Dometic CFX5 35 Electric Cooler vs Dometic CFX2 45 Electric Cooler

The short answer

Buy the Dometic CFX5 35 if you want the better-engineered fridge and 36 liters is enough for how you travel. It is Dometic's premium line: vacuum insulated panels on top of polyurethane foam, the VMSO 3.5 variable-speed compressor (European listings give 41 dB), a weatherproof color display, aluminum self-folding handles and an 18W fast-charge USB port. For a solo traveler or a couple doing 3 to 5 days between grocery stops, it is the one we would pick.

Buy the Dometic CFX2 45 if you need the extra space and want to stay with Dometic. It gives you about 9 more liters, a produce crisper and Bluetooth app control, and it usually costs somewhat less. You give up the premium insulation, the color screen and the metal handles, and you take on a 19.4-inch-tall box that will not fit some under-bench bays.

Put simply, one is the better fridge and the other is the bigger fridge. Full details are in our CFX5 35 review and CFX2 45 review. If you are still deciding on size and compressor type in general, start with the 12V fridge complete guide. VanLifeKitchens does not test fridges hands-on. Everything below comes from Dometic's published specs and from owner reports.

Capacity and how each one fits a van

Dometic lists the CFX5 35 at 36 liters (50 cans) and the CFX2 45 at 45 liters (60 cans). That 9-liter gap matters more than it sounds. Owners commonly describe 36 liters as right for a solo traveler for a week or a couple for 3 to 5 days. 45 liters stretches a couple to most of a week, or covers a family of three or four for a long weekend. The 12V fridge sizing guide shows how resupply interval, fresh food and drinks change which of these two sizes you need.

The shapes are what decide most van installs, though. The two footprints are almost identical: about 27.3 x 15.7 inches for the CFX5 and 26.7 x 15.8 inches for the CFX2. The difference is height. The CFX5 35 stands about 16 inches tall and the CFX2 45 about 19.4 inches. Most of the CFX2's extra volume comes from that height. Before you buy, measure the clear height under your bench or bed platform, then add room for the lid to open and for airflow. Dometic's US manual for the CFX5 asks for at least 50 mm (about 2 inches) of ventilation on all sides. The CFX2 manual asks for "sufficient ventilation on all four sides" without a distance, so plan on the same 2 inches. Both lids are removable. Dometic's manuals cover reversing the lid opening only on other models, the CFX2 57 and the larger CFX5s, so expect the hinge side to be fixed on both of these.

The extra height has an upside. Owners report that tall bottles and two-liter jugs stand upright in deeper fridges like the CFX2 45, while in the 35-liter class they often have to lie down. The CFX2 also adds a produce crisper section next to its wire basket. The CFX5 35 gives you a removable divider instead.

Edge: CFX2 45, for more usable space and upright bottles, as long as you have 19.4 inches of clearance.

Power draw and battery sizing

Both fridges have a variable-speed compressor and Dometic's 3-stage battery protection. Dometic's own published efficiency figures for them are messy, though.

For the CFX5 35, Dometic's US page lists 1.11 Ah/h at 90°F ambient with a 39°F setpoint. The 0.77 Ah/h figure you may see is from Dometic's European page, for a European model that uses R600a refrigerant and a 42W rating. For the CFX2 45, Dometic's US page publishes no consumption figure at all. The 0.86 Ah/h figure comes from the Australian page, and the US model uses a different refrigerant from the Australian one. So only the CFX5 35 has a US rating you can plan around.

Here is how our reviews turn those figures into planning numbers. They multiply by 24 and add 20 to 30 percent for lid openings, warm groceries and van interiors that get hotter than 90°F:

• CFX5 35: about 27 Ah/day (about 320 Wh at 12V) at the US rating. Our cautious summer planning figure is 30 to 35 Ah/day (360 to 420 Wh).
• CFX2 45: about 21 Ah/day (about 250 Wh) if you take the Australian rating. Our summer planning figure is 25 to 28 Ah/day (300 to 340 Wh). Treat that as a rough guide, since it isn't a US figure.

Keep these separate from the nameplate ratings, 47W and 7.6A for the CFX5 35 and 8.8A for the CFX2 45. Those are maximum draws for fuse and wire sizing, not 24-hour figures.

On paper, then, the bigger fridge comes out ahead of the smaller one. That is not what you would expect from the CFX5's vacuum panels, and comparing a US rating with an Australian one for a different-refrigerant model is the likely reason. In practice, either fridge runs comfortably on 200 Ah of lithium with solar or alternator charging. Either one is tight on a 100 Ah bank once lights, fans and devices share it. Running either as a freezer uses considerably more power. To try your own battery, ambient temperature and setpoint, use our fridge battery calculator.

Edge: too close to call on the published numbers. The CFX2 45 looks better on paper, but only on an Australian figure, and the CFX5's insulation should help in the heat. Size your battery for the CFX5's US figure, about 27 Ah/day before summer margin, whichever you choose.

Build, lid and handles

This is where the price difference shows. The CFX5 35 uses Dometic's reinforced ExoFrame-style body, aluminum handles that fold themselves away and include a bottle opener, a removable lid with a textured non-slip top, TPE gaskets and an anti-condensation coil around the seal. That coil deals with lid-area moisture, a common complaint on cheaper fridges in humid weather.

