We love the fact that it comes with an internal basket, a built-in LED light for viewing your grub at night, and an adjustable thermostatically-controlled temperature system. There is a digital display too which we found legible and easy to use. Cooling Ability Compressor fridge – this is like your electric fridge at home which uses circulating refrigerant inside which expands to provide cooling. They are heavier than thermoelectric fridges and also more noisy because the compressor is a mechanical engine in effect. However, they produce exceptional chilling and can have the temperature adjusted accurately using a thermostat. The best cool boxes keep the contents chilled better for longer. The best electric cool boxes cooled the chilled bottles of water to an even lower temperature by the end of the day than when we put them in. Leakproof

HI-GEAR Cool Boxes | Millets HI-GEAR Cool Boxes | Millets

In our opinion, no electric cooler combines greater simplicity, affordability, and efficiency than the Outdoor Revolution Eco Deep Extreme. This is a full-on compressor-based fridge which also has a separate freezer section which can keep ice cream frozen! Yes it’s an expensive cool box, but really delivers the goods in our view. A cool box keeps food and drink cool by insulating it from the outside environment. Unlike cool bags, which rely on the material properties of the bag to provide this insulation, there are different types of cool box. Some work in different ways: Size and Capacity: Consider how much food and drinks you will need to store and choose a cool box that is the right size for you. It's also a good idea to look for a cool box with a large capacity, as you can always use the extra space to store additional items. The cheapest cool box in our recommendation is the HI-GEAR 20L Cooler. It is another 12V only system which can cool food and drinks to around the 10°C mark. For the money, it’s excellent value and has a few extra little design touches we like. Despite being a decent-sized cool box (storage volume measures 63 x 51 x 42cm), the Eco Deep is portable enough to move around when required. Weight is a fairly hefty 17kg, but the presence of a decent folding handle and wheels makes transport simple and efficient.

Preview

The advantage of a compressor fridge (i.e. like one you would use at home in your kitchen) is the speed, controllability and power of the cooling on offer. With the Eco Deep Extreme, you can lower the internal temperature from 25°C to 0°C in just 19 minutes which is exceptional. As mentioned previously, you can then disconnect the power so that the insulation is put to work and your food can remains frozen for several hours without using any more juice. One other great feature of the cool box is how it manages to protect the car’s battery from completely running out of juice; it stops drawing current if it senses that your car battery is about to go kaput! Handy when you’re wild camping miles from anywhere.

Hi-Gear 28-Litre 12V 240V Cooler (grey) - Millets

It also features two removable shelves inside so you have plenty of space for anything – from your favorite beer to a good old Cornish pasty! You may also want to consider the insulation of the cool box, as this can affect how well it keeps your food and drinks cold. A well insulated cool box will keep your items colder for longer periods of time. Outwell have taken particular care with antimicrobial coatings on the EcoCool, and in fact it has been treated with a biocidal glass coating inside – this is a special glass which has bug-killing properties and is a real selling point in our view. Hot to trot? The ECO Deep Extreme has several different capacity options in the range. The coolers start at a ‘car-friendly’ 26 litre capacity up to our favourite in the range shown above – the 45 litre giant which has its own carry handle and wheels to help move it around. We’ll concentrate on that one for this review.

A 20 litre capacity is not going to set the world on fire if you’re planning a long trip, but it’s ample for a night or two away. Hi-Gear make cheap, dependable equipment and we were impressed with the quality of plastic used on this cooler. It looks more expensive than it is! The 45l ECO Deep offers the convenience of using either AC (240V) or DC (12V) power connection. Current draw is low at only 5 amps, even on 12V power which means a typical 100Ah leisure battery will not get drained until after about 20 hours of continuous operation. Although at Camping Secrets we always try to offer value-for-money recommendations on gear, the truth is that sometimes it’s worth buying from a reputable manufacturer – we’ve found that this is especially true for powered items. You may pay slightly more than the cheapest Chinese imports (which can often be built in the same factory!), but you get peace of mind that the company will stand behind their product. All cool boxes performed OK, but all the electric cool boxes we tested performed better than passive ones. On its warming and cooling capabilities, the lowest the fridge can go is 3°C, while the highest is 65°C. It’s worth mentioning the noise the fridge makes too – it doesn’t! It is almost completely silent which can be a godsend when it’s running in your tent and you’re trying to sleep.

