LoaderSave StorySave this storyCommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyWe've been hunting down the best coolers for years. Whether you're heading out for an evening picnic, a weekend adventure, or a weeklong overlanding trip, you need to chill—your food and drinks, that is. There's a wealth of options these days, from little soft-sided coolers perfect for a day trip to heavy-duty, high-performance wheeled coolers with ice retention times that seem to defy the sun—like our top pick, the Yeti Tundra Haul.
Cooler manufacturers aren't necessarily lying about how long ice will last in their coolers, but they are testing under ideal conditions that are never going to exist in the real world. We've been testing coolers for more than four years now, and we've stored them under the sun, in bike trailers, and in cars, all while trying to keep food and drinks cool and edible. Below, you'll find our top picks for each category, as well as a few alternatives, plus general buying tips if none of these capture your fancy.
For your other outdoor needs, be sure to check out our other buying guides, like the Best Portable Grills, Best Camping Gear, Best Camp Cookware, Best Tents, and the Best Binoculars.
Updated April 2026: We've added new coolers from Dometic and Rovr, reformatted this guide, removed a few older picks, and ensured accuracy throughout. Next, we'll be testing additional coolers from Rovr, Yeti, Coleman, and Solo Stove.
Best Cooler for Most PeopleBest Yeti DupeBest Affordable CoolerBest Backpack CoolerBest Cooler for Camp ChefsBest Cooler for Using Less IceBest Cooler ToteBest Cooler for Large PartiesBest Electric Refrigerator/FreezerBest Stackable CoolersBest Electric Cooler With Ice MakerBest Cooler With SpeakersBest Cooler for PicnicsCompare Our Top 13 CoolersMore Coolers We TestedWhat Do I Look for in a Cooler?How Do I Efficiently Use My Cooler?How Does WIRED Test Coolers?The Best CoolersBest Cooler for Most PeopleCourtesy of YetiSave to wishlistSave to wishlistYeti
From barbecues to beaches, this hard cooler has become ubiquitous, and for good reason. It's expensive and heavy, but Yeti's rotomolded Tundra Haul is built like a tank with 3-inch-thick insulated walls, a heavy aluminum arm, and puncture-proof, one-piece wheels. When it's full, you'll need two people to lift it into the trunk of a (very big) car. The Haul kept ice frozen for six days in blazing 90-degree heat while stored in direct sunlight on my colleague Adrienne's deck. I've managed to get five days out of it in the insane humidity of Florida in the spring. If you can afford it, a Yeti hard-sided cooler is the best cooler around. —Scott Gilbertson
Photograph: Martin CizmarCourtesy of AmazonChevronChevronSave to wishlistSave to wishlistRTIC
RTIC is known as the slightly cheaper competitor to Yeti, offering basically the same rotomolded performance at a significant savings—it depends on the product and size, but they're typically 20 to 40 percent cheaper. I've actually come to prefer this 45-quart cooler over my old Yeti 65. First, it's the right size. A Yeti 45 is 34 quarts, which is a little small for a weeklong trip with four people, whereas the RTIC 45 is a true 45 quarts, with enough room for a gallon of milk, a case of beer, and a little fruit.
This model weighs 30 pounds empty, thanks to its closed-cell foam core, but the padded handles make it easy enough to carry even when loaded. It will still fit comfortably in a sedan, whereas if you jump up to the Yeti 65, it won't. Second, I've had no problems with a leaky drain plug on the RTIC one, whereas I eventually gave up on the Yeti cooler and used J-B Weld silicone sealant to stop the drip. The Vader-esque black is perhaps not the most efficient color for a cooler, but it resists stains. I've had no issues with ice retention. —Martin Cizmar
Courtesy of IglooSave to wishlistSave to wishlistIgloo
I have had a version of this basic Igloo ice chest for more than a decade, and it has withstood the test of time. The wheels haven't gotten damaged, although I have somehow managed to break the handle. It's easy to rinse out and light enough to carry easily when it's empty. This is a great option if you'd like to use a cheaper cooler to store snacks and drinks, so you don't have to constantly open your premium cooler that's keeping your meat, milk, and freshly caught fish ice-cold. —Adrienne So
Photograph: Kat MerckPhotograph: Kat MerckPhotograph: Kat MerckChevronChevronSave to wishlistSave to wishlistDometic
While there is no shortage of cooler backpacks on the market, I haven’t seen many that can double as a real travel pack with handy internal and external pockets and a laptop sleeve. My husband and I tested matching versions of the Unrestricted while carrying food on a weeklong trip to Honolulu and on one of the more strenuous hikes in our area, Dog Mountain in the Columbia River Gorge. It performed well as a travel backpack, with easy-to-access pockets on the top and front, padded straps, and dual water bottle holders (I kept a rolled-up Rumpl tech towel in one). It also kept sandwiches perfectly cool for about eight hours with an added ice pack. (Dometic sells a set of two ice packs that securely snap in, for $45, but I just tossed in these $13 ones, which were fine. Note that you definitely will need ice packs, as the Unrestricted didn’t do great in our Coors Light test—two cans lost their blue mountain at room temperature in under 12 hours.) This pack may not be the most comfortable option for a long hike with significant elevation gain, but for city walkabouts, trips, short hikes, and strolls, it’s perfect. It’s roomy—with space for up to 34 cans—and versatile, and with its 900-denier Cordura re/cor pack cloth exterior, it can survive much of what you might throw at it, whether that’s being tossed off a mountain or enduring a pack of hungry teenagers tearing through it in search of candy. —Kat Merck