The CFX2 45 has a polypropylene body with reinforced corners, stainless steel hinges, a click-shut latch and folding ABS plastic handles. It is plainer, but Dometic did not economize on the parts that wear most, the hinges and the latch. Owners on retail sites mostly mention how heavy it is once loaded, not that it breaks.

The two weigh almost the same empty: Dometic's US listings give 36.5 lbs for the CFX5 35 and 36.6 lbs for the CFX2 45. If your fridge rides on a slide and rarely gets lifted, the handle difference matters less. If you carry it to a picnic table or in and out of a truck bed, aluminum handles are the better long-term bet.

Edge: CFX5 35, for the metal handles, the better lid seal design and the tougher shell.

Controls, app and charging

The CFX5 35 has a weatherproof high-resolution color TFT display with soft-touch buttons. In Dometic's Bluetooth Mobile Cooling app you can set and watch the temperature and track energy use, and retailer comparisons mention a lid-open alarm. The USB port supports 18W Quick Charge 3.0.

The CFX2 45 has a 4-digit LED readout with soft-touch buttons, a 5V/2A USB port and Bluetooth control in the same app. Retailer comparisons note that the app does less on the CFX2, including no temperature history. Dometic's US listings show neither fridge with Wi-Fi.

Both displays use soft-touch buttons, which owners say can be fussy with wet hands. Many owners end up making changes in the app on either one.

Edge: CFX5 35, for the weatherproof color display, energy tracking and faster USB charging.

Noise and ventilation

European retail listings give the CFX5 35 a noise figure of 41 dB, and retailers market the VMSO 3.5 as quieter than the CFX3 line. Neither of Dometic's US pages gives a noise figure, so we will not guess one for the CFX2 45. Owners describe it as quiet, which fits a variable-speed compressor that ramps up gradually instead of switching hard on and off.

Both fridges are rated for 61°F to 109°F ambient, climate class N/T. Both have the compressor behind a vented end panel, and either will run louder and draw more if you box it into a hot, unvented cabinet. If the fridge sits close to where you sleep, only the CFX5 has a published noise figure, even if it is a European one.

Edge: CFX5 35, the only one of the two with a published noise figure.

Value

Both are premium-priced fridges, and the CFX5 35 usually costs somewhat more than the CFX2 45 despite holding less. Per liter of storage, the CFX2 45 is clearly the better deal. Check current prices on Amazon, since they move often.

So the question is whether vacuum insulation, aluminum handles, a weatherproof color display, a published (European) 41 dB noise figure and 18W charging are worth the extra to you, given you also give up 9 liters. For a full-time build where the fridge runs every day for years, we think they are. If you are mainly buying cold storage space, the CFX2 45 is the better value.

It is also worth knowing that both are expensive for their class. Our reviews point to the ICECO JP40 Pro as a much cheaper single-zone option with a Secop compressor. Dometic's US manuals point to an online limited-warranty page rather than printing a term. Its European page lists 3 years for the CFX5 35, and its Australian page lists 5 years for that market's CFX2 45. Check the current US terms before you buy.

Which one should you buy?

Buy the Dometic CFX5 35 if:

• You are solo or a couple and resupply every 3 to 5 days.
• Your fridge bay is around 16 to 17 inches tall.
• The fridge sits near where you sleep and a published noise figure matters to you.
• You want the premium build and display for years of full-time use.

Buy the Dometic CFX2 45 if:

• You need 45 liters for longer stretches or a third person.
• You have about 20 inches of clear height plus room for the lid.
• You want tall bottles to stand upright and a produce crisper.
• You want a Dometic and would rather spend a little less.

FAQ

Is the Dometic CFX5 35 better than the CFX2 45?

As a fridge, yes. It has vacuum insulated panels, a VMSO 3.5 compressor that European listings rate at 41 dB, a weatherproof color display and aluminum handles. The CFX2 45 is bigger, at 45 liters against 36, and usually costs somewhat less. Which is better for you depends on whether you need the space.

Which uses less power, the CFX5 35 or the CFX2 45?

Dometic's US page rates the CFX5 35 at 1.11 Ah/h at 90°F ambient, about 27 Ah (320 Wh) a day before real-world losses. Its European page says 0.77 Ah/h for the European model. The US page for the CFX2 45 publishes no figure; its Australian page says 0.86 Ah/h, about 21 Ah/day. Plan your battery around the CFX5's US figure for whichever you choose.

Will the CFX2 45 fit under my van bench?

Measure carefully. The CFX2 45 is about 19.4 inches tall, about 3.4 inches taller than the CFX5 35, and the lid needs room to open. Many bench and bed-platform installs that take a 35-liter fridge will not take the CFX2 45.

Do the CFX5 35 and CFX2 45 have Wi-Fi?

Dometic's US listings show Bluetooth app control through the Mobile Cooling app for both, not Wi-Fi. The CFX5's app adds energy tracking, and retailer comparisons note that the CFX2's app lacks temperature history.

Can either one be a fridge and freezer at the same time?

No. Both are single-zone and can be set anywhere from 68°F down to -7°F, but the whole compartment runs at one temperature. If you need both at once, look at a dual-zone model such as the ICECO VL60.