Thermoelectric coolers are one of the most kept secrets of trucks, RVs, and other types of road fighters. They are versatile, reliable, consume almost no energy, are environmentally friendly, and are very affordable.

We have been fans of these convenient premium coolers for road trips and outdoor parties for some time, but most people are not familiar with this technology. In the following article, we will introduce you to what thermoelectric coolers are, what they do, and where you can find some of the best prices for your own thermoelectric coolers.

A thermoelectric cooler is a type of cooler that uses a simple electric heat exchange process to keep food cool. You ask why this is important? Well, the most important thing is that the thermoelectric cooler is an ice-free cooler. It is no longer necessary to stop to fill or refill the cooler to keep it cool. No longer mix with melt water, wet food labels, or (everyone’s favorite) wet meat. Total.

It is also worth mentioning here that because thermoelectric coolers choose a simplified cooling system (usually only composed of a heat exchanger and an electric fan), they are often (a) much cheaper than high-quality freezers or compressor coolers , And (b) extremely strong and durable.

Like anything else, thermoelectric coolers have their own advantages and disadvantages, so let's take a quick look here.

Now that you have understood why thermoelectric coolers are an important addition to your adventure gear, we have some examples, we recommend you to check them out. Below are our selections listed from largest to smallest thermoelectric coolers.

Looking for a full-size cooler that doubles as a mini refrigerator? Look no further.

That's because the Igloo Iceless cooler can either be left at its bottom and used as a traditional freezer, or it can be turned over on its side and used as a swing-door mini refrigerator. Oops, this thing is bigger than some dorm refrigerators in our university. You will also find an adjustable divider in Igloo, which allows you to better organize your food in "freezer" mode, or add a shelf when used as a refrigerator.

A simple 12V DC adapter makes Igloo an ideal companion for long-distance car trips or solar powered, but like many coolers on this list, it is also compatible with any 110V socket, so it can double as an additional beverage refrigerator in your Barbecue next to the backyard.

When you talk about coolers for trucks, land transport vehicles or anyone else who spends a lot of time away from the grid, Dometic brand products always appear. Dometic's coolers are known for their reliability and manufacturing quality, but unfortunately, they are also known for their high prices. Enter the Dometic Tropicool TC35: a thermoelectric model from people who know one or two things about making coolers.

The price of an ordinary Dometic cooler of this size is between 800 and 1,000 US dollars, while the price of this cooler is less than 250 US dollars. As an added benefit, it takes full advantage of thermoelectric technology, allowing you to choose between heating or cooling the internal content. Drink cold drinks in summer and hot food in winter? We will accept it.

Although we are happy to pay Dometic's asking price for the above TC35, anyone looking for a thermoelectric cooler of similar capacity with a smaller budget should check out Koolatron Kool Kaddy. Although it didn't win any points in terms of style, and we only refer to it by name when armed with a gun, Koolatron has a lot to love, especially at this price.

Just like the Dometic above, Kool Kaddy can be cooled and heated as needed, has sufficient capacity, and is happy to run on 12 volts or wall sockets throughout the day (although the AC adapter is sold separately). As a bonus, this cooler can also be used as a freezer or refrigerator, just like the Igloo model above. And, believe it or not, this Koolatron is actually made in North America (specifically, Canada).

Although we generally do not recommend buying official outdoor gear from a Walmart near you (Ozark Trail is their "in-house" outdoor brand), Ozark Trail Highline has a dirty little secret: it is not an Ozark Trail product.

What you see here is actually a renamed Koolatron Fun Kool, which usually retails for more than $100 in places such as Home Depot. With the Ozark Trail badge on the front, $40 miraculously fell off the price tag, making Highline one of the best choices for ice-free coolers of this size.

Rest assured, it is the exact same product, with all the same features, including the "Made in America" ​​seal that is difficult to obtain at this price point.

If you haven’t heard of United Pacific before, it’s okay, most people have never heard of it. In fact, the only people who might be familiar with the name are classic car enthusiasts. This is because approximately 99% of the UP catalog consists of repaired parts for classic Ford and Chevrolet cars and trucks. Needless to say, we were surprised to see that they offer their own series of thermoelectric coolers.

However, as you would expect from a company focused on automobiles, the United Pacific cooler has a special place in our product line: it is designed to replace the center console in your vehicle.

It is shaped like a center console, opens like a center console, and runs on a standard 110 volt A/C plug or a 12 volt D/C adapter for your car, so it can be plugged directly into your dashboard or Use the existing power port in the current console. Of course, due to size limitations (that is, installed between your front seats), the capacity is the lowest on this list, but if you are looking for the perfect small cooler to keep your road sodas cold, this is you Tickets.

In terms of benefits, there are some outstanding features that make thermoelectric coolers unique. As we mentioned before, these coolers use electricity instead of ice to keep their contents cold. Most can be plugged directly into the vehicle's 12V socket, but adapters for standard wall sockets are also included. Draining battery power from things such as the Goal Zero Yeti rechargeable system is also a popular option.

Although thermoelectric coolers do use electricity, they have the added benefit of being more environmentally friendly than typical electric coolers. This is because TEC does not rely on traditional refrigerants, which have a negative impact on the environment and cause global warming.

The last benefit we want to point out here is that thermoelectric coolers are the cheapest electric coolers that money can buy. This is mainly due to their simple and robust design, abandoning expensive compressors and refrigeration technology, and simplifying the heat exchange mechanism that should last for decades. Basically, the only moving part of these coolers is their electric fans, which are abundant in number and are usually inexpensive to replace.

Compared with similar compressor-driven electric coolers, the cost of thermoelectric coolers is only one-half to one-third of the price. If you want to use an ice-free cooler, there is no cheaper method than this.

To be honest, the disadvantage of thermoelectric coolers is very simple: in hot weather, they will not be as cold as other electric coolers or even well-insulated freezers. Since the cooling capacity of TEC is limited by the outside temperature of the cooler (they use a so-called Peltier device to achieve their goal), the temperature maintained by your beer/sandwich meat/water may be several degrees higher than your temperature ever. Even so, these coolers are still able to keep your perishable goods below 40 degrees to prevent the threshold required for bacteria to grow in the hottest conditions.

Although following the usual "cooler best practices", such as pre-cooling before use (and only putting pre-cooled items in it), you can significantly improve the performance of the thermoelectric cooler. If this is not an option (assuming that the only canned beverage you drink is room temperature), please know that thermoelectric coolers take longer to cool hot drinks compared to other coolers.

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