*UPDATE: My Glacier started playing up and freezing everything, it seems like the thermostat has issues. Doing a bit of research, I found that I'm not alone with it. Customer support was difficult but I eventually received a replacement.* --------------------What do you think? Am I right about the Ecoflow Glacier sitting in between a portable and proper 12v 4wd Fridge? Let me know in the comment section.
I'm considering it and I think you should've considered this as a use case. I have a new car and going with this, plus rechargeable camping lights, I don't need the expense of a dual battery setup. What's more, once my trip is done, which sadly isn't as frequently as you, I can use it as a drinks fridge around the house, as it is quiet. I think you didn't rate the ability to set the temp as a dual zone enough, most "dual zones" can't set individual temps on both unless it is a huge mumma with two lids.
@bazza2540 Dual zone in this small form factor was a big selling point for me too! The fact that also has a relatively robust compressor to get down to temperature quickly is also appealing.
Hey mate, appreciate the review and I'll have one coming soon. I'm interested on some of your conclusions though... You mentioned that it's too big for a portable fridge, however I don't believe the term 'portable' in this sense means that it's pocket sized and we can carry it everywhere easily, I think its defined the same way TentWorld define portable fridges "Most portable compressor fridges feature the ability to run from 12v (cars) 24v (trucks) and 240v (mains) giving the users great flexibility when travelling.". This being said, I think EcoFlow have also thought about this and that telescopic handle and wheels give significant 'portability' to the unit. The telescopic handle is actually narrower than the regular grab handle and the wheels, only a cm or 2 wider at the back. I think if you gave these a go, we might not have the issue of it being too heavy to carry around? I compared this directly to the Engel 40L fridge and it performed better in almost every way. It's only 2L less in internal capacity, however it's lighter, shorter and only a few cm wider and longer. It's more economical and uses less power over time and can cool faster. In addition to all of these points, it contains the battery and a IceMaker in there too, it's far more efficiently designed. To top it off, it costs the same as the Engel (without battery). I understand it might not suit your needs at the present time, but I do believe that it's a very strong contender to the general market looking for the more 'traditional' definition of a portable fridge.
Indeed, our definitions of 'portable' might differ. To me, 'portable' implies something like a Bushman Roady, which would make sense to includes a built-in battery. However, the need for portability also depends on the context. For instance, if I'm only moving a few meters from a car, a battery isn't necessary. I consider something I can carrying 500 meters of uneven terrain to the beach as 'portable'. So, it really comes down to the specific use case and how far you need to transport it."
My EcoFlow glacier, all of a sudden freezes everything rapidly and once on, the unit never stops. Trying to contact EcoFlow customer service is like trying to win the lottery without buying a ticket (they’re AWOL). I took a loan to buy the glacier and now, I am paying for that loan and eight a glacier that went bananas. Will never buy one again, and I am back at the cheap starrafon ice container which costs .97 plus .99 for ice and very HAPPY.
I have the same issue, mate, the thermostat is all over the place, and everything is frozen. After a lot of hassle, I managed to get a replacement, but I read that many people have the same issue. Not good
A thorough test of another fridge hitting the scene, well done. Only comment for improvement would be a disclosure of retail price, for comparison reasons. Seem to be some dynamic fridge idea's being included in most models today - stark contrast to some of the old players that seem to be content to sit on their laurels, that are now 30 years out of date.!
great review as always...we just use fridge and vacuum seal food rather than have a fridge/freezer, would be interesting to see how two ways compare on storing food, power consumption, size weight etc
I purchased a 12V Brass Monkey for ice - can be exxy but often on sale. Mine was $150 two years ago (from RTM in Canberra). Comes with alligator clips but I changed mine to Anderson connections (but maintained the A-clips with an Anderson connection). Cheers
Great video! I agree with you about the ice maker. EcoFlow makes great products, I have four of their batteries. I was considering this Glacier due to all of its pro’s, but I just don’t need an ice maker. So I went with an IceCo APL55 because dimensionally they’re about the same size but since there’s no ice maker in the IceCo I get more room inside for my goodies.
I prefer the kiss method. I prefer to keep things separated, that way if one of the items goes faulty, I don't end up having to replace the whole unit. There are so many cheap portable ice makers on the market, why would you want one built in. For those with inverters, there are a multitude of units that run on 240v, then for 12v-24v unit, Brass Monkey from Jaycar make a very efficient unit. Keep things simple, keep them separate, then when you want to upgrade or replace, your only replacing one item, not a big bulky integrated unit. In the long term, it is more cost effective.
As always, a great, informative video. Just one point I picked up on when comparing the insulation with the Bushman. You’d said earlier, the Bushman has a larger capacity by 14l. In your test, you turned them off and monitored the temps. Just a note. A larger capacity of air, water, whatever, will take longer to cool down/warm up than a smaller capacity. I know this from my years of selling Stanley Vacuum bottles. Insulation in these is always exactly the same but, as an example, a 1.9l bottle will keep things hot/cold longer than a 1l bottle. Simply because of the volume. Small point but I thought worth mentioning in terms of your comparison. Simply, you cannot compare insulation properties accurately, unless the capacities are identical.
Thanks for the review, keen to see another brand on the market, the ice maker is a novel feature. Bit cheeky to be given a free unit and not use it as intended in the outdoors, perhaps offering a giveaway would be the go to build subscribers. Just a thought...
Hmm, I actually didn't ask for the unit they offered, and I did use it outdoors probably more than some of the other reviewers. I since decided I will also use it in my Camper Trailer, so I'll see how it goes. Yea I have given away quite a few things to my Patreon Subscribers.
Thanks Stefan for another great review. Ecoflow must be keen to penetrate the 4WD market as I've seen another offroad YT reviewer's comments on this unit as well. Your conclusions are spot on, in particular as the ice maker dedicates otherwise useful space to a feature most travellers might use only a few times per week. Having said that, your comparison with the Bushman pitted a 35-52 litre fridge (with yours at 52 litres) against the 38 litre Ecoflow, but the Bushman stayed colder for longer. I think that says a lot for Aussie design and manufacturing.
A great objective review which is rare enough that I'll subscribe to your notifications. I'm still very tempted by this product despite its limitations. Its better to know the strengths and weaknesses of the product before purchasing so it doesn't dissapoint you after the purchase. Well done !
Thank you for the review and the unfortunate update. I think I'll wait for a revision 2 or your next video before considering purchasing it. Thank you again for doing another detailed review, even going so far as to assess the cycle limitations of the battery.
Interesting fridge. I"ve used a single compartment Dometic for several years with good results on long overland trips in the US and Canada. Although ice would really be nice.
Love all you reviews and testing massive amount of effort goes into all this, well done. Any solar blanket reviews coming up? Very hard to find proper testing in this field from what can find.
lol, clearly haven't watched, as otherwise, you would have noticed that I'm flogging nothing. BTW, I've been doing this for 11 years now, so I'm hardly just another RU-vidr. I do appreciate your comment, though, as it's helping the algorithm. Little life tip: scrolling past stuff that triggers you makes life so much easier.
To me camping is a 30 mile a day hike with a 30lb backpack hunting with a bow for , ducks, geese, elk, deer, bear, hogs ect. otherwise you are a sissy, I 72 years old played basketball and ran track at Penn Sate for 1969-72 MS Forestry, MS Geology
I am 72 and to me camp is a 30 mile a day hike with a 30 lb. backpack and hunting is using a bow to kill duck. geese, rabbits, deer, elk, bear, hogs ect. if you gun hunt or car you are a sissy
