Coolers are nice. Problem is, when you’re staying at camp for extended periods, there’s little chance you’ll have any ice left after a few days out in the wild. Heck, even the best rotomolded coolers out there aren’t likely to last you past eight or nine days. If you plan to stay outdoors for much longer and you have an outdoor power source on hand, chances are, you’ll have a better time just taking a portable fridge instead. One of the biggest names in coolers is finally getting on that 12V fridge action with the Igloo ICF 80DZ.
That’s right, Igloo is making portable fridges now, so longtime users of the outfit’s coolers now have an option to switch to a powered version made by the same trusted mainstream brand. Even better, it comes in the more affordable and lighter side of the electric compressor cooler category, making it a compelling option for those looking to switch from traditional ice boxes.
The Igloo ICF 80DZ is the largest option in the outfit’s new ICF Series, bringing you a whopping 83 quarts of internal capacity, which is cavernous enough to accommodate up to 121 standard 12-oz cans. Since it runs on its own cooling compressor, your cans don’t have to share the space with any ice, since this thing can maintain the low temperatures needed all on its own. Of course, this is, basically, a miniature fridge-freezer, so it can do more than chill your beverages, allowing you to do everything from freezing meat and making ice cubes to keeping all your vegetables fresh.
It has two main compartments, each with its own lid, allowing you to organize what you put inside. Even better, it has dual-zone cooling (hence, the DZ in the name), so you can set one temperature for the left side of the cooler and a different one on the right side. That means, you can freeze meats and desserts on one compartment, while chilling drinks on the other, bringing the full convenience of a proper fridge-freezer straight to your camp site.
The Igloo ICF 80DZ’s two separate zones can be set anywhere from 0 degrees Fahrenheit to 68 degrees Fahrenheit, so you can save power by just keeping things chilled or activate a proper freezer function. A digital display and buttons on the side allow you to quickly adjust temperatures in each zone, while an interior LED automatically lights up when the lid is opened for better visibility during low-light settings. It can be plugged in to a standard AC outlet if you’re using it at home or you’ve got a portable power station at camp, as well as to your car’s auxiliary power outlet. When plugged in the car, by the way, it activates a three-stage battery protection system that automatically turns the cooler off when low power voltage is detected to avoid draining the car battery.
Other features include an easy-to-lift latch for easily opening each of the two lids, a dimmable display, swing up side handles, and a lid gasket to ensure cold air doesn’t escape. Aside from the 80DZ, Igloo is also release a similar electric cooler in 20qt, 34qt, 41qt, and 62qt sizes, although they’re also single-zone cooling, so the entire interior maintains a single temperature.
The Igloo ICF 80DZ is available now, priced at $999.99.
