Solo Stove has long built its brand around fire, starting with camping and backpacking stoves and moving into the smokeless fire pit market. As it began expanding into adjacent product segments, a cooler seemed almost inevitable. But Solo has developed its cooler a little differently, turning it into a summertime answer to the central gathering place its fire pits provide. This ice chest spits out cold air and mist to keep everyone cooler through the dog days of summer.
How to gather the busy, screen-absorbed family around deck or camp circle when it's too hot to enjoy a smokeless fire? An ice-filled cooler or bucket with frosty beverages is always a good bet, but family members might be inclined to grab a can out of the ice bath and disperse out to the shadiest spots around. An outdoor air conditioner and mister, though? That'll get 'em to stick around.
We see how the Windchill 47 can fill in for the fire pit as a gathering point on hot days and evenings, but it wasn't actually an original idea from Solo Stove. Instead, the concept started as the IcyBreeze cooler that launched over a decade ago and evolved its way through several iterations to include the three main functions of the new Windchill: food and beverage cooling, personal A/C and misting.
Following its pandemic-accelerated success in home and portable smokeless fire pits, Solo Stove went on a buying spree to expand its product lineup beyond fire and cooking gear, and IcyBreeze was one of the companies it purchased. It then wound down the independent brand to incorporate the technology into its own lineup.
More than just a rebranded IcyBreeze cooler, the Windchill 47 benefits from a streamlined redesign, featuring a cleaner, more integrated construction. The electrical components are more contained, with the battery finding a home in a compartment in the lid rather than directly on top of the lid.
As a traditional icebox, the Windchill 47 holds up to 65 cans (without ice) in its main compartment. When used solely as a foam-insulated food-and-beverage cooler with the air conditioning off, Solo claims it'll retain ice for up to six days on end.
As far as air conditioning, the Windchill features a heat exchange system that pulls ambient air in, cools it via the frosty, ice-filled main compartment, and pushes it back out as dry, cold air. The vent hose that stores in the underside of the lid allows users to direct the cold air where it's needed. The misting system, meanwhile, offers a second active cooling solution that turns the melted ice water into a light, cold spray.
Users can also use the three-speed fan alone without A/C or mist as a simpler cooling option that uses less battery power. The central control panel provides easy mode selection.
Beyond those primary features, the 42.4-lb (19.2-kg) Windchill also includes a built-in bottle opener, USB device charging, a combination of all-terrain wheels and telescoping handle for easy transport, and an accessories attachment system for add-ons like a drink holder and side table. The removable 10-Ah battery provides three+ hours of air conditioning, and owners can also purchase additional 10- or 17-Ah battery packs for swapping. The latter offers four+ hours of active air conditioning. The included AC electrical adaptor can be plugged into an outlet for extended use.
The Windchill 47 went up for preorder this month at a retail price of $650. Solo plans to begin deliveries in early June, just ahead of those long, hot Northern Hemisphere summer days.
Source: Solo Stove