Dometic CFX5 45 Review

The Dometic CFX5 45 is an extremely easy-to-use cooler with excellent controls. It regulates the internal temperature accurately without drawing too much power and can cool a case of drinks in the time it takes you to set up your campsite. It doesn't require a lot of power to operate, and is portable and durable enough to go anywhere you could drive your vehicle, even down the roughest dirt roads.

Temperature Control

The CFX5 provides extremely accurate temperature control.

When we set the CFX5 to its minimum temperature, it achieved an internal temperature of -2.2°F. You can adjust the controls down to -7°F. Although the internal temperature never dropped below negative seven, we were impressed with the low temperature this model achieved.

When we set the controls to 35°F, the internal temperature reached 34.7°F, which is highly accurate. This ensures that you don't accidentally freeze items you only want to be cold, a problem we've had with other powered coolers.

Time to Cool

The CFX5 has a powerful compressor cooling mechanism that rapidly reduces the temperature of even room-temperature drinks. This model consistently performed very well in our time-to-cool tests.

When we filled it with warm cans, the CFX5 brought them down to 35°F in half an hour. This is faster than most other models, and while not the absolute fastest, its cooling power is sufficient for most needs.

Energy Consumption

The CFX5 is highly efficient in terms of energy usage. This model's impressive insulation allows it to maintain a constant temperature without drawing excessive power, so you won't have to worry about your power station running out of energy.

It draws an average of 41 watt-hours of power over 6 hours. For a weekend, you only need a 500-watt-hour power station to power the CFX5. With a 100-watt solar panel connected to a power station, you will never run out of power for this cooler as long as there is at least 8 hours of sunlight every day.

While it doesn't have different power settings like some coolers, we never felt we needed to set the CFX5 at a lower power level. It's efficient in terms of energy usage as it is. It also features battery protection capabilities, ensuring it won't drain your car battery when the engine isn't running.

Portability

The CFX5 isn't the most portable model, but it strikes a good balance between portability and internal capacity. For a cooler of this size, it's easy to transport and rugged enough to handle wherever you want to take it.

It features practical handles that allow you to carry it from your car to the campsite, even when it's fully loaded. The handles are quite springy, ensuring they sit flush against the cooler walls when not in use. Initially, we found the springiness to be too much, but they broke in over time. We love how the handles stay out of the way when you're packing it into the trunk of your car.

The CFX5 weighs 36.2 pounds when empty. While this isn't the lightest model, it's sufficiently light that most adults can carry it by themselves. It may require two people to haul it from the parking lot when it's full of heavy food and drinks, but that's common with any portable electric cooler.

Ease of Use

The CFX5 is a very user-friendly cooler. Its straightforward and easy-to-read display, along with other features, means you don't need to be a seasoned expert in powered coolers to operate it.

The CFX5's color display screen eliminates the guesswork in adjusting the temperature and other settings. It is Bluetooth compatible, and the included app is straightforward to use. This is one of our favorite screens, and we love the tactile feel of the buttons. They're much easier to operate than the touchscreen buttons on some coolers we tested.

This model features removable wire baskets to simplify organizing its contents. You can remove one of the baskets if you want to pull out a lot of drinks or food at once. These baskets also make emptying the cooler for cleaning a breeze.

It has a drain plug, allowing you to quickly rinse it out after removing the wire baskets. This drain makes washing it much easier because you don't have to lift and tip it to drain during cleaning. And after you've finished cleaning it, you can kick back and have a drink with the integrated bottle opener.

This is one of the most durable models we tested overall. Its metal fender frames add excellent durability. The CFX5 has no problems riding over bumpy terrain. All of its components are mounted on springs, allowing them to handle rough roads and vibrations.

After all our testing, loading it into trunks and pickup beds, and hauling it in and out of our test lab, it shows no major dings, scratches, or dents. It also comes with a 5-year warranty, which is longer than the 1-2 year warranties typically offered by most other powered cooler manufacturers.

Noise

The CFX5 is a very quiet, powered cooler. Even when it is actively cooling and the compressor is running, we were never annoyed with the volume of this model.

We never had a problem sleeping in the same room as this cooler. When it's running, it's hard even to know that it's on. It makes a quiet, steady humming sound in a silent room, but it's not nearly as loud as most other electric coolers.

Should You Buy the Dometic CFX5 45?

The CFX5 is an excellent option for anyone who needs a reliable, durable, powered cooler with outstanding temperature control. This would be our top recommendation for anyone planning to use a powered cooler regularly, whether you're a dedicated weekend warrior or a full-time van lifer. Although it's not the least expensive model, it is user-friendly, well-built, and durable, making it a good value despite its higher price tag.

What Other Powered Coolers Should You Consider?

If you're looking for a smaller, less expensive powered cooler, we recommend the BougeRV 23 Quart. If you want the fastest cooling times in an extremely rugged package, check out the Engel MT45 Combination Platinum Series. If you want a dual-zone cooler to store frozen and fresh foods separately, check out the Renogy 53 Quart.