Dometic CFX Portable Electric Cooler and Freezer, Powered by AC/DC or Solar

I'd been using a $250 Chinese cooler for sometime - ran fine on 12V from my truck forever and then when I needed it, it died. I did all the research and discovered that the Dometic - while more money than most - was simply the best and most reliable fridge / freezer available. It's evacuated walls insulate the cooler without added weight and keep my food cold...I set it at 36 degrees and walk away. It's a perfect size for me (45L) and I can store food for 2 people for a week without issue. It's very simple to use, with connections available via Bluetooth to monitor the fridge from around the truck. It comes with a divider that helps keep things organized - and I chose to equip mine with an optional durable protective cover (sold separately) to keep it from getting dinged and scratched. It's very quiet - and uses almost no electricity (15-25w when running cold. )

I bought this as a damaged item from Dometics Amazon page with a nice cost reduction. Had no idea how bad the damage was, (no pictures) but a $300 discount was worth checking out. Damage is cosmetic and on one side and no effect on operation. Not a big deal to me, since its likely to get bumps and bangs during use anyway. This is a great refrigerator/cooler in every way. As others have said, built like a tank. I used it in both A/C mode and DC 12v mode. Using my Yetti 3000, it was drawing 7 watts in standby and 80 watts with compressor running. But, in 12v DC mode, it drew zero in standby and only 55 watts with compressor running. I ran it for 24 hours and the draw was only 7% on the Yetti 3000. Really great news, just how long it will run without charging the Yetti. I also have solar, so this unit should run as long as I need. Note, that if your using a power supply (not vehicle) change the voltage setting to "low" otherwise you will get a yellow warning message saying low voltage. With setting at low using the Yetti there was no message. This unit is also very quiet, it was so quiet that I wasn't sure it was working when I first plugged it in. The temperature shown is about 2 degrees colder than what I have it set at. But, I would rather it be colder than warmer. I was not able to get the bluetooth to connect, but suspect its more of a phone issue and not a cooler issue. Plus don't think I will really need that and I have so many apps on my phone was happy to eliminate one. This is a great unit, just so happy with it. UPDATE 9-9-22 after using the Dometic on four trips. Works flawlessly, a bit heavy when fully loaded. On my last trip the Dometic 35 stopped working when on 12v but worked fine on 110v. Issue is not, let me repeat, is not the Dometic but rather the Yetti Goal Zero 3,000. Found out the cigarette lighter output on the Yetti Lithium 3,000 is not regulated and when battery reached 47%, the voltage dropped to 10.8v and the Dometic refrigerator will not run on that lower voltage. Yetti sells a cigarette lighter adapter that is regulated, but you have to spend another $48 for this on (w tax/shipping) very disappointing that the Yetti power supply will only work on 12v when battery is over 47%, unless you spend extra. The Yetti 3,000X doesn’t need this regulator, but the Yetti 3,000 lithium does. Important info for Yetti users. My Solar 100 briefcase supplies more than enough power to run the Dometic on full sun. Just love how cold the Dometic is for very little watts.

Expensive but well made and solid. Maintained temperature settings. I used one half as a freezer and all food stayed frozen. It takes a few hours to equilibrate the temperature once you turn it on but then remains steady. Interior (75L size) more than adequate for a week-long camping trip for 2 adults. Didn’t use the blue tooth or WiFi features. Very easy to manage manually.

I tried two separate times, and neither unit worked properly. The first unit worked fine using AC power, but it blew out one of the zones immediately when I switched to using DC power. The replacement unit worked fine with DC power, but was DOA when I tried to use AC power. To add salt to the wound, I replaced it with a cheap, no-name Chinese knock off which, of course, works flawlessly. It’s frustrating when American companies make junk like this and charge a premium for it.

The Dometic CFX3 100 is an exceptional cooler and freezer that blends durability with superior functionality. Its generous 100-liter capacity is ideal for long journeys, while the VMSO3 variable motor speed optimization technology ensures effective cooling and freezing, even in harsh environments. I have adjusted the temperature from about -5F for freezing to the suggested 39F for standard food cooling. A standout feature is the Bluetooth app control which enables remote temperature monitoring and adjustment to about a distance of 30ft. That can come in handy while driving in the backcountry with the cooler in the back of a vehicle. The unit's sturdy construction makes it well-suited for outdoor activities. However, the cover, which must be purchased separately, is challenging to install on this cooler/freezer. The CFX3-100 is expensive, but its quality and warranty set it apart. The CFX3-100 remains a dependable and adaptable mobile refrigerator for any travel arrangement or emergency scenario. It works well on 120-volt home current or 12-24 volts with the cigarette lighter vehicle socket. It also functions well on various retail available lithium battery power stations.

