Dometic Waeco CFX75DZW Review


 

A Dometic Waeco CFX75DZW Review: Have Dometic Created One of the Best Portable Fridge/Freezers?

 

Dometic returns with a portable fridge/freezer that promises to keep your food cool or frozen during your travels. Does it deliver? Let’s find out.

Dometic started life as the leisure appliances division of electronics company Electrolux. However, the dissolution of its parent company forced Dometic to strike out in its own.

The company rebuilt itself as a manufacturer of goods for mobile living and has established itself as a leader in the camping space. In particular, it focuses on the development of refrigeration units that you can use while camping or travelling.

That brings us to the focus on this review. The Dometic Waeco CFX75DZW promises to deliver everything that a camper might need. But does it deliver on those promises?

The Good

  • Comes with a Wi-Fi App to help you manage its compartments.
  • Has separate compartments for chilled and frozen goods.
  • Uses compressor technology to enhance energy efficiency.
  • Comes with a carry case that also offers extra storage.
  • Durable thanks to heavy-duty design.

The Bad

  • The temperature controls may sometimes provide inaccurate readings
  • The compressor can get a little noisy during cooling.

The Bottom Line

If you’re looking for a fridge/freezer for traveling, there are few better options than the Dometic Waeco CFX. It’s sturdy, energy-efficient, and features a lot of useful technology. The only real issue is the noise that it generates while cooling, but this is a temporary issue.

 

The Full Dometic Waeco CFX75DZW  Review

The Dometic Waeco CFX seemed like the perfect choice to take out on a road trip. That also gave us an opportunity to really test out what it has to offer.

Our review focused on a few important factors. These include:

  • General Design and Durability
  • Energy Efficiency
  • Temperature Controls
  • Versatility
  • Storage Space
  • Other Features

Let’s see how it performed.

 

 

General Design and Durability

The first thing you’ll notice about this portable camping fridge/freezer is how rugged it feels. Dometic has done a great job of creating a sturdy fridge/freezer that can stand up to the wear and tear of traveling.

The reinforced corners are a standout feature as they offer greater stability to the entire unit. Of course, the corners are the most likely part of the unit to get banged off things as you move the fridge/freezer around. Reinforcement keeps them in good condition and adds to the unit’s durability.

There are also plenty of clever design touches. The Dometic Waeco CFX has useful handles on the sides that make it easy to carry. These handles also retract automatically so you don’t have to worry about them getting lodged against anything. If needed, you can also detach them so you can slot the unit into tight gaps.

The fridge itself contains two compartments, each of which has its own thermostat. A divider runs down the center and there’s thick insulation used throughout. This allows you to keep each compartment at a different temperature without one affecting the other.

At least, it should do. It’s possible that you may run into some slight issues when using one compartment to chill and the other to freeze food. The food in the chilled compartment that’s closest to the divider may end up freezing slightly itself. It’s not a major issue and tends only to occur when there’s a significant temperature difference between the compartments.

You can remove and reverse the lids of each compartment, which is another clever touch. Instead of turning the entire fridge/freezer around, you can just pop the lid off to grab what you need.

You also get a couple of wired mesh baskets that slot into the compartments. These let you separate the contents from each other, which also prevents them from coming into contacted with the unit’s walls. However, using them does limit the space inside the unit.

It’s a tough portable fridge/freezer that features plenty of intelligent design choices.

 

Energy Efficiency

A portable fridge/freezer that drains your battery isn’t going to be much use at all. Happily, this is an area where the Dometic Waeco excels.

Dometic uses compression technology to ensure this fridge/freezer makes the most of the electricity you pump into it. This compressor features variable speed technology. As a result, the fridge/freezer manages its energy usage based on the ambient temperature. If you’re in a cool location, it won’t require as much power as when you are in a warm location.

This also allows the fridge to cycle its cooling functions. Once it reaches the correct temperature, the compressor deactivates and lets the insulated body do the work. When the temperature rises again, the compressor comes back on.

Speaking of the compressor, it does tend to generate a fair amount of noise when cooling. This only lasts for a few minutes until the compartments reach the correct temperature.

The compartments also feature LED light bulbs that activate when you open one of the lids. They’re also energy efficient and they turn off automatically once you close the lids.

 

 

Cooling Temperature Controls

The Dometic Waeco CFX offers two ways for you to control its temperature.

The first of these is an LED panel built into the fridge/freezer itself. This panel includes a Set, a +, and a - button, as well as two LED displays that tell you the temperature of each compartment.

Clicking the Set button once causes the left-hand LED display to flash. You then use the + and - buttons to set the temperature for that compartment. Another press of the Set button allows you to do the same for the second compartment.

You can also adjust other features, such as the brightness of the display and the temperature unit for the fridge/freezer.

Dometic has also given the fridge/freezer some Wi-Fi capabilities. If you can connect to the web, you can use a mobile app to control the unit’s settings. That means you don’t have to keep getting up and down to mess with it.

Generally speaking, you shouldn’t run into any issues with the fridge/freezer’s temperature settings. However, some people have reported that the internal temperature doesn’t always match up with the temperature on the display. However, there’s usually only a degree or two of difference when this happens.

