Dometic CFX5 25-litre fridge/freezer review: A high-end camping fridge freezer built for off-grid adventures

I can still remember a time when the best portable cool boxes were little more than glorified plastic tubs with a bag of melting ice thrown in. Of course, this method of cooling is still extremely popular, as evidenced by the rise of YETI and other cool box manufacturers.

But when it comes to the end of day two and the ice has disappeared, the milk’s turning to yoghurt and your drinks no longer have that refreshing icy-cold punch, you’ll wish you’d bought a proper compressor fridge/freezer instead.

This is where the compact fridge/freezer from premium Swedish outdoor brand Dometic comes into play. While not cheap by a long shot, the 25-litre CFX5 promises improved vacuum-based insulation, a variable-speed compressor for better energy efficiency and a wider-than-average temperature range of -22°C to 20°C. Will all this encouraging tech justify the lofty asking price? Let’s check it out.

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Dometic CFX5 25-litre fridge/freezer review

Price and availability

The Dometic CFX5 25 sits firmly at the premium end of the portable fridge/freezer market, with UK prices hovering between £650 and £700 and US pricing landing at roughly $900.

If shopping in the UK, try Dometic direct or Decathlon, AlpineTrek and 4x4 Works. Amazon also sells it, though, at £798.99, the price is even higher. In the USA, your best port of call is Dometic, where the CFX5 25 shifts for $899.99. Alternatively, try Amazon, where it’s selling for $900.

Specifications

• Capacity: 25 litres (26.41 qt)
• Zones: One
• Temperature Range: -22°C to 20°C (-7.6°F - 68°F)
• Capacity: 40 cans (330ml)
• Size: 56.9 x 34.2 x 42cm (22.4 x 13.46 x 16.53in)
• Weight: 13.5kgs / 29.76 lbs
• Power consumption: +/- 45W
• Max operating temp: 43°C (109°F)
• Built-in battery: No
• Connectivity: Bluetooth only
• Warranty: 3 years

Design and features

Best known for its pricey but highly regarded range of caravan and camper van appliances and accessories, Swedish brand Dometic's products combine durable practicality with a clean Scandinavian design aesthetic that signals to other campers that you have extremely discerning taste when it comes to high-end camping gear and that money is no object. In fact, you could say that Dometic is to camping what Miele is to the kitchen and utility room.

One of six different-sized models in the new flagship CFX5 range, this compact 25-litre refrigerator-cum-freezer blends robust engineering with understated Scandi styling that has become synonymous with the brand. Put another way, Dometic gear is instantly recognisable because most of the company's products share a distinctive design ethos and dark grey colour scheme.

With 25 litres of interior space, this single-zone model features a large cavity with a removable easy-load basket for drinks, milk, etc., and a small side area for oft-used perishables like butter, bacon, burgers or sausages, or simply more drinks.

According to Dometic, the CFX5 can accommodate up to 40 x 330ml cans of beverages, and I’d say that’s more than enough liquid refreshment for a family of four, given that the cavity will be replenished over time. The cavity is also equipped with a drainage plug and a bright LED lamp.

At 56.9 x 34.2 x 42cm, the CFX5's compact 25-litre form is perfectly shaped to slot neatly into a hatchback, estate, 4x4 or camper van. In fact, Dometic even provides an optional Quick Fixing Kit that locks the unit firmly in place during transit.

While this model doesn't have wheels like the larger BougeRV CRD2 40L model I recently reviewed, its smaller form and much lighter 13.5-kilo weight, coupled with its two strapping, sprung aluminium handles, make it easy to carry from car to pitch.

However, I’ll admit it's definitely a two-person job if lugging it to a beach picnic or on any trip on foot longer than 30 metres or so. But on the plus side, when you get to the beach and discover that no one brought a bottle opener, you’ll be thanking Dometic’s design bods for attaching one next to one of the handles.

Dometic products rarely disappoint in overall build quality and functionality, and this model is no exception. Aside from being cast mostly from tough ABS plastic, it also boasts vacuum-insulated panels (VIP, to coin yet another acronym) that work like your average insulated drinks bottle.

According to Dometic, this type of vacuum system drastically reduces heat transfer and convective heat loss while being extremely energy-efficient and lightweight. Its hardy textured ABS lid, meanwhile, is easily strong enough to sit on and grippy enough for standing drinks, though it does attract a lot of dust.

However, I must stress that to properly seal the lid, you have to press it down firmly until you hear a click. This is because the Dometic CFX5 – and CFX3 series – incorporate TPE (Thermoplastic Elastomer) gaskets that create a highly effective seal, preventing warm ambient air from seeping in and lowering the temperature.

The CFX5 can be powered in two ways: AC via a mains outlet or DC via the car’s cigarette lighter socket and any portable power station. You’ll find the ports on the rear of the unit under a pair of rubber flaps.

For convenience, the unit ships with cables for both UK and European AC use, plus another one for DC. Oh, and there’s also an 18W USB-A device-charging port next door to the unit’s interface.

One major bonus of this model is that it's equipped with Dometic's latest variable-speed compressor, which automatically adjusts its operating speed to match cooling demands while delivering rapid temperature reduction, efficient off-grid power consumption (around 45W on average) when used with a portable power station, and generally quiet performance.

