KARUNA EBERL FOR FAMILY HANDYMANBest Overall Electric Cooler
BougeRV Rocky 55QT Dual Zone 12V Portable Fridge
Pros:
- Dual-zone
- Affordable for its capacity
- Battery/solar option
- Light for its capacity
- Rugged look
- Removable compartment divider
Cons:
- Small-capacity battery (add-on purchase)
- No wheels
We’re awarding BougeRV’s Rocky 55-quart electric cooler best in show because of its versatility, size, weight, depth of features and affordability. After testing it out, it’s become our go-to mid-size electric cooler.
BougeRV’s Rocky series was designed for overlanding, which means multi-day off-road adventures. Testing challenge accepted! Since it’s designed for rough and tumble situations, the Rocky 55 is fitted with a flashy, durable stainless steel exterior that’s strong enough to withstand 664 pounds loaded on top of it. The Rocky is also efficient on power, drawing just 45 watts in eco-mode. As a bonus, the metal casing is also fingerprint resistant, so it stayed looking fresh, even when we did not.
The Rocky 55 is a true dual-zone model, which means you can assign each of its two compartments to be a fridge or a freezer. It also has a removable divider between them, which we found to be particularly handy when we were trying to fit a rack of ribs and a big bunch of chard. It would also be great for anglers or hunters who needed some extra length to store their catch.
As an upsell, you can buy a 173 Wh battery to run it off of, which can take 100W of solar (panel also sold separately). While most other manufacturers make unrealistic claims about how long their batteries will last under real-world conditions, BougeRV is refreshingly honest and spot-on with theirs: expect it to last only around four hours on eco-mode in hot weather. Of course, as with most electric coolers, you can also run it off of your car’s 12V socket, a regular AC wall plug or a portable power station. If you’re going that latter route, for any sizable electric cooler, plan on about 1,000 watt-hours per day (or better yet, 1,500 to be safe).
The Rocky 55 is also compact and lightweight for its capacity, not much larger on the outside than the Anker EverFrost 30, Bluetti MultiCooler, or EcoFlow Glacier, but with quite a bit more room inside. It’s also about 6 pounds lighter.
The Rocky’s biggest (perhaps only) flaw is that it doesn’t have wheels, making it more awkward to transport. Unless you’re particularly burly, you’ll want to do a team carry with this (and most other electric coolers, for that matter).
BougeRV’s rocky series comes in 41- to 81-quart sizes, and the company also makes several other lines of portable coolers.
Specs
- 55-quart capacity
- Dual-zone, independently assignable
- 44 pounds
- AC and DC power
- Optional pairing with 173 Wh battery
- Built-in battery compartment
- Solar charging (100W max, only with battery)
- 2-year warranty
- 60-watt average power draw
- Cooling to -4 degrees F
- Flush mount aluminum handles
- Removable compartment divider
- App control
- Bottle opener
- Door-activated LED light
- Cupholders
- Drain
The post We Found the Best Electric Coolers After Testing 10 Options appeared first on Family Handyman.
Article source here: We Found the Best Electric Coolers After Testing 10 Options
No comments:
Post a Comment