Good coolers make it easier to enjoy the outdoors. From heading out fishing, taking a hike to a wild camping spot, or going for a picnic with friends or family, a cooler can make a good day a great one. However, when it comes to choosing the right cooler, things can get a lot more difficult. In this post, we will guide you through choosing the right cooler for your needs and top tips on keeping your ice longer.
Our Top picks
#1 Best YETI cooler for portable ice retention: The Hopper Backflip Soft Sided Cooler & Backpack
For a cooler backpack for fishing, hiking, picnics, or treks, this is the top backpack cooler out there on the market.
#2 Best soft cooler to keep ice for the price: IceMule’s Collapsible and Waterproof Cooler Bag with Insulation
For a portable ice cooler offering great ice retention for the price, this great cooler outperforms a lot of coolers that cost more and is also a great cooler bag for beach (picnic, camping, party, food).
#3 Best small cooler to keep ice on the go: eBags Crew Cooler II, a cooler for work, travel, and weekends
For a cooler ideal when you are traveling and on the go, this nifty small cooler is great as a lunchbox and keeps things ice-cold all day easily.
#4 Best cooler to keep ice for days: The YETI Tundra Haul Portable Wheeled Cooler
For a hard-sided cooler designed to withstand bear attacks and stop your ice from defrosting for well over a week at a time, this hefty cooler packs a punch. This cooler with wheels keeps food and drinks cold for an extended time.
#5 Best cooler bag for keeping ice on a budget: Arctic Zone’s Titan Deep Freeze Zipperless Hardbody cooler
For decent ice-retention on a small budget, this neatly designed cooler bag is portable and keeps ice cold all day even without any zippers.
What is the best cooler out there for you?
The first thing you need to think about when buying a cooler is what type of cooler you need. Some are designed with maximum portability in mind, but might not have that much room in them. Others might have an abundance of space but be difficult to move around very far. There are also soft-sided and hard-side options. Hard sides tend to offer better ice retention (ie. keep ice cooler for longer) but are also less comfy to carry and heavier.
You also need to consider what you are actually going to be using the cooler for. Do you need a cooler for a garden party, picnic, or one you can take trekking? Or are you looking more for an ice chest? Or do you need a cooler that will keep fish fresh on your boat for days at a time so you can enjoy really getting out to sea? Ultimately if you need to take your cooler a reasonably long way, portability has to be the key determining factor for your decision and a soft cooler will likely be best. If you’re not going far then hard-sided coolers with more space and better ice-retention will be better.
How to keep ice from melting in your cooler
The answer to the question ‘how long will a bag of ice last in a cooler?’ is a bit like the answer to the question ‘how long is a piece of string?’. Obviously, coolers with better ice retention will keep ice frozen for longer, as well as the goods in your cooler. However, there are a number of other ways you can help to prevent ice melting in your cooler that are worth checking out. Here, we outline 5 great ways to stop ice melting in coolers:
#1 Pre-chill your goods first
Before you put your products in your cooler, it’s a good idea to get them nice and cold first. The warmer things are when you put them in your cooler, the quicker that heat is going to transfer to your ice.
#2 Have a high ice to goods ratio
Fill as much spare space with ice as possible. When you do this you squeeze out warmer air in your cooler. You should also ensure that there is more ice than other goods in your cooler if you want to max out how long your ice stays frozen.
#3 Make large ice-cubes with boiled water
Bigger ice blocks or cubes last longer than smaller ones and take longer to reach melting point. This is because they have less exposed surface area than small pieces of ice. Interestingly, boiled water also helps keeps ice for longer because there are fewer air bubbles in boiled water.
#4 Support your cooler
If you give your cooler a hand, then you can extend its ability to prevent ice melting. One way you can do this is by choosing a cooler that is lighter in color on the outside. Lighter colors reflect the sun’s rays better and don’t absorb as much heat. You could also you’re your cooler up in a blanket or towel for some added external insulation. Adding a layer of aluminum foil to the interior will also improve ice retention.
#5 Keep your cooler out of the sun
Whilst we might love being in the sunshine, ice doesn’t. Even in your cooler, the ice is going to melt quicker if left in hot places or in direct sunlight. If you can keep your cooler under some shade, then you’ll enjoy colder beers for longer.
Top 5 Best Cooler Keeping Ice Longest Reviews
With so many coolers to choose from, it can be hard to know which one to pick. Here we outline 5 of our favorite coolers when it comes to keeping ice for the longest. We have picked them with different needs and budget in mind so there should be a great cooler for everyone in our top 5 cooler picks:
#1 Best YETI cooler for portable ice retention: The Hopper Backflip Soft Sided Cooler & Backpack
If you are in the market for the best cooler to keep ice from melting whilst on the move, then you’ll be pleasantly surprised by this Yeti cooler that doubles up as a backpack. It has tall and wide sides to make packing and unpacking easy and has room for up to 25 pounds of weight or up to 20 cans of beer but is still nice and compact. One of the best picnic coolers and great for camping, hiking, and festivals, this cooler keeps your perishables cool and fresh thanks to its superb ice retention.
