Alpicool G22 Review

Because I run a tech blog, it makes perfect sense to write a review of the Alpicool G22 that I’d just picked up. I’d been on the hunt for the perfect car fridge for day trips or weekend car camping for what seemed like forever.

I’d originally purchased a generic 12v cool box from a local motor-factors, Halford’s in fact. But, I wouldn’t exactly describe it as perfect as it’s a bit bulky and is ‘always on’, meaning it’s not a proper compressor fridge.

That’s where the Alpicool G22 comes in, It was happenstance that I found this fridge. I noticed it during an Amazon sale. At the time they had it for £50 off, so I snapped it up and waited for the delivery. And, because I’m an Amazon Prime customer, it arrived next day.

I was looking for a good quality compressor car fridge because I wanted to power it with either the Ecoflow Delta Mini or the Ecoflow Delta 2 when car camping. A compressor fridge only uses power whilst the compressor is running and then it consumes hardly any wattage at all once it’s at the set temperature.

Alpicool G22 Review: Paired perfectly with the Ecoflow Delta Mini.

This makes it perfect for pairing it with a portable power unit. My original 12v used far too much power and the Ecoflow unit would run out of juice in around 5 to 8 hours. Which, for a weekend camping trip wouldn’t cut the mustard. The G22 should last the entire trip.

Alpicool G22 Review The Perfect Car Fridge

The Alpicool G22 is, as the name suggests, a 22L capacity fridge, which is plenty big enough for two people on a weekend away. I usually take the YETI Roadie 24L for day trips for me and my wife. The Roadie has loads of room to spare. I think the G22 will have enough space for all of our chilled foods.

So, enough of an intro. Let’s get into the review and I’ll let you know if the G22 is any good or not.

First Impressions

I literally had no idea what to expect when the Amazon delivery driver arrived. It came in a pretty standard outer shipping box. There was a small amount of Alpicool branding on it but other than that, it was fairly boring.

Opening up the box, I was presented with quite a lot of polystyrene. I can’t deny it on this occasion, it is needed. There isn’t any room for plastic or non-recyclable packing reduction. This fridge has pressurised gas within it, so it’s important it arrives un-damaged.

I removed the Alpicool G22 from it’s box and admired what was in front of me. It looks fantastic, really modern and I particularly like the touchscreen buttons on the right hand side.

I also found the side mounted moulded handles to be really useful.

Overall then, I feel like I’ve made the right choice buying the G22. I hope the build quality matches my expectations and is up to par. Let’s move on and take a look.

Touchscreen controls are a nice feature.

Build Quality

Alpicool are a new brand on the blog. I’ve covered loads and loads of huge tech companies over the years. Alpicool never found their way onto my radar. I’m pleased they have because in a word, this thing is amazing.

It’s leaps and bounds above a generic branded 12v cool box that I’m not sure I have the words in my vocabulary to describe just how good it is.

As you look at the unit front on, you’ve got the touch controls on the right hand side. Which work really well and have some cool features.

For example, the touch controls feature a padlock button, which essentially prevents you from accidentally adjusting the temperature, mode or even turning the unit off accidentally. The lock can be disabled by simply touching the padlock button for 2 seconds.

The controls are intuitive, everything is where you’d expect it to be. It’s super easy to flick between eco and max modes, aswell as buttons to set your desired temperature. It’ll reach a temperature range of between -20 degrees Celsius and 20 degrees Celsius which is amazing for a unit of this size.

I wish our house fridge worked this well because the controls on this unit make much more sense than that stupid numbered dial I have on my LG fridge freezer!

The controls have a couple of other thoughtful touches such as the the current temperature and battery voltage.

In the same area as the controls is also a USB charging point. I’ve not actually tried using the USB socket since my G22 is going to be powered by the Ecoflow. I’m not sure if it’d be able to pass through power and I don’t wish to cause any damage to either unit by doing so.

I wanted to test the plastic for ruggedness, as I think this may just let the fridge down. As, on first feel it seems as if it’d scratch easily. So I did what I normally do, I reached for my letter opener and tried to scratch it.

Now, to be fair. It didn’t leave a deep mark. Only a feint line is visible on the black plastic lid, which is good to see. It’s not as weak as I assumed it to be. This should mean it’d be fine in the back of your car, truck or SUV and be able to survive day to rigors of travelling and/or camping.

