Brass Monkey Fridge Freezer

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Brass Monkey Portable Fridge/Freezer Review (9L/15L/22L/36L/60L/80L/100L)

Are you keen to get your hands on one of the Brass Monkey portable fridges or dual fridge/freezer units? Wondering whether they live up to the hype?

In this Brass Monkey fridge freezer review, I run through their pros and cons, the main points of difference with other popular models like Engel and Dometic/Waeco, plus whether I think that they are a good buy!

To begin with, let's take a look at a quick comparison of the most popular models in this range!

 

25L Fridge

36L Fridge

50L Fridge

60L Fridge


Brass Monkey 25L Fridge
Brass Monkey 36L Fridge
Brass Monkey 50L Fridge
Brass Monkey 60L Fridge

585 (L) x 335 (W) x 350 (H) mm

723 (L) x 360 (W) x 365 (H) mm

723 (L) x 360 (W) x 455 (H) mm

723 (L) x 360 (W) x 545 (H) mm

12.1 kg

14 kg

15.5 kg

17 kg

25 L

36 L

50 L

60 L

36 cans

52 cans

76 cans

98 cans

Single

Dual

Dual

Dual

-20°C/+20°C

-20°C/+20°C

-20°C/+20°C

-20°C/+20°C

45W

0.25 kWh/24hr

60W

0.25 kWh/24hr

60W

0.25 kWh/24hr

60W

0.25 kWh/24hr

3 years

3 years

3 years

3 years

Pros & Cons

Brass Monkey Fridge Freezer

Brass Monkey 75L Fridge Freezer

Pros
  • Very affordable
  • Can set temperature from -20°C to +20°C
  • 2 power modes - Max and Eco
  • Accepts 100-240V AC and 12V/24V DC power
  • USB charging port included
  • Bluetooth app control
  • Quiet operation (38dB)
  • 3 year warranty
  • Handle and wheels for easy transport
  • Optional extras like solar panel charging, insulating covers and slide drawers are available
Cons
  • Unit must be kept level (<5° tilt angle) for long periods of usage. It can only handle short periods of use at up to 45° tilt.
  • Requires 200mm clearance at back and 100mm clearance on sides.

Design

There are two main types of Brass Monkey units - single zone units that can be used as either a fridge OR a freezer (by setting the temperature appropriately) or dual zone units that can be run with one compartment as the fridge and the other compartment of a freezer.

The dual zone units can be run as dedicated fridges or freezers as well, if you so desire.

Within these two broad categories, the fridges come in a wide variety of sizes and designs. Sizes range from the tiny 9L model all the way up to the monster 100L unit.

Brass Monkey 15L Fridge

15L Fridge Freezer

They also run 2 main designs. One is a black/gray, plastic encased design which is their standard offering. The other is a metal cased, chest freezer type design with a LG compressor for reduced power consumption.

The black plastic models often come with wheels and extendable handles (like your suitcase) for easy transport between your car, boat, caravan etc. You can easily take them out of the car and pop them down next to the campfire.

The metal finished units are less portable and more suited to being set up as a car, caravan or boat fridge that won’t be moved around too often.

Brass Monkey 100L Fridge Freezer

100L dual zone fridge freezer with metal finish and LG compressor

There are a ton of different combinations of the above types. Have a think about what type will suit your needs.

For most people, the black/gray type will be best. It is lighter, more portable and cheaper than the metal finished version. You can easily pull it out of the car and pop it down by the campfire, or next to your chairs while you’re fishing.

Despite being made out of plastic, they still feel very sturdy and seem to be able to handle plenty of abuse without packing it in. In saying that, they don’t feel quite as solid as the Engel fridge/freezers.

Temperature Settings

These portable fridge/freezers can be set at temperatures ranging from -20°C to +20°C. Bear in mind that this is based on an ambient temperature of 25°C, so on really hot days, your freezer may struggle to get right down to the low temps.

On Brass Monkey dual zone models, the freezer compartments can be set to be up to 15°C cooler than the fridge compartment.

Many have commented that the units do a good job of reaching the set temperature, compared to other brands where you always need to set the unit a few degrees below where you want it to actually be.

BM 45L

45L model

Power Specs

The BM fridges and freezers can be powered in a variety of ways. An included 100-240V AC adapter allows you to plug them into mains power when you are at home or at a powered site. The adapter will automatically transform the voltage/amperage down to 12V.

