Here’s the top 9 things to look for when choosing a portable fridge.
We always recommend a steel fridge cabinet.
Why? Steel is stronger and more durable than plastic, especially over the long term. How do we know this? Just look around. If plastic was better than steel for construction, we’d be making cars, planes and even your home fridge from plastic. But plastic is cheaper, not better.
Buy a well-known and reliable brand.
If you have to replace a broken compressor one day, it’s going to be very expensive. These days, there are plenty of new-comers to the compressor market. At Bushman we only use Secop Danfoss compressors. Why? They’ve been making compressors for over 50 years. Sure, they’re more expensive, but our fridges are designed to last for the long haul.
This is the key to an efficient fridge.
Your compressor sucks the heat out of your fridge. So having ventilation all the way around the compressor area allows the hot air to rise, and the cooler air to be drawn in from the bottom and sides. If you want a more efficient fridge, you need more ventilation. Some products on the market even have fake vents, but on closer inspection, you may be surprised to see there is nowhere for the heat to escape.
Go for the tubular style.
When the heat is sucked out of your fridge, this is where it ends up. The condensors job is to let the heat go. So the bigger it is and the more air that gets around it, the less power your fridge is going to use. The tubular style condensors take up more space, but that’s why they work better. In comparison, the finned style are much smaller, and are also more likely to trap dirt, dust and fluff.
This is your cooling element – the bigger the better.
Your evaporator should wrap all the way around the inside of the fridge cabinet. This is pretty standard these days on almost all portable fridges.
The Thermostat should be digital.
Analog thermostats are a thing of the past. The current day digital thermostats allow you to set your exact, desired temperature. So no more fluctuations as the temperature outside rises or falls.
Your fridge needs enough insulation to do its job.
We use Polyurethane and consider it the global standard for refrigeration. Insulation in Bushman fridges varies from 30mm to 80mm in thickness depending on their individual design and use.
DC only fridges are simple and easy to work on.
Did you know, every portable fridge has a DC only compressor? Yep. If you buy a fridge with 240V built in, there’s a 240V to 12V transformer attached to your compressor inside the fridge! Remove the 240V transformer and your fridge will produce less heat, which means less power and faster cooling. You can still use 240V power, just use an external 240V to 12V transformer. We do. It’s simpler, and it’s better.
How reliable will your portable fridge be?
A longer warranty is a sign of how much confidence a manufacturer has in their product. Warranties are often overlooked when buying appliances. But a portable fridge can have a much tougher life than a regular household fridge. We strongly recommend comparing warranties and online reviews before buying a new fridge.
Generally when it comes to portable fridges, you will get what you pay for. If you’re after a proven reliable, ultra-low power and versatile fridge, then you’re in the right place. Alternatively, if you just need something to get by for a year or so, and you’re not thinking about the long term, there are plenty of cheap brands and lower quality fridges around too.
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