Photograph: Louryn StrampeCourtesy of AmazonChevronChevronSave to wishlistSave to wishlistNinja
This cooler has a built-in drawer for dry storage. It's nice for storing foods you want to keep separated from any potential ice water mishaps. The drawer stays nice and cold, and it doesn't need to be filled with ice. Make sure to lock the drawer when transporting the cooler to keep your stuff in place. I also like the cooler's locking handle and the big, chunky wheels that make it easy to maneuver even though the cooler is on the heavier side.
My only real complaint is with the drain plug, which is placed between the two wheels. The inner compartment has a recessed area near the drain hole, and to fully drain it, you need to tilt the cooler up. It's not too big of a deal, but can be annoying if you don't want everything inside to shift around. I also wish the handle were telescoping, since it can feel a tad short when trying to pull it around. All in all though, I'd recommend it.
Courtesy of OysterSave to wishlistSave to wishlistOyster
Double-walled vacuum insulation is how your iced coffee stays cold in a travel mug, but it's normally structurally stable only in a cylindrical shape. The Norwegian company Oyster figured out how to transfer this technology to a rectangular cooler. The Tempo’s aluminum body is so efficient at temperature retention that it can keep food and drinks just as cold as a plastic or foam cooler can, while using less than half as much ice. The design also gives the Tempo very thin walls; the sides are only about an inch thick, which is about half as thick as the walls of most plastic coolers. This makes the Tempo more compact, and gives it an interior that’s much larger than you think it’s going to be when you open it. The lid clamps down with two brackets. You can undo them both to lift the lid entirely off, or (in a clever design touch) undo just one bracket so the other can serve as a hinge. The handle snaps on and can be removed entirely or replaced with a strap.
The 5-gallon capacity is enough for a half-gallon of milk, a couple of quart containers of pasta salad, a six-pack of cans, some loose produce, and a couple of cold packs. If you stay on a liquid diet while vacationing, it holds 36 cans of whatever you’re drinking. It costs $500, which is a few hundred dollars more than most anyone wants to spend on a cooler. But if you want something compact and powerful and don’t mind paying through the nose to get it, just know that the Tempo performs well enough to earn its price tag. After a Tempo packed tightly with perishables and two freezer packs spent five hours in the backseat of a car and three hours on the floor of a cabin, a can of Spindrift sparkling water still felt and tasted as cold as if it had spent that whole time in the fridge. —Michael Calore
Photograph: Kat MerckPhotograph: Kat MerckVideo: Kat MerckChevronChevronSave to wishlistSave to wishlistRovR
Known for its high-end rolling coolers, Rovr takes its portability objective to the next level with this open-top carrier featuring removable Velcro dividers and a vacuum-insulated central ice bucket. The dividers and ice bucket can be pulled out to turn the KeepR into an insulated general tote with a skid-proof base, akin to the Yeti Camino, but the best use case is clearly a mobile cocktail bar with access to clean, fresh ice. And it does this well—it can hold up to six bottles of wine or spirits, or two bottles plus some snacks and cocktail glasses, as I tested. It has a carry handle and a shoulder strap; I used the latter, and it was far more comfortable than I thought it would be to schlep when full. I wasn’t sure how cool bottles would stay with the open-top design, but I was surprised to find my seltzer and Negroni mixes still chilled even after several hours in direct sun. There are a few foibles—the ice bucket is difficult to open while it’s in the tote, just spinning round and round in its slot. I kept having to pull it out and put it on my lap every time I needed ice. (I also wish it came with a scoop for the ice, but mini ice tongs I had on hand slotted perfectly over one of the dividers.) The cheap-feeling plastic handles and blingy rose-gold accent on top of the bucket are also kind of weird and don’t really fit the brand’s Boulder Bro aesthetic, but I did like that the bucket’s 3 pounds of ice stayed usable for about 36 hours after I filled it. (The directions say 48 hours, but by then the ice was just a couple stuck-together clumps floating in water.) —Kat Merck
Photograph: Kat MerckCourtesy of IglooChevronChevronSave to wishlistSave to wishlistIgloo
Igloo says the Party Bar was inspired by the outdoor beer chests found at a traditional Texas ice house (a type of casual indoor-outdoor beer joint, for those not familiar), and indeed, it practically screams summer party time. To be sure, it is a good time—so long as your party isn’t too long and the cooler is not in direct sun. Holding about four six-packs of 12-ounce bottles or up to 158 12-ounce cans with its two dividers and removable caddy, the Party Bar is basically a giant insulated tub that sits on a dolly with lockable casters. There's also a bottle opener and catch cup on the front. It's not a cooler in the traditional sense—the lid is translucent and sits loosely on the tub's lip, so heat does get in. Copious online reviews complain about the lid arriving warped and not fitting properly, and this was also the case with my test unit at first, but after a few weeks outside in summer sun, the lid did straighten itself out and settle into place.
