All About Makita's Smart Cooler: Smart Features, Price, & More

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Coolers are a summer mainstay, whether you're taking one to the beach, camping, or keeping it in the backyard for quick access during a neighborhood barbeque. As with seemingly everything these days, people are now considering smart coolers over traditional options, as they offer several advantages. Battery-powered smart coolers typically keep contents cooler for longer than traditional ones, and they can keep things cool indefinitely if you've got the device plugged in or have extra batteries on hand. They don't require bags of ice, which makes them easier to clean and drain, and some also offer a warming option, which makes the cooler a more versatile, year-round purchase.

For instance, Makita's smart cooler is actually a cooler/warmer. The literal product name Makita uses is a bit of a mouthful — the 18V X2 LXT Lithium‑Ion, 12V/24V DC Auto, and AC Cooler/Warmer — but at least you can see exactly what you're getting. The cooler/warmer can be powered by Makita 18V batteries or plugged in to run on AC or DC power.

Technically there are two different Makita cooler models available in the U.S. — the DCW180Z blue model and the ADCW180Z green model. The difference between Makita blue and green tools is that the latter belong to the brand's Outdoor Adventure line. However, both the DCW180Z and ADCW180Z smart coolers are essentially the exact same product with the identical specs and only differ in color (and sometimes availability and price). Here's a closer look at the specs, as well as the special features, pricing, and other information to know about Makita's smart cooler.

The Makita Smart Cooler has a 21-quart (20L) capacity and uses compressor-type cooling to keep its contents nice and fresh. You can set the device to one of four cooling modes, including two below-freezing: 15, 30, 40, and 50 degrees Fahrenheit. As it also serves as a warmer, you can also set the temperature to 130 or 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

The cooler/warmer can be plugged either into AC or 12V/24V DC outlets, as well as use batteries. It can run on a single Makita 18V LXT battery but is designed to hold and use two for a longer runtime, allowing you to take it wherever you want. When set to 40 degrees, it'll run continuously up to 17 hours on two 18V LXT 6.0 Ah batteries. A useful LED display is built into the cooler so you can easily keep an eye on the temperature as well as the remaining battery charge. Other nifty features include a bottle opener and USB port built into its exterior. The USB port allows you to charge your phone, Bluetooth speaker, or other devices using the cooler/warmer's batteries or plug-in power.

While it's a Makita Outdoor Adventure product that will help level-up your camping trip, the green cooler/warmer — and identical blue one — can also be useful to workers on job sites as well, especially during scorching jobs in the hot summer sun. To withstand the rougher conditions of a job site, the cooler is durably built and is IPX4-rated, which means it's water-resistant to heavy splashing (which is also helpful if you bring the cooler to a pool).

Both the DCW180Z and ADCW180Z Makita Smart Cooler models are available from a few retailers, though some carry one and not the other, and the prices may vary depending on the model and retailer. Both the blue and green Makita Smart Cooler/Warmer models are nearly out of stock on Amazon, though you can, at present, buy both online from Acme Tools. The Makita DCW180Z 18V X2 LXT, 12V/24V DC Auto, and AC Cooler/Warmer is currently available for a promotional price of $749.92. The Makita ADCW180Z Outdoor Adventure Smart Cooler/Warmer is pricier and currently goes for $824.

The blue Makita DCW180Z — but not the Outdoor Adventure model — can also be purchased online from Home Depot. However, it's significantly more expensive than what Acme is offering it for at the time of this writing and is priced at $973. Also, for some reason it's described on Home Depot's site as having a 25-quart capacity. This is inaccurate, as the smart cooler only has a 21-quart capacity, which is listed correctly in Home Depot's more-detailed product description.

Regardless, wherever you purchase your Makita smart cooler from and whichever color is on its outside, once you have one, you may not want to ever go back to packing a traditional (though more affordable) cooler with bags of ice. You'll likely appreciate the convenience and other benefits of using a smart cooler, whether you're working hard or playing hard this summer.