With a portable 12 volt chest refrigerator you can keep your food and drinks ice-cold. Easily load it into your vehicle and bring it with you wherever you go, without having to worry about how or what you’re going to eat or drink.
Whether you’re going camping or have to spend the entire day on the road, a 12 volt chest refrigerator/freezer combo is your best choice for keeping your groceries fresh for days. Just plug it into the 12 volt socket, and the compressor starts working. Once you’re back home or have arrived at your destination you can run the refrigerator on AC power as well, making for a great temporary food storage solution.
Our top pick is the Whynter 45-Quart Portable Refrigerator because it’s versatile, efficient, and has a tough outer casing that withstands long journeys across the country. For more options, this article covers several top picks for different purposes – see the table of contents below for more options.
Best overall: Whynter 45 Quart Portable Fridge/Freezer
Whynter 45 Quart Portable Fridge/Freezer
This Whynter 12 volt chest freezer/fridge is capable of reaching temperatures well below zero degrees, and it’s quiet as well. Perfect for the car, boat, RV, and tent.
Pros: Versatile (temperature adjusts from -8 to 50 degrees), durable exterior metal casing, works with 12/24V DC as well as AC power, lid has a single latch that keeps it closed tightly when driving.
Cons: Heavy – weighs 45 pounds, small feet with rubber pads means that you have to lift the unit to move it, display and buttons are in an awkward place at the bottom side part.
Whether you’re driving across the country in a truck or an RV, this 12 volt chest freezer is a life saver. Not only does it allow you to bring supplies for the journey, but it keeps them cold as long as it’s plugged in. You can even bring frozen foods as the temperature adjusts to -8 degrees. It goes up to 50 degrees too if you want to use it as a regular fridge, and this is only possible because it has a compressor built into the base.
The Whynter 45 Quart Portable Fridge/Freezer is big enough to hold food and drinks for a couple of days, and durable enough to last for years. The lid has great hinges as well as a metal latch that keeps it closed when driving.
We recommend this 12 volt chest freezer/fridge as our top pick because it’s relatively affordable for what you get, and it could work great for multiple purposes including camping, boating, and more.
It isn’t lightweight though as it weighs 45 pounds, but you’re not supposed to carry it around anyway – for the purpose of bringing food and drinks on a day trip, we would rather recommend a plastic cooler with a handle and wheels that you can easily push or pull.
Another minor disadvantage is the feet. Made of metal with a rubber sole it won’t easily move when pushed. This is great when you’re driving, but also inconvenient if you have to move it around often. You’ll have to lift it every time, or place it on a set of wheels.
This portable 12 volt chest freezer can be used in a garage at home too if needed – for more options, see our buying guide on small chest freezers for the garage.
Best on a budget: Alpicool Portable 12 Volt Refrigerator/Freezer
Alpicool Portable 12 Volt Refrigerator/Freezer
The Alpicool Portable 12 Volt Refrigerator/Freezer has a few very useful features that we love, and it’s one of the more affordable options on the market.
Pros: Stylish design with an internal LED light, adjustable temperature (from -4 to appx. 68 degrees), quiet compressor, lid has a chain that holds it when open, and there’s a lock integrated in the lid as well.
Cons: Control panel is on the side which could make it difficult to adjust the unit, might not keep the temperature below zero degrees in very hot weather, some parts seem a bit cheap.
If you’re in the market for an affordable cooler able to reach temperatures below zero degrees, the Alpicool Portable 12 Volt Refrigerator/Freezer is definitely worth considering. It comes with a good amount of features that we like, such as the internal LED light that illuminates the contents and gives you a perfect overview, adjustab