Coleman Pro Cooler Box: Best Overall
The Coleman Pro cooler box, priced from £99.09 at Amazon, offers excellent ice retention in a rugged, portable design. With thick polyurethane foam insulation, it claims to keep food and drinks cold for up to 3.5 days. The 24-litre version tested stayed below 8°C for 28 hours and kept milk partially frozen for 30 hours. When half filled with ice, it took four days and six hours for the ice to fully melt. The metal latch, antibacterial liner and rugged plastic casing add durability. It comes with a five-year guarantee. However, it lacks cup holders in the lid.
Campingaz Icetime Plus: Best Budget Option
The Campingaz Icetime Plus, at £29.99 from Amazon, is a reliable budget cool box with surprisingly good ice retention. It stayed below 8°C for 15 hours and kept milk partially frozen for 22.5 hours. When half filled with ice, it took nearly three days to melt. The lid is robust enough to double as a seat. However, the hinged lid may hinder cleaning.
Quechua Backpack Cooler 100: Best Cool Bag
The Quechua Backpack Cooler 100, priced from £24.99 at Decathlon, offers effective cooling in a comfortable, hands-free design. It stayed below 8°C for 23 hours and kept milk partially frozen for 27 hours. The bag has multiple storage pockets and adjustable straps. However, the insulated compartment is not fully waterproof, so condensation may leak.
Yeti Roadie 48 Wheeled Cool Box: Best on Wheels
The Yeti Roadie 48, from £425 at Yeti, is rugged and easy to manoeuvre, with impressive ice retention. It took 22 hours to rise from 1.9°C to 8°C, and milk fully defrosted after 24 hours. When half filled with ice, it took five days and 20 hours to melt. The puncture-resistant tyres and durable construction are notable. However, it is expensive, has a large interior that is hard to organise, and the water drain leaves residual water.
Coleman Snap 'N Go 45QT: Best Collapsible Cool Box
The Coleman Snap 'N Go 45QT, from £139.99 at Blacks, features a collapsible design that reduces to a third of its height for easy storage. It kept milk frozen for 24 hours and ice lasted almost three-and-a-half days. The leakproof antibacterial liner performed well. However, ice retention is shorter than rigid models, and there is no drain plug.
Anker Solix EverFrost 2 40l Electric Cooler: Best for Off-Grid Adventures
The Anker Solix EverFrost 2, at £749 from Anker Solix, offers long-lasting off-grid cooling with a removable battery. It cooled from 18°C to 0°C in 15 minutes and ran for 71 hours on battery at 2°C. Even after power off, it kept milk frosty for 41 hours. The solar panel (sold separately) kept the battery topped up. It is expensive and heavy (23kg).
Other Notable Cool Boxes
The Outwell Ecocool (£142.95) is a cheaper electric cool box with excellent cold retention and a split-lid design, but has audible fan noise and a flimsy handle. The Ninja FrostVault (£249.99) features a dry-storage drawer and well-designed wheels, but is bulky for its capacity. The Oyster Tempo (£434) uses vacuum insulation for exceptional ice retention, but is expensive and its aluminium interior dents easily. The Hydro Flask Carry Out soft cooler (£68.87) is stylish and effective for picnics, but does not fold down. The Coleman 28QT Xtreme Marine (£86.48) is sturdy with cup holders, but ice retention is good rather than exceptional.
How to Keep Cool Box Contents Cool for Longer
Prechill the cool box with ice blocks or frozen items. Precool food and drinks. Pack the box as full as possible with a 2:1 ratio of ice to contents. Keep the cool box in the shade, cover with a reflective blanket, and open it as little as possible. For electric models, precool with mains power before switching to 12V.
How to Dispose of an Old Cool Box
If still usable, donate or sell through Freecycle, Facebook Marketplace or charity shops. Hard plastic cool boxes can be repurposed as storage. For end-of-life, recycle at a household waste recycling centre, removing metal and fabric components first. Electric cool boxes should be recycled as small electrical appliances. Soft-sided cool bags usually go in general waste.
