BLUETTI MultiCooler Review | GearJunkie Tested

I’ve built three solar power systems for three different vans, and every time I recalculate watt-hours, loads, battery capacity, and figure out how many solar panels I’ll need to power lights, charge computers, and maybe run an immersion blender. The biggest power drain by far is always the refrigerator.

While electric fridges have come a long way, they’re still expensive and require a couple of lithium-ion batteries to keep them running, especially if it’s cloudy and the panels aren’t getting much sun. Draining your house batteries and losing your way to keep meat and veggies fresh on your trip is a huge bummer.

The BLUETTI MultiCooler can last a solid 3 days on one proprietary BLUETTI lithium-ion battery. It can charge off of your car, any solar panel with a quick connector, or any AC outlet. You can also pair it with BLUETTI’s charging stations and always have a backup battery on deck. Leave port (your garage) with two fully charged batteries, and you get 6 days of iceless cooling and auxiliary charging for your devices. The whole package is about $1,800.

In short: All about efficiency, the BLUETTI MultiCooler reaches cooling temperatures quickly. The ice maker cranks out small cubes in a respectable 25 minutes, perfect for your off-the-grid cocktail setup. Most impressive is the 3 days of refrigeration you get from a single battery charge. When used in tandem with a small solar setup and one of BLUETTI’s power stations, you’ll be ready to ride out the apocalypse in style, or at least camp in luxury.

See how the BLUETTI MultiCooler stacks up against the competition and read about some of our favorite e-coolers in GearJunkie’s guide to the best electric coolers.

BLUETTI MultiCooler Review

Efficiency and Battery Life

Slide one of BLUETTI’s freshly charged lithium-ion batteries into the battery compartment of the cooler, and the touch display lights up, showing a 100% charge and an estimated 70 hours of battery life. I initially powered up the cooler in my living room, where the temps are a permanent 70 degrees F. The cooler had no trouble keeping a couple of pounds of ground beef safe to eat for an entire 4 days before it ran out of power.

For a more realistic testing environment, I loaded up the cooler and put it in the back of my little Prius-C. It gets hot in the sun, and at one point, I measured the surface temperature on the top of the cooler at 130 degrees F.

Set to 40 degrees, the cooler was able to maintain this temperature for 3 days. BLUETTI claims the compressor runs at around 30 dB; while I don’t have a decibel meter, I had no trouble sleeping next to the cooler as it cycled on and off through the night.

The BLUETTI AC180T

I tested the AC180T changer station along with the cooler. You could purchase the cooler with one of the B70 batteries and charge it directly from shore power (AC) or your car battery (DC). You could also plug it straight into a solar panel, and have a perfectly functional E-cooler. There is also a USB connection to charge your small electronic devices straight from the cooler’s battery.

However, with the AC180T, you have a power station that can charge two batteries at once and double the running time of your cooler. Additionally, you can run a laptop, string lights, a boombox, a rice cooker, or a host of other luxury camping accessories. The catch is spending an extra $1,000 for the whole system.

Ice Making 

The ice maker is a novel, fun feature that actually works as advertised. Simply pour up to a liter of water into the ice maker and in 25 minutes, you’ll have about nine small cubes. The ice maker doesn’t get cold enough to keep the ice frozen, but you can set it to continuous ice making. As the ice melts, it will cycle back through the system and get refrozen.

Running the ice maker consumes the battery life considerably faster than just running the cooler as a fridge. With access to shore or solar power, this isn’t a problem. If all you have is the cooler and one battery, I’d recommend foregoing the ice. 

Wheels, Handles, Ease of Transport

This cooler weighs just under 53 pounds, unloaded, which is something to consider if you’re frequently lifting it into the back of a truck. The handles aren’t very deep, and you can only grab them with the tips of your fingers.

The two wheels and the big handle for pulling the cooler make carting it around easier. Just know that the wheels are small and difficult to roll over rocky or uneven surfaces. Ideally, you’ll have room in your vehicle or at the campsite for the BLUETTI MultiCooler to stay put for a few days.

Some Gripes

If I’m going to spend upward of $700 on a cooler, I want perfection. The BLUETTI MultiCooler kills it in terms of efficiency and battery life, but it’s lacking in a few areas.

The lid doesn’t completely close unless you slam it shut, and it’s not obvious when you haven’t closed it. Leaving it open will cause the compressor to work hard to maintain the internal temperature and drain the battery faster. Both the cooler lid and the little battery garage door feel delicate for something that’s going to be carted around and opened and closed hundreds of times.

Finally (this one is personal), the drain plug for the ice maker is made from silicone, and it plugs the drain with friction alone. You just plug it in there and hope it stays — there’s no screw cap or locking mechanism. It’s easy to unplug. Too easy.

The first time I filled up the ice maker, the plug popped out and the water spilled all over my floor. I was very careful to make sure the plug was secure for subsequent fillings, and I didn’t have any more spills. But I’d appreciate a plug that was more secure on my $700 cooler. 

Who Is This For?

The BLUETTI MultiCooler (and any e-cooler, really) makes sense for folks who go off-grid for a Baja surf trip, take up residence in Indian Creek for a crack climbing education, or are living out of a vehicle full time. A YETI cooler or something similar loaded up with ice will keep your food fresh through a long weekend for a lot less money. If your camping trips are infrequent, that’s the sensible way to go. 

In Conclusion

For the money, the BLUETTI MultiCooler is a good option, and a good price if you are just buying the cooler without the power station. The Dometic CFX5 55 has been my favorite electric cooler for a while now. It’s more robust and has more storage capacity than the BLUETTI MultiCooler. It’s also twice the price of the BLUETTI. During sale periods, you can pick up the BLUETTI cooler and the AC180T power station that can power more lights and appliances out at the campsite.