The unit offers a temperature range of between 10 and -22 degrees Celsius. However, it’s important to note that the ambient temperature affects this range. It operates comfortably in ambient temperatures of between 16 and 43 degrees Celsius.

You may find that it can’t reach its coldest extremes at the higher end of that ambient scale.

Operating Versatility

This is one area where the Dometic Waeco fridge/freezer shines.

The fact that it uses two thermostats makes it an extremely versatile unit. You don’t even have to use it as a fridge/freezer. You can set the temperatures so that it operates as a fridge/fridge or a freezer/freezer.

You can also remove the wire mesh baskets from the compartments. This frees up some more space if you want to transport larger items.

Storage Space

The Dometic Waeco CFX measures in at 88.7cm x 47.2cm x 49.5cm. This offers a good balance between size and portability.

Without the wire mesh baskets, it has a total storage space of 75 litres. This is equivalent to 106 regular-sized cans, which is more than enough for most road trips.

It’s worth noting that one of the compartments contains a bulky shelf that takes up some space. This prevents you from keeping large items in the bottom of this compartment.

Other Special Features

The Dometic Waeco CFX comes with several additional features and goodies that might tempt you.

The sturdy protective transit bag is perhaps the most desirable of these. The bag offers protection to the unit while you’re carrying it. That means you get to avoid all of the little scrapes and scratches that could lower its resale value.

The bag also features a couple of handy storage pockets. Plus, you can keep the fridge/freezer inside the bag while the unit is in use. The bag features mesh that allows the unit to keep itself ventilated at all times. It also has a gap that offers access to the unit’s handle.

The USB port is another clever feature that most portable fridge/freezers don’t offer. You can use it to charge up your mobile devices while the fridge is in use. This obviously drains a little more power than normal, but the fridge is still more efficient than most of its competitors.

Finally, the fridge/freezer comes with a three-year manufacturer’s warranty. That includes a two-year parts-only warranty for the compression.

 

How to Buy a Portable Fridge/Freezer

 

That covers the main Dometic Waeco CFX Fridge/Freezer features that you need to know about. Naturally, you may want to compare it against other portable units before making your decision.

This buyer’s guide shows you how to buy a portable fridge/freezer based on its features. Ask these questions before making your choice.

How Much Can it Carry?

Portable fridges tend to offer a litre measurement when it comes to how much they can carry. This usually varies between 25 litres and 80 litres, though some units can go higher or lower.

It’s generally easier to measure how much a portable fridge/freezer can carry using the cans measurement. For example, a 25-litre unit can carry about 27 cans. This increases to about 120 cans for an 80-litre unit.

 

 

How Much Does it Weigh?

 

Weight is an obvious issue when it comes to portability. Larger units can weigh upwards of 30kg when empty. This increases considerably when the unit is fully stocked.

You also need to know how much weight your vehicle can carry before stocking the fridge/freezer. A fully-stocked unit may push your vehicle over its Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) when stored alongside other equipment.

 

What Types of Portable Coolers Exist?

There are four types of portable cooler that you need to know about:

Compressor Units. The Dometic Waeco CFX falls into the compressor category of fridge/freezers. These use your car’s battery for power, or will run on the mains if used at home or on a camping site. They typically use compressor technology to boost energy efficiency as it only operates when needed. However, this technology does make them heavier than other units. These units have the ability to refrigerate or freeze their contents.

Passive Cool Boxes/Bags. These are the most basic type that you can get. You typically have to pack them with ice to keep them cool as they don’t run off gas or electricity. Instead they rely on insulation to keep the contents cool. The upside is that they’re the most cost-effective option. However, you’ll need to keep restocking them with ice, particularly when used in warm climates.

Thermoelectric Cool Boxes. These are a step up from the passive cool boxes. They use a combination of insulation and an electric fan to keep the contents cool. This means they plug into a vehicle’s battery or the mains power like a compressor unit. The difference is that ambient temperature has a larger effect on them. The hotter it is, the less likely the cool box is to keep its contents cool. The fan also operates constantly, which means they are noisy and drain energy, though not as much as compressor units.

Absorption Coolers/Three-Way Fridges. These units use a combination of gas and electricity to keep their contents cool. They also operate silently, which is a big bonus when you’re on a crowded campsite. Finally, they can often cool their contents upwards of 30 degrees Celsius below the ambient temperature. The trade-off is that you need to keep them well-ventilated when you’re using gas. Plus, they cut out if you tilt them, so you need to keep the unit on a flat surface.

 

The Final Word

The Dometic Waeco CFX75DZW is one of the leading portable fridge/freezers on the market. It’s certainly one of the most energy efficient, which makes it suitable for longer trips. As long as you manage usage well, you shouldn’t run into issues with it draining your vehicle’s battery.

It’s also a sturdy unit that comes with an array of impressive features, such as the temperature control app. A large unit, it can hold plenty of food and drinks for multi-day camping trips.

Of course, you’ll have to deal with some noise when the compressor starts operating. However, that’s an issue with all portable fridge/freezers of this type.

Perhaps you want to take this fridge/freezer out with you on your next trip?

If so, head to the Tentworld website to buy it today or check out the full Dometic Waeco range. And please get in touch if you have any further questions.


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