Other benefits of this YETI cooler are that: it has a waterproof layer, clever waterproof zipper, and a DryHide shell that makes it impressively durable; it has two comfortable shoulder straps and both a hip and belt strap that helps keep your back safe; the wide double straps ensure it remains comfortable even when you’ve filled it to the brim; you won’t find your ice melting easily in this cooler even when the weather is super-hot and it will stay frozen for 3-5 days. The downside of this cooler is that it is so pricey.
#Yeti #Portable_Yeti_Cooler #Soft_Sided_Cooler #Ice_Retention #Yeti_Ice_Retention
#2 Best soft cooler to keep ice for the price: IceMule’s Collapsible and Waterproof Cooler Bag with Insulation
If you need to find the best soft cooler for ice retention by cost, then you can’t really go wrong with IceMule’s coolers. With great ice retention, decent portability, and long-term durability at a low cost, this cooler ticks a lot of boxes. It also comes with an additional exterior layer that you can blow air into. This adds an extra layer of insulation helping to protect your goods from outside temperatures better and keeping them ice cold for longer.
Other pros of this ice-keeping cooler are that: it has an easy access hood that allows you to access the contents quicker; it keeps ice as ice for 24 hours; it has a waterproof exterior; it has soft sides and collapses down nice and small, and; you get a lot for your money in comparison with other coolers at this price range and even more expensive ones. The one major downside of this cooler is the lack of a zipper which means water could get in if it dropped into water.
#Value_Soft_Cooler #IceMule #Value_Ice_Retention #Portable_Soft_Cooler #Soft_Coolers
#3 Best small cooler to keep ice on the go: eBags Crew Cooler II, a cooler for work, travel, and weekends
If you’re looking for the best small cooler that is ideal for traveling, short journeys, and as a daily lunchbox, then you should check out this cooler. It has excellent ice retention thanks to the insulation on all 6 sides of the main compartment. This is also leak-proof so it can be used with both ice and ice-blocks. There are extra compartments that you can use for dry goods like your keys and your wallet or purse.
Other great things about this small cooler for on the go are that: though small, it still has a decent amount of space whether you want to bring lunch or a few cans of beer along; it is made out of a material called ballistic nylon which means it will last you for years even with daily use; it can be clipped quickly on to suitcases, and; the extra pockets make keeping organized a doddle when on the move. The downside of this travel cooler is that it is a little bit costly considering its size.
#Travel_Cooler #Lunch_Box #Lunchbox_Cooler #Travel_Lunchbox #Small_Travel_Cooler
#4 Best cooler to keep ice for days: The YETI Tundra Haul Portable Wheeled Cooler
If you’re after the best cooler to keep ice frozen and budget isn’t an issue, then you don’t need to look beyond this Yeti icebox. This cooler keeps ice for days at a time so if you want to take ice-cream out for a long camping trip this is the best cooler to keep ice cream frozen for as long as you need. With a whopping 3-inches of permafrost insulation, this cooler guarantees that the ice you pack will stay as ice for over a week even when the sun shines. The thick wall is also so strong it can withstand attacks from bears!
Other things to like about this ice-cream cooler are that: in ideal conditions, you could even get to 12 days before your ice starts to melt; it is huge and can hold close to 40 cans of beer and or 59 pounds worth of weight; it is great for BBQs, boat trips, and long camping weekends; it is a cooler with wheels and handle attached, and; all of its components are super strong so this will last you for life. The downsides of this cooler are the initially high cost and the fact it weighs close to 30-pounds when empty which makes it tough to move.
#Ice_Box #Yeti_Ice_Box #Yeti_Ice_Cooler #PermaFrost_Ice_Box #Durable_Ice_Box
#5 Best cooler bag for keeping ice on a budget: Arctic Zone’s Titan Deep Freeze Zipperless Hardbody cooler
For those keen on a cooler bag with exceptional ice retention on a budget, this is probably the best cooler for keeping ice frozen for the price. You’ll get at last a full day of ice protection and up to 2 days thanks to the heat reflecting exterior and high performing deep freeze insulation. Whilst it is zipperless, the clever design means it is completely leak proof. For this price, this is the best cooler to keep ice cold.
Other things you can enjoy about this cooler bag are that: it is comfortable to carry even in the biggest size thanks to the adjustable shoulder strap; it is nice and easy to clean; it is stand-alone when empty making it easy to pack and unpack, and; it has a number of handy compartments to help separate things out and keep things organized. The downside of this cooler is that it is not as durable as pricier coolers and won’t be suitable for longer trips if you need to keep things frozen.
