Anker is pushing portability limits with the launch of its big 58-liter Solix EverFrost 2 dual-zone fridge / freezer. It’s transportable as a result of it has wheels, a deal with, and slots for 2 batteries. However this factor weighs 64 kilos (29kg) empty and rapidly reached 120 kilos once I crammed my assessment unit with drinks and meals. It may be recharged from a typical wall socket, 12V automobile socket, USB-C charger, and from as much as 100W of photo voltaic from a conventional panel or Anker’s new beach umbrella.
The 58L (about 61 quarts) mannequin I’ve been testing has far better capability than the biggest photo voltaic fridges I’ve reviewed from EcoFlow (38L) and Bluetti (40L) — each of which allocate treasured area to built-in ice makers. As an avid vanlifer and cocktail fanatic, I’m undoubtedly tempted by the concept of constructing ice on the highway. I by no means do it, although, as a result of water and electrical energy are simply too beneficial when venturing away from civilization. I’d relatively deliver a fridge that stuffs as a lot usable capability into the smallest footprint attainable.
Sadly, that’s not what Anker has finished.
As an alternative, Anker allotted that area to 2 massive fan housings in every lid. It’s all a part of the air-cooling tech discovered within the EverFrost 2 lineup, which incorporates 40L and 23L fashions. Surprisingly, the 40L Solix EverFrost 2 mannequin is definitely barely bigger in size, width, and top than the 40L Bluetti mannequin, regardless of missing an ice maker and utilizing a a lot smaller battery.
In my testing, the 58L Solix EverFrost 2 actually does what it’s purported to. The 2 zones management temperatures independently from -20 to twenty levels Celsius / -4 to 68 levels Fahrenheit, permitting it to function as a big transportable fridge, freezer, or a fridge and freezer working concurrently. You’ll be able to even flip off one of many two compartments utterly.
At $799.99 for the cooler and one battery through the preorder sale, the 58L mannequin is less expensive than the EcoFlow Glacier with its comparably-sized battery and prices a number of hundred lower than the Bluetti Multicooler, which ships with a a lot bigger battery. It’s much less compelling when the $1,099.99 listing worth kicks in.
I didn’t take a look at the shrunk-down 40L EverFrost 2 which looks like a good higher deal at its $599.99 preorder worth ($899.99 MSRP) — nevertheless it, just like the Bluetti, has only a single compartment. Each Anker fashions start delivery on March seventh.
Nonetheless, you need to keep away from these if noise, area optimization, and energy effectivity are excessive in your listing of considerations, as they’re on mine. My 58L assessment unit additionally beeps so much as a consequence of a difficulty with a sensor in one of many lids — oops.
My largest gripe with the 58L Solix EverFrost 2 fridge applies to all bench-style coolers: finding objects may be problematic as issues pile up inside. The 2 compartments on Anker’s largest mannequin are particularly deep, which makes discovering issues a ache within the ass when full. The inclusion of baskets often addresses this downside so you’ll be able to raise every little thing out to see what’s beneath. After sharing my concern with Anker, firm spokesperson Emeline Bonnefoy mentioned that particular person baskets might be obtainable for $19.99 beginning in Could, or two for $24.99.
The EverFrost 2 is air-cooled, which Anker claims is a primary on this class of transportable coolers. Air-cooled fridges use followers to evenly distribute temperatures and speed up cooldown by as a lot as 30 p.c, based on Anker, when in comparison with direct-cooled fridges that depend upon a compressor alone. Whereas temperature uniformity generally is a downside in large-volume kitchen fridges, it’s by no means created a noticeable downside within the small direct-cooled transportable fridges I’ve examined inside vans and RVs. Normally, air cooling can also be purported to get rid of any want for guide defrosting, however I’m already seeing fairly a little bit of frost develop after simply 5 days of operation.
In my testing, Anker’s EverFrost 2 can get relatively loud in comparison with different transportable fridges, and it’s not notably quick. It reaches a most of 41 decibels (from one meter away) when initially cooling down which is fairly normal for this class of coolers, and equal to standing close to an area heater. That may be exhausting to the ears over time: it took 56 minutes for the 58L Anker to drop from room temperature to -11C — greater than twice so long as the smaller 38L EcoFlow once I carried out the identical take a look at.
