offer the same cooling technology as a full-size household refrigerator. You get much better cooling capability with one of these DC fridges.
If you need a larger capacity portable car refrigerator then you should check out the DC fridges in the Dometic CFX line reviewed above.
Dometic CDF-11, CF-18, and CF-25 Features and Specs:
Capacity (in cubic feet, quarts and liters) and Dimensions
Model | Capacity (cu ft/qts/liters) | Dimensions (W x H X D) |
|---|---|---|
CDF-11 | 0.4/10/11 | 9.4" W x 14.1" H x 21.6" D |
CF-18 | 0.7/19/18 | 11.8" W x 16.3" H x 18.3" D |
CF-25 | 0.8/19/18 | 10.2" W x 16.7" H x 21.7" D |
Weight, Compressor Noise (in decibels) and Power Usage
Model | Weight | Rated Current |
|---|---|---|
CDF-11 | 19 lbs | 2.5 amps @ 12v |
CF-18 | 25 lbs | 3.1 Amps @ 12v |
CF-25 | 28 lbs | 3.1 amps @ 12v |
- True compressor technology allows for precise temperature control
- Power source: 12/24 volts DC or 120 volts AC
- Made from high-impactic resistance plastic with extra thick insulation
- Set temperatures between 0º F (-18º C) to 50ºF (10º C) so these portable car fridges can function both as a refrigerator and as a freezer
- Electronic thermostat with digital temperature display
- Three level battery monitor to prevent fridge from draining your vehicle's battery (you can chose at what battery voltage the fridge shuts off to prevent complete battery drain)
- Warranty: 2 years
Dometic Portable 12-Volt Refrigerator Accessories
Now that you've purchased that shiny new Dometic CFX portable fridge, it's time to treat it right! Dometic makes insulated, protective covers for the CFX line of 12-volt fridge freezers. They also make slides which allow you to access your CFX fridge when it is in tight quarters.
Dometic CFX Insulated Covers
Dometic makes protective, insulated covers for their CFX line of portable 12-volt refrigerator freezers. Made from high quality nylon fabric with extra insulation, these covers improve the cooling capability of your portable fridge (and thus reduce the battery power used), while providing some protection. The top flap(s) open to allow easy access to the fridge contents, and exterior pockets provide extra storage space.
CFX-40 Cover
CFX-65DZ Cover
Dometic makes an insulated cover to fit various sizes of their CFX line of portable fridges. Click on the 'Buy on Amazon' button below and then choose the model you need a cover for:
Choose Your Cover
Dometic CFX Slides
If you want to install your Dometic CFX portable refrigerator in 'tight' quarters and need a way to access it, the CFX slide is the answer. You can install your CFX refrigerator freezer on the base of the slide, either via the supplied straps or by using screws into the bottom of the fridge. The slide itself is mounted onto your vehicle (or wherever you want to install your portable fridge) and you simply 'slide' out the tray to access your 12-volt portable freezer/refrigerator.
Each size slide fits two different sizes of CFX portable fridge freezers. If you have a CFX-35 or CFX-40 refrigerator, then purchase a CFX-SLD3540 slide. If you have a CFX-50 or CFX-65 fridge, then purchase the CFX-SLD5065 slide. Finally, if you have a CFX-95 or CFX-100, purchase the CFX-SLD95100 slide.
Choose Your Slide
Portable 12-Volt Refrigerator Guide
There are times when an ice cooler will do the job you need. There are also times when you need food to be cooled for longer than an ice cooler can accommodate. In cases like these, you need a portable electric cooler or refrigerator. When it comes to portable cooling systems, there are three basic types of powered units that you can choose from:
1. Compressor
2. Absorption
3. Thermoelectric
Knowing the difference between the three is the key to getting the right one for your needs. Let's start with compressor refrigerators.
Portable Compressor Refrigerators
Portable compression refrigerators are different from any other type of portable 'cooler' in that they work exactly like your home refrigerator by using a compressor to control the temperature.
