The Mobicool MCG15 is a compressor cooler with 15 litres of volume. It can cool and freeze and runs on both 12 V DC and 230 V – the power supply for mains operation is already built in. That was exactly what we had been looking for: as little power draw as possible, and as compact as possible. You can find all the specs on the manufacturer's site:
Before: the thermoelectric cooler
For a long time I used a completely ordinary thermoelectric cooler, one of those upright standard boxes, and it served me well: cheap, compact, cool enough. On mains power and in the car while driving, a box like that works fine. Its problem is the electricity – just under 60 watts, continuously. Nothing is regulated: the box simply keeps running at its 58 watts, no matter how cold it already is inside. That means the inside temperature depends directly on the outside temperature. Such a box manages around 20 degrees of difference, if I remember correctly. So in cool weather it gets really cold inside, and in the heat – when you need the cooling most – the temperature rises along with it. On top of that there was quite a lot of condensation inside, and the permanent fan noise started to bother me over time.
Once it was clear that we wanted to get by on solar power and a small power station, the maths was quickly done: it does not add up. You cannot pull 60 watts around the clock out of a small battery. So a compressor cooler it had to be – as frugal and as small as possible. That is how we ended up with this 15-litre box, which needs very little power thanks to its good insulation.
Room for two bottles and some cheese
Space really is tight. For one person it is plenty, for two it can get cramped. Two beer bottles fit in nicely, plus some cheese and vegetables and a piece of butter – and then the box is full. According to the data sheet even two 1.5-litre bottles fit; we have not tried that. And you should know that the small compartment next to the cooling area is not cooled. You can put a few small things in there, but it does not get cold.
It still worked well for the two of us. When camping you do not need half a supermarket fridge with you – a little bit of chilled food is enough.
Design, controls and connectors
The box simply looks good, I really like the design. The handles are recessed, nothing sticks out, and so it is easy to carry and to stow anywhere in the car – in the footwell, on the back seat, or on the passenger seat. It cools down quickly and the controls are self-explanatory.
We find it particularly practical that both AC and DC work and that the 230 V power supply is built in. You only need the two cables and connect whichever one you happen to have available. It can both cool and freeze, but we only ever used the cooling mode: in freezing mode everything gets frozen, which is impractical for most food.
Power draw and noise
The power draw really is low. We could keep cooling for one or two days even without solar power – that depends on the battery, of course, but in our setup with a small storage it worked very well. Depending on the outside temperature, the compressor kicks in a few times per hour.
The noise is fine in comparison too. When the compressor starts up you do hear it, at night possibly several times. I am actually sensitive to that, but I got used to it quickly. And if the box is not standing right next to your head but in the footwell, or half covered under a board, you notice it even less.
The panel in the picture is our old small 80-watt foldable one – not the bigger Renogy solar suitcase with 100 watts, which we cover in a review of its own.
Not every power station plays along
One thing worth knowing before you buy: a compressor cooler draws almost no power while the compressor is off. My first power station switched off its output for exactly that reason – too little load, so standby – and after that the box could not start up again either. I talked to the manufacturer about it: with that device it was simply the case and could not be turned off.
That was precisely my reason for building my own Battery box – I wanted to have it under my own control. With that it has worked flawlessly ever since. It does work with many power stations, but you have to try it out beforehand or research it thoroughly.
Verdict
For us a top product: great cooling performance, compact, smart design, simple to operate – and above all frugal. Together with the battery box it made a great team over several years, and we were very happy with it. The one point of criticism remains the tight cooling space. In the long run it is really too small, but you can arrange yourself around it well.