Best cool box for camping 2023 - Our top picks


If you're looking for the best cool box for camping, we've got you covered right here.

Cool boxes can be especially useful for taking on camping trips in order to keep your food and drink fresh and cool.

Many of the best options will be able to keep your items from going bad for several days, which will be especially handy if you're going on a lengthy excursion.

Plus, the lifetime of your perishable items can be further extended by enhancing your coolbox with optional extras. For instance, some of the best ice packs for coolers can increase the preservation of the contents in your box by up to 24 hours.

For a camping trip, you'll also want to make sure the build quality of the cool box is up to scratch - usually, you'll find they're made of some durable hard plastics, while some may also have wheels to make transportation just that little bit easier.

Of course, checking out the capacity of your coolbox (measured in litres) will also determine what you can fit inside. Generally, coolboxes can contain between 20 and 30 litres, although some can go up to 50 if you need to pack a lot in.

If you're heading off on a camping trip, it might also be worth checking out our guides on the best portable chargers for camping and best flashlights for camping.

We've taken a look at what's available on the market today, aligned them with what we think makes a fantastic cool box for camping, and selected a number of options based on everything from specs to reviews.

So, let’s get to it – here are some recommendations for the best cool box for camping out there today.

Best Cool Box For Camping

Best Large Capacity Cool Box For Camping - Coleman 50QT Xtreme Wheeled Cooler

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Credit: Coleman
Brand: Coleman | Capacity: 47 litres | Weight: 5.6kg

The Coleman 50QT Xtreme Wheeled Cooler should be an excellent choice to take on your camping trips, especially if you're wanting a large capacity cool box.

With it, you'll be getting a capacity of 47 litres, which means you'll be able to store a fair amount, and while this may not be electrically cooled, this particular cool box can keep your food and drink fresh for up to five days.

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In addition, the Coleman 50QT Xtreme Wheeled Cooler features quite a rugged build with all-terrain wheels that will allow you to pull it along behind you with ease.

A max supported weight of 113kg means you could also use it as a makeshift camping seat as well as a cool box, which is handy.

Best Heavy Duty Cool Box For Camping - Yeti Roadie 24 Cooler

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Credit: Yeti
Brand: Yeti | Capacity: 24 litres | Weight: 5.8kg

If it's a heavy duty coolbox you're after, the Yeti Roadie 24 Cooler should be an immense choice to take the rough and tumble of a camping trip.

It features a rotomolded outer construction, which makes it especially durable and certainly a heavy duty option for keeping your food and drink inside.

The fact the Yeti Roadie 24 Cooler is roto-molded also means you'll have thick walls for the sake of some brilliant insulation, which Yeti themselves dub as being called the 'Fatwall'.

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This coolbox should also be able to keep a bottle of wine standing up inside, as well as a fair amount of other items thanks to a 24L capacity.

Best Electric Cool Box For Camping - Outwell Ecocool Cool Box 24L

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Credit: Outwell
Brand: Outwell | Capacity: 24 litres | Weight: 6.3kg

The Outwell Ecocool Cool Box should be a fantastic choice if you want the helping hand of electricity to keep your drinks and food cool.

This can either plug into a mains outlet for powerful chilling or, more pertinently for camping, you can plug this into a 12V adapter in your car. This allows it to keep its contents 18°C below the outside temperature.

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Intriguingly, if you use the Outwell Ecocool Cool Box by freezing the built-in water bottle, it can go even cooler, and you can also use ice packs inside when it's unplugged as more of a standard cool box.

This cool box can also be used to warm items too, if you need to reheat things, and a capacity of 24L gives you a good amount of space to work with.

Best Budget Cool Box For Camping - Campos 24L Cool Box

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Credit: Campos
Brand: Campos | Capacity: 24 litres | Weight: 3.8kg

If it's more of an affordable cool box for camping you're after, the Campos 24L Cool Box looks to be a decent choice.

A capacity of 24 litres means you'll be able to fit a fair amount in - for reference, that'll give you the space for 30 or so 330ml cans inside.

In addition, the Campos 24L Cool Box can also, thanks to its secure locking seal, keep your food and drink fresh for two days or more, so you'll be able to take on those longer camping trips without a worry.

A weight of 3.8kg means this should also be relatively easy to carry around, too.

Best Waterproof Cool Box For Camping- Red Paddle Waterproof Cooler Bag

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Credit: Red Paddle

Getting a weatherproof cool box is going to be key for making sure your food and drink is kept safe from the elements, and the Red Paddle Waterproof Cooler Bag