The Best Coolers to Keep Your Food, Drinks, and Catches Cold

The Best Cooler Buying Guide

For sailors, fishermen, and other outdoor enthusiasts of all kinds, coolers are among the most essential items of all. They make it so easy for the user to transport food and drinks anywhere they go, and they can improve outdoor experiences massively by providing a reliable supply of frosty drinks and fresh snacks whenever you need them. But you have to choose with care, as some coolers are a lot better than others, and this guide will help you choose the perfect cooler for your needs.

What Is a Cooler?

A cooler, also known as an ice chest, icebox, or cool box, is an insulated container that can be used to store and transport drinks and food, keeping them cool and fresh throughout the day, even in warm and sunny conditions. They’re very popular with sailors and can be useful for all kinds of outdoor activities too like fishing, camping, and kayaking.

Why Do You Need Coolers?

There are many possible reasons why you might want to invest in a cooler, and these helpful containers offer a myriad of benefits too.

Freshness

The main reason to use a cooler in the first place is the fact that it can help to keep your foods and drinks cool and fresh for many hours. This wouldn’t be possible without a cooler, as your drinks would become warm and your food would become far less fresh. Coolers make it easier to travel with sodas, beers, sandwiches, salads, and so on.

Sailing

It’s very common to see coolers being used on sailboats and other vessels. These boats aren’t often equipped with their own refrigerators, and coolers offer an affordable easy-to-use refrigeration alternative. Having a cooler lets sailors get out on the lake/sea for hours at a time with a fresh and cool supply of food and drinks to enjoy on their adventures.

Outdoor activities

There are many other outdoor activities that can be improved with the presence of a cooler too. Coolers are great for fishing, for example, as fishermen can often spend many hours out on the river, lake, or stream. They’re also useful for camping and hiking, and even a simple picnic can be a lot better with a cooler, giving you many more options in terms of the food and beverages that you can take with you on the trip.

Convenience

Coolers are also incredibly convenient to use in many situations. They’re very effective at keeping your food and drinks fresh for hours on end, with the best cool boxes able to keep soda cans cool and frosty for an entire day, so you won’t need to worry about any inconvenience. Plus, they protect your food against pests too.

What Should I Consider When Buying Coolers?

Size

One of the first things to think about when choosing a cooler is size. This means both the size of the cooler and the interior capacity it has to offer. Coolers can come in many sizes. Small coolers are handy for storing a few drinks for personal consumption, but if you’re heading out as a group, you’ll need a bigger cooler with lots of interior room to store food and drinks.

Materials

You also must consider the materials used to make the cooler. Coolers can be made from a mixture of materials like plastic, metal, rubber, and even fabric in some areas too. Think about the durability of these materials and how well they can stand up to impacts, weather, and so on.

Design

It’s also recommended to consider the design of your cooler, as this will influence how easy and comfortable it is to use. Some coolers come with side handles, for example, allowing two people – one on either side – to carry the cooler together. Others come with lid handles or shoulder straps for a single person to carry, or wheels on the base to help you roll it along.

Insulation

Obviously, the point of a cooler is to keep the contents cold and fresh, but some coolers have superior insulation abilities and are able to keep your food and drink cool for longer. Take a look at the product description and try to find coolers that offer the level of insulation you need. The best coolers can offer several days of insulation power, but cheaper ones will only be effective for about five or six hours.

Extra features

It’s also worth considering any extra features or functionalities your cooler might have to offer. All coolers perform the same basic functions and tend to follow the same basic design format, but they can sometimes have extras that make them more attractive for certain users. Examples include detachable water bottles, cup holders, cutlery, fish scalers for fishermen to use, built-in lights, and so on.

How Much Do Coolers Cost?

Cooler prices can vary quite a lot. You can find some very simple and small models for around $10 – $20, but there are also high-end coolers priced in excess of $200. The price can be affected by many factors, like the materials used, the size and capacity of the cooler, and especially how effective it is at insulating the contents. It’s important for shoppers to consider these factors and find a cooler that meets their needs and fits their budget.

How Do We Choose the Best Coolers?

In order to recommend the very best coolers to our readers, we made sure to put in the time and effort needed to analyze a wide range of products and identify the most reliable options. We looked at coolers of different shapes, sizes, and designs, and read through user reviews in order to provide a balanced and diverse range of highly-rated coolers.