Knowing how to keep food in your car safely for longer isn’t anywhere near as good as storing the food in a camping fridge – especially if you’re planning on camping out for longer than a few day.
The trouble is, camping fridges are so expensive, and in some cases, they can reach price points of up to $1,000+, which is way out of budget for most of us.
And as a result of that, a very common question that is circulating the community at the minute is: “Why are camping fridges so expensive?”
After some research, I found that camping fridges are typically high-quality appliances that incorporate top-notch technology, including active cooling, exceptional insulation layers, and microcontrollers. For this reason, they are definitely not cheap to make (at least the ones that are good and will do the job).
However, that isn’t the only reason, and in this article, I’ll go over the many other reasons camping fridges are so pricey.
And to make sure you don’t leave empty handed, I did some pretty extensive research to find the best and most affordable alternatives to expensive camping fridges. You can find those products at the bottom of this article.
By the way, The Camping Air Conditioner is sponsored by readers. When you buy through one of our links, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you.
What Makes Camping Fridges So Expensive?
Camping is a very popular activity. In 2021 alone, over 57 million households went camping in North America. And when people go camping, they want to feel as comfortable and as close to home as possible. And for a lot of them, that means having a cold drink in their hands while basking in nature.
But to keep food and drinks cold outdoors, you need a special refrigerator, which isn’t cheap at all. In the section below, I’ll go over the many reasons why camping fridges have such a hefty price tag.
Active Cooling
The first reason that camping fridges, coolers, and even camping ice makers are so expensive is because they use active cooling.
When you bring a cooler to a camping trip, even if you have the most expensive one on the market, all it does is insulate whatever is inside. This keeps the temperature consistent for longer. But eventually, whatever is in the cooler will heat up, and the ice (if it’s ice-based) will start melting.
Camping fridges and mini-fridges for camping, on the other hand, connect to a power source. This is usually a car battery, but there are also a couple of camping fridges that can run on solar power as well. These fridges use a micro compressor to cool down the inside and keep whatever is in there as cold as possible at all times.
That way, the fridge stays cold for the entire camping trip. So, if you plan on living in a tent for a long time, there’s no around it. You have to get a fridge. While these micro compressors are very useful, they are also quite expensive, which drives up the price of the machine.
Extra Insulation
On top of the active cooling elements, camping fridges also have a fair amount of insulation. This reduces the heat transfer in and out of the fridge, keeping the temperature consistent. There is a lot of time and effort spent in determining the best design for portability and insulation, which is another reason these devices can be expensive.
Locks
One of the things you’ll find on most camping fridges nowadays is a lock. I decided to get a camping fridge with a lock to prevent animals and people from getting into the fridge when I’m sleeping.
This is a great security feature and can help keep your food and drinks as safe as possible when camping out in the wilderness.
That said, locks are another feature that can add to the price. And while it may mean you have to spend a bit more, it’s all worth it if you want to secure the appliance and your supplies.
My camping fridge has a pin-code lock system. So, I don’t need a key or anything else but a password to open it. This makes securing my supplies even more convenient, but it did add a fair amount to the price.
Dual Settings
If you get one of the more premium camping fridges on the market, it might come with dual settings. Camping fridges with dual settings can keep your food and drinks cold, but it can also keep your supplies warm. This unlocks a wide range of possibilities on the campsite.
For example, you can keep a batch of soup warm the whole day during colder camping trips – if you go camping on the beach during the winter for example. Or, you can fill the fridge with drinks that you know will stay cold the whole time you’re out in the wild.
Microcontrollers
Another cool feature available on premium camping fridges nowadays is microcontrollers. These are devices that can connect to your phone via Wi-Fi and allow you to control the settings of the appliance remotely.
Granted, this isn’t a necessary feature, but it’s very cool and convenient. But since it’s such an advanced feature, you can expect camping fridges with microcontrollers to cost a fair amount of money.
They Are Portable
When you buy a camping fridge, you pay for portability. One of the biggest advantages of a camping fridge is that you can take it with you just about anywhere you go. This isn’t a feature available on normal refrigerators and is another reason these appliances can be quite expensive.
Technology to Control Power Consumption
This technology isn’t expensive, but it’s absolutely necessary, which only adds to the total overall cost of the average camping fridge. My camping fridge works like that, and it not only works extremely well but also doesn’t use that much energy to run.
Affordable Alternatives to Expensive Camping Fridges
To help you find an affordable alternative to the expensive camping fridges, I went out and researched the market. So below, I’ll show you three of my favorite alternative picks.
- 4L storage capacity
- Can be plugged into 100-120V or 12V power supply
- Easy and convenient to carry around
- The fridge is freon-free and environmentally friendly
- 25L/6.6 Gallons internal storage capacity
- Change modes with the flip of a switch
- Easy to set up and use
- Includes power adapters for flexible usage
- 14L capacity
- Hot/cold/off switch indicates which temperature mode is in use
- Easy and straightforward to use
- Keep food and beverages cool without messy ice
Conclusion: Is a Camping Fridge Worth It?
As you have seen above, I did the research for you and have found three great and very affordable alternatives that you can pick up right now and use on your next camping trip.
