Packed With Tech, Not Ice

The Anker EverFrost Dual-Zone Powered Cooler 50 does away with the need for ice through energized cooling technology from a removable battery pack or other power source. It has dual zones, so one or both sides can be a refrigerator or freezer, making for a distinctive offering and a far more versatile travel companion. While all of this technology comes at a significant premium, it’s hard to find fault with the EverFrost 50’s potential value for those who love outdoor excursions.

Anker EverFrost Dual-Zone Powered Cooler 50

$709 $949 Save $240

The Anker EverFrost Dual-Zone Powered Cooler 50 is a premium, tech-filled companion for avid picnickers, tailgaters, and campers.

Size

37.9 x 16.9 x 19.1in

Weight

55.8lbs

Running Time

27 hours

Power

299Wh detachable battery

Solar Input

Optional

Charge Time

4 hours

Temperature Range

-4℉ – 68℉ (-20°C – 20°C) Cooling Range

Pros

• Dual refrigeration and freezing zones
• Several ways to power and charge
• 53L capacity
• Easy-to-use app control

Cons

• LCD is hard to see in direct sunlight
• Wheels don’t lock
• Cooler compartment space uneven between zones

Design: Big and Modern

Anker EverFrost Dual-Zone Powered Cooler 50 on grass

The EverFrost 50 features a modern gray aesthetic with black accents. It’s a solid, well-built unit. The cooler measures a generous 37.9 x 16.9 x 19.1 inches. It’s also heavy at 55.8lbs, not counting the battery pack, which adds more than four pounds. Considering you never need to add ice, unless you want to, the weight is not necessarily unreasonable. Still, its size is something to keep in mind versus the smaller and lighter EverFrost 30 and EverFrost 40 units, each with single cooling compartments.

Included in the package are the cooler, 95W charger, car socket barrel connector charging cable, 299W Anker Detachable Battery for Powered Cooler, and user manuals for the cooler and battery. Storage baskets for each of the two compartments are pre-installed but removable.

At the top of the EverFrost 50 are its two lids, which are opened via embedded handles that help snap the lid shut. Each lid is secured with a chain to stop it from opening past a 90-degree angle. At the bottom of each storage compartment is a removable plug in case any liquid needs to be drained. Finally, if power is applied, each compartment has a bright LED light.

On the front of the unit is a handle and collapsible tray table, which is handy for everything from chopping fruit or vegetables to simply having a place to rest your phone. On the left side is an embedded bottle opener.

Rear of Anker EverFrost Dual-Zone Powered Cooler 50

To the rear of the cooler is another handle, a battery cover, and two six-inch wheels. Between the two wheels is an AC port in case you want to power the cooler without the battery pack. Above the handle is a small screen and controls.

Overall, I thought the design was excellent in practice. However, I didn’t like that the battery cover didn’t flip down on a hinge. Instead, it needs to be removed completely when taking out the battery, making it a loose piece of plastic to keep track of.

Technology: Versatile, With an App

Removing sandwiches from an Anker EverFrost Dual-Zone Powered Cooler 50 on grass

Despite a big 53-liter capacity, Anker claims the EverFrost 50 can keep food at a temperature of 39F for up to 27 hours against an ambient temperature of 77F. It takes roughly 30 minutes from startup for the EverFrost 50 to reach 32F under those same conditions.

Without the battery in place, the cooler can be used with the AC charging cable or car charging cable. With the battery in place, the battery can be charged via the AC port using either cable. Similarly, with the battery in place, an optional solar panel can be used for direct charging, as it can with a USB-C cable and appropriate power source.

The battery pack itself features a handle, a power button, four LED lights to indicate remaining battery power, two USB-A outputs, one combined USB-C output and input, and an AC input. The USB-A ports can output up to 2.4A each, while the USB-C can input or output up to 60W. It takes about four hours to charge the battery to 100% from zero using the wall outlet or car socket, close to six hours using a 60W USB-C charger, or just over three and a half hours using a 100W solar panel.

