Credit: https://www.mensjournal.com by Matt Hayes
Compact, affordable, and versatile, the Bodega X30 offers lots of capabilities for an entry-level vehicle refrigerator
As refrigerators grow in popularity among vanlife and overland crowds, it stands to reason that prices will fall as new competitors enter the market. Bodega's X30 Cooler 32qt 12V Car Refrigerator fits that bill: It costs $280, which is much less than some of its counterparts.
Of course, that lower price comes with a few trade-offs. The X30 features a plastic construction rather than metal, for example. And Bodega doesn't have the track record and notoriety of the big players like Dometic.
Still, the Bodega X30 car fridge offers enough power, capability, and versatility to make it a great entry into the world of automobile refrigerators. It's light, compact, and ready to convince you to ditch your old-school cooler entirely.
Specs
- Price: $280
- Temperature rating: -4℉ to 68℉
- Power: 60W
- Capacity: 30L, 1.06 cu ft, 31.7 quarts
- Dimensions: 23.74*14.37*14.65 inches
- Weight: 24 lbs
What I like:
Small enough to fit easily in my van, quick cooling, and a reversible door hinge make this a versatile refrigerator option.
What I’d change:
The app does not seem especially useful.
My call:
Vastly less expensive than the competition and efficient in its cooling capabilities, the Bodega X30 Cooler 32qt 12V Car Refrigerator gets the basics right. Its seems superfluous, however, and its plastic construction is perhaps not as durable as its metal counterparts. If it's your first foray into the car refrigerator world and you don't want to drop a ton of cash, the Bodega X30 is solid enough to ditch the old-school cooler.
The Bodega X30 Cooler has a 32-quart capacity and a temperature range of -4 to +68 degrees Fahrenheit. It features one door and one cooling zone inside. It comes with detachable baskets so you can keep your food and drink organized within.
Bodega says the X30 can go from 68 degrees to 32 degrees Fahrenheit in 15 minutes when it's set to Max mode, and while empty. It can also function as a freezer or a refrigerator.
You can charge the unit at home by plugging it into a wall outlet. Out on your vanlife adventures, you can plug the Bodega fridge into a 12V-24V outlet, or into a solar panel and charging station.
It's made from plastic, which helps keep the weight down as compared to more rugged units made of aluminum or steel. It weighs just 24 pounds, which is decently light for a fridge this size. It also has molded cup holders in the reversible lid, and molded handles integrated into the sides of the unit.
Bodega X30 Cooler 32qt 12V Car Refrigerator: Performance
I’ve taken this fridge on long trips when ice management gets annoying and I’m carrying a battery pack anyway. It’s quiet and sits perfectly behind the passenger seat. For tailgating or shorter trips though, my vintage Coleman seems to do the trick just fine and has a lot more space. But if you don't want to deal with soggy messes and constantly draining water, the fridge is a sweet upgrade.
This single zone refrigerator is great for keeping your food cold without ice. It can go as low as -4 degrees to keep ice-pops frozen, or pick a more efficient temperature setting to conserve power while you’re off grid. If you're looking for a dual-zone fridge that can act as both a fridge and a freezer at the same time, Bodega does offer that configuration in larger sizes.
Bodega's app is intended to help you control the temp settings remotely. I haven’t found a use case for this yet. When I’m camping, I’m usually close enough to manually change the temperature if I need to ,and there’s usually no WiFi where I camp anyway. If I have satellite internet running, I’m probably working, which would put me arm’s length from the fridge.
Again, this feature may come in handy if you're in a more urban or suburban setting, using the fridge for other purposes rather than vanlife and overland. I would also feel better about this if the app didn’t ask to track my location at all times.
Bodega X30 Cooler 32qt 12V Car Refrigerator: Final Word
On longer trips, a fridge is the best way to go if you have power to spare. Even with the compressor, a fridge will have about the same amount of storage as the new-style thick-walled coolers.
If you’re looking for an inexpensive car fridge, this one will keep your food cold and has features that makes it easy to use. The included basket makes loading food in and out easy, and there’s a good amount of space given its size.
Depending how much space you have and time you’re going to be on the road, there’s other options for bigger and/or multi-compartment fridges, but for my needs this was a significant improvement over a cooler without taking too much space.
Explore more model reviews: The BODEGA 36L Cooler with Compressor Review
