Top 5 compared
The best coolers
Cold drinks and fresh food for tailgates, beach days, camping weekends and long drives.
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The top 5 at a glance
A cooler keeps food and drinks cold away from the fridge, with ice or, in an electric one, a compressor. Rotomolded hard coolers have the thickest walls; a standard hard cooler costs less for its size; a soft cooler is lighter and easier to carry on a shoulder; an electric cooler holds a set temperature from the car’s 12V socket with no ice, but weighs more than an ice cooler its size.
How long ice lasts depends on the walls, how full the cooler is and how often the lid opens, so treat any maker’s figure as the best case. Start with cold food and drinks and a pre-chilled cooler, and keep it in the shade.
What matters
- Inside dimensions, since thick walls take up room.
- A drain plug, so meltwater comes out without tipping it.
- A lid that doubles as a seat, for the campsite or tailgate.
- Weight when full, and handles or a strap to match.
#1YETI Roadie 24 2.0 Hard Cooler
$200–$300
Rotomolded walls like a big expedition cooler, in a tall, narrow box that stands behind a car seat. A padded DoubleDuty strap takes the weight on the walk to the beach or the boat, non-slip feet stop it from sliding, and a drain plug empties the meltwater.
What owners say: Owners rate how long it keeps ice, often for days, and like it as a mid-size cooler for day trips, with a strap strong enough for the load.
Heads up: At about 13 lb before anything goes in, it’s heavy for its size, the cost of thick rotomolded walls, so use the strap once it’s loaded.
A closer look: Thick walls mean the inside is smaller than the outside suggests: about 13 inches deep, so most bottles stand up. A bag of sacrificial ice the night before cools the walls, and the real ice lasts longer; drain the meltwater through the plug instead of tipping the cooler.
- Fits behind a car seat
- Padded shoulder strap
- Most bottles stand upright
- Drain plug for meltwater
- Non-slip feet
Best for: Boats, road trips and tailgates
- Capacity
- 22 qt
- Type
- Ice (rotomolded)
- Keeps cold (maker)
- –
- Weight (empty)
- 13 lb
- Outside size
- 16.6 × 14 × 17.4 in
#2Titan by Arctic Zone 16 Can Zipperless HardBody Cooler
$30–$50
A soft cooler with a hard, removable liner: the flip-open lid has no zipper to jam, and a shelf keeps sandwiches off the cans below. Arctic Zone says it holds ice for up to two days, and the padded Backsaver strap makes it easy to carry all day.
What owners say: Owners like how well it keeps things cold and find it just the right size for a road trip. The side mesh tearing is the usual complaint, and a few don’t think it’s worth the price.
A closer look: Take the SmartShelf out for one big space when it’s all drinks, or leave it in so lunch doesn’t get crushed under the ice. The liner lifts out for washing, and the front pocket is insulated too, a cooler spot for a phone on a hot day.
- Zipperless flip-open lid
- Shelf keeps lunch off cans
- Liner lifts out to wash
- Insulated front pocket
- Padded shoulder strap
Best for: Work lunches and day trips
- Capacity
- 12.7 qt
- Type
- Ice (soft, hard liner)
- Keeps cold (maker)
- Ice up to 2 days
- Weight (empty)
- 2.3 lb
- Outside size
- 12.25 × 8 × 12.25 in
#3Coleman Chiller 16-Quart Cooler
$20–$30
A plain, light ice chest that does the basics well: TempLock foam holds ice for up to 36 hours by Coleman’s figures, the lid takes 200 lb so it doubles as a seat, and the bail handle carries it in one hand. Coleman has been making coolers since 1954.
What owners say: A good basic ice chest for picnics and day trips, owners find, with room for drinks and ice, and they rate how well it keeps things cold and find it a good value. Durability reports vary.
Heads up: The lid fits tight and doesn’t prop itself open, so hold it with one hand while loading.
A closer look: Eleven cans and 8 lb of ice fill it, or 25 cans with no ice for a quick trip to a friend’s backyard. It fits in a car footwell, and the smooth lid wipes clean after a sandy beach day.
- Lid doubles as a seat
- One-hand bail handle
- Fits a car footwell
- Made in the USA
- Smooth lid wipes clean
Best for: Picnics and the beach
- Capacity
- 16 qt
- Type
- Ice (hard)
- Keeps cold (maker)
- Ice up to 36 hours
- Weight (empty)
- 4.2 lb
- Outside size
- 15.7 × 12 × 11.2 in
#4EUHOMY 23-Quart 12V Electric Cooler and Freezer (CF030-22X)
$100–$150
No ice at all: a compressor cools it like a small fridge to anywhere from -4°F to 68°F, so it can chill or freeze, from the car’s 12V socket or a wall outlet. EUHOMY puts it at about 40 decibels, and a three-level battery guard stops it from draining the car battery.
What owners say: Owners are struck by how fast it gets cold and how quietly it runs, and one figures it pays for itself in bags of ice saved on long trips; a few had units fail within the year.
A closer look: The magnetic lid closes on a rubber gasket, so it seals itself even when it’s shut in a hurry. It keeps working on slopes up to 30 degrees, and at home it plugs into a wall outlet as a spare fridge or freezer for a party or a power outage.
- Magnetic lid seals itself
- 3-level car battery protection
- About 40 decibels
- Bluetooth app control
- Works on 30° slopes
Best for: Ice-free camping and long drives
- Capacity
- 23 qt
- Type
- Electric, 12V or AC
- Keeps cold (maker)
- -4°F to 68°F, no ice
- Weight (empty)
- 23.2 lb
- Outside size
- 22.7 × 12.7 × 12.9 in
#5Coleman Classic Series 52-Quart Hard Cooler
$50–$75
A big family ice chest for camping weekends and cookouts: Coleman says it holds ice for up to three days at 90°F and takes up to 80 cans, the lid supports 250 lb as a seat, and cup holders are molded into the top.
What owners say: Roomy enough for a weekend’s camping or a power outage, owners say, with 20 lb of ice lasting about three days for some; others found the lid didn’t close or seal fully.
A closer look: The cup holders molded into the lid take tumblers up to 30 oz and have drains, so a spilled drink runs off instead of pooling. Full of ice and drinks it’s a two-person lift by the swing-up handles, so it’s best packed in the trunk or at the campsite rather than carried far.
- Cup holders with drains
- Lid doubles as a seat
- Swing-up handles
- Made in the USA
Best for: Cookouts and big groups
- Capacity
- 52 qt
- Type
- Ice (hard)
- Keeps cold (maker)
- Ice up to 3 days
- Weight (empty)
- 8.6 lb
- Outside size
- 25.6 × 14.8 × 16.5 in
How they compare
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| Feature | #1YETI Roadie 24 | #2Titan 16 Can | #3Coleman Chiller 16 qt | #4EUHOMY 23 qt | #5Coleman Classic 52 qt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best soft cooler | Best budget | Best electric | Biggest capacity | |
| Picked Rating | 9.4 | 9.1 | 9.0 | 8.9 | 8.9 |
| Price | $200–$300 | $30–$50 | $20–$30 | $100–$150 | $50–$75 |
| Capacity | 22 qt | 12.7 qt | 16 qt | 23 qt | 52 qt |
| Type | Ice (rotomolded) | Ice (soft, hard liner) | Ice (hard) | Electric, 12V or AC | Ice (hard) |
| Keeps cold (maker) | – | Ice up to 2 days | Ice up to 36 hours | -4°F to 68°F, no ice | Ice up to 3 days |
| Weight (empty) | 13 lb | 2.3 lb | 4.2 lb | 23.2 lb | 8.6 lb |
| Outside size | 16.6 × 14 × 17.4 in | 12.25 × 8 × 12.25 in | 15.7 × 12 × 11.2 in | 22.7 × 12.7 × 12.9 in | 25.6 × 14.8 × 16.5 in |
| Best for | Boats, road trips and tailgates | Work lunches and day trips | Picnics and the beach | Ice-free camping and long drives | Cookouts and big groups |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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