Alternatively, they can be powered directly from your vehicle using your cigarette lighter connection or even using the newer Merit connection on some models.

Power cable

They come with the necessary 3.5m lead for connecting your fridge to 12V DC power.

The units seem to fall into 3 rough sizes. The smaller units have a power consumption of 45W when in use, so they have a current draw of 3.75A when on 12V DC power.

The medium sized units consume 60W of power and consequently draw 5A at 12V DC.

Finally, the larger units consume 75W of power and therefore draw 6.2A at 12V DC.

BM 60L

60L Fridge Freezer

According to Brass Monkey, their medium size models (rated at 60W power consumption) consume about 0.25 kWh of energy over a typical 24 hour period. This means that they expect their units to be on and running for about 4 hours per day to maintain temperature.

Based on my calcs, if you are running them off a 12V battery, you can expect them to use 21 Ah (amp-hours) in a 24 hour period, or 0.87 Ah per hour.

Of course, this will be the absolute bare minimum, as this figure assumes that you aren’t opening the fridge at all, nor adding warm contents to the fridge.

This figure will also vary heavily based on the temperatures that you set in the unit, as well as the ambient air temperature.

These units also come with 3 stage low voltage battery protection, which will turn off the fridge if it detects low voltage from the power source (ie. your battery).

Extras

A number of models come with extra features, some of which are very useful!

Internal Light

Most models come with an internal light, which is great if you are trying to find something in the fridge late at night or while it is buried under a ton of other gear in your boot.

Extension Handle and Wheels

The newer versions often come with extension handles (like your suitcase) as well as wheels, which makes it easy to wheel it into position, wherever that may be. Not having to lift the whole thing saves your back too!

USB Charging Port

A USB port is very handy if you are out fishing or by the campfire and don’t want your phone, tablet or e-reader to go flat.

Solar Panels

Purchased separately to the fridge/freezer itself, solar panels can be used to run the fridge and charge your battery via a Andersen to 12V cable.

Anderson cable

Anderson cable

This will allow you to get a lot more use out of your fridge and battery, especially if you are not at a powered site every night.

Extra Battery Storage

BM separately sells batteries which can fit into dedicated battery storage spaces on their newer models.

They are designed to be used in conjunction with the solar panels above, allowing you to store up energy during the day and use it overnight or whenever the sun doesn’t shine.

They come in 7.8 Ah or 15.6 Ah varieties.

Brass Monkey Lithium Battery

Removable 7.8 Ah Lithium Battery

Bluetooth App Control

These fridges can now be controlled via a smartphone app which uses Bluetooth to communicate with the fridge.

The app allows you to check the temperature of the fridge, battery voltage, as well as turn the fridge on/off, adjust the temperatures and see other useful information.

Insulating Cover

If you want to reduce power consumption and make your battery last longer between charges, consider purchasing an insulating cover for your fridge. The covers will reduce the amount of heat that is absorbed by your fridge while it is in use.

Brass Monkey Fridge Cover

Brass Monkey Fridge Cover

BM sells a wide variety of these covers to suit their different models. The covers include the necessary ventilation panels to ensure that the fridge can dispel hot air.

Use the button below to take a look at these insulating covers.

Slide Drawer

If you are planning on installing your fridge in the back of your car or ute, consider getting a genuine fridge slide drawer. This will allow you to slide your unit out from your vehicle and easily access the contents.

Build Quality & Warranty

These fridges have been out on the market for a while now and there have been very few complaints about them from their users.

On the whole, they seem well built and rugged enough to handle the demands of an Australian camping trip.

They are also very quiet, running at just 38dB. When you’re out camping or at the beach, you won’t even be able to hear it running.

Known Problems

The main issue that people have with this fridge are concerns about tilting. According to the BM manuals, these fridges should be kept level (<5° tilt) when in operation for long periods. For short periods, they can continue to operate at up to 45° tilt.

Perhaps there is a problem with refrigerant pooling in the fridge when it is kept on an angle?

This is a little concerning, as it’s quite common to park your car on a hill which would definitely exceed 5°. I haven’t heard of anyone breaking their fridge due to operating it at an angle, but it is something to keep in mind.

Another thing to think about is the required side clearances. According to the manual, the unit needs 200mm of clearance at the back and 100mm at the sides to give it enough space to dispel hot air.

If you plan on tucking it right up against the walls of the boot of your 4WD, think again. Do this and you may risk overheating the fridge.

