5 of the Best In-Car Coolers to Keep Your Drinks Icy Fresh on Long Drives
If you're looking to keep your drinks and snacks icy fresh on a long drive, then check out our list of the 5 best in-car coolers!
Elizabeth Blackstock
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There’s nothing worse than a warm soda.
Well, maybe your kiddo’s reaction to being handed a warm soda could be worse.
Wouldn’t you rather just avoid the whole situation altogether? I know I would. And that’s why we’ve put together a list of the best in-car coolers and refrigerators that you can bring with you on the go. No, these aren’t your regular coolers that require ice to keep your drinks and snacks cold. These plug right into your car and work exactly like your mini-fridge, just on the go. That way, as long as your vehicle is running, you’ll have cold drinks at hand.
We’ve picked out coolers of different sizes, wattages, and price points so that you can choose the one that meets your needs.
Related: 14 Crucial Items for Your Winter Travel Emergency Kit
Photo: Amazon
Alpicool C20 Portable Refrigerator
This cooler is a handy one, not just for drinks, but for anything you might need to transport that’s temperature-sensitive, like raw meat. If you’ve made a stop at the butcher shop on the way home—or if you really just needed a pint of ice cream—this is a great option to keep things cool. You can check the temperature via a digital readout on the cooler, it has a USB port to charge your phone, and it’s rated for off-road driving because of its anti-shake technology. Not bad!
There are also a ton of different Alpicool products if this one isn’t big enough for you.
- Price: $152.15
- Weight: 19.84 lbs
- Temperature Range: -4℉～50℉
- Dimensions: 22.4 x 12.6 x 12.6 inches
- Capacity: 21 Quart (20 Liter)
- Voltage: 12V/24V (DC)
- Wattage: 45W
Buy on Amazon.
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Photo: Amazon
Wagan EL6206
This Wagan product is fairly small, so it’s perfect for tiding over a snack-hungry child on the way home from school or sports who want a swig of an icy-cold drink. It has two built-in cupholders to replace any that you might be taking up by putting this cooler in, say, a middle seat of an SUV, and it also has a built-in strap to make it all the more portable. Family picnics, here we come!
- Price: $67.97
- Weight: 5.5 pounds
- Temperature Range: 36°F below ambient temperature
- Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.3 x 8.1 inches
- Capacity: 6 liter
- Voltage: 12 Volts
Related: 9 of the Best In-Car Organizers to Keep Your Family Tidy
Photo: Amazon
AstroAI Mini Fridge
If you’re looking for an option that’s as cute as it is functional, this mini-fridge is wonderful (seriously, it even comes in pink and teal!). It isn’t massive, but it’s massively affordable and can serve tons of different purposes both in and out of the car. Store a few drinks on the go or use it in the bathroom to keep your temperature-sensitive skincare products at their best.
- Price: $39.09 for white (color options are $42.49)
- Weight: 4.29 pounds
- Temperature Range: 32°F (18°C) below ambient temperature
- Dimensions: 9.45 x 6.89 x 10 inches
- Capacity: 4 Liter/6 Can
- Voltage: 12 volts
Buy on Amazon.
Photo: Amazon
CalmDo Compressor Car Refrigerator
If you need something heavy duty, the CalmDo is your perfect match. It features battery protection so you don’t drain your car’s battery while traveling, and you can pack enough into this bad boy to feed a whole family for the day. It has both a car plug and a standard outlet so you can use it anywhere, and it features anti-shake technology if you’ll be driving on bumpy roads. And, again, it has tons of different temperature settings to ensure that your raw meat, drinks, ice cream, and even red wine are chilled to the optimum temperature.
- Price: $299.99
- Weight: 30.2 pounds
- Temperature Range: -4°F to 68°F
- Dimensions: 22.8 x 14.6 x 19.7 inches
- Capacity: 37 quart, fits 45 12oz cans of soda
- Voltage: 12v/24v
- Wattage: 55 watts
Buy on Amazon.
Photo: Amazon
Igloo Iceless Thermoelectric Portable Ice Chest
When it comes to coolers, there are few names more dependable than Igloo, and now you an opt for that trusty name in the form of an in-car cooler that doesn’t require any ice. This sleek looking cooler can hold 32 12-oz cans, so it’s great for any bigger families taking a day trip or for folks that want to keep their snacks chilled on the way to a picnic. Its handle is also one of the more comfortable-looking out of the coolers we’ve selected here, and its shape lends itself to easy carrying in a way that the larger but bulkier coolers don’t.
- Price: $78.20
- Weight: 10.01 Pounds
- Temperature Range:
- Dimensions: 12.87 x 16.65 x 18.23 inches
- Capacity: 28 quart
- Voltage: 12v
Buy on Amazon.
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