Electric coolers for camping: which ones run without the car, and what the battery costs
Updated 2026-11-08 · Pick: EverFrost 2 40L: $799.99 on ankersolix.com (checked 2026-11-06): https://dealectric.com/go/anker-solix-everfrost-2-40l
Short answer. Most 12V compressor electric coolers for camping ship with no battery, so away from the car they need a power station. The Anker SOLIX EverFrost 2 40L comes with a 288 Wh battery inside for $799.99; the Dometic CFX5 45 costs $1,049.99 plus $539.99 for its PLB40 battery.
Searched as: best 12v electric compressor coolers camping 2026 comparison Dometic ICECO BougeRV EcoFlow
How this table was made: each figure comes from the maker's own US product page or manual, or from the reviewer named next to it, checked 2026-11-08. Dealectric does not test units itself. Rows with a Buy link are products Dealectric lists: the links are affiliate links, and their codes are re-tested in the brand's own cart every day (last check 2026-11-13).
| Model | Capacity | Off-grid battery option | Battery size | Cooler + battery | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EverFrost 2 40L | 40 L (42 qt) | Removable LFP battery included; a spare costs $359.99 | 288 Wh | $799.99, battery included (Anker) | $799.99 on ankersolix.com, 2026-11-06 | Buy |
| BougeRV 12V 42 Quart (40L) Portable Fridge/Freezer | 40 L (42 qt) | No BougeRV battery fits it; pair it with a power station such as the BLUETTI Elite 30 V2 | 288 Wh (Elite 30 V2) | $519.98 with Elite 30 V2 | $229.99 (maker, 2026-11-08) | |
| BougeRV CRPRO30 30 Quart | 30 qt | External power station, sold as a kit with the fridge | 266 Wh | $389.99 kit (BougeRV) | $234.99 (maker, 2026-11-08) | |
| BougeRV 12V 23 Quart Portable Fridge | 23 qt | BougeRV's 240 Wh internal battery doesn't fit it; pair it with a power station | 288 Wh (Elite 30 V2) | $459.98 with Elite 30 V2 | $169.99 (maker, 2026-11-08) | |
| ICECO VL45 | 45 L (ICECO manual) | External Magnetic Power Bank on a 12 V DC cable | 250 Wh | $663.10 bundle (ICECO) | $559.00 (maker, 2026-11-08) | |
| Dometic CFX5 45 | 46 L stated; 39.6 L measured (OutdoorGearLab) | External Dometic PLB40 portable battery | 512 Wh | $1,589.98 with PLB40 | $1,049.99 (maker, 2026-11-08) |
What the differences mean
- Built-in vs bring-your-own battery: BougeRV 42 qt + BLUETTI Elite 30 V2 = $229.99 + $289.99 = $519.98 for the same 40 L and 288 Wh as the EverFrost 2. That is $799.99 − $519.98 = $280.01 less. The Anker's extra money buys a battery that sits inside the cooler, plus 6-inch wheels and a retractable tow handle (Anker).
- Premium tier with a battery: Dometic CFX5 45 + PLB40 = $1,049.99 + $539.99 = $1,589.98. The PLB40 holds 512 / 288 = 1.8× the Anker's battery.
- EverFrost 2 runtime: independent testers reported by ESS News got just over 23 h on one battery as a 4 °C fridge in Eco mode (288 Wh ÷ 23 h ≈ 12.5 W average). Anker claims 52 h, measured at 77 °F with an empty cooler. Plan on one night per battery. A second battery costs $359.99.
- Dometic on its PLB40: Dometic rates the US CFX5 45 at 1.05 Ah/h at 90 °F (1.05 × 12 V = 12.6 W), so 512 ÷ 12.6 ≈ 41 h in heat. At OutdoorGearLab's measured 6.8 W in a 75 °F lab, 512 ÷ 6.8 ≈ 75 h. Both are before conversion losses.
