Andrew Barton

This thing is amazing! The optional plastic tray fit perfect inside the cooler on the top. This is the one that comes with the other 2 sizes. Cup holder does not fit this model. It does come with a water spout you can screw on in place of the drain plug or you can also use the included adapter to work with either the new 360 faucet or the old Dometic go faucet. I don't believe the larger 2 models come with this. That old faucet worked, but the button sucked when it got wet. The new 360 model rotates and has a high and low actual button to press to turn on and off. Oh, and finally USBC charging. Old one had crappy old usb micro. The top of the 16L cooler has magnets in multiple places that the faucet will stick to. The 11L you had to use a metal plate that came with adhesive. Long story short, I am replacing my couple year old Dometic go 11l with faucet with this and the 360 faucet. With the addition of the plastic tray, it is also a great cooler. Or you can pack dry items
In it for travel and then use it at camp for cold drinking water. 16L is a little over 4 gallons of ice cold water that will stay for days. The latches are nice and it can open from either side. The lid can come completely off if desired. Speaking of the lid, it has a recessed flat, non slip surface that is great for stacking items on for transport or using as a workstation while camping or floating. The lid as well as the cooler have slits for tie down straps and the lid is recessed for the strap as not to effect the stacking capability. The carry straps have nice handles with magnets. They also can be removed with the Velcro on the straps. Either with the straps on or off, these areas can also be used for strapping down. I don't believe the cutting board divider fits this model…only the larger ones. Tote does not fit – only the larger model and it fits them well. The large Recon ice packs fit nicely with 2 in the bottom. The smaller ice packs fit too. What else? Nice non-slip rubber feet. Slick surfaces that should be easy to keep clean-not like the rough surfaces of cheap coolers that hold dirt in. The lid has a nice rubber seal. Ok, that's more detail than I saw anywhere else on the web.

Elle

The earliest refrigerators had no electricity and no environmentally damaging freon involved. They were, essentially, highly efficient chests in which one would place ice in order to keep their perishables cold. Hence: icebox, an archaic term that still gets a bit of play today. As a concept, the idea was sound. An efficient box. Ice inside. Stuff stays cold. But, imagine: the earliest ice boxes thrown far into the future, into the age of big tech. Same concept. New technologies. What kind of icebox could you build then? It turns out, you don't have to wonder. Dometic has done it with grace and style. Their icebox (and no: they don't call it that) is a thing of beauty. Materials have been thoughtfully injection molded into a form those early icebox designers couldn't have even imagined. The model I have is the 41 litre medium version, in a butter yellow color they call "Glow." The photos I've included show it from both angles in the back of my Lexus 450h. I wanted you to see it this way because, in some ways, that 41 litre is intended to be an on-the-road food prep and serving station. The lid either flips up or comes off (you choose) and the inside is stylishly compartmentalized in a way you can alter and control. The lid itself is designed in such a way as to be a table or a seat. An inner divider doubles as a cutting board. I mean, I don't think 41 liter Dometic Recon Cooler was designed for tailgaiting, but it would rock it, no doubt. What IS it designed for? Anything you want that involves keeping things cold for a long time. Not endlessly, of course. But substantially. And as long as you keep replenishing the ice that has melted, it will do it endlessly. My first test involved tucking a frozen bottle of water in there to see how long it would stay cold in the fiercely hot interior of my Phoenix-in-July garage. After the ice melted, the bottle leaked, which was a gift, as I got to check out the function of the built in drain. (It worked.)

I am completely delighted with this fancy high tech icebox. Every detail has been carefully thought of and thought through and you feel it with every use, from the well made handles that make it easy to carry, but tuck away when not in use, to the very stackable design, and even the warm yellow color. All the things. It's everything it should be. And more.

W in VA

I was recently offered this Dometic Recon Cooler to try. I went with the medium-sized 41 liter version in the Silt color so it would match some of my other Dometic products.

I'm going to start by saying I'm a fan of Dometic products. I've been using a pair of their 12v fridge/freezers for OVER ten years without any issues. Over the last several years, Dometic has moved into offering items for the off-grid camping crowd. This Recon Cooler is part of that product line.

This thing is built. It's big, heavy-ish and strong. No problem using this cooler as a seat or table. The majority of the top surface has a non-slip rubber work area. The bottom has well-attached, robust rubber feet. Features I really like are the handles that fold flat into the sides when not in use. The handles are not spring loaded so they won't snap back on your fingers or anything. The included divider doubles as a cutting board. There's a clear plastic tray that's perfect for protecting a loaf of bread. If you've ever pulled a sopping wet bag of bread out of a cooler before, you'll appreciate this feature. The latch system is awesome. The latches are easy to disengage/engage and double as hinges depending on which side you decide to open from. I like them a lot better than the rubber hook clasps that some other coolers use. The advertising says the latches can be used as bottle openers, but I wasn't able to figure out how to use them for that. The drain port is easy to unscrew and open. The magnetic feature for keeping the plug at hand is really clever. The cooler includes a couple special accessory ports that accept branded accessories such as cup holders (not included).

The cooler worked well at keeping my test load cold for well over a day. Draining the Recon afterwards was simple.

The Silt color closely matches the look and style of my old Dometic CFX-28 fridge/freezer (see photos.)

I'm pretty happy with the Recon. It's a worthy addition to my travel, camping and picnic collection without having to worry about having 12v available all the time. I considered taking a star off for the mystery bottle opener feature, but everything else about the Recon is five star.

Pauline

When I first opened the box, I was immediately impressed by the Dometic Recon Hardside’s build quality. The injection molded construction not only keeps it remarkably lightweight, up to 30 percent lighter than typical rotomolded coolers, but also feels rugged and well crafted. The generous two inch layer of insulation promises excellent cooling performance for longer trips.
During my first outing, the cooling power really stood out. The thick insulated walls retained ice for hours even in warm conditions, and the cooler’s streamlined design made it easy to stack, nest, and transport. This level of performance sets it apart, especially for outdoor adventures where cold retention is critical.
I also noted that it is still fairly new on the market with only early feedback available. While initial reviews are very positive, it will be worth seeing how it holds up with regular use over time. Based on my first experience, the quality and cooling efficiency are strong indicators that it will perform well for years.