Wagan 12V 14 Liter Personal Fridge/Warmer Review

The Wagan 12V 14 Liter is a thermoelectric cooler with a capacity of 14L. Its advertised temperature range is 32° - 36°F below ambient and up to 140°F. It comes with just a DC plug and a replacement fuse.

Performance Comparison

Temperature Control

Though any thermoelectric model can only cool a certain amount compared to the ambient temperature (as opposed to compressor-powered coolers that can be set to a specific temperature just like your fridge at home), among the many we tested, the Wagan stands out as an effective model. Filled with cans, it maintained temperatures just over 36°F below ambient. When the temperature control switch is reversed, and the Wagan becomes a small heater, it reached nearly 140°F — one of the warmest actual temperatures we've recorded throughout all our testing.

Insulation

Though the walls appear thick, the Wagan didn't perform very well in our insulation testing. In a room temperature setting, the contents inside gained over 30°F during the course of 36 hours — nearly matching the ambient temperature. We also consider construction materials and durability as they pertain to the insulation and overall effectiveness of the cooler. We couldn't find any specifics about the composition of the Wagan, but it appears to be entirely lightweight plastic. It's not nearly as substantial and rugged-feeling as many of the larger models we tested, and numerous components are a bit worrying. In particular, the hinges are rather narrow and the cord sticks out of the front of the cooler in a way that seems to be just begging to be knocked out of place.

Energy Consumption

Despite being a small cooler, the Wagan does take a fair bit of energy. When cooling, it draws around 56.8 Watts and takes roughly 45.6 Watts while heating. Compared to the rest of the models we tested, these figures are slightly above average, but not by too much. The manufacturer claims that this unit's maximum power draw is just 48 Watts, though based on our testing we think that seems a little low. We also noticed that in either setting, cooling or warming, the unit runs at significantly higher levels (closer to 66 Watts cooling and 58 Watts warming) for several minutes before “calming down” to run at the lower levels we measured.

Ease of Use

The Wagan has several features that we love to use, like the shoulder strap and two cup holders on the front, yet it falls short in this metric because of the details it lacks. While the lid opens very wide for loading, the opening is smaller than the body of the cooler. A good-sized chunk of the back of the cooler is covered completely by the plastic of the body. You can slide a normal-sized soda can underneath, but it stops you from being able to fill it with taller cans or oddly shaped items. The bottom of the lid is very indented, to fit taller objects, but not being able to slide them all the way to the back because of that inconvenient ledge means that they're just in the way of getting to whatever is in the back of your cooler. It's also not a quiet cooler. It sounds like a small fan that's constantly on — which isn't a dealbreaker if you're used to tuning out consistent noises like that.

Portability

Even beyond its small size, the Wagan is quite portable. It weighs just 8.4 pounds when empty. A shoulder strap is semi-permanently affixed to the front and back of the body of this unit, making it simple to carry it pretty much anywhere. It doesn't have an exaggerated handle on the back of the unit, but even fully loaded, we never found ourselves missing it.

Features

The Wagan has no internal organization, but the two cupholders and single rectangular “cubby” on the front are rather handy. The whole thing is shaped rather conveniently to fit between two back seats and even be used as an armrest. Though it doesn't come with an AC cord (or an AC adapter, like most other thermoelectric coolers), it does include a replacement fuse.

Value

This portable model is one of the least expensive options we tested. It's not about to make the cut for a weekend of camping, but for certain uses, it may just be worth it — like keeping drinks cool for the whole family on a long road trip.

Conclusion

The Wagan 12V 14 Liter is a uniquely shaped thermoelectric cooler/heater that's built to be portable. It's not our favorite shape inside for things other than 12 ounce cans, but it's the perfect shape on the outside to become a staple in your car to keep beverages cooler all summer long.