During my initial test in direct sunlight on an 80-degree Fahrenheit day, a bag of ice emptied into the Party Bar melted almost completely in just under five hours, but the drain plug on the side and ability to lift the tub off the dolly made it very easy to clean. This is more of a festive receptacle than a traditional cooler, so I wouldn't take it camping or anywhere you need to keep food or drinks cold for an entire day. However, if you have a covered area and need a cool-looking station for many drinks, this is one of the largest-capacity and easiest-to-use options on the market. —Kat Merck
Courtesy of EngleSave to wishlistSave to wishlistEngle
Most people probably do not need an electric cooler. For the price of most electric coolers, you can buy at least two large Yetis. When my family and I moved into our RV years ago, even we used an ice box. It worked great for well over a year. Eventually though, we decided to join the modern world again with some refrigeration and this Engle has been humming away ever since.
We use it chiefly as a freezer, though it works great (and draws less power) as a fridge. It keeps everything cold and Engle's customer support is among the best I've ever encountered. Once, a short in our electrical system killed the DC motor (my fault, not the cooler's), and Engle's support team walked me though troubleshooting everything with a multimeter, spending hours on the phone to make sure I figured out the issue. —Scott Gilbertson
Photograph: Kat MerckPhotograph: Kat MerckChevronChevronSave to wishlistSave to wishlistDometic
Anyone who’s ever gone on a long camping trip, or even a day trip with lots of people, knows the interminable agony of trying to Tetris coolers and gear into the car. Dometic, a name you might recognize from electric coolers and RV fridges, has recently released a series of coolers that are fully stackable and packable, with both hard- and soft-sided options designed to be crammed into tight spaces. The hard-sided versions (in yellow or gray) have rubberized nonskid tops and handles that nest; the soft-sided coolers (in green or gray) have break-apart magnetic handles and Moll-E webbing. Best of all, both coolers have latches that allow them to be opened from either side, or unhooked altogether to take the top totally off.
I tested the medium and large hard- and soft-sided versions at barbecues, on boats, and at U-pick farms, transporting them packed into my small SUV. The injection-molded hard-sided coolers were especially handy with their divider inside that doubles as a cutting board, and I liked that the soft-sided coolers could fit in a car footwell. While Dometic says the hard-sided cooler can keep ice for eight days, I tested this multiple times, in both direct sun and in my room-temperature house, and the longest ice was able to last was about 3.25 days. For the soft-sided coolers, it’s more like one day. (Or less, if it’s in direct sun.) This is all on par with similar-style coolers I’ve used in the past.
The only negative experience I had was with the soft-sided coolers—both of them arrived with a slight wrinkling on the side of the 840D nylon exterior. It was strictly an aesthetic problem, but for the price, this would bother me. Second, the break-apart handles are great for the ability to stack things on top of the coolers, but fitting them back together required patiently matching up the magnetic parts, and I admit I found this irritating over time. I almost always just ended up carrying the handles while they were apart, which was awkward and uncomfortable when the coolers were full. Thankfully, they also come with a shoulder strap. —Kat Merck
Photograph: Louryn StrampePhotograph: Louryn StrampeChevronChevronSave to wishlistSave to wishlistDometic
It feels silly calling the Dometic CX5 a cooler. I tested the model with an ice maker, and it has tons of bells and whistles (including the aforementioned ice maker, which is removable). Aside from being able to make its own ice, it also has a companion app that lets you connect to the cooler via Bluetooth to monitor and adjust its temperature, and you can even set up temperature alerts so you’ll know if something changes. It can be powered via AC or DC, or you can purchase separate batteries to keep it running off-grid. It also includes wire baskets for organization, and you can adjust the lid to open from either direction (or take it off completely). There’s a display on the side with a few onboard controls in case you don’t want to install the companion app. It also has a USB-A port that’ll let you charge up a phone or something similar.
