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If you’re looking for the best bang-for-your-buck off-grid refrigeration option, it’s hard to beat thermoelectric coolers.
They’re both inexpensive to buy and a real bargain to operate over time.
And while they don’t offer quite the same performance as other off-grid refrigerator options, they’re a great solution for tiny house enthusiasts and off-grid dwellers looking to live minimally and save money, and I can’t recommend them enough.
In this article, I review what I believe are the top 5 thermoelectric coolers on the market today, so you can feel confident you are getting the right thermoelectric cooler for your needs.
For those who want a quick overview, below is our comparison table:
Dometic is one of the most well-known names in the RV and off-grid electronics world. They make a range of DC powered refrigerators, including the TC35 thermoelectric cooler.
It’s a 33L chest style thermoelectric cooler capable of chilling your food down by 32 °F.
That’s enough space to store the essentials for one to two people for several days. It can keep food at a safe storage temperature in climates as hot as 72 °F.
That’s slightly less cooling capability than some other coolers on my list, but I think the Dometic makes up for it in other ways.
To start with, it’s practically indestructible. The TC35 is made from a highly durable composite and offers some of the thickest insulation available.
This helps reduce overall power draw to save you money and keep your food at the proper temperatures.
It can run on either 110 V AC or 12 V DC depending on your needs.
I love how easy it is to set up and operate. It has an intuitive seven-stage digital temperature control on the front that lets you switch between warming or cooling mode and set the temperature you desire.
It’s a bit more expensive than many other thermoelectric coolers, but you get a lot of quality and performance for your money.
All in all, the Dometic TC35 is a well designed and feature-packed thermoelectric cooler.
It doesn’t have room for more than the essentials, but its combination of durability, energy efficiency, and flexibility make it a real winner in my book.
Igloo is a name anyone who’s ever been boating or camping will recognize. What you may not have known is that they’ve now entered the thermoelectric cooler market.
The Igloo Iceless 40 quart (38L) thermoelectric cooler is a spacious offering with both good and bad features.
To start with, it ties for the largest cooler on the list, just edging out the top-ranked Dometic TC35. It gives you a little bit more room for groceries, but doesn’t offer quite the same performance.
I’ll start with the things I like about this Igloo. It’s capable of lowering internal temps by 38 °F from room temperature. That means you can keep your food at a safe temperature as long as your home’s temperature doesn’t rise above about 78 °F.
It can be powered via 110 V AC or 12 V DC and has a small fan to help speed up temperature drop internally.
You can use it either upright like a mini-fridge or as a traditional cooler/chest fridge.
Here’s where things start to change.
On paper, it’s able to lower temperatures more than the Dometic, but in practice, it’s noticeably less insulation puts it more at the mercy of outside temps.
The Igloo’s internal temperature begins rising faster than the Dometic TC35’s when outside temps go up.
It’s also a lot less durable.
It’s basically a standard Igloo cooler with a thermoelectric cooling apparatus built-in.
The lid doesn’t lock with the same satisfying strength to it and the body itself just feels flimsier.
Overall though, I still like the Igloo Iceless Cooler, especially if you plan to put it in one part of your home and leave it there.
It’s priced significantly lower than the Dometic TC35, and for that low price point, it’s the best thermoelectric cooler you will find.
The Coleman Powerchill Iceless Cooler is a large and versatile thermoelectric cooler from one of the most well-known outdoor brands in the world.
It offers 40 quart (38L) capacity and is a great option for those living off-grid in very compact spaces.
It provides just enough space for 3-5 days worth of groceries for 2-3 days for a couple.
It’s capable of lowering the internal temperature by 40 °F, allowing it to keep your food at a safe temperature in rooms with an ambient temp around 80 °F.
It can be used either upright or as a traditional chest cooler.
Some of the features I really liked about the Powerchill were its fairly rugged construction and patented door opening design.
You can open up this cooler from the right or the left when in upright mode. If you’ve got a very compact space, like in a tiny house, this offers a lot of flexibility in where you put it.
The biggest downsides to the Powerchill were its relatively loud circulating fan and lower efficiency.
The fan was just about the loudest of any thermoelectric coolers on this list.
It wasn’t super noticeable most of the time, but became a lot more so during a quiet night, especially in a small space like an off-grid tiny home.
In balance, the Coleman Powerchill offers a good value for your money, with decent performance and relatively large capacity. The only real things to worry about are its higher power draw and louder fan.
The Igloo 26 Quart (24L) thermoelectric cooler is a smaller and more portable version of their 40-quart cooler. It’s made from the same polycarbonate cooler body with a thermoelectric cooling apparatus attached.
It’s capable of lowering internal temperatures by as much as 36 °F. This allows you to use it safely in temps as high as 76 °F.
Let’s get the elephant out of the room right away—this is a very small cooler.
24L isn’t big enough to hold more than a day or two’s worth of food for one to two people.
It certainly won’t hold drinks, food, and other essentials together.
What I do like about it is how portable and storable it is.
You can put this little cooler just about anywhere, whether it be a tiny home, off grid cabin, or RV/Van. This makes it a viable option for folks who travel regularly in their home.
It’s capable of operating on both 110 V AC or 12 V DC, though it only comes with a DC cigarette style plug. You have to pick up the AC adapter separately.
If you’re okay with making more frequent grocery runs or if you only need a restricted refrigerated space, this can be a good option. It’s lightweight, easy to use, and really affordable.