At the front of the G22 is where you’ll find the air vent. From a functionality point of view this makes sense, but from a style perspective it perhaps looses a bit of symmetry by having it there.

The side handles are moulded directly into the body of the fridge and they are incredibly comfortable in the hand. Even when it’s heavy and full of food, it’s still nice to carry and doesn’t cause any discomfort to the hands.

The internal compartment is well insulated and has an icecube tray. — The internal compartment is well insulated and even has an ice cube tray.

Lower down the right hand side of the G22 is where they’ve placed the power port. It can be either powered by a 12v car plug in or a UK plug. I guess if you buy this in the USA, a plug will be available for your sockets too.

The port flexes inwards ever so slightly when you connect the power cord. I’m not sure what this’ll mean for longevity of the fridge. Time will tell I guess.

I wouldn’t suggest standing or sitting on top of the lid, but it seems sturdy enough. It’s also nice to have an extra flat surface should you need to place a chopping board on top of it, for example. Just make sure to take all of your required ingredients out of the fridge first!

The lid is incredibly easy to open one handed, Alpicool have added a really handy chain to the lid which prevents it from over extending and damaging the hinges. I can’t help but feel that they could have used stronger hinges like the ones that are featured on the YETI Roadie 24. The chain though, is a decent alternative and perhaps a cost reduction method.

On the right hand side of the internal compartment is an ice cube tray. I haven’t yet figured out if this’ll make ice cubes regardless of what you have the overall internal temp set at. Will it freeze water if you have it set to 5 degrees Celsius, for example?

I’ll hopefully have the answer to that before you get down to the ‘performance’ section of my Aplicool G22 review.

Internally, the compartment is well insulated and quite thick. Which Should help retain the desired temperature.

There’s also a light that comes on once the lid is opened, just like your fridge at home. It’ll help you find your way should you fancy a late night snack and not want to turn any more lights on or shine a torch.

Overall, I think the build quality is fantastic. Next up, how does it perform at being an actual fridge?

Alpicool G22 Performance Evaluation

When I’d unboxed it, I left it for around 12 hours before I powered it on. You need to leave it for a while to allow the gasses to settle.

I plugged it in and a sprang into life, the touch screen controls have a great looking backlight which is both bright and easy to read.

The first thing I wanted to try was the ice cube tray compartment. I didn’t want to wait a few hours to find out if I had to set the temperature to below zero for it to work. So, I looked up a few other reviews.

These other reviewers seemed to be a bit disappointed by the ice-cube-making. I guess the temp of the ice tray is affected by the temperature that you set the main G22 fridge compartment. I set the temperature to 2 degrees Celsius and left it. I’ll check back later to see if it’s turned water into ice.

It did, don’t get me wrong the ice took a while, but it was solid all the way through. It’s great to be able to have ice available, you never know when it’s time for an ice cold cola or a chilled glass of something stronger.

Now, because this goes all the way down to -20 degrees Celsius you can actually run this as a freezer. The blurb on the Alpicool website claims that it’ll reach 0 degrees in just 20 minutes.

I didn’t quite believe it, you know how companies always exaggerate their facts and figures. But, I guess I have to ‘eat my hat’ because it absolutely did get down to zero in roughly 20 minutes.

I set it to minus 20 to see how long that’d take, I forgot to check back at my stopwatch but it didn’t take long at all. It’ll use an initial surge of more power to get down to the lower temps, so just bear that in mind when you’re deciding if you want to power it with a portable power station.

How Much & Where To Buy

The Alpicool G22 is available to buy from Amazon. Hit the button below to check the latest price. I managed to get £50 / $50 off the RRP, so there’s a good chance you’ll find an offer too.

Check Alpicool G22 On Amazon

Summary & Verdict

What can I see? I’ve made the right choice in buying this amazing little fridge. It’s got lots of great features that make it worth the asking price.

I’m looking forward to taking this on a few trips that I’ve got planned. Including a couple of car camps, I’ll update this review should any of my feelings towards the G22 change.

Score: 9/10

I feel without the £50 discount I received, it’s a little expensive for what it is. But, if like me, you love your gadgets it’s worth picking up.