Warranty

These fridges are covered by a solid 3 year warranty. This isn’t quite as good as the Engel 5 year warranty, but considering that it’s a fraction of the price, 3 years isn’t bad at all.

I haven’t heard anything about what the warranty claim experience is like, so I can’t really comment on how well they honour their warranties.

Brass Monkey 15L Fridge Freezer

15L Portable Fridge Freezer

Price

Price is where these fridges really shine. For the same size, their fridges are typically one third the cost of their main competitors like Engel and Dometic/Waeco.

Whereas a 60L Engel or Dometic would cost you around $1,500, the equivalent BM fridge costs just $500!

This is a huge saving and is the main reason that these fridges have become so popular. They offer a quality fridge that is probably about 80% as good as these premium models for just a third of the price!

Feel free to use the buttons below to check the latest prices.

Conclusion - Brass Monkey Fridge/Freezer Review

Brass Monkey fridges are reasonably high quality units at a fraction of the price of the competition.

They come with dual zone fridge/freezer compartments that can be set as low as -20°C, run nice and quietly at just 38dB, and they are fairly efficient units.

Their newer versions now even come with Bluetooth app control, allowing you to easily keep an eye on how your fridge is going.

If you are willing to shell out a bit more money, you can get some nice extras like solar charging, an insulating cover to save power, or even a slide drawer for easy access.

Overall, these fridges/freezers are outstanding value for money and I highly recommend them.

If your budget can stretch a little further and you want something that's a bit higher quality than the BM range, check out my Dometic CFF45 review! It's an outstanding fridge; well-built and made to last.

You can see all of my recommended brands and models in this full list of the best car fridges!

I hope that you have enjoyed this Brass Monkey fridge freezer review! Did I miss something? How has your experience been with your BM fridge? Let me know in the comments below!

Review Summary

Reviewer: Louis
Review Date: 2021-04-14
Reviewed Item: Brass Monkey Fridge Freezers
Author Rating: 4.5/5
Product Name: Brass Monkey Fridge Freezers
Price: AUD $169
Product Availability: Available in Stock


This article may contain affiliate links. I will earn a commission if you choose to purchase a product or service after clicking on my link. This helps pay for the cost of running the website. You will not be disadvantaged in any way by using my links.

Note that while every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information on this page, there may sometimes be errors. Check all specifications with the manufacturer before purchasing any product.

Our Testing Process

In creating this article, we have completed a rigorous review process on not just the Brass Monkey fridges, but we have also compared it to out there. We have also read hundreds of reviews from fellow campers to help form our opinions.

The primary goal of this review is to figure whether this product is right for you, the user. We systematically compare the product to all of the available options on the market, to determine which ones are worthy of our list.

To see which products we compared the Brass Monkey fridges to, check out the list below. Please note that we have never accepted free products from manufacturers.

Full List Of Considered Products


This article may contain affiliate links. I will earn a commission if you choose to purchase a product or service after clicking on my link. This helps pay for the cost of running the website. You will not be disadvantaged in any way by using my links.

Note that while every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information on this page, there may sometimes be errors. Check all specifications with the manufacturer before purchasing any product.

Louis

While Louis does most of his trips near his home in south-east Queensland, he has been camping as far afield as South America and Africa. He loves researching, testing and experimenting with camping gear whenever possible.

  • I have 3 Waeco from 35 to 80lt. Waeco can fail with faulty temp sensors..they are expensive to replace tho part is cheap. Some models have a spare built in but if that fails, as it’s in the same place as the original, you have to modify the base of the 80lt for example, run a tube to where it normally sits so you can slide a new sensor in without doing the job all over again. I have 2 running inside at present- both have condensation on the outer casing. and underneath. I have the 60lt Brass Monkey still in a box so can’t comment on that yet. Best ones I have are Engle and Companion 60lt. Engle’s reputation is great. But Companion is my favourite non Engle type. Love it , stays within 3degrees of set temp, quiet and no condensation ever. Solid case seals very well

  • Thanks Louis for your review, only discovered brass monkey yesterday and have purchased a new superseded model at a clearance price, for my adventure van ,so fridge/freezer will be part time recreational use , appreciate you doing the calcs on power consumption. your review gave me confidence to chose this brand cheers Bazz .NZ.

    • No… they are too weak and flimsy. But BM just released metal tie down anchors. You unscrew the plastic handles and replace with the metal anchors.

