We’ve been hunting down the best coolers for years. Whether you’re heading out for an evening picnic, a weekend adventure, or a weeklong overlanding trip, you need to chill—your food and drinks, that is. There’s a wealth of options these days, from little soft-sided coolers perfect for a day trip to heavy-duty, high-performance wheeled coolers with ice retention times that seem to defy the sun—like our top pick, the Yeti Tundra Haul.
News
Cooler manufacturers aren’t necessarily lying about how long ice will last in their coolers, but they are testing under ideal conditions that are never going to exist in the real world. We’ve been testing coolers for more than four years, and we’ve stored them under the sun, in bike trailers, and in cars, all while trying to keep food and drinks cool and edible. Below, you’ll find our top picks for each category, as well as a few alternatives, plus general buying tips if none of these capture yo
For your other outdoor needs, be sure to check out our other buying guides, like the Best Portable Grills, Best Camping Gear, Best Camp Cookware, Best Tents, and the Best Binoculars.
Updated August 2026: We’ve added new coolers from Owala and Arctic Zone to our honorable mentions section and ensured accuracy throughout. Next, we’ll be testing additional coolers from Rovr, Yeti, Coleman, Pelican, and Solo Stove.
Details
From barbecues to beaches, this hard cooler has become ubiquitous, and for good reason. It’s expensive and heavy, but Yeti’s rotomolded Tundra Haul is built like a tank with 3-inch-thick insulated walls, a heavy aluminum arm, and puncture-proof, one-piece wheels. When it’s full, you’ll need two people to lift it into the trunk of a (very big) car. The Haul kept ice frozen for six days in blazing 90-degree-Fahrenheit heat while stored in direct sunlight on my colleague Adrienne’s deck. I’ve manag
| Capacity | 82 cans or 64 pounds of ice (55 quarts) |
Analysis
| Dimensions | 18.63″ D x 28.25″ W x 19.5″ H |
| Available Colors | 5 (plus more limited-edition) |
| Molding Type | Rotomolded |
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