Easy Camp Coolio 12V Powered Coolbox

Review Score

We've given the Easy Camp Coolio 12V Powered Coolbox the Thumbs Up award.

This was a hands-on product review.

Price Guide

Easy Camp Coolio 12V Powered Coolbox Photos

Our Review

I recently had a chance to check out the Easy Camp powered coolbox, called the Coolio, and was quite impressed...

If you have a long journey to a campsite, a powered coolbox is an ideal way to keep things cool, with the 12V coolboxes running off the 12V power supply in your car (we're lucky enough to have a 12V power point in the boot, which is ideal).

When using an Electric Hook Up, powered coolboxes can, of course, help to keep things cool in your tent.

I had the chance to give the 24L Easy Camp coolbox a good going over. Here's what I found.

Easy Camp Coolio vs. Campingaz PowerBox

As far as powered coolboxes go, we've been using the extremely popular 12 V Campingaz PowerBox coolbox for several years. So how does the Easy Camp coolbox compare?

Capacity: Our Campingaz Powerbox is the 28L version, slightly larger than this 24L Coolio, though Campingaz also does a 24L coolbox. The 24L was slightly shorter than our 28L coolbox but not that noticeable.

Cooling and Warming: Both coolboxes can keep things cool, or keep things warm (ideal for winter picnics!). I like the fact that the Easy Camp Coolio has a switch to change the temperature mode. With the Campingaz Powerbox you have to plug the cable in around the right way. The Easy Camp coolbox is a little bit better in that regard.

Performance: Powered coolboxes are not like fridges, and how warm it is outside will influence their temperature. Unfortunately, I've not tried the Easy Camp coolbox in a performance test, but it reports to keep things 15 to 20 degrees colder than its outside temperature. The PowerBox says it keeps things about 16 degrees below the outside temperature, and based on our experience, that's about right.

Other Features: The Easy Camp Coolio has a removable divider, whereas the Campingaz doesn't. You may not find the divider that useful, depending on what you are carrying. I know though that on many a camping trip, a divider would have been useful in keeping some delicate items away from heavier items like bottles of milk.

The Easy Camp Coolio also has a hinged lid. This may not sound like much of a feature, but with a lot of coolboxes, such as the PowerBox, the lid comes completely off. A hinged lid is a lot easier to get into the box to get items as you don't have to put the lid down anywhere.

Build Quality: Our Campingaz PowerBox has been dragged up and down the country for camping and days out, carried to and from tents, and repeatedly buried and bashed in the car's boot as we cram all over the country our gear in there. It's still going.

We've not subjected the Easy Camp PowerBox to the same long term 'destructive test' (i.e. typical family use!), but from having a good play around with it, the Easy Camp PowerBox looks well made and felt good quality. The handle felt good and sturdy too.

Conclusion

We've been happy with our PowerBox, but if we chose a powered coolbox again, I'd certainly put the Easy Camp coolbox on the list.

This well-made coolbox is worth a look if you are considering buying a powered coolbox for camping or picnics.

Details