Beware of Cheap Imitations
Trawl through the web, or look down the high street (even in the local supermarket) and you will find many thermoelectric mini fridges and cool boxes similar to those featured on our web site at prices which at first look, seem very attractive.
We have the following advice for you
We have been selling portable cooling products for many years now and in that time have seen many cheap, unbranded products come and go.
For the more discerning buyer, we have the following promise for you:
On our web site, you will not find products that are sold by gimmick marketing, specifically you will not find fridges with flashing bottles of beer on the front, you will not find products whose brand name is not well recognised within the market, you will not find fridges too small to be practical, you will not find pink fridges, fridges shaped like eggs or footballs or ones with stickers of cats, dogs or anything else on them!
What you will find is the most comprehensive range of quality, reliable, and above all, "thermostatically controlled" branded cooling products anywhere in the UK.
Some believe that a branded product is just an excuse to charge a higher price. In fact the opposite is true. If a respected brand were to sell fridges that didn't really work too well, their reputation within the market would be smeared. They would loose market share, they would rapidly go out of business. Brand names have a reputation to keep, they must produce products worthy of that reputation, it is expected. It is for that reason that they do not cut corners in design or production. The price reflects this, we all know it, we'd like it to be different but you really do get what you pay for.
If more reasons to buy branded products were needed, here are some of the typical corners that are cut by the cheap imitation manufacturers:
Most unbranded products are not fridges! Surprised? You ought to be! Take a closer look at the wording on the packaging or in the advertising? Is there any mention that the product is a fridge or is it merely referred to as a cooler or chiller? It really does matter - under trade descriptions, coolers and chillers are not required to be thermostatically controlled. IMPORTANT! This means that the internal temperature could be anything from room temperature right down to below freezing. Some manufacturers specifically state that their coolers or chillers should not be used for the storage of food, others don't bother. If the unit is a fridge, it should be called a fridge, and moreover the cooling function MUST be controlled by a thermostat. Some manufacturers are proud that their products are capable of possibly freezing, but just think for a minute of the potential consequences of a bottle of drink freezing inside a mains powered cooler! Coolers that do not have thermostats are definitely NOT suitable for continuous operation.
Most unbranded units are underpowered. They will not cool to anywhere near domestic fridge temperature (2° to 8°C) in warmer weather. Check the wording, for UK use, fridges should be capable of cooling at least 20°C below ambient, more like 30°C if you wish to go abroad with the unit. If this figure is not stated, it's most likely because it would stop you buying it if you knew.
Most unbranded units are made with inferior components. They will not take the knocks of everyday use and the electrics will wear out just after the guarantee period expires. We really do get many customers asking us for reassurance and then buying their second unit from us because their first was a cheap unbranded one and has expired just out of guarantee.
HOT NEWS: It has been brought to our attention that a cheap mini cooler sold by a rather major long standing high street retailer states within the instructions that the unit should not be left switched on whilst unattended! This has to be a joke doesn't it? A fridge that you can't leave unattended? Shame on you!
MORE HOT NEWS: We have the instruction sheet from a Coca Cola Cooler/Warmer that states:
"The box is not designed for continuous use, 48 hrs max use before 1 hr break".
We are aware of this unit being sold in a long standing major out of town retailer though there may be other suppliers.
Rest assured that just like your normal domestic fridge, ALL the products we sell are designed for continuous use 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, because they are fitted with THERMOSTATS.
We take great care in selecting ranges of products to feature on our web sites. We are approached weekly by manufacturers of unbranded coolers and chillers but we will not sell them - we have no need. We already lead the market in portable refrigeration sales with products from Waeco (www.waeco.com), Mobicool (www.mobicool.com), Caldura (www.caldura.co.uk) and Dometic (formerly part of Electrolux) (www.dometic.com). All these companies have been in the portable cooling market for years and can be relied upon to supply reliable, serviceable, quality products.