- BougeRV 23 qt on an Elite 30 V2: OutdoorGearLab measured 8.3 W, so 288 ÷ 8.3 ≈ 35 h at 75 °F, before conversion losses.
| Your camping | Fits |
|---|---|
| Weekend away from the car, one box to carry | Anker SOLIX EverFrost 2 40L |
| Lowest cost that still includes a battery | BougeRV CRPRO30 + 266 Wh kit ($389.99) |
| Family-size cooler on a budget, with a station you can also use for phones and lights | BougeRV 42 qt + BLUETTI Elite 30 V2 |
| Overlanding with a vehicle second battery, best tested cooling | Dometic CFX5 45 (OutdoorGearLab's top score, 86) or ICECO VL45 |
$799.99: https://dealectric.com/go/anker-solix-everfrost-2-40l · Station for the BougeRV route: $289.99 on bluettipower.com, $275.50 through this link: https://dealectric.com/go/bluetti-elite-30-v2
Which battery fits which cooler
Anker: the 288 Wh LFP battery comes with the EverFrost 2 40L. The $359.99 spare fits the EverFrost 2 40L and 58L. Anker says it does not fit the first-generation EverFrost. The battery doubles as a power bank, with a 60 W USB-C port and a 12 W USB-A port.
BougeRV: its 240 Wh LiFePO4 detachable battery ($189.99) goes inside the fridge, and BougeRV lists it only for the CRH20, CRX3, CRD2 V2.0 and Rocky V3.0. The plain 23 qt, the 42 qt and the CRPRO30 are not on that list. For the CRPRO30, BougeRV sells an external 266 Wh power station as a kit instead, at $389.99 − $234.99 = $155 over the fridge alone.
ICECO: the VL45 takes the 250 Wh Magnetic Power Bank ($139 alone, $663.10 bundled with the VL45) as an external pack on a DC cigarette cable. ICECO lists only the VL45PLUS ($799) as 'Magnetic Battery Ready'.
Dometic: the PLB40 (40 Ah, 512 Wh, $539.99) is 'specifically designed for Dometic CFX and other powered coolers' and comes with a 10 A AC/DC charger. Dometic's US CFX5 45 page lists the battery as not applicable: the cooler ships with its two connection cables and no battery.
Running off the car instead: the CFX5 and VL45 both have 3-stage battery protection. For the CFX5, Dometic recommends the High or Medium setting when it runs from the starter battery, and Low when it runs from an accessory or dual battery.
Not recommended
Thermoelectric 'electric coolers' for camping. In OutdoorGearLab's lab, the Cooluli, Wagan and Igloo Versatemp drew 45.7–61.7 W, against 6.8 W for the Dometic CFX5 45. The coldest of them reached only 37.4 °F. On a 288 Wh battery that is 288 ÷ 45.7 ≈ 6 hours, not a night.
Sources
- EverFrost 2 40L price $799.99, one 288 Wh LFP battery included, Anker's 52 h / 4.3-day claim, wheels and tow handle — us.ankersolix.com
- EverFrost 2 spare battery $359.99, fits 40L/58L, not first-gen EverFrost — us.ankersolix.com
- EverFrost 2 battery runtime from independent testers: just over 23 h as a 4 °C fridge, about 16 h as a −18 °C freezer (ESS News, Tristan Rayner) — www.ess-news.com
- BougeRV 42 qt (40L) price $229.99 — www.bougerv.com
- BougeRV 240 Wh detachable battery $189.99, fits CRH20, CRX3, CRD2 V2.0 and Rocky V3.0 only — www.bougerv.com
- BougeRV CRPRO30 price $234.99 — www.bougerv.com
- BougeRV CRPRO30 + 266 Wh power station kit $389.99 — www.bougerv.com
- BougeRV 23 qt price $169.99 — www.bougerv.com
- BLUETTI Elite 30 V2 price $289.99, 288 Wh LFP, 600 W — www.bluettipower.com
- ICECO VL45 price $559.00, 3-stage battery protection, SECOP compressor — icecofreezer.com
- ICECO 250 Wh Magnetic Power Bank, external on a DC cable; VL45 bundle $663.10 — icecofreezer.com
- Dometic CFX5 45 US price $1,049.99, 1.05 Ah/h at 90 °F ambient / 39 °F inside, 46 L, 3-stage battery protection, no battery — www.dometic.com
- Dometic CFX5 battery protection: High or Medium on a starter battery, Low on an accessory or dual battery — support.dometic.com
- Dometic PLB40: $539.99, 40 Ah / 512 Wh, for CFX coolers — www.dometic.com
- OutdoorGearLab measured DC draw (CFX5 45 6.8 W, BougeRV 23 qt 8.3 W, thermoelectrics 45.7–61.7 W), CFX5 45 measured 39.6 L, top score 86 — www.outdoorgearlab.com
Published 2026-11-08; updated 2026-11-08. The buy links are affiliate links; see the disclosure. Corrections welcome at [email protected] or /feedback.