You’re Not Road Trip-Ready Until You Invest in the Best Car Cooler (2024)

Key Specs

• Capacity: 35 liters
• Weight: 37 pounds
• Dimensions: ‎27.32 L x 15.67 W x 16.02 H inches

There’s a reason why Dometic coolers are the brand of choice among van lifers, RVers, and others who live a more nomadic lifestyle. Simply put, they are durable, efficient, and reliable. Really, the only downside is their expensive price — the cheapest and smallest model will still cost you a pretty penny (~$750).

I recommend you opt for the 35-liter CFX3 model, which will keep your food and drinks cold anytime and anywhere. The car cooler can reach temperatures as low as minus 7 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s insulated extremely well, is built tougher than the competition, and its handles feel robust and make it easier to lug around.

The cooler can run off both 110- or 12-volt power sources, and it consumes between 0.5 and 1 amp each hour (to maintain a temperature of 38 degrees Fahrenheit.) Given its efficiency and precise temperature control, you can feel confident storing sensitive food items like seafood or even medication.

The CFX3 has a complementary smartphone app to offer users remote controls and a quick but easy way to monitor its internal temperature. A reviewer at Vancillary — who has used a Dometic cooler for over three years now — called the Dometic a “game-changer” and said it’s well worth its high price tag.

Key Specs

• Capacity: 35 liters
• Weight: 37 pounds
• Dimensions: ‎27.17 L x 13.6 W x 15 H inches

Annoyingly enough, electric car coolers have an incredibly wide price range. Some are even priced as high as $1,500. This option from Euhomy is a lot easier on your wallet and typically costs just under $300 — over three times cheaper than Dometic’s powered coolers. The Euhomy is a dual-zone cooler, which means one side can be used as a refrigerator and the other a freezer.

This option comes in three sizes, ranging from 35 liters up to 55 liters. The cheapest variant offers enough space to stow 36 cans of soda. The cooler is equipped with both 110/240 volt AC and 12/24 volt DC adapters, making it a good option to use both in the car or at home, or in a hotel room. The Euhomy allows users to set its temperature between 4 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit.

You can even pair it to your smartphone for remote control. The cooler weighs 30 pounds, so it may be a tad heavy for some. It does have handles on its side to ease the burden of carrying it, but unfortunately, they aren’t as large as Dometic’s car coolers.

A note on availability: Due to increased demand, this product may fluctuate between in and out of stock. We will be frequently checking and refreshing the links as it becomes available again. If the Polar Bear is out of stock, we also recommend this soft cooler from AO.

Key Specs

• Capacity: 10 liters
• Weight: 4 pounds
• Dimensions: ‎18 L x 12 W x 10 H inches

This affordable but durable soft cooler offers enough space for 24 cans of soda and 14 pounds of ice while still being narrow enough to store on the floor mat behind your front seat. It’s highly insulated and keeps ice frozen for 24 hours, even in the summertime. It comes in several colors and includes a convenient shoulder strap.

My colleagues at Best Products’ sister site, Good Housekeeping said of the soft coolers they tested, Polar Bear’s coolers performed the best, even just as well as hard coolers. The tester also remarked that it was “very easy to clean.”

Key Specs

• Capacity: 23 liters
• Weight: 13 pounds
• Dimensions: ‎17.5 L x 14 W x 16.5 H inches

The Roadie 24 cooler from Yeti is an excellent option for day trips thanks to its taller and narrower size which makes it ideal for storing it in the backseat of your vehicle. It provides enough space to stack 24 cans and a 10-pound bag of ice. With an internal height of 13 inches, it is also tall enough to accommodate wine- or 2-liter bottles.

When it comes to insulation and ice retention, the Roadie 24 won’t disappoint. During my tests, I pre-chilled the cooler for a few hours before a weekend trip, and it was able to keep my drinks cold for 3 days.

Compared to Yeti’s soft coolers like the Hopper 18, it’s larger and much easier to get in and out of since it doesn’t have a zipper. That’s because its latches can be unhooked easily with one hand. Yeti’s zippers, on the other hand, are quite tight and require two hands to open.

I appreciate that the cooler features rubber feet on its base, which add some friction to keep it stable and prevent it from sliding around. Another nice perk? The Roadie is the perfect height to use as a stool when you need a place to sit while you’re out and about.