  • Don’t leave them out in rain not covered under warranty or don’t get them wet or take them on the beach the May get wet and void your warranty

      • Only the stainless steel models use an LG compressor. I have tried to ask BM several times what compressor the other models use (plastic housing ones) and they won’t tell me – they just wont respond to my emails and nobody at Jaycar or RTM seem to know.

        • The OEM of brass monkey fridges is alpicool. My Brass Monkey 50L with wheels (GH1642) has a Sikelan qdzh35G compressor. There was a forum thread I found a while ago talking about the compressors where people said they’re a pretty reliable rip-off of a secop

  • The fridge 12 volt reading is anywhere up to 1 volt lower than the battery reading in my camper trailer which is a Cub Drifter
    ATM the fridge says 11.6 volts and the camper reading is 12.7 volts
    Please advise if this is common

  • Most appreciate your review Louis on these BM Fridge Freezers. I have been researching for quite some time and these Fridges tick the box all the way. I had an Engel 45 years ago it fell of the back of my truck, I’d hit a wash out, in Arnhem Land NT, it was battered and bruised but it kept going, crikey! Today I’d buy a BM.

  • Thanks Louis your comments and insights have given me the confidence to go a ahead and purchase the new 55L B/Monkey F/Fz and boy is it just awesome
    Dual temp zones and app functions are just so handy. Still keeping my beers ice cold and leftover picnic food from spoiling. A1

  • Had the 15L in my car for a year or two now. Runs 24/7 without any issues. Great little fridge. I got the 5L expanded lid so you can fit a water/beer bottle standing up. I also got a cover as the shop cut me a deal. Would be better if they had a tie down point on them.

  • I’m looking at an 80 to 100 ltr BM from Jaycar as I’m taking a residential job at Norseman WA and it’s a bit over a 2 hr drive each way to either Esperance or Kalgoolie for grocery shopping ( the IGA is not that well stocked).

    At $799 (80ltr) and $899 (100ltr) it seems a bargain in comparison to Domestic/Engel for what I need it for. Only fortnightly or monthly use in the back of my car or work Ute.

    I greatly would appreciate any advice or feedback.

    Regards

    Geoff ([email protected])

      • Here is the trick, Jason – not everyone can afford Engel’s pricing. Engels (and Waecos) are very reliable but they do break down and require repair just like any other brand. Don’t believe me? Visit one of their authorised repairers and they will assist with the appropriate stats. Engel instruct their repairers to stash broken fridges out of sight of enquiring customers to assist with upholding the brand’s reputation.

        The main downside to Engel fridges is noise. They are the noisiest fridges on the market. If you want to sleep at night with an Engel, it will have to be locked away.

        Bottom line is: If money isn’t an object and you don’t care about noise, buy an Engel. If you want a really big fridge, buy a Waeco. If you want a cheap fridge that will still keep things cold but perhaps not last as long as a Waeco or Engel, buy a Brass Monkey.

        I own all three brands and am happy with each one, for different reasons.

      • Jason, you are making some very negative vibes about the BM and telling everyone to buy an Engel. Reasons, or are you just an Engel rep.

  • My dual zone fridge/freezer has a few problems 1 being the fridge has just gone to -16c even though I have set it so 3c and my freezer set on -14 has changed to 2c

  • Hi I’m looking at the new 75 litre brass monkey dual zone fridge freezer in my caravan I have 2 x 130 ah deep cycle batteries with two solor panels 120 watt and 160 watt so total of 280 watts , can u tell me if this set up will give me enough battery power to run this fridge please
    Regards
    Jason

    • Hi Jason.
      I run my 75L (about a year old) non stop in the ute on a 100ah Lithium with 200w solar.

      I had a 100ah AGM and it would only last about 2 days if I didn’t drive it. Now with the the Lithium I can get 4 days while overcast and 6 with sunny weather.

      If your batteries are good health you shouldn’t have a problem 🙂

      happy camping!

