UPDATE OF AN ICON
Nothing outperformed it,
so we did…
YEAR:
2025
BRAND / CLIENT:
DOMETIC
ROLE:
LEAD DESIGNER
STATUS:
IN DEVELOPMENT
Dometic is repositioning itself as a lifestyle outdoor brand, top to bottom, and the TCX range no longer fits that direction…
Some products earn the right to be called icons by simply refusing to die. The TCX is one of them. It's the only thermoelectric cooler of its kind on the market, and Dometic has never had real competition for it. But that also meant it had been left alone. Facelifts here and there but no real update in over 30 years.
By 2025 it looked exactly like what it was: a product designed in the 90's.
Problems
and
Pains
according to reviews and sales org.
- Outdated design, not matching latest guidelines and brand vision
- Complaints on loud noise
- No update on cooling performance throughout facelifts
- Outdated tooling
- Consolidation of portfolio | Only keeping the 2 best selling sizes.
How do you update an icon?
Well… You partner with the best thermal engineer the company has to offer
Dr. Bjørn Flemsäter
Bjørn taught me everything there was to learn about thermoelectric cooling systems and together we worked out ideas on new setups to improve performance, reliability and space efficiency
We did lab tests together to understand airflow, benchmark fans but most importantly find the root cause of the noise issue.
"The vent pattern and the positioning of the fan was a huge contributor to noise"
Synthesize
A fully functional prototype was built to verify the cooling unit design and get real test data on the performance.
Design Freeze & Results
TCX 20
TCX 30
2 Sizes
10% Better performance
NEW Δ 30°C below ambient temperature
Up to 50% lower noise
No ventilation blocking
if pushed up against a wall
Ergonomic and space efficient carry handles
Updated UI