The EverFrost 2 then cycles between 38dB for about 10 minutes and silence for 10 minutes with the intention to keep the set temperatures — that’s a lot louder (bear in mind, the decibel scale isn’t linear) than the 33dB emitted from Bluetti’s and EcoFlow’s coolers. On the brilliant facet, Anker’s cooler doesn’t produce any of the gurgling or scratching sounds heard from its rivals, however I nonetheless wouldn’t select the EverFrost 2 if I spent quite a lot of hours sleeping or working near it in an RV, cabin, or boat.
Energy draw is one other main consideration when shopping for a transportable fridge in the event you plan to take it off the grid for various days. The 58L EverFrost 2 has slots for 2 288Wh LFP batteries. Anker claims as much as 104 hours of cooling from a pair or 52 hours from the one battery Anker offered me. In my battery rundown take a look at, I set the unit to FDA-recommended temperatures of -18C (-0.4F) for the freezer and 4C (39.2F) for the fridge. Even in probably the most frugal energy mode of “eco,” I ran the battery dry in simply 27 hours.
When plugged into a typical AC wall jack within the default “sensible” energy mode, the EverFrost 2 consumed 452Wh over a 24-hour interval the place its solely process was to carry temperatures regular — I by no means even opened the lids. That’s fairly thirsty. The smaller Bluetti consumed simply 308Wh once I ran the identical take a look at and the EcoFlow cooler consumed 394Wh, regardless that it was doing power-intensive issues like making a number of batches of ice. Anker’s bigger capability impacts the facility draw, however I believe the corporate additionally skimped on insulation. After I shut the facility off, the Anker’s temperature elevated from -10C to 1C in three hours, whereas the Bluetti cooler rose from -10C to -5C in that very same period of time.
Lastly, my assessment unit suffers from a difficulty that requires further care when closing the right-side lid. Anker places sensors within the lids that trigger the cooler to beep (and ship a notification from the app) if both lid is open for greater than 90 seconds. In my case, closing the problematic lid onerous, even slamming it isn’t sufficient; I’ve to push down firmly alongside the suitable facet close to the rear hinge or it’ll beep constantly for as much as 5 minutes. I discovered frost creating on this space, suggesting a difficulty with the match. Anker says different reviewers haven’t reported comparable points and can examine the trigger as soon as they obtain my returned assessment unit.
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- The deal with, which conveniently doubles as a desk, feels a bit janky when strolling over tough surfaces with the cooler stocked full — I fear it may not maintain up over time.
- Temperature readings from the cooler are correct, inside 1C of my reference thermometer.
- A bottle opener is built-in into the cooler.
- Optionally available clip-on equipment may be bought, like a bamboo desk and holders for cups, cutlery, and a seaside umbrella.
- An IPX3 score means the cooler ought to survive getting caught in blowing rain, however I’d prefer to see a “5” as an alternative of that “X” given how closely Anker promotes these coolers to be used on the seaside.
- The 58L mannequin measures 38.8 × 18.1 × 19.4 inches / 986 × 459 × 493mm.
- Every battery may be ejected and used as an influence station with one 12W USB-A and one 60W USB-C jack.
- The battery fees from zero to full in 4 hours from a family socket.
- Helps 100W of photo voltaic enter (12-30V, 8.2A), not 200W like rivals — it is not going to energy the unit with out the battery inserted.
- The wheels may be held in place by included wheel holders.
- Can monitor and management the cooler remotely over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi from the superb Anker app.
- You should buy a second battery for $199.99.
For its discounted preorder worth of $799.99, the 58L EverFrost 2 is nice if you actually need 58 liters of transportable dual-zone cooling capability, have easy accessibility to energy so that you’re not stressing over each Wh consumed, and gained’t be spending numerous time proper subsequent to it in small areas the place the drone from these cooling followers would possibly grow to be a difficulty.
Pictures by Thomas Ricker / The Verge