For the most part, this cooler performed exactly as I expected it would. Do I think it’s worth the price? If you want a powered cooler, sure. But as we mentioned above, a powered cooler is likely overkill for most people. I also found myself annoyed with the cooler handles, which are very shallow and swivel, making it awkward to lug the cooler around by yourself.
Photograph: Louryn StrampeSave to wishlistSave to wishlistIgloo
The retro-looking Igloo KoolTunes is similar to the classic Igloo Playmate, except it has built-in Bluetooth speakers. As a cooler, it performs fine. I find the swivel-back opening a bit difficult to maneuver one-handed, but the housing is lightweight and the whole shebang is pretty easy to carry around. There's enough room for 26 cans, or a nice big lunch for you and your pal. The 5-watt Bluetooth speakers are a nice touch, too. It takes just over four hours to charge the cooler fully using its USB-C port. There are a few buttons on the back to connect it to your phone, adjust the volume, or even link it up with other compatible KoolSync coolers. The mono-directional Bluetooth speakers are fine.
The sound quality is tinny, and it struggles with heavy bass—I tried to play a beat by one of my favorite producers and I thought the whole thing was going to rattle apart—but at lower volumes with less bass-heavy music, they were OK. Loud dubstep sounded like the backseat of my friend's Dodge Neon in high school. Medium-volume coffee house pop was serviceable. If you're just chilling at the beach or with a friend, and you don't want to bring a separate Bluetooth speaker, the sound quality is totally fine. Just don't expect it to be a portable party like a traditional boombox would be. If I lived near a beach, I would bring this thing there all the time. I did experience some spotty connectivity if I walked away with my phone, but it was difficult to pinpoint exactly the maximum distance I could get away with.
Photograph: Louryn StrampeSave to wishlistSave to wishlistIgloo
This sweet-looking cooler is basically an insulated picnic basket. It has a flip-open waffle-textured lid, plus picnic-style handles that snap together for easier transportation. Otherwise, it's pretty simple, with no drain plug and molded handles in case you want to carry it from the sides rather than the top. Honestly, the ice retention isn't the best, but I can't help but still recommend this cooler simply because it is so darn cute. I would happily tote it along on a picnic lunch or to the park. Sometimes you need your ice to last as long as possible because you're off-grid camping in the woods. Other times, you just need your drinks and dessert to stay cold while you go on your lunch date. This cooler is perfect for the latter situations. It's lightweight, it's easy to carry around, and it's a conversation piece.
Photograph: Scott GilbertsonYeti Roadie 32: We really like this cooler, which is nearly perfect except for the fact that the wheels can struggle in sand when it's fully loaded. It can also be a little awkward to roll if you're on the short side. Otherwise, it's great for family day trips and might even be good for a weekend couple's trip if y'all are good at packing coolers. Filled two-thirds full of ice (Yeti's general recommendation) and stored in the shade with temps ranging from 55 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit, everything was still plenty cold at the end of two days. —Scott Gilbertson
Pelican Elite 20QT: This tall, narrow, injection-molded cooler is a solid option for road trips. The larger options are rotomolded. It's waterproof, durable, and easy to fit in the backseat or a pull-wagon. There are four cupholders with drains on the lid, and it keeps ice frozen for two days in 80-degree heat. —Scott Gilbertson
Bote Kula Magnepod: This cooler is designed to fit on Bote's Aero Breeze or other paddleboards, but it doesn't need to be paired with them. The bucket shape is versatile, the cooler itself is durable and rugged, and there are tie-down points that let you attach it wherever you may need to.
Yeti Hopper Flip 12: This wide-mouth, free-standing Yeti has a heavy zipper and is a great size for bungeeing to your paddleboard or bike rack. There's a grab handle and a shoulder strap, so you can attach your flip flops, dry bag, or little Bluetooth speaker.
Anker Solix EverFrost 2: Anker’s Solix EverFrost 2 electric cooler comes in three sizes (24, 42, or 61 quarts) and has wheels, a handle, and a wee fold-out shelf to sit drinks on. The largest model has two separate cooler sections (you can have a fridge and freezer). Since there’s no need for ice, you can make full use of the space. It’s quick to cool, giving you drinkable beer in 20 minutes. The removable 288 Wh battery is good for around 52 hours for the 42-quart model, but you can add a second battery to extend that to 4.3 days. Anker makes some of our favorite power banks and power stations, so I’m not surprised its Solix EverFrost 2 cooler doubles up as a charger for your gadgets, though that will eat into your battery life. You can recharge the cooler battery via a wall outlet, car socket, solar panels, or USB-C. Paired with a 100-watt solar panel, this could be a great way to go off-grid (you’ll need around four hours of sunshine a day minimum to keep it running). On the downside, the Solix EverFrost 2 can also run out of power fairly quickly, depending on how warm it is and how often you open it. Because of the battery, these coolers are heavy. The 42-quart model is 51 pounds empty, so you’ll want help lifting it in and out of your car when fully loaded, though the handy wheels make it easy to maneuver on the ground. It can also be a little noisy, which might be annoying if you’re sleeping in a tent with it. —Simon Hill
The first thing to consider when buying a cooler is how you're going to use it. If you aren't heading out for days at a time, you probably don't need an expensive high-end cooler. All the coolers we've recommend above are capable of holding things at a safe temperature for a day, provided you keep them in the shade. Similarly, if you're navigating rugged terrain, you might want beefy wheels—and if you're just going to the beach, you might not need them.
Hard-sided coolers: These range from the old green Coleman coolers—once a staple of every camping trip—to Yetis, which cost as much as cars did when Coleman started making coolers. You might wonder why the Yetis are so expensive. That I can't answer, but Yeti did upend the cooler industry by introducing rotational molding, or “rotomolding,” where melted plastic is molded over foam insulation in one piece. Rotomolded coolers offer seamless, uniform density in their walls and lids, which drastically improves a cooler's performance. In contrast, those ancient, affordable plastic coolers we've all used have thinner walls, leaky seams, and less insulated lids. Whether you need the extra insulation depends on what you're doing and how hot it is when you're doing it. Want to learn more? Our In-House Know-It-All has a more thorough insulation explanation.
Hard-sided coolers generally have the luxury features you want, like leakproof lids and drain plugs, and some are even bear-resistant (check this list of bear-proof products if you're headed into ursine country). The downside is that these coolers are generally huge and heavy.
Soft-sided coolers: Soft-sided coolers include everything from well-padded, impressively insulated sling bags to roll-down, dry-bag-style coolers perfect for those mild beach days. The best soft coolers are easier to carry, pack away easily when not in use, and have a versatility that traditional hard coolers lack. (I have used dry-bag-style coolers as, well, dry bags.) Ice doesn't last as long, but for short outings where you don't need a large cooler, these are what we recommend.
Electric coolers: Sure, they're not necessary, but if you're headed out on longer adventures and have access to power, you'll never have to worry about your ice melting.
If you're storing your cooler in a 160-degree-Fahrenheit car trunk, no rotomolded wall or freezer gasket will keep ice from melting. But if you want to maximize your cooling time like the pros, we do have a few tips.
Pre-chill your cooler: Pack it with ice a few hours before packing, so your cooler starts out the trip freezing cold.
Keep two separate coolers: One that you open infrequently to hold perishables like meat and cheese, and one for snacks and drinks that you open more frequently.
Pack strategically: Put larger items and ice packs at the bottom to keep any small chunks of ice cooler for longer.
Block it: Block ice is more efficient for long-term cooling because it has less surface area to mass. Use a block or two to either to supplement your cubed ice or as a replacement for it entirely.
We tested coolers by using them during camping trips, road trips, beach days, tailgating parties, and (in one unfortunate instance) as a replacement for a broken refrigerator.
We add a standard 7-pound bag of ice and a couple cans of Coors Light to the cooler and place it in temperatures around 80 degrees Fahrenheit (sometimes as low as 70, sometimes as high as 92, depending on the weather). The Ice Melt Test is the time it took for all of the ice to melt. The Coors Light Test is how long it took for the beer cans' mountains to turn from blue (around 42 to 48 degrees Fahrenheit) to gray (anything higher; aka, too warm to be considered cold). Of course, this test isn't perfect; the coolers vary in size and insulation, timing was approximate in some instances, and a few cans of beer is hardly considered efficient packing. But our aim is to show how effective a cooler might be in your day-to-day life. We are working on retesting all of the coolers in this guide using this protocol, where it makes sense to.
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