Haven’t had the CFX3 25L long, but so far I love it. Compact, quiet, and most importantly cool. Only issues I have are.. 1.) The WIFI option doesn’t seem to work. It’s supposed to be used in conjunction with an app but the app hasn’t been updated in 8 months. Other Dometic apps on the App Store haven’t been updated in 4-5years. According to the manual I should be able to connect to the cooler using wifi, and I should be able to connect the cooler to my local network. Neither option seems to work. If I turn the cooler’s wifi on I can see it listed in my local networks, I can sign in to it, but that’s it. The wifi light on the cooler doesn't light up and I’m not able to control the cooler using the app. And when I try to use the app to log the cooler into my local network, nothing happens. Something needs to be updated. That’s for sure. With the high cost of these coolers they need to step up their software support. Bluetooth connectivity works fine and at the end of the day I don’t really need Bluetooth or wifi. I don’t mind operating my electric cooler like the cavemen did, but it would be cool to remotely check on the temp. 2.) The set temperature fluctuates. I set it at 39F. It dips a little below that on occasion. I don’t really mind that, but over night it dropped down to 34F and when I went to check the set temperature it had readjusted itself to 37F. I can understand the temp not always being 100% correct, but why would the temperature I SET readjust itself? I contacted Dometic and they said “When these cooler are made the are made in Celsius, so it is normal when being operated in Fahrenheit for the cooler to occasionally readjust itself.” The typos are theirs, not mine. So now I’ve changed my temp readout from F to C and set it and 3C. We’ll see if it stays where I set it. As of writing this it’s already dropped to 1C. Seems like the temp dipping below where it’s set is pretty common. Again, I don’t mind it being off by a few degrees on occasion, but once I set the temp, that number shouldn’t change. Other than those 2 small gripes, I think it’s awesome and a very good buy. Have fun out there! UPDATE Just wanted to give an update and provide some info that I find to be incredibly useful. Since changing my cooler display to Celsius from Fahrenheit I haven’t had any more issues regarding the roaming temps. Still no wifi support. I think it’s an app issue. Dometic hasn’t updated the app in 8 months and multiple reviews on the App Store say that since the last update wifi has stopped working. Now for some good news. I’ve been running the Dometic CFX3 25L using a Jackery Explorer 300 and a Jackery Explorer 1000 Pro. I’m no electrician so I won’t try to explain the complexities of AC/DC or what an inverter does but I’ll tell you this. The Dometic comes with both an AC plug (the kind you plug into a regular wall outlet) and a DC plug (the kind you plug into your car’s cigarette lighter thing. Using the Dometic’s AC adapter plugged into the Jackery 300 I was able to run the CFX3 25L for just under 24 hours. Using the Dometic’s AC adapter plugged into the Jackery 1000 Pro I was able to run the CFX3 25L for about 70 hours. In either case the Dometic remained cool for about 5-6 hours after losing power. Here’s where things get really interesting. Using the DC adapter plugged into the Jackery, it basically doubled the Dometic’s runtime. I got about 46 hours out of the Jackery 300 and the 1000 Pro is literally still going. It’s been 76 hours and the battery is at 33% so easily a 4 day run time off of one fully charged Jackery 1000 Pro. Run times will vary depending on your environment/conditions but wow. What a difference. Apparently it has something to do with the extra power consumed when the AC outlets on the Jackery are used. Because an invertor gets involved. E = mc2 and what not.

Very light weight. Worked perfect with my tilt slide. It has a nice basket which makes it easy to load and unload. Uses very little power and I could not even hear it while driving. Took maybe 15 minutes to get down to 35 degrees. Came very well packaged and the directions were easy. I would buy again.

I've owned six Dometic electric coolers and the keyword would have to be "reliable". They seem like the "Toyota" of electric coolers. Whether or not they have all of the features desired by any particular user, THEY WORK. I'm currently using three of these coolers (I've given three others away). One is a small CDF-11 model (now discontinued) offering just 11 liters of space, that I use in my car for transporting small grocery purchases. The other two are a CFX3 55IM and a CFX3 25 that I use in my house for supplementary refrigeration. The CFX3 55IM has been running continuously as a "deep freeze" unit for three years uninterrupted. No issues. (I don't use the ice-maker.) The CFX3 25 has been running for just over a month. I was previously using a CFX3 35 but downsized to save space. As at least one other reviewer has noted, the digital temperature controls on these units can be a bit finicky. On the Fahrenheit scale, you might plug in a certain setting and the unit might change it. I'm still trying to figure out the pattern. Also, I don't rely on the "current" temperature readings as displayed on the control panels. Inside each of my CFX3 units, I have two ACU-RITE temperature sensors placed at or near the center of the interior, to allow me to monitor current temperatures as well as histories (watching for any significant "excursions"). The CFX3 55IM unit is set to 5 degrees Fahrenheit, and I get very consistent -2 to +2 degree readings from the two interior sensors. The CFX3 25 unit is set to 34 degrees Fahrenheit, and I get very consistent 39-43 degree readings from the two interior sensors. There does seem to be some temperature variation within the interior of the CFX3 units. Temperatures on/near the upper shelves seem a bit higher than in the centers of the units, which perhaps is not surprising since the shelves are higher (warmer air rises) and are above the compressors. I do use "thermal ballast" to help moderate the temperature variations but more importantly to provide added protection during power outages. Specifically, I use various combinations of YETI ice and the newer YETI thin ice, which fit neatly along the walls of the coolers. It's true, some space is thereby sacrificed, but the tradoff seems worth it. Of note, these electric coolers don't seem particularly effective at actually cooling (or freezing) items, and it doesn't appear that they're intended to do that (maybe with the exception of the small ice-maker in the CFX3 55IM model). However, they do seem quite effective at keeping items cool (or frozen) that are already cool (or frozen). Lastly, these units will accumulate frost/ice with prolonged use, but it doesn't seem to be a major issue.