The Anker 50’s onboard LCD indicates Zone 1 temperature, Zone 2 temperature, temperature unit, voltage protection level, Bluetooth connectivity, and if the battery is attached, the remaining percentage. Once the cooler is powered, pressing the power button for two seconds turns it on.

The LCD panel and controls on the Anker EverFrost Dual-Zone Powered Cooler 50

The temperatures of Zone 1 and Zone 2 can be controlled separately from the control panel. Finally, pressing the Bluetooth button for two seconds turns on Bluetooth to connect to the Anker app.

The Anker app, for iPhones running iOS 11.0 or higher or Android running 5.0 operating system or newer, also lets you control the cooler’s settings, as well as provide firmware updates. Frankly, it’s far easier to use the app than the onboard controls, but, save for firmware updates, all functions are still available without the app.

Use Cases: Smarter Than Your Average Cooler

When cooling, there’s a slight, but audible hum. Fortunately, it’s nothing particularly distracting. More importantly, it kept our food, whether refrigerated or frozen, as cold as our refrigerator. While I didn’t track the exact time, it took only a bit more than 30 minutes to get down to 5F from first power on when packing it up indoors with an ambient temperature of approximately 67F.

When I took the Anker 50 to a park for a picnic lunch, for example, my family’s sandwiches felt like they were fresh out of the fridge. Our ice cream was still frozen and had to sit out for a minute to soften enough to scoop—the same as at home. That’s powerful stuff. The cooler even beeps if you accidentally leave the lid open. The only downside is that the LCD is almost impossible to see in direct sunlight, making the app all but a necessity for fine-tuning outdoors.

Removing an ice cream container from the Anker EverFrost Dual-Zone Powered Cooler 50

The wheels worked great on grass and loose gravel and should be okay in sand. Unfortunately, the wheels don’t lock, so you have to make sure it’s secured when placed in your vehicle’s trunk so it doesn’t roll around.

In terms of storage, 53L is a good amount of space. For context, that’s roughly 60 soda cans or 30 beer bottles. Of course, for most users, it will be a mix of food and beverages, but the bottom line is it holds a lot of stuff. It’s just a shame that Zone 2 has an irregular shape compared to Zone 1, so you need to plan how you’re going to store stuff, and at what temperature, in advance.

In general, if you lose power in your home, an unopened refrigerator should keep food cold for about four hours, while an unopened freezer compartment that’s half full should keep food frozen for 24 hours. If you lack a generator, the EverFrost 50 makes a great backup for critical food items, not to mention refrigerated medicines, for longer power outages.

Another interesting use case is to fill one of the compartments with ice and set it to freeze. This way the ice won’t melt and there will be less clean-up. Of course, the aforementioned removable plugs are always there if needed to drain out any liquid.

Although glass bottles are typically banned in places like campgrounds, national parks, and beaches, they’re still allowed in other settings like tailgating in parking lots at stadiums, making the bottle opener a handy inclusion. It’s just one of those nice touches on a premium product like this that isn’t necessary but makes good use of some of the extra space on the cooler.

Finally, there’s the included Anker Detachable Battery for Powered Cooler. Even the least expensive equivalent 299Wh battery pack or generator can cost well north of $100. The fact that it’s removable and self-contained means you can use it to charge, for example, a standard laptop roughly five times or a phone more than 25 times.

Should You Buy The Anker EverFrost Dual-Zone Powered Cooler 50?

Even when on sale for a few hundred dollars less than the usual $949 retail price, Anker’s EverFrost 50 is a significant investment for a cooler. With that said, it’s effectively a mini refrigerator on wheels, albeit one that’s far more versatile. The various power and charging options, as well as the power bank itself, certainly justify some of the expense, as does the overall build quality.

If you don’t mind the large size and quite a bit of weight, particularly when fully loaded, the EverFrost 50 can be a valuable companion for those who like to picnic, tailgate, or camp. It’s attractive, functional, and easy to use, and might just prove that even something as simple as a cooler can benefit from a high-tech infusion.

Anker EverFrost Dual-Zone Powered Cooler 50

$709 $949 Save $240

The Anker EverFrost Dual-Zone Powered Cooler 50 is a premium, tech-filled companion for avid picnickers, tailgaters, and campers.