  • bought a year ago. its going good, compressor is kicking in and out a bit quick sometimes but other than that it seems to be ok. gets cold quick, holds a lot for its size (50L) and has a 3 year warranty. it does read battery voltage lower than the LED readout on the battery itself which can be problematic as it will say error f1 which means its protecting the battery from getting to low

  • My son had the 80ltr Brass Monkey, after about 6months the fan/compressor got real noisey. RTM said bring it back and they would change it , but as it was on the back of the ute for bush work for almost three years, he didn’t bother.
    Almost 3yrs old the LEDs were hard to read and it stop cooling ( kept running).
    Took it to RTM yesterday for repair, they replaced the unit for $50 ( because of new model upgrades). Simple process.
    No Complaints, value for money, it served its sentence ( had a hard life)

  • Hi i have a brass monkey fridge 60 ltr with the external cover would i be able to attach the fridge to the back of my ute and run it there

    Thanks

    Warren

  • I’ve had the 60L fridge/freezer with removable devider for 1+ years. It sits on my back seat up against the backrest and when parked runs off my 100A Lithium bat in a bat box. Absolutely awesome performance! Just also got the 62L fridge OR freezer model, both on back seat now and both running off same Lithium battery with 200W solar top up when parked. Faultless. Great value

  • I bought a BM 39L dual zone last September. since November fridge section will not go below 14 deg. Freezer
    section was good at -15c .I just returned it to Jay car and got my money back

  • Had problems maintaining temperature- unit replaced brand new. Guys very helpful but didn’t know how to work the fridge/ freezer temp gave incorrect info.

  • My husband and I bought a 95 L upright fridge freezer for our motorhome .We have never been so disappointed.On our Ist trip away with the new fridge the freezer door broke ,the vegetable crisper cracked and the door strip that holds your milk on the door broke .They are all
    Paper thin . Also the freezer isn’t an all in 1 unit there is a gap at the back so if you put something to the back it will fall onto the next shelf or get stuck in between the freezer and the drip tray .So disappointing .Wish we had of got the same as our old fridge .It was a lot stronger and tougher

  • After buying the brass monkey 36 ltr fridge ,I have to say it’s pretty solid unit ..
    One thing that is noticeable is if you cycle through the low,Med,or high settings,or you change from high to low power consumption (the fridge will go down in temperature, its as if its got to find itself again)
    That said ,it comes good ,but if you don’t know about it ,you would think that the fridge had a problem !!
    In the settings in the app,you can change the fridge/freezer temperature,I actually got it down to -25 and it held it there no problem.
    A lot of people rubbish these fridges ,but for the cost and 3 year warranty ,it’s a great deal.
    Also comes with 12/240 v leads ,not all brands do,so incurrs extra costs !!!.
    I also purchased the protective cover ,a must buy !!!
    Overall 8/10.

    • David, I just purchased the 36L too, was having trouble setting the temp for both fridge and freezer, downloaded the app on my phone and sorted it that way, Im running it on the battery electricity cord ATM, and put some items in there to see how it works. Will check tomorrow

  • Just a question, just bought the BM 36L fridge/freezer, will be using the portable lead (the one that plugs into car power) do I need to unplug this when we arrive at our destination, how much power does it drain , will I end up with a flat battery if I leave the cord connected.

    • Sue as soon as you turn your car off, it’ll cut power to your fridge unless you’re running a secondary battery so no chance of running your battery flat but your fridge contents won’t stay cold

      • Hi Jay,
        We have a 36L BM and use it on our little boat. We bought a brand new car battery and only used it 2x and hubby forgot to charge it. Now it’s stuffed.
        We do have a solar panel, and are thinking about getting a Rovin power station, so can hook up the solar panel to it. Would this be suitable for running the fridge?

  • We have just received one of these as a gift. I noticed in your review you says they were quiet. We’re finding ours a bit noisy. We were in the same room with it but can definitely hear it.

  • In your article you say medium size would use about .87 ah if unopened.what do you think a 15l set at about 2 deg C might use over 24 hr period.thanks

  • Excellent small 8 litre Brass Monkey fridge I bought weeks ago.
    Can run for 12 hours on the 7.8 amp portable battery inserted.
    Chills down fast!!

  • hi guys bought a 62 litre new model with battery have had a major problem with temp sensor could not get it to freeze to specs -20 or -18 took it back after trying for a week tech says it will work under 24 to 25 degrees in the shop but will struggle above that offered a replacement dual zone 55 were the compressor is on the bottom not on the top side so buyer beware unless you live in iceland

  • Brass Monkey 15lt, has a problem with the lid warding. I contacted retailer who said bring it in. When I got the fridge in to the retailer all records of my fridge purchase were gone. So no warranty. Lesson, always get a paper receipt.

  • We love our monket. We have used it as backup to our 23 years old motorhome fridge as well as on short trips. It is now 3 years old and hasn’t missed a beat. Just out of curiosity, do you know if it will freeze food quickly enough from room temperature?

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