Indel B Travel Box Fridge Test and Comparison

[Equipt]

Indel B Travel Box Fridge Test and Comparison

We recently launched a new line of portable fridges called the Indel B Travel Box. We believed it to be a solid value option in this market, with great features and pricing. But it was a relative unknown in the US.

So we sent the Travel Box 51 model to Graham Jackson, Technical Editor for the Overland Journal, and asked him to put this fridge through the paces for us. Test it exactly the way you tested the fridges in the comparison you did for OJ in the Summer 2010 issue. If we were going to offer this fridge, it needs to stand on its own merit. Good quality, fit, finish, efficiency, all of it. And we wanted to know exactly where it stacked up again against the other fridges in that test.

Here are the tests

Speed and insulation
Workhorse Cool-down
Glutton or Miser
Noise
Volume Efficiency
Weight Efficiency

The results are in.

Graham put the Travel Box through the whole series of tests. He wrote us a 7 page report on his findings, and we were very happy with the results. If you would like to read the report in its entirety, please click on this link.

http://www.equipt1.com/Company Prod...l B Travel Box Test and Comparison Report.pdf

Here are the results of the Fridge Test and Comparison. The numbers below are better read in context. Please click the link above for full report disclosure.

Summary

"The Indel B is a portable fridge/ freezer run by a Danfoss compressor. Looking at the test data I would rank
this fridge solidly next to the Engel and the ARB. Compressor control is not as good as the National Luna, but
is better than the Whynter. Value and performance of this fridge makes it a good competitor for the ARB and
Engel, but does not match the sheer power of the National Luna." GJ

Final thoughts and conclusions

"In order to quantify the tests described above, I decided to rank each fridge in each test from one to five with five being the best. That way the scores for each test can be added and the fridges ranked. Understanding that this ranking is only based on these tests, and certainly other tests and information (such as cost) could be included that would be instructive." GJ

Scored Comparison (Higher is Better)

24 National Luna
20 Engel
19 Indel B
15 ARB
12 Whynter

Score Comparison without Noise Test (Higher is Better)
("Since the noise test was very close and , in my opinion, not a call out to any specific model. I've also run the totals with the noise test eliminated."GJ)

21 National Luna
17 Indel B
15 Engel
14 ARB
8 Whinter

The Indel B fridge did pretty well. Ranked right along side the Engel and ARB models. Please note that price was not a factor. On that one, we really do well.

If you would like to learn more about the Indel B line, you can find them on our site.

http://www.equipt1.com/companies/Travel Box Fridges/product-indel-b/522519-travel-box-51



Cheers,

 

[ersatzknarf]

Hi Paul,
Thank you for having this done. It is a big help !

 

[Equipt]

Sure. Happy to do it.

There is one thing in the report that I want to mention right up front. That has to do with the ambient temperature of the tests. The Summer 2010 OJ tests were conducted at an ambient, or outside temperature of 91.4 F. The temperature of the Indel B test was 73.4. I spoke to Graham about this concern, and here are the points that he brought up to me. Note that the test conducted are changes in temperature, not a specific temperature. So those numbers are an accurate reflection of the fridge capability. Graham also commented that he felt there would be minimal difference in the results between the two temperatures since the fridge interior and insulation were down to test temp. As long as the fridges were not in direct sunlight (as they were tested) the difference would be minimal.

Cheers,

 

[TexGX]

Paul,

I am curious why you would not include the Waeco in the test. It was in the previous test and finished right behind the National Luna and with the other thread wondering about the differences between the two it seems like a great chance to show a difference.

TexGX

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Looks like a great fridge option, excited to see one in person.

Editted: Report didn't reference which OJ fridge test it was comparing against. Looks like its the Summer 2010 as opposed to the Summer 2007.

 

[Equipt]

That is correct. It was compared to the fridges in the 2010 test set. They were chosen by Overland Journal as the models for review. The Waeco/Dometic fridge was in the comparison in 2007. The 2007 comparison you can now read on Expeditions West looked at a set of 40L models. The 2010 comparison looked at 50L models, or relatively close to that. Our goal was to test and compare to the most recent comprehensive data available.

Thanks,

 

[hakalugi]

is there a compatible pull-out tray/mechanism for these models?

thanks.

 

[Xterabl]

haha 91 vs 73...no big deal. That's pretty funny. LOL.

Not in direct sunlight? LOL^2. The affect of direct sunlight is only significant when considering the reflectivity of the outer material.
Otherwise, the ambient temp and the battle to keep it out of the fridge interior is *exactly* the crux of the matter.

And heat transfer in 3D is not linear, so saying that the test is valid simply because the relative change of a scalar quantity was used as the figure of merit is...well, simply not valid. LOL^3

All you really need to look at is the first chart in the pdf file:
First, consider that the lindel and the ARB both reached nearly identical temperatures before being shut off and allowed to warm via ambient heat input.
And after 2 hours, they both warmed to the same temperature of 10 deg. C. But the ARB did this with ambient of 91 and lindel with 73 ambient?
And this is not significant? Clearly, an ambient temp of 91 vs. 73 degrees is a much stronger test of the insulation...and yet they cam out the same?
This is not significant? Really? REALLY??? LOL^4

Sad to see shilling in any industry, especially this one.
But hey, kudos to the lindel folk -- marketing is an important part of any business model.

 

[Equipt]

Thanks for your comments. A good dose of skepticism is good for conversation. A have a couple comments.

The company is called Indel B, not lindel. This test was completely independent of Indel B. There was no "shilling", as you put it, from them directly at all. Nor from us. Equipt asked for the independent testing of this fridge, no one else. It was conducted to give us all an idea of what the fridge could do. And we offer the results unedited to the public for their review and comment.