The Knox Electric Thermoelectric Cooler and warmer is another small capacity cooler option; it gives you 27 quarts (25L) of storage space
That’s just enough space for 2-3 days worth of food for one person or 1-2 days for two people.
It can lower temperatures down by 40 °F, allowing for safe food storage in rooms as warm as 80 °F.
It runs off both 110 V AC or 12 V DC and comes with plugs/adaptors for both options. This lets you hook it up to your solar system in several different ways.
As a small-capacity cooler, it won’t be breaking any records for insulation or storage space.
It’s got slightly thinner walls than most other coolers on my list but still does a good job getting the temp down to an acceptable level.
While I wouldn’t recommend this as my first choice, the Knox Electric Cooler and Warmer gets the job done.
It’s the most affordable coolers on this list and is exceptional value for those looking for enough cooler space for 2-3 days at a great price.
Thermoelectric coolers rely on a chemical process known as the Peltier Effect. Simply put, when an electrical current is passed through two different conductor materials, there’s a transfer of temperature.
Modern thermoelectric coolers have many of these connectors that attach two different plates. One plate is located on the inside of the cooler while another acts as a heat sink on the outside.
When a current is passed through the numerous connections it allows heat to be directly transferred from one plate to the other. Some thermoelectric coolers also have a fan that helps cool off the exterior heat sink.
The thermoelectric coolers are on the market are designed to be used as a cooler on the go or as a stationary cooler. Most can run with a cigarette lighter adapter and are treasured by soccer moms and truck drivers who need cold drinks on the road.
These electric coolers eliminate the need for ice, which adds an exorbitant amount of weight to the cooler, often making it impossible for women to handle on their own. Plus, you’ll also have to drain water out as the ice melts. Forget about packing sandwiches in plastic bags. There’s nothing worse than finding your bag leaked when the ice melted and your sandwich is ruined.
Electric coolers don’t need ice and won’t ever make your sandwich soggy again. You’ll never have to make a special stop for a bag of ice. Just plug your cooler into the cigarette lighter on your vehicle and you’re done. They can cool down to the set temperature in under half an hour. Some of them can be set to nearly freezing temperatures, allowing you to pack items that you may not have taken otherwise.
Before trips or for use at home, you can use the adapter to plug your cooler into an electrical outlet and precool it or use it in your home. The only downside with these coolers is that they may not have a very large interior space due to the room that the compressor takes.
Other than just buying a regular plastic cooler and filling it with ice it’s hard to beat the low price of most thermoelectric coolers. They’re a fraction of the cost of most propane or solar refrigerators of the same size.
There are some exceptions to this of course, but on the whole thermoelectric coolers will be cheaper.
Thermoelectric coolers have very few moving parts. Some models have a fan that moves air across the outside plate surface but otherwise relies entirely on solid-state mechanics.
This makes them highly durable and gives you a long, expected working life. Given their very affordable prices and good efficiency at smaller scales, a thermoelectric cooler can be one of the best value for your money refrigeration methods.
One of the coolest features of thermoelectric coolers is how precise they can be. Depending on the model we’re talking about you can set your cooler’s temp down to a single degree and reliably keep it there.
This is great if you want to keep your food quite cold but don’t want to worry about accidentally freezing it.
Some thermoelectric coolers have both heating and cooling capabilities. This isn’t always the most useful feature for off-grid life but if you have something you want to keep hot while driving it can be nice.
When you’re talking about off-grid refrigeration energy efficiency becomes paramount. If you just need a refrigerator large enough to hold a few days worth of food a thermoelectric is about the most efficient option.
Keep in mind though that thermoelectric refrigerators rapidly become less efficient as they grow larger. A full-size solar refrigerator is a lot more efficient than a similarly sized thermoelectric model.
Thermoelectric coolers are the only powered off-grid fridge option that requires no refrigerants. They rely entirely on the Peltier effect to transfer heat. This means there’s no chance for refrigerants to leak out and potentially damage the environment.
As I mentioned above, you shouldn’t expect a full-size refrigerator when looking at thermoelectric coolers. They can’t compare to the efficiency of propane or solar refrigerators in larger sizes.
For smaller uses, such as a single individual or couple, they work just fine. The ceiling for most useful thermoelectric coolers is about 40l or 1.5 cubic feet. That’s enough space for several days groceries or medication that requires refrigeration.
Thermoelectric coolers draw power constantly while maintaining temperature. Because of this, you need an equally constant source of power. This can be either AC or DC power depending on the model cooler you choose.
If you already have a solar power system installed you need to find out how much power you can spare for a fridge. Most reasonably sized thermoelectric coolers will draw between 50 and 150 W per hour.
One of the fundamental weaknesses of thermoelectric coolers is their inability to adjust temperatures more than about 30-40 degrees Fahrenheit from the ambient temperature.
If your home is 78°F you’ll be able to chill most thermoelectric coolers down to about 38-40°F. If you live in an especially hot climate and your home’s temperature fluctuates frequently this may not be enough cooling effect.
If you need a family sized refrigerator for a hot climate thermoelectric coolers aren’t for you. If you’re looking for an affordable off grid refrigeration option and are willing to compromise on a few points though they can provide real value.
The Dometic TC35 is my first overall choice. It offers the best combination of features, efficiency, durability, and overall build quality. It’s not quite the largest available, but it’s a great product from a respected manufacturer.
If you’re looking for a true bargain, the Knox Electric Cooler and Warmer is the one for you. Although small, it offers workable efficiency and quality for an affordable price.
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