As for the not-so-great, I wish that its strap were longer. Unfortunately, it’s not long enough for shoulder carry, and when the cooler is loaded up, it swings around and can easily bump into your shin.

Overall, the Roadie 24 is a small but sturdy cooler that’s solidly constructed and outshines other coolers in ice retention. Its convenient size and shape make it a strong choice for a two-person trip or a day at the beach.

Key Specs

• Capacity: 60 liters
• Weight: 56 pounds
• Dimensions: ‎29.3 L x 19.5 W x 18.8 H inches

The ICECO JP60Pro is one of the most feature-filled car coolers on the market. The cooler is equipped with four cup holders on its top lid, two rulers for measuring fish (one in inches and the other in centimeters), and rubber-like latches to keep it closed.

This 60-Liter cooler offers more than enough space for a family of four and can easily store 60 cans of soda. Given the cooler’s large size — it’s about 30 inches long, 19 inches tall, and weighs 56 pounds — I was happy to see that it has two handles on each side. One pair is rope handles with padded grips, and the other two are located at the lip of the cooler.

On the left side, you’ll find a drain plug at its base for emptying melted ice, and on the opposite side, near the handle, is a convenient bottle opener. Users can easily set (and view) temperature with a side-mounted control panel.

YouTuber Jasonoid remarked that the ICECO is an extremely reliable cooler that did “really well” at regulating its temperature. The car cooler is DC power only, but fortunately, it comes with a DC to AC adapter. You can expect the fridge to pull an average of 1.08 amp-hours per hour which is impressive given its large size.

Lastly, it’s worth mentioning that ICECO includes a cutting board and a useful wire basket to keep food organized. It’s also compatible with a removable set of 6.5-inch wheels at an additional expense, which makes it easier to move.

Key Specs

• Capacity: 35.6 liters
• Weight: 23 pounds
• Dimensions: ‎25.8 L x 16.1 W x 15.4 H inches

The Yeti Tundra 45 hard-shell cooler is slightly larger than a checked piece of luggage, making it an ideal companion for an extended weekend getaway or camping trip. The rotomolded cooler has rope handles, a rubber seal around its lid, a metal dry storage basket, and tie-down loops.

Compared to the Roadie 24 I previously mentioned, this option has a 55% larger capacity (35 liters versus the Roadie’s 23 liters). It also has a drain system to allow you to quickly empty melted ice. It’s worth mentioning that the Tundra 45 is surprisingly heavy for its size and weighs 23 pounds when empty. It’s probably the largest hard-shell Yeti cooler that one person can comfortably handle.

Although the Yeti Tundra 45 is more expensive than most coolers, it retains ice longer than the competition to keep internal temperatures plenty low, it comes in a wide variety of fun colors and is durable as hell. It’s even bearproof!

Key Specs

• Capacity: 75 liters
• Weight: 56 pounds
• Dimensions: ‎38.3 L x 18.3 W x 18.1 H inches

The ICECO VL75ProD is the best option for large families, lengthy road trips, and folks who want a car cooler with dual zones that each have independent temperature controls. The cooler is essentially split in two and has separate lids for each side. That way, you can use one side as a refrigerator and the other as a freezer. Of course, you can set the same single temperature for each side in the event you strictly want to freeze or cool your items.

The cooler sports an ultra durable design with a steel shell and plastic bumpers. It’s weatherproof and has a sealed control panel, which has dual USB ports for charging your gear. It’s also equipped with bright LED lights on each side and comes with two baskets to help keep things organized. This option also packs dual drains if you use ice and need to empty it out once it melts.

Compared to the CFX3 75 from Dometic, the ICECO’s lids are easier to open for faster access to your items, even if you’re in the front seat. In fact, the lids can open in either direction! Both the Dometic and ICECO coolers allow users to completely remove the lids if need be. The Dometic also allows users to plug the cooler into both 12- and 120-volt outlets at the same time. However, Dometic’s coolers are oftentimes several hundred dollars more expensive than ICECO models.

If you have space for this massive cooler (it weighs a whopping 67 pounds), it will offer more than enough room to keep your food fresh and drinks ice cold. Although it’s typically priced at a hard-to-swallow $1,000-plus, it’s still cheaper than the competition and still has a reliable compressor and a durable build quality.