Ice cooler vs compressor fridge

Ice: ~0 electrical Wh. Compressor: average Wh/day, not running W × 24. Then pick the DC or AC path before you apply η=0.90.

12V DC vs AC: Calculator default η=0.90 is the AC inverter path. If the fridge is on the station’s 12V port, set Inverter efficiency = 1.00. Do not leave 0.90 — that invents inverter loss the DC path does not have.
WattNeeds defaults (AC path): inverter efficiency η=0.90, DoD=0.90, buffer=0.15. One-liner: nameplateWh = (whPerDay × days × 1.15) / (0.90 × 0.90). 12V DC: use η=1.00 in that formula. Always re-check continuous watts and surge.
Example sizing for a 12-hour outage: mini fridge 40 watts times 12 hours is 480 Wh, laptop 180 Wh, LED 50 Wh, phone 20 Wh, total 730 Wh. A 15 percent buffer makes 839.5 Wh. Divided by 0.90 depth of discharge and 0.90 inverter efficiency, the AC nameplate is about 1,036 Wh, which fits the about 1,000 Wh class (results 513 to 1,152). Compare that result to the station label. All 12 V DC devices would be about 933 Wh. The fridge 40 W is an average because the compressor cycles.
EXAMPLE. 480 + 180 + 50 + 20 = 730 Wh. 730 × 1.15 = 839.5. 839.5 / 0.90 / 0.90 = 1,036.42, shown as ~1,036 Wh. 12 V DC skips the inverter: 839.5 / 0.90 = 932.78, shown as ~933 Wh. Fridge 40 W is an average over the window.
Example, not a measurement: a fridge runs at about 150 W and the motor start is about 600 W for 1 to 2 seconds. Check the fridge label or measure it. Station continuous output is a solid line at 1,000 W and surge is a dashed line at 2,000 W. Continuous watts must cover everything running at once. Surge only handles brief starts. Do not size on surge alone. Use cords rated for the load. Don't daisy-chain extension cords or power strips.
EXAMPLE, not a lab trace. Running ~150 W, start ~600 W for 1–2 seconds. Continuous 1,000 W is the solid line. Surge 2,000 W is dashed. This start is under the continuous line. Do not size on surge alone.
CFX3 35 test point: 0.98 amp-hours per hour times 12 volts times 24 hours is 282.24, shown as 282 Wh per day, at 90 F ambient and 39 F internal. 12 V DC nameplate is 360 Wh. AC nameplate is 400 Wh. 50 watts times 24 hours is 1,200 Wh of rated input, not the running average, and is not that day. The 320 Wh per day band is not 282. Do not apply efficiency 0.90 to a 12 V fridge. Use cords rated for the load. Don't daisy-chain extension cords or power strips.
EXAMPLE. 0.98 Ah/h × 12 V × 24 h = 282.24, shown as 282 Wh/day. DC 360.33 rounds to 360 Wh. AC 400.37 rounds to 400 Wh. 50 W × 24 h = 1,200 Wh is rated input, not the running average. CFX3 35 spec · Dometic CFX3 draw.
Same gadgets, 250 Wh per day: laptop 140, lights 50, phones 60. Ice AC nameplate is about 355 Wh for 1 day and about 710 Wh for 2 days. Fridge planning band 320 plus those gadgets is 570 Wh per day, about 809 Wh for 1 day and about 1,619 Wh for 2 days. 320 is not the CFX3 282 test point. A ~500 Wh label covers the 1-day ice row (about 355 Wh). The 2-day ice row (about 710 Wh) needs the ~1,000 Wh class. Neither covers the 2-day fridge row. Use cords rated for the load. Don't daisy-chain extension cords or power strips.
EXAMPLE. Gadgets 140 + 50 + 60 = 250 Wh/day. Ice: ≈355 Wh for 1 day, ≈710 Wh for 2 days. Fridge band 570 Wh/day: ≈809 Wh for 1 day, ≈1,619 Wh for 2 days.

Manufacturer number → Wh/day (test point)

US CFX3 35 spec: 0.98 Ah/h at 12 V, ambient 90°F, internal 39°F.

0.98 Ah/h × 12 V × 24 h ≈ 282 Wh/day (DC, that test point only)

Same sheet lists ~50 W AC input. 50 × 24 = 1,200 Wh — about 4× too high for daily energy. Heat, freezer mode, and door opens raise the average.

Nameplate: 282 Wh/day, 1 day, both paths

PathηFormulaNameplate
12V DC1.00282 × 1.15 / (0.90 × 1.00)360 Wh
AC (site default)0.90282 × 1.15 / (0.90 × 0.90)400 Wh

On the homepage calculator: fridge as Wh/day (leave watts blank). DC: set η to 1.00. AC adapter: leave η at 0.90.

Weekend: ice vs fridge (same gadgets)

320 Wh/day fridge planning band ≠ CFX3 282 Wh/day test point. Gadgets = laptop 70 W × 2 h + lights 10 W × 5 h + phones 60 Wh = 250 Wh/day. Fridge column uses the homepage camping sample 320 Wh/day (mild-condition planning band, not the CFX3 35 282 Wh/day spec point above). Nameplates below use the AC default (η=0.90).

Ice coolerFridge (320 Wh/day band, not 282)
Wh/day250570
1-day nameplate (AC)250 × 1.15 / 0.81 ≈ 355 Wh570 × 1.15 / 0.81 ≈ 809 Wh
2-day, solar = 0 (AC)≈ 710 Wh≈ 1,619 Wh

~500 Wh covers a 2-day ice trip with those gadgets. It does not cover a 2-day fridge trip without recharge. Compressor start is a separate W check — see Surge traps. Jackery and Bluetti split running/starting watts from watt-hours (Jackery buying advice, Jackery FAQ runtime ×0.8, Bluetti ÷~0.85).

Wh calculator — fridge as Wh/day; set η=1.00 for 12V DC. This page is ice vs compressor. Wh/day method, class ranges, and station sizing (320 band: DC ≈ 818 Wh / AC ≈ 909 Wh for 2 days) are on Camping fridge. Weekend camping

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