EcoFlow Glacier Classic Portable Fridge Freezer

Introduction

Whether you’re camping, going on a picnic or just need some extra cooling space for a party, a proper portable fridge gives you more consistent results and more storage space than one you have to fill with ice. Following on from its posh portable fridge freezer, the EcoFlow Glacier Classic Portable Fridge Freezer is a more practical and rugged device built for travel.

It’s simple to use, has an optional battery for off-grid power, and has a wide range of optional accessories. Optional wheels would be nice, particularly with the larger models, but for consistent cooling on the go, this is a great product.

Design and features

• Lid opens in two directions
• Smart app
• Large usable space

The original EcoFlow Glacier was a great portable fridge, but it didn’t quite feel like it was designed for everyday camping thanks to the clear plastic lid on top for the integrated ice maker. And, that ice maker made the fridge freezer quite a bit more expensive than the competition.

With the new EcoFlow Glacier Classic Portable Fridge Freezer you get a device that’s far closer in style to a traditional hard-case cooler, only with the added benefit of a proper compressor for running the cooling.

The rugged looks are backed up by an IPX4 rating, which means the fridge freezer is splash-proof and can stand outside in light rain.

This model is available in three sizes: 35-litres (on review here), 45-litres and 55-litres. The products are all very similar, but the larger models have a slot-in divider, so you can run each section at different temperatures, with a maximum temperature differential of 22°C. For example, you could run a freezer at -18°C and a fridge at 4°C.

With the 35-litre version, there’s just the single cooling compartment. This is accessed by pressing the clip down and lifting the lid up, much like with any cooler, although there is a trick here: there are clips on both sides, and the lid can be opened from either side or even removed entirely. There’s no option to lock this lid as there is with the unpowered Ninja FrostVault.

Inside is a single storage area with a basket. As there’s no need for ice, there’s plenty of space for all of the drinks or fresh food that you could want, and 2-litre bottles of drink can fit if you lay them flat.

There’s a handy integrated light, too, which makes it easy to find a cold drink even on a very dark night camping out in the wilds.

The basket lifts out, which makes it easy to unload food and drink while carrying the fridge around. That’s important as, unlike the Anker EverFrost, the EcoFlow Glacier Classic Portable Fridge Freezer doesn’t have any wheels.

Instead, the fridge has carry handles that flip up from underneath, but at 19.3kg empty (without the battery; the battery adds an extra 1.8kg), it’s quite a lump. At a minimum, I’d say you’d want to buy a trolley for transportation, unless you plan to leave the fridge in a car.

Of course, the flip side of no wheels means that the Glacier Classic takes up less room than any cooler with wheels, which means it slides more easily into a boot or campervan.

Although a self-sealed fridge, it’s possible that you’ll get moisture build up inside, particularly when storing frozen items. For this reason, there’s a plug and drain hole at the bottom.

Power is via the XT60 input on the side, and EcoFlow provides both mains and car charging cables for it.

In its basic mode, you can run the fridge from mains power, similar to the AAOBOSI Car Fridge. A control panel on the front lets you set the temperature between -20°C and +20°C, so you can go for a fridge or a freezer.

There’s also compatibility with the EcoFlow app, which connects via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Via this you can see the current temperature and battery status, and change the target temperature as well as flick between Max and Eco modes.

In Eco mode the fridge uses less power but tolerates wider temperature fluctuations; with Max mode you get more accurate temperatures but with higher power usage.

The app also contains the Car battery protection mode, which turns the fridge off when it detects a voltage drop when charging via its DC input. That helps prevent the EcoFlow Glacier Classic from draining a car’s battery completely.

If you want to go off-grid, there’s an optional battery, which slots into the compartment on the front. This is a £200 extra for a 298Wh battery, although there’s often deals on. As I write this, the kit with a battery was £629, while the battery-free version was £599. At that price differential, it’s a no-brainer to buy the battery.

The battery is rated to last 800 charge cycles until it hits 80% capacity, which is lower than most power stations, which average 3000 charge cycles. EcoFlow recommends using the app to limit the maximum charge and discharge levels (80% and 20%) respectively, to improve longevity, but I think it really depends on what you’re doing and where you’re going.

If you’re at home or near a reliable power supply, I’d be tempted to remove the battery to save on weight and to protect it; I’d install the battery when needing to go off grid, and make a decision as to whether you want maximum battery life for that trip or whether you’ll take shorter runtimes for longer life.

How long the battery will last depends on the mode you have the fridge set to, but you’ll get more battery life if you have the EcoFlow Glacier Classic Portable Fridge Freezer set at fridge temperatures, rather than freezer temperatures.

With the battery installed, you can use the up to 110W of solar input, topping up the battery without having to go near a power socket.

Performance

• Excellent temperature control
• Long lasting battery
• Good standard insulation

I tested the EcoFlow Glacier Classic Portable Fridge Freezer in both fridge and freezer modes. In fridge mode, I set it to 4°C, and added fridge blocks to represent food. Using my temperature sensor, I found that the average temperature was 4.36°C, which is close to the target.

Impressively, temperature control was excellent, and the EcoFlow Glacier Classic Portable Fridge Freezer managed to hold temperatures with fluctuations from the average mostly +/-0.6°C. Anything below 1°C in this test is excellent.

Although the EcoFlow Glacier Classic Portable Fridge Freezer is a B-rated appliance, plugged in, I found that it would cost around £20.03 to run as a fridge, which is 57p per litre. That’s a lot more expensive than you’re average full-size model, which will cost under 10p per litre of storage space.

Switching to freezer mode, I set the EcoFlow Glacier Classic Portable Fridge Freezer to -18°C. Here, I found that the average temperature was a bit colder at -19.61°C. Again, temperature control was spot on, with temperatures fluctuating by +/-0.46°C.

Running costs get a lot more expensive: I estimate £60.01 a year, or £.171 per litre of space. This is definitely a device for short-term use, rather than a long-term cooling solution.

Switching to battery power and putting the EcoFlow Glacier Classic Portable Fridge Freezer into fridge mode at 4°C, in a room that average 18°C, I found that the battery lasted for just over 45 hours until the fridge rose past 5°C. After that, there was a steady temperature rise to 11°C that took just under five hours

FAQs