HI-GEAR 45-Litre 12V 240V Cooler | Millets HI-GEAR 45-Litre 12V 240V Cooler | Millets

Electric cool boxes Don’t require ice but they do require power. You either plug the box into your car (12V), the most common type of charger, or into the mains by a UK plug. They require constant power, though will still keep contents cool for a few hours if you unplug. You can get battery-powered boxes, but they’re less common and far more expensive. We were impressed that it can also heat the contents up to ~65°C. Obviously this isn’t hot enough to actually cook food, but it means you can keep your fish and chips warm if you’re busy – watch out for bacteria though – the heating should just be for short blasts after you’ve actually cooked the food. Think of it as maintaining temperature rather than reheating. Outwell is a case in point. They make some of our favourite pieces of outdoor equipment and have a strong pedigree of providing reliable gear and great customer service. The Outwell ECOCool 35L Cool Box is a case in point for a thermoelectric cool box which can operate on both 240V hookup and 12V battery power and provide a substantial amount of cooling power. Quite frankly, few items are as important in a camp environment as having a top-performing electric cool box. From our experience, it is important to carefully examine the features of a particular product to make sure it will match up to the conditions under which you will be using it.An electric cool box is a portable refrigeration unit that can be powered by electricity from a car or boat cigarette lighter or mains power. They are a good choice for people who need to keep food and drinks cold while on the go, such as on camping trips, picnics, or long car journeys. They are also useful for people who don't have access to a refrigerator in a particular location, such as at a beach house or vacation home. Electric cool boxes are also more environmentally friendly than traditional coolers that use ice, as they don't require the constant replenishment of ice and don't add to landfills. What size cool box do I need for my camping trip? Compressor cool boxes These top-of-the range coolers usually start at 40 litres and resemble a mini-fridge. They need plugging in, and hi-tech models are available that can be controlled with apps. Our tests showed some key differences between these two products that are worth considering before buying: Insulation: Look for a cool box with high-quality insulation that will keep your food and drinks cold for a long period of time.

Hi-Gear 45 Litre Electric Cooler Box powered by 12V in-car

We tested passive cool boxes and electric cool boxes from major UK retailers and brands. We bought every product we tested, so you can be sure our opinion isn't biased by us receiving freebies. Insulation Durability: Look for a cool box that is made of high-quality materials and is built to last. Look for features such as reinforced corners, sturdy hinges, and a robust lid seal. To help find you the most portable cool boxes, we tried carrying each half-filled cool box on an identical route so we could evaluate and identify any discomfort. If you're into trekking, want something for the odd picnic, or to keep your lunch cool for work A cooler bag may be the way to go. The size of the cool box you need for your camping trip will depend on a few factors, such as the number of people you are camping with, the duration of your trip, and the types of food and drinks you plan to bring.The best cool box for camping will depend on your specific needs and preferences. Some factors to consider when choosing a cool box include: Dimensions are reasonably compact at 26.9 (W) x 32.2(D) x 38(H) cm, and we found this an excellent size for a few nights away in our tent. It’s a great option for a mini-break or an afternoon retreat as it is small enough to be easily carried using the ergonomic handle on top. However, it’s probably more of a fridge than a coolbox to take picnicing – just bear this in mind! Size You'll generally find that cool boxes have larger capacities. You can get cool bags up to 50 litres, but if you need more consider a cool box instead. The EcoCool offers two cooling modes with a cooling delta of up to 25°C below the outdoors temperature on the MAX setting operation. This means that even on a scorching day, you can still get temperatures close to freezing. We think 20 – 30 litres is the sweet spot for a camping trip away for one to four people. It can store just enough stuff to keep you all going for a few days, and the fewer of you there are, the longer you can last between reloading!