6 Best Coolers For Camping (Review) in 2021

Our top choice for the best cooler for camping is the Coleman Xtreme Series Portable Cooler which boasts a substantial 70-quart capacity, capable of holding up to 100 cans of your favorite beer, or most refreshing soft drink. This is ideal for anyone frequently tasked with supplying the refreshments at parties and those always-bearable family reunions, and ensuring you’ve always got a cool stash of something when you’re at home right next to your favorite chair in front of the TV.

Both the lid and walls are insulated, ensuring you can keep whatever you store in there cold for up to 5 whole days. For real camping enthusiasts who love to delve deep into the woods, this is ideal, and should give you ample provisions – but that also depends on how hungry (or bored) you get. On the lid are 4 molded cup holders, so there’ll be no risk of spillage, while this same lid can also double as a seat for one lucky camper (although, we’re sure your group will take it in turns sitting on something that isn’t grass). Just make sure you don’t leave the cooler out in the sun too long, or you could end up with burned thighs from heat absorption.

The RTIC 20 Cooler provides you with heavy duty and wholly reliable features that are sure to make any camping trip a resounding success. From the strong, roto-molded construction to the t-latches and freezer grade gasket, there’s little to no chance of the warmth of the outside penetrating this bad boy of a cooler. This is assured by 3-inch walls, so anything you take with you on your next trip will stay cool as a cucumber (or your pre-cut T-Bone steak) for as long as possible.

RTIC also included non-slip feet, which holds the cooler in place while in transit and prevents and damage to its precious contents – alcoholic or otherwise – while the Rapid V-Drain system saves you tipping out gallons of water. Anyone who enjoys going way, way, way off the beaten track will be happy to know it uses a bear-resistant design, which is a welcome relief when you’re packing delicious food that could attract some of the most curious animals in the wilderness.

A large cooler for big days out and perfect for those of you who are lucky enough to have more than a couple of close friends to celebrate with, the Coleman Coastal Xtreme Series Marine Portable Cooler conjures up fond memories of chilled days basking in the sun, listening to the waves crash against the shore, and dancing on white sand to music you never knew you liked, all with a calm ocean breeze to keep you cool. Yes, beach parties (and parties in general: in the woods, in the yard, on Mars) are where this cooler truly shines.

It provides a massive 120-quart capacity, capable of holding 200 cans of your favored brewskies, and the insulated lid keeps ice for up to six days, so the party never has to end if you’re still able to go that hard for that long now you’re older. Speaking of going hard, the solid stainless steel and UVGuard sun protection feature prevents yellowing and ensure longevity, transforming this from a simple cooler into something that could become the stuff of legend you can pass down to your party-going grandchildren. For convenience, the leak resistant threaded drain means you empty it on day 7 with no need to waste what little energy you have left tilting.

The Coleman Xtreme Wheeled Cooler is something to think about if you’re looking for the best cooler for camping while also trying to get the most out of your money. This cooler with wheels offers robust and durable transportation options and eliminates typical carrying problems like they’re nothing at all. These wheels can handle any kind of internal weight and are suited to managing across many different terrains whether its uneven grassland or asphalt as you join your buddies at a tailgating party.

The 50-quart capacity boasts enough internal space for up to 84 cans, and you can also use it to carry big slabs of the finest beef cuts, chicken breasts, and ice to ensure everything stays cool on your journey. The insulated walls ensure up to 5 days of ice retention, which might not be necessary for some, but is always good to have, and can cope with temperatures reaching as high as 90 Fahrenheit.  The hinged lid makes it easy to retrieve food and drink quickly so you won’t feel parched on hot summer days.

With a 30-can capacity, the Coleman Soft Cooler is the smallest option on our list, but is still an effective product perfect for a quick day out with your friends or family. Unlike our other selections, it’s a little more versatile, with the hard plastic liner capable of being removed for increased flexibility, allowing you to store different food and drink with ease. This versatility also makes it easier to transport from home to car to picnic table and back again, all without bashing your knee on solid corners and sending birds flying into the air with a mad, confused flap.

For the germaphobes among you, the antimicrobial material will (or should) put your mind at ease, and you can forget about the chance of mold or mildew, and that peculiar picnic smell that can linger in more cheaply made product. With this, you’re guaranteed safety, with the soft PEVA liner ideal for protecting food from spoiling. These features are useful for solving lunch storage problems, and can even help you out on road trips, particularly with kids in the back.

Our final cooler for camping comes in the mammoth form of the Dometic 12-volt Electric Powered Portable Cooler. Unlike the other selections we’ve found for you so far, this baby runs entirely on pure power, eliminating the need for ice, while still keeping everything at a crisp, refreshing temperature for as long as you need. It can hold 72 cans, and by not needing ice, means you can fit more food and drink in that you could with other, similarly sized coolers.

It can cool and freeze to temperatures as low as -7℉, which you can also control via wifi to adapt to the surrounding environment and the insulated lid ensures a consistent and satisfactory temperature. For the environmentally conscious among you (which we hope is everybody) you’ll be pleased to hear it’s not just energy efficient (using AC and DC power) but also much quieter than you might imagine. It’s not as quiet as a non-electric cooler, sure, but there’s only so much you can do about that. Despite these benefits, it is on the heavy side, which doesn’t make it majorly ideal for long-term camping trips, especially if you don’t have wheels, but for a couple of days with your car or truck, there’s probably nothing better.