Overall and Final Verdict
With the first Anker EverFrost cooler it worked really well for the times we drove down to visit family in Florida, but beyond that, I didn’t expect that I would use it much outside of those trips. As it turns out, we ended up running the cooler every day as a small refrigerator in our basement to keep a few drinks available down there with it also doubling as emergency refrigeration if the power were to go out or if we ever had anything go wrong with our main refrigerator or freezer. That was an aspect that I didn’t really consider when I reviewed it at the time. Originally I thought that it would mostly be useful for people glamping. Similar to someone picking up a generator, a small battery backup, or flashlights in case of a power outage or a storm the EverFrost coolers are perfect for someone who is prepping. Especially if you also add in a solar panel to keep it charged up. It gives you a cooler or freezer as well as a battery backup to charge up other devices from. None of that has changed from the original EverFrost to the EverFrost 2. What has changed is the design has been refined. You can now add in a second battery to expand capacity and the overall quality of the cooler’s construction seems better as well with no molding issues on the outer shell like last time and an improved button design.
The new design now has a 15 minute cooldown time, so you don’t need to waste battery power until you are ready to put things inside and the new fan inside also helps keep temperatures consistent anywhere inside the cooler. All of the features that made the original great are still there with the biggest being that because this has refrigeration you don’t have to use ice. That means no stops to top off the ice, nothing inside is wet, and you can pack the cooler full rather than having to layer in ice to keep things cool meaning more usable capacity. You can also set the temperature to exactly what you want including deep into freezing temperatures which you can’t do with a traditional cooler. You also have an interior light which is surprisingly useful.
Being a refrigerator, there are times when it kicks on that it won’t be silent but it isn’t loud or noisy. As far as keeping it charged you have every option available. The cooler comes with a cable to plug it into your car as well as an AC power supply to charge it that way. But you can charge it using USB Type-C as well if you have a 60-watt capable charger and you also can hook up a 100-watt solar panel as well. The new design did add in a few possible accessories including a second tray that can be added to the side, a travel kit that has add on cup holders, a knife holder, and a fishing rod holder as well, beach wheels to help pulling it through the sand, and the previously mentioned extra batteries. I love the flexibility of all of the accessories but their main downside is cost. The add-on tray is $80, the travel kit is $60, the beach wheels are $100, and the extra batteries are $250. The Anker Solix PS100 Solar Panel that would work to keep things charged is $229 as well. Costs could add up quickly if you pick up a few of those. The other downsides for the EverFrost 2 include the wheels not being ideal for hiking or beach trips (which is why they have the add-on wheels), the included wheel chocks weren’t very usable and didn’t fit into the storage tray, and the biggest downside is this thing is heavy. A loaded up cooler with ice and everything is heavy as well, but because of the refrigeration, this is heavy even when completely emptied. It’s unavoidable but something to keep in mind.
As for pricing, the EverFrost 2 40L that I have here has an MSRP of $899.99 but right now on Amazon is $799.99. It’s been as low as $699 as well a few times now. The larger 58L split design has an MSRP of $1099.99 and is currently $999. The pricing is interesting because without a doubt that is a lot of money, especially when compared to a basic cooler. High-end traditional coolers however start to get up into the $300 to $400 range. When we start talking about refrigerated coolers like this you have plug-in AC/DC models and then a few models now that are similar with battery power. Surprisingly the EverFrost 2 is competitively priced when compared to other battery-powered options, but you can go significantly cheaper if you go with a plug-in option without any battery capacity. What works for your situation will determine what you actually need there. For us, a plug-in model would work when traveling but wouldn’t work at all as a backup for if the power goes out.
Live Pricing: HERE