Pros Of A Compression Refrigerator
- Minimal power consumption
- Compressor allows you to put the temperature where you want it
- Functions when level or on an incline
- May be used as a fridge or a freezer
- Works the best out of the three types
Cons Of A Compression Refrigerator
- Price
The portable compressor refrigerator is the only true refrigerator of this bunch. You can set the temperature on these so they can act as a fridge OR a freezer, and after using it a few times, you can easily figure out how to keep food at a temperature that meets your needs.
By using a partition properly in a dual zone 12 volt refrigerator freezer, you can set it to freezing but have the partition block enough cold to make the other side cool enough to keep foods from spoiling.
These compressor units are usually able to be set to a specific temperature and are not so affected by the outside temperature. However, if the outside temperature changes, the temps inside your fridge CAN be affected, so setting a temperature and leaving it can be problematic.
These units run off of DC power, so you can run it off of your car or RV battery. They are pretty power efficient so they don't use a lot of battery power. Of course the hotter it is outside, the harder your fridge will have to work. The harder it works, the more battery power it will use.
Today's compressor units are very energy efficient. They may consume less than 1 amp/hr. Much like a home refrigerator, these compressor units don't run ALL the time. They cycle on and off to regulate the temperature inside. The hotter it is outside, the more they will have to run. Therefore, if you are using it in warm areas, it might be a good idea to get its own dedicated battery to power it to avoid draining your vehicle's battery.
Know that most of today's units come with a sensor that will stop using power from a battery once it is reaching a certain low voltage level so you aren't left stranded. If you will be using it a lot, a separate, dedicated battery for your refrigerator is a good idea.
If you do get a separate battery, you need something that will recharge it. You could use solar, or recharge it using a portable generator. Either way, you are looking at an even higher price point unless you already have the means to recharge the battery.
These units are little noisy. It's not bad but you will hear it when it's plugged in, similar to the way you would hear your fridge in your house, only quieter. Usually they fire up and you will hear the compressor for the first minute or two, then after that they will quiet down.
Another benefit of a portable compressor refrigerator is that it will function properly whether it is level or if it's on an incline. An absorption cooler will NOT function properly unless it is totally level.
We highly recommend this type of refrigerator over any other type if you are needing refrigeration for over a day or two.
Portable Absorption Refrigerators
This type of fridge can run off of three types of power: AC, DC or LP gas. This might make it seem like the ideal candidate, but before you jump, read on.
Pros Of An Absorption Refrigerator
- Can run off of multiple power sources
- Very efficient when running on gas
Cons Of An Absorption Refrigerator
- Will NOT function properly unless totally level
- Cannot set a temperature
- Can only cool to about 30 degrees below ambient temperature
- Uses ten times the electric power of other portable units
This type of refrigerator uses TEN TIMES the power that a compressor refrigerator uses. If you are running this off of your vehicle battery, you might be in for a jump-start. If you get this type, you will definitely want to have a dual battery system so you can run it strictly off of a dedicated battery. In this case, you must have a way to recharge this battery, so take that into consideration as well.
They DO run very efficiently on gas. Remember, you either have to bring an ample supply of gas with you or you need to be able to refill along your route. This type of cooler must be vented if you are using it on gas. Make sure you have adequate space for this.
Absorption refrigerators can only go as low as around 30 degrees below the outside temperature. Not so good in extreme heat- anything over 80 degrees.
This type of refrigerator needs to be TOTALLY level to function properly. This means that when you arrive at your campsite, if your unit is staying in your vehicle, it has to be totally level. This is not always possible.
We haven't found an absorption refrigerator on the market that is available that truly portable. They tend to be more sized like a college refrigerator. Therefore, we don't recommend this type as a portable unit.
Many refrigerators that are built-in to RVs are absorption refrigerators.
Who Needs a 12-Volt Portable Refrigerator?
A 12v refrigerator can have many different use scenarios, a few of which are shown below. But the best part of a portable mini fridge is that it doesn't have to be used just one way. Use it in your house as a AC/DC refrigerator in the den, or take it along on the occasional road trip where you want to have your own food so you don't eat out so much. As cliché as this sounds, the possibilities of how you can use a 12v mini fridge are virtually endless.
