Dometic CFX3 55IM Cooler – The Best Powered Cooler

The Dometic CFX3 55IM Cooler ($1100) is a robust, powered cooler that does not need ice.  In fact, it can make it!  That is right, this cooler actually makes ice. Wrap your head around that! This is one badass cooler on a lot of levels.

Dometic CFX3 55IM Cooler

The CFX3 series of powered coolers are a new idea for us over here at Engearment.  We have tested most of the passive coolers out there and we are used to using ice and ice packs to keep our food and beverages cold. The thought of not having to rely on that to keep things chilled was very intriguing! We used the Dometic PLB40 battery to power this cooler in a solar-powered set. Read the battery review here.

These coolers use a compressor to create a safe and accurate cooling effect. Think of it as a refrigerator cooler.  That means you do not need to use ice. Ever! Plus, the space of the cooler is not taken up with ice, so you have more useable storage. The 55L cooler provides ~53L of area.  More space = more food and beverages.

Dometic CFX3 55IM Cooler

There is an app for that

You can set the CFX3 55IM up using the color display on the cooler, and/or you can control it on your phone using the CFX3 app.  The app is very easy to use and connects to the cooler automatically.  No need to sync it every time you use it. Very convenient!

Dometic CFX3 55IM – Powered cooler with Rapid Freeze Plate, 53 l

Within the app, you can set alarms for temperatures, turn on the ice-making feature (more on that in a moment) and control the temperature.  It is very intuitive and a breeze to set up.  Once you have the settings the way you want, there is no need to do anything else.  Simple and effective.

Dometic CFX3 app

Durable construction

The CFX3 55IM lived in the back of my 4Runner for 100 days.  Over bumps and off-roading, and though a few blizzards.  It was snowed on, rained on, and banged around.  The cooler weighs 47lbs and feels burly. There is even a 5-year warranty, so you can feel good about the investment.

The cooler can be powered via AC or DC and comes with both adapters for them.  I used this with a solar panel feeding the PBL40 battery for the duration of the testing and it worked flawlessly.

Dometic CFX3 55IM ice trays

It can make ice!

Yes, it does make ice.  The cooler comes with two silicone ice trays that sit on top of the Rapid Freeze Plate to create cute little ice cubes.  This takes a few hours to whip up, but it works very well.  Keep in mind that it does draw more power to do so.  But, the ability to create ice (instead of needing to use to cool!) is a very nice feature.

The system can get as low as -7F, which I did not test.  I kept the cooler at 35-37F for the test and found that to be a good range of cold enough and minimal power draw.  The energy consumption is 1.11 Ah/h, so you can do the math and see how your power system will operate with this cooler.

Dometic CFX3 55IM Cooler Review

I am really impressed with the CFX3 55IM cooler.  The ability to keep food and drink cold, at an exact temperature, without ice, is really amazing.  No more need to track down ice.  No more soggy food! With more useable space than a passive 55L cooler, the Dometic is truly next level.  Sure it costs a bit upfront, but once you have the system in place, you won’t have to spend money on ice ever again.

Bottom line – this is a complete game-changer for camping.  Add in the Dometic PLB40 battery for 40 hours of use and you are set!