Best beverage cooler

A beverage cooler will keep your drinks handy and perfectly chilled.

Best beverage cooler
(Image credit: @Sandrene Zhang on Unsplash)

Investing in a good beverage cooler ensures you always have your favorite drink chilled to perfection and within reach. Beverage coolers are as diverse as the drinks you love, but the end goal is always the same—an ice-cold drink. Let's take a look at some of the best options available and why you should consider them.

Best overall

Arctic Zone Titan Deep Freeze HardBody cooler

(Image credit: Amazon)

Arctic Zone Titan Deep Freeze HardBody cooler

Sizeable portable design

The front zipperless lid gives you quick access to your favorite refreshments. 

Pros:

  • Insulates against heat
  • Holds up to 48 cans
  • HardBody liner with SmartShelf
  • Keeps ice for three days

Cons:

  • The shoulder strap doesn't hold up well

Arctic Zone Titan is a hardbody cooler optimized for a full day of fun in the sun. Its portable design is perfect for picnics, cookouts, or family get-togethers. With a removable floating lid, the Titan keeps drinks cold for up to three days. It's made of double-walled, leak-resistant plastic, so it won't sweat. The extra-wide mouth makes packing and unpacking simpler than ever. You'll also get an insulated front pocket and a smart shelf that allows you to separate hard cans from delicate drinks.

Soft pack

RTIC Soft Cooler Insulated Bag Insulated Bag

(Image credit: RTIC Outdoors LLC)

RTIC soft cooler insulated bag

Variety of colors

This generous soft-walled cooler has a 30-can capacity and room for a little ice.

Pros:

  • Leak-proof zipper
  • Easy-access lid
  • Lightweight
  • Quite durable

Cons:

  • A little pricey

Compact, durable, and easy to take anywhere, the RTIC soft cooler bag is ideal for frequent use. It is made from blue-dyed Oxford nylon fabric with a leak-proof inner liner that will not sweat, even in direct sunlight. The two-inch closed-cell cold-holding foam offers superior insulation without being too squishy or bulky, and it also provides extra protection against bumps and drops. And you'll get two sets of carrying straps, giving you the freedom to tote it on your shoulder or in hand. 

Ice chest

Igloo 5-gallon portable sports cooler

(Image credit: Igloo)

Igloo 28-quart iceless thermoelectric cooler

No ice, no problem

 This cooler is thermoelectric, which means it is powered by a 12V DC plug.

Pros:

  • Quiet brushless motor
  • Stylish silver body
  • Ultra-durable
  • Runs on both alternating and direct current

Cons:

  • Doesn't come with an AC cord

This beverage cooler requires no ice or water to keep your drinks chilled. It's powered from a standard 12-volt DC automotive power socket or a 110-volt household outlet, but with the help of an AC converter. A swing-up bale handle makes topside carrying convenient, while molded side handles make for two-hand carrying. This model cools things down up to 36 degrees Fahrenheit below the ambient temperature, so you get to enjoy 4 to 5 hours of cooling time after unplugging.

Wheeled cooler

YETI Tundra Haul portable cooler

(Image credit: YETI)

YETI Tundra haul portable cooler

Virtually indestructible

This cooler has the legendary toughness of every YETI product, but with wheels and flip-up handles for easy towing.

Pros:

  • Exceptional ice retention
  • Legendary toughness
  • Comfortable handles
  • All-terrain tires 

Cons:

  • A tad pricey

The YETI hauling system packs a cool punch. Portable and crush-resistant, this beast of a cooler features two rugged, single-piece wheels that roll over anything in your path. The forged aluminum arm with comfortable rubber grips tracks both left and right for easy towing. Built for the extreme conditions that come with most adventures, the Haul is armored to the core with rotomolded construction, rendering it virtually indestructible. Its sizeable capacity means there's ample room to store enough food, dink, and ice, allowing you to stay out longer. 

Picnic cooler

Camerons Products tailgating collapsible cooler

(Image credit: Camerons Products)

Camerons Products tailgating collapsible cooler

Portable, durable, and compact

This tailgating table sets up in less than 5 seconds and folds down into a lightweight, easy-to-carry travel bag.

Pros:

  • Collapsible 
  • Includes a food basket and drink holders
  • Zippered, insulated cooler

Cons:

  • Not that durable 
  • Design could use some improvement

Whether you're tailgating at the big game or camping under the stars, this folding cooler table will be your go-to accessory. Simply unfold the sturdy legs to create a tabletop, add bags of ice and your favorite drinks, then you are good to go. Featuring an insulated cooler space that holds a decent number of cans, it also offers a removable food basket for holding snacks. 

Quench your thirst

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A beverage cooler can come in handy for the times you need to enjoy a nice chilled drink on a sunny day.

With its compact design and the ability to keep ice for up to three days, the Arctic Zone Titan Deep Freeze is the ultimate portable beverage cooler. The zipperless lid design gives you quick access to your drinks and with no moving parts to jam, break, or rust.

Built with the same ice-crushing insulating power and tight craftsmanship that has made YETI coolers famous, the YETI Tundra haul portable cooler is the ultimate cooler on wheels. Sporting never-flat wheels and a comfortable aluminum handle, this ice chest can roll over anything in its path.

Why trust us?

At GardeningEtc, we recommend the best products to enhance your life. As expert curators, we handpick products based on quality and usefulness to positively impact your day-to-day, from cart to doorstep. We take our responsibility seriously — testing products, reading reviews, and sourcing knowledgeable outlets to ensure our selections are worthy of your time and money. We deliver detailed product overviews, balancing objective information with subjective opinions, so making the best choice for your home and lifestyle is as easy as possible.

Grace Monene is an avid writer with a keen eye for home and office improvement. She has a knack for finding the best little things that will improve the quality of indoor and outdoor living. When she's not writing, you will typically find her reading or testing out the latest technology.