With the much-hyped unveiling of the MultiCooler (SwapSolar combo) at CES 2024 in Las Vegas, Bluetti has entered the highly competitive segment of portable, outdoor fridges.
The MultiCooler, while challenging fridges from established brands like Dometic, AcoPower, GoSun, Alpicool, ICECO, and BougeRV, also poses a strong threat to EcoFlow’s Glacier, which has been on the market for almost one year.
Both devices are three-in-one units combining a fridge, freezer, and ice maker. There are only a few changes in the specifications.
The size and portability are nearly identical, but what gives Bluetti a clear edge over EcoFlow is its power.
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Update July 2024: Though Bluetti launched its portable fridge with much hype along with the AC180T power station, it is currently not available on either its website or Amazon. It appears the brand has discontinued it. You only have the EcoFlow alternative left for your portable power needs.. Release Update: Bluetti launched the SwapSolar fridge ecosystem on Indiegogo on February 21, 2024. The brand expects to start shipping it to the backers in March 2024. Update February 2024: With the imminent launch of the SwapSolar outdoor fridge ecosystem on Indiegogo, Bluetti has announced the price of the standalone products in February 2024. A unit of the MultiCooler fridge will carry a price of $569, a discount of 37% off its retail price on the crowdfunding platform. A unit of the AC180T power station will be available for $849, with a discount of 35% off its retail price. Meanwhile, a combination of the MulitCooler and a single unit of the B70 battery will be on sale for $799, and the B70 battery alone will carry a price of around $300. Update: Bluetti is going to launch its much-touted SwapSolar Ecosystem (MultiCooler Fridge and AC180T power station combo) in a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo. The project has already appeared on the coming-soon page of the crowdfunding platform here. I am not sure when the launch of the project is planned for, but it is ironic to see why a popular brand still depends on a crowd-funding platform for the launch of a much-excited product. |
Let’s see what is special about Bluetti in terms of the power of the fridge.
The standout feature is the combination of the fridge with a solar power station, branded as Bluetti SwapSolar. Exclusively for the fridge, Bluetti has designed an incredibly compact power station with a pair of hot-swappable batteries, each with a capacity of 716.8 Wh (B70). This is the area where Bluetti outplays its rival brand.
Branded as Bluetti AC180T, the compact power station accommodates a pair of detachable battery packs, which can be independently used in the MultiCooler fridge.
This gives outdoor enthusiasts enough freedom in the wild to use power for multiple purposes. The base power station includes all the specialties of a regular power station, such as multiple charging outlets and inputs, including solar.
Bluetti Multicooler Vs EcoFlow Glacier: Specs
The Bluetti MultiCooler is a 55L (50qt) portable fridge with a refrigerator compartment of 40L and an ice-making room of 9L capacity.
The EcoFlow Glacier is a 38L fridge, with separate compartments for the freezer and chiller.
Both machines have built-in ice cube makers. The Bluetti’s ice maker appears to be capable of automatically starting a new batch of ice cubes without needing to empty the ice maker before the next batch, which seems to be an improvement over the EcoFlow model.
The EcoFlow Glacier supports solar charging at a rate of 240 watts, while the Bluetti SwapSolar system has a solar input of 500 watts (the AC180T). The Bluetti fridge itself seems to have a PV input of 200 watts (this needs to be confirmed).
Regarding the battery, the Glacier’s add-on battery is a small 298 Wh unit, whereas the Bluetti MultiCooler has a 716.8 Wh LFP battery pack, allowing it to run outdoors and keep your food and beverages chilled for days.
The Other Specs at a Glance
EcoFlow Glacier
- Capacity: Single zone: 38L (40 qt.); Dual zone: 36L (38 qt.)
- Battery: 298 Wh
- Weight: 23 kg / 50.7 lbs
- Size: 33.3 in. x 15.2 in. x 17.5 in
- Refrigerant: R600a, 32 g
- Connectivity: Bluetooth and Wi-Fi
Bluetti MulitCooler
- Capacity: 50qt / 55L
- Battery: 716.8Wh / 28Ah
- Weight: 52.9lbs / 24kg
- Size: 28 × 16.5 × 18.7in
- Refrigerant: N/A
- Connectivity: N/A
Price and Availability
The Bluetti SwapSolar was just unveiled at CES 2024. The release date and price of the outdoor fridge ecosystem were not announced then. EcoFlow’s Glacier, by the way, has been on sale for over a year at a price of around $1000.
Update: Bluetti has announced the price of its upcoming SwapSolar outdoor fridge ecosystem, as the launch of the product is near. While no exact release date has been provided yet, the prices were revealed in mid-February 2024.
- The MultiCooler fridge alone will have a discounted price of $569 for the crowdfunding release, which is a 37% reduction off its retail price.
- The price for the AC180T power station will be $849, with a 35% discount off its retail price.
It is when a combination of the MulitCooler with a single unit of the B70 battery will be on sale for $799, and the B70 battery alone will be on sale for around $300. The B70 is a single battery unit of the brand’s AC180T hot-swappable power station.
Popular brands in segments like Dometic, BougeRV, AcoPower, and GoSun may also face the heat of the competition.