The concern over the difference in ambient temperature was our first concern as well. That is why we brought it up with Graham, and why we mention it in our post above. No slight of hand or diversionary tactic used. We asked the individual with the most experience and authority we could find what his opinion on the matter was, and we told you his summation. The comment was that there would not be significant difference within the parameters of the testing done. It was Grahams opinion that the tests are relevant in spite of the temperature difference.

Direct sunlight is absolutely significant. It is a matter of reflectivity, you are correct there. But more specifically the amount of heat absorbed by the surface and the temperature that the fridge surface reaches. It affects the capacity of the interior to stay cold. That is why fridges were tested out of direct sunlight, as they would be in your vehicle.

Is there no difference due to the temperature? No, that would be inaccurate to state as well. The position made is that the test results are fair, and the temperature difference would not create a significant difference to change the results. National Luna did very well. That we can agree on. Indel B, ARB and Engel all did relatively close to the same across the board. If changing a number one way or another makes the results more accurate from your point of view, very well. That is your choice, and everyone's choice to do as well.

Thanks again for your input.

Cheers,

 

[Equipt]

is there a compatible pull-out tray/mechanism for these models?

thanks.

Yes, there are options for you. The Indel B fridge line has a relatively small footprint. Most any of the standard size fridge slides available will work with this model. We have slides from Front Runner and Tembo Tusk that will work perfectly for you.

Cheers,

 

[gjackson]

So to clarify:

The different ambient temps in the tests favor the Indel B. The fact that the Indel B was not able to beat the National Luna even when operating at lower ambient just shows how good the NL is. The Indel B performed on a par but slightly above the ARB in most cases. If the ambient temp was the same, then they may well have been equal, but that wouldn't change the outcome of the test. The place the ARB lost out significantly to the Indel B was volume efficiency which has nothing to do with ambient temperature.

The problem of ambient temperature is just a function of time of year. The OJ tests were performed in the summer, the Indel B test in late fall. Unfortunately I do not have an oven large enough to test the fridges in and make everything equal; we did the best with what we had and divulged all testing discrepancies.

cheers

 

[Ludedude]

I'm going to take an uneducated guess that the volumetric efficiency has a direct correlation to the amount of insulation present. The benefit of that would make itself known via better performance at higher ambient temps, unlike those in this test and that might skew results. I know that the other Chinese knockoff fridges, I.e. Edgestar for example, use a lot more energy trying to keep things cool than say the ARB or Engel at high ambient temps like we see here in the desert southwest.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[TexGX]

The test that Australian's 4WD Action did seems to be a great model to use for fridge comparisons. Lab data used in combination with real world data.

http://www.arbusa.com/uploads/Newsletter/ARBmegaFridgeComparo.pdf

Scientific bodies would never except a study comparing data from one study to the results of another study done at another time under different conditions. If Overland Journal wants to be seen as an unbiased, all for the consumer journal, this type of comparison should not been done. Most would agree that there was a significant difference between testing temps. If another full comparison can’t be done, then the new fridge should wait until the next test. Having a fridge that copies a currently available fridge not having to show it can outperform the model it copies does not seem right. I do not feel that this was done on purpose, but with the message Chris felt he needed to add to the latest copy of OJ and the fact the copied fridge does not advertise in OJ does not look right.


TexGX

 

[1leglance]

First of all I will say that I love Paul, Ben, Bev and anyone else associated with Equipt.
I think it is great that you guys are looking for a value line fridge for folks who can't or won't pay the National Luna price (even if it is the best fridge).

But I gotta say that comparing a test set of data run at 73deg with one run at 91deg doesn't make sense. That is, what over 20% different?

For guys like me in the desert who love to run a fridge 24/7 and only have dual batteries it really matters how much power is used at higher ambient temps.

Maybe the test could be redone with a space heater in a small room to raise the temp to 91deg?

I think what is really going to be the test is getting these into the market and getting real world feedback. I know Ben says they are not a Waeco copy but the coloring, style and "feel" sure seem Waeco'y I hope they are not reverse engineered copies as that bugs me more than rebrands.

Maybe I don't understand the testing methodology well enough or maybe there needs to be a way to compare fridges year round, but there ought to be a way to bring something new like this out and compare it to other fridges without a range over 20% in conditions.

Thanks for your replies thus far Paul & Graham and please don't think we are picking on you guys....matter of fact you have all made us such well educated customers that we want to know as much as we can before spending the big bucks

 

[gjackson]

The test that Australian's 4WD Action did seems to be a great model to use for fridge comparisons. Lab data used in combination with real world data.

http://www.arbusa.com/uploads/Newsletter/ARBmegaFridgeComparo.pdf

Scientific bodies would never except a study comparing data from one study to the results of another study done at another time under different conditions. If Overland Journal wants to be seen as an unbiased, all for the consumer journal, this type of comparison should not been done. Most would agree that there was a significant difference between testing temps. If another full comparison can't be done, then the new fridge should wait until the next test. Having a fridge that copies a currently available fridge not having to show it can outperform the model it copies does not seem right. I do not feel that this was done on purpose, but with the message Chris felt he needed to add to the latest copy of OJ and the fact the copied fridge does not advertise in OJ does not look right.


TexGX

This test had nothing to do with Overland Journal. It was done at the request of Paul and followed what I had done on the OJ tests, but this was not for OJ. This was information purely for Paul at his request. The fact that he decided to make it public is completely his and should have no bearing on Overland Journal.

cheers