Ah, summer time. The seaside, the lake, the river—wherever you will discover water is the place to be. But when you’re beating the warmth floating in an interior tube or standing on a paddleboard, your drinks and meals are usually not. They’re baking within the afternoon solar, as a result of this morning’s shady spot has already evaporated, alongside together with your ice.

When cooler corporations declare ice lasts for days, be skeptical. They’re not essentially mendacity, however they’re testing below excellent circumstances which can be by no means going to exist in the actual world. We’ve been testing coolers for over two years now, and we have saved them within the solar, in bike trailers, and in vehicles, all whereas attempting to maintain meals and drinks cool and edible. Below, you will discover our prime picks for every class (hard-sided, soft-sided, backpack-style, costly, inexpensive, even disposable), in addition to a number of alternate options, plus normal shopping for suggestions if none of those seize your fancy.

For your different outside wants, remember to try our different shopping for guides, just like the Best Portable Grills, Best Camping Gear, Best Camp Camp Cookware, Best Tents, and the Best Binoculars.

Updated May 2023: We’ve added a number of new Yeti coolers, the Airskirts inflatable cooler, and the Oyster iceless cooler, and we have up to date costs all through.

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