In fact, I measured the CFX5’s sound at 58 dB up against the ventilation grill and around 44dB from three feet away. Granted, you may hear an occasional faint buzz from the compressor when in the tent at night, but it’s no worse than other refrigerators I’ve used.

Since the CFX5 is a bona fide fridge/freezer, it boasts a commendable temperature range of -22°C to 20°C – that's 2°C lower than an average home freezer – and a maximum ambient operating temperature of 43°C. The hottest I've ever measured in a tent was 40°C during a French heatwave, so a 43°C max is very promising indeed.

I’m a big advocate of models that both refrigerate and freeze. No, you may not use the freezer function when camping, but it’s good to know you can quickly get drinks down to ice-cold by whacking the temp to a minus figure.

Also, having a freezer function may prove very useful at home when your house freezer is full and you can’t squeeze in those three tubs of Häagen-Dazs ice cream you just brought home.

While this model works with the Dometic Mobile Cooling app, the app itself is so basic as to be almost surplus to requirements, but more on this below.

Your best bet for changing any of the unit’s parameters is to use the onboard interface, which comprises a one-inch black-and-white display with soft-touch rubber buttons for On/Off, arrows for up and down, and another button for confirming temperature settings.

The main menu is divided as follows: Set Temp, Battery Protection, Bluetooth, WiFi, Display brightness, and Temp Units (°C/°F). Most of these functions are self-evident, so I’ll discuss just two of them: Battery Protection and WiFi.

Battery Protection is essentially a built-in low-voltage cut-off system designed to stop the fridge from draining your vehicle’s battery. When the fridge is connected to a 12V DC source, such as a car’s cigarette lighter socket, a 12V or 24V leisure battery, or a portable power pack, the CFX5 constantly monitors the incoming voltage.

If the voltage drops below a preset threshold, the fridge automatically switches itself off before the battery becomes dangerously depleted. Once the battery voltage rises again, the fridge restarts automatically. I should add that most cars built since 2015 automatically shut off their 12V ports when the ignition is completely off.

Since this model is compatible with the Dometic Mobile Cooling app and there’s a WiFi icon and setting on the fridge’s interface, you might reasonably assume that it will connect to your phone via WiFi as well as Bluetooth.

Well, I had no issues setting it up using Bluetooth, but it simply refused to connect to my WiFi. So I looked it up and, according to a news-bite, Dometic has removed the WiFi setting feature as ‘a measure reflecting global policy standards in accordance with new cybersecurity laws recently implemented in Europe’.

I thought I’d point this out because these new laws clearly came into effect after the CFX5 series was produced. Mind, this doesn’t make much difference to how the app works, because it only performs two simple functions: temperature setting and temperature units.

But, hey, at least you can adjust the cooler’s internal temperature via Bluetooth without getting off your butt, so the app does have at least one redeeming feature.

Performance

I haven’t had the chance to test this sterling fridge/freezer while camping, but I have tried it at home and I’m very impressed by its performance and its ability to display accurate internal temperatures when checked against my two fridge thermometers.

Where, for instance, the much cheaper BougeRV CRD2 I recently reviewed displayed some fluctuations in temperature, this one has been mostly rock-solidly accurate, at least inside the larger cavity. My first test was to see how quickly it went from 22°C ambient to -10°C, and it took a solid 25 minutes.

However, when I checked my own thermometers (which might not be especially accurate for all I know), the large cavity read -6.6°C and the smaller section 0.2°C. I think they simply took longer to catch up because after one hour, the thermometer in the large cavity showed -9.4°C, and -7°C in the smaller cavity. That's good enough for me.

I then performed another test to see how quickly the temperature dropped from -10°C to -20°C. It took just over 15 minutes, with my thermometer reading -20°C and the smaller compartment at -14°C.

My final test was to see how quickly or slowly the internal temperature dropped from -20°C when I turned the whole unit off. Considering there was no ice on board to maintain low temperatures, it was still -4°C after 55 minutes, and that seemed decent enough.

I look forward to taking this model on my next camping trip and using it with one of my portable power stations and a 200W solar panel, enough power on tap to run this thing for several days if the sun’s out to play. However, I would most definitely load it up the evening before and set it to around 2°C so it’s perfectly chilled for the next morning.

One of the main reasons I’m smitten by this model is that it’s the perfect size for a couple on a three-night stint in the great outdoors. It’s also an easier fit for the car, and I alone can carry it when full from the boot to the pitch without my spine snapping.

And when I get back home, it takes up far less storage space, which means more room for any future camping gear. It’s a win, win, win for me.

Verdict

The Dometic CFX5 25 is undeniably one of the best-built portable compressor fridge/freezers I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing.

I love the minimalist design of its rugged shell, its neatly integrated aluminium handles and clever vacuum-insulated panels to help maximise internal space while reducing energy consumption. Its temperature accuracy is also exemplary, holding settings with impressive precision whether chilling drinks or freezing food.

However, it isn’t flawless. The companion app feels oddly dated, and then there’s the price. By comparison to other fridge/freezers I’ve tested, including the 35-litre EcoFlow Glacier Classic, which ships with a 40-hour battery for £609, the CFX5 25’s £699.99 asking price is pretty lofty, even by premium camping standards.

Nevertheless, its superb cooling performance and efficiency go a long way towards justifying the outlay.