Portable Thermoelectric Coolers
This kind of cooler is not a very good candidate for keeping food safe long-term. It's best for just keeping goods cold on the way home from the store or keeping a dish warm. They just don't cool well enough and don't give you the best control over the temperature.
Pros Of A Thermoelectric Cooler
- Good for one-off uses, one day total
- They can cool AND warm. However, they cannot keep food heated at a high temperature, nor cool and warm at the same time.
Cons Of A Thermoelectric Cooler
- Pretty worthless in temperatures over 77 degrees Fahrenheit
- Noisy
- Uses a lot of battery power
- Unable to set a temperature/tends to be too cool or too warm for your needs
This type of unit will create a major drain on your battery and they are quite noisy. During testing, they have failed in keeping food adequately warm enough to store hot food safely.
After reaching about 77 degrees outside, these units are unable to keep your food and liquids cool.
It is not recommended to add ice to this type of cooler.
This type of plugin cooler typically eats up 3-5 amps of power. These 12-volt coolers are only able to cool to a certain amount of degrees below the outside air temperature. Therefore the warmer it is outside, the warmer the inside of the cooler will be, and will typically only be able to cool to their lowest temperature when the outside air temperature is below 77º Fahrenheit (25º C). Because you cannot precisely control the temperature inside of a 12v cooler, they generally tend to be either too cold or too warm for your needs.
On a positive note, the thermoelectric cooler can also be 'reversed' so that it makes food warm. Temperatures cannot get much higher than around 150-degrees, so it is not ideal for long-term storage of warm foods.
This cooler is best for day trips when you don't need food to be cool for very long. However, if you don't need to be able to keep food warm, a regular ice cooler usually does the same job just as well for less money.
Price Ranges Between Portable Coolers & Refrigerators
Besides just the compressor aspect, there is one other big difference between 12-volt coolers and true compressor style portable refrigerators. The price.
A typical high-quality thermoelectric 12-volt cooler will likely cost you around $100 – $300.
A good compressor-based 12V refrigerator can range from the mid hundreds of dollars up to over a thousand dollars. If you really need a 12V compressor refrigerator and not just a cooler, it's worth it for what you get. If you only need a day's worth of cooling for some beverages and sandwiches for your picnic, a cooler is the way to go.
Decide what you will be mostly using your unit for, then you can decide whether you really need a true portable refrigerator with a compressor, or if you can get by with a thermoelectric 12v cooler.
Conclusion
Having a portable refrigerator is extremely handy if you need to keep your food safe and cold for extended periods of time. They are great for off-roading and to have extra storage space in your RV for longer trips off the grid. Maybe you have a huge family and need to bring along enough food to feed everyone.
Now you have the tools to decide what portable refrigerator will work best for you. Whatever you pick, just make sure you get out there and use it.
Camp on, Addicts!
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What happens when i turn my car off and leave the mini fridge in a car for few hours, would it still keep my meat for example cold and not going to spoil it?
Hi Igor. That depends on a lot of factors. How hot is it in your car? How many hours is ‘a few hours’? Does your car have a 12 volt outlet that remains powered when the ignition is off so that the cooler can continue to run (but you have to be careful with this so that your car’s battery doesn’t run down)?
If you are going to do this on a regular basis, and to avoid running your vehicle battery down, I’d consider getting a battery pack (lithium would be good, but pricey) that you can plug the portable fridge into so that it runs while the vehicle is off.
Of course, if you are talking about the middle of winter in Wisconsin, then it won’t be any problem leaving the fridge in the car for a few hours. 😉
Hi Guys, as always a good article. There are many other good brands that we’re not typically exposed to in the RV Community. Don’t you love target marketing!! After attending Overland Expo last week in Flagstaff I’m pretty impressed with National Luna, Snomaster, and Engel units and more. Some have built in battery monitors, and low battery shutoff so you don’t kill your house batteries, cool features and most had what I’d consider a low current draw. Dometic was there also, which I’m a fan of, but they have some good competition with experience in harsher Australian Outback and African environments. More choices, they just don’t market to RV’ers.
Thanks, Paul!
There certainly are a lot of brands out there. We chose Dometic for a number of reasons, not the least of which we truly feel they make a quality portable refrigerator/freezer unit.
Little known fact about Dometic portable refrigeration units – Dometic actually owns WAECO, which is an Australian company that specializes in portable fridges and freezers tailored for the harsh environment of the Outback. So, yeah, Dometic has that kind of experience for sure! (Dometic uses the WAECO products and rebrands them as Dometic in other parts of the world, including the US).
Thanks for the comment, Paul, and Camp On!
What portable backup battery would you recommend with the CF-18?
Hi Lisa,
I don’t fully understand your question. What do you mean by ‘backup battery’? How are you trying to operate the CF-18? It sounds like you wouldn’t be using it in a vehicle… Is this true?
The power source size would depend on how long you want to run the CF-18 (or any other 12 volt refrigerator) off the source. The longer you want to run it, the larger the battery (power source) would have to be.
Thank you so much. Here’s our application. We are going to a fly-in for one week. Outside temps will be in the 90s. Each morning we will drive 30 minutes and park for the day. We’d like to have the fridge keep everything at 38 degrees all the time. So I thought I’d plug it into a power brick ($150 on Amazon) to power it during day and overnight park? Is my thinking valid? We could charge the brick overnight at the hotel. Thanks so much for your expertise.
Sorry for the late reply, Lisa. Still getting used to this new commenting system. Grrrr!
Yeah, I like the way you are thinking! Totally doable – using a power brick during the day to keep the fridge cooled. Then recharging the brick overnight.
I’m assuming the power brick you are eyeballing has a 12 volt outlet (cigarette style round outlet) so you can plug the CF-18 into it?
With outside temps in the 90’s it’s gonna be toasty in the vehicle, so the fridge is going to run frequently. Bigger portable battery the better. But what size?
Doing some digging around (thank you Dometic for making this a treasure hunt!), I found the power consumption for the CF-18 to be the following:
At an interior temperature of 41 degree F, and an ambient (outside) temperature of 90 degrees F, it consumes .64 amp hours every hour. So if you are going to run the fridge off your battery pack for 12 hours, you would need at least 7.68 amp hours worth of usable battery. I’d want probably double that to be safe.
Which exact battery pack were you looking at?
Would love to see some info on most efficient power source for Dometic CFX series fridges, they take AC or DC current but which does the compressor work the most efficiently on?
Hey Dan,
Good question! Even though the CFX series can run off of 12, 24 or 120 volt power sources, the compressor itself is one voltage. In other words, the voltage ‘in’ is converted to the whatever voltage the fridge runs at, so the actual compressor efficiency doesn’t change depending on power input voltage.
If you were thinking of running a CFX fridge on 120 volts via an inverter, then this would definitely be far less efficient than running it on 12 volts as there is a loss of energy when you convert 12 volts into 120 volts via an inverter.
If you are plugged into shore power (120 volts), then it’s up to you if you want to run the fridge off of 12 volts or 120 volts. The fridge compressor doesn’t care and is the same efficiency regardless of which voltage it’s plugged into.
Hope that helps!
Is there a big energy consumption difference between the models: 25, 40, 50, 65DZ and 95DZ? Is the consumption a lot more when setting a single zone to freezer instead of refrigeration? What is the difference (other than color) between the blue DZ models and the Grey DZ models? Is one an older model? I had heard one had more extreme cooling capabilities? Thanks
Hi Dean,
The energy consumption specifications that we could get our hands on are all listed in the corresponding reviews. You have to expand the ‘continue reading…’ section to view the specs. You might wish to contact Dometic directly if you need more specific information about power consumption.
I’m not familiar with the blue Dometic models. The only blue portable refrigerator I’m aware of is the ARB line of fridges. These are not made by Dometic.
The current line of Dometic compressor portable fridge/freezers is capable of cooling down to -8 degrees Fahrenheit. I believe older models were rated at closer to 0 degrees, but Dometic has been offering the -8º compressors for a little bit now.
Camp On!