#Cooler_Bags #Comfy_Cooler_Bag #Value_Cooler #Coller_For_Ice #Ice_Cooler
Conclusion
When it comes to ice retention, you can’t beat a hard-sided cooler. However, soft-sided coolers are much better when on the move and many can keep ice frozen for at least a day. The important thing is to consider what you need your cooler for and choose one that best suits where you want to take it. You can always help your cooler keep things cooler with some of the hacks above. The list above is our top picks for coolers in terms of ice retention depending on your budget and plans.
Coolers are not effective in humid air. It will just behave as a normal fan at that case.
All of these look great to me. But this is what I am searching for: My 12 year old grandson was diagnosed right before Christmas with type 1 diabetes. Saying that, my son and his family have to keep insulin refrigerated at all times in order to treat him. What cooler would be needed in case of a power outage? Maybe for up to a week–or even more? I am just trying to find something now, for a just in case scenario… Thank you for any help you may give me.
What you are looking for would cost just about as much as a generator, to be honest. I also doubt you will find a cooler made by any company, medical or otherwise, that is able to withstand insulation that long in a size that would be fitted to hold the meager contents of a week’s worth of personal insulin. Put simply, I just don’t think anyone has made that product in mind for individual use. In my searching, I have only found large coolers meant to transport and store for large companies such as relief efforts after receiving natural disasters or meant for improverished countries. My advice to you, from one medically desperate person to another, to save, or borrow, the money and buy a generator to use sparingly and in emergencies for your grandson’s insulin. If you are in the market, I happen to know of a company that gives a rather respectable rebate offer for a home generator which ends up being a reasonable price to afford. I’m sorry that you are having such trouble finding satisfaction for you medical needs; it is an all too common occurrence in this world, I’m afraid. Good luck to you and your grandson and, please remember, healthy eating habits and careful medical monitoring when you are young goes a long way well in to adulthood. The chances of living well and managing one’s diseases increase exponentially when implemented early on in life. In other words, if you get in to the habit of living a certain way when you are young, you are more likely to simply continue to live that way even as you and your conditions may change. Bonne chance!
We have two with t1d and one with celiac. We have a small yeti cooler ..it’s pricey but we travel with it on the plane and have been from Boston to Hawaii with meds and good that’s stayed cold. Highly recommend.
A small Yeti inside a large Yeti would give you close to18 days or more
That is a brilliant idea
For travel and outdoor excursions I use a FRIO wallet for my insulin. You just need water to activate it. Works great for cooling insulin.
Is English not your first language?
CK WTF does it matter what a persons first language is?
For Peggy …. I have been Type I diabetic for 30 years and I’m now 64. I went through Hurricane Ike without electricity for 13 days. We put our food and insulin in an Igloo and I spent several hours every day trying to get more ice to keep everything cool. Insulin can keep for up to 30 days out of the frig but at todays prices for insulin, it is not wise to lose any to spoilage. I did not lose any insulin with my cheap and poorly insulated ice chest/cooler but exhausted myself trying to get more ice.
I recently started researching coolers and ordered 2 on Friday. An RTIC 20 and RTIC 65. The 20 quart would be great for insulin and being a hard sided roto-molded cooler could keep insulin cool for 5 to 10 days without adding ice depending on variables such as ambient temp, how often opened, etc. The soft sided coolers are not as well insulated and cannot achieve the ice retention times of quality hard sided roto molded coolers. There are many youtube videos comparing ice retention although they generally don’t include RTIC coolers because RTIC is only 4 years old and keep their cheap price by selling direct on the internet at RTICcoolers.com. I did see a comparison of RTIC to YETI complete product lines at thecoolerzone.com and you should review the results and decide if you want to spend more for a cooler that has no significant performance advantage. My RTIC coolers come tomorrow and I’ll try to give an ice retention review in the near future.
Yeti cooler seems very expensive! Is there cooler that quite similar with YEIT?
YETIs are expensive but all roto-molded coolers cost more (and perform better) than ‘traditional’ or ‘old style’ coolers. Other roto-molded brands to check out include K2, Pelican, Igloo, Coleman, RTIC, and even Walmart has their own models. Do your homework and research the internet to find the right one for your needs.
“What is the Best Cooler for Keeping Ice the Longest Out There?” Thanks for not actually answering this question and wasting my time with your thoughts.
#1 You seriously should invest in an editor.
#2 Because Coleman is one brand that everyone has heard of makes it one of the best brands of coolers you can purchase?…Really?
“The cooler my family always took to the beach”…is why it is the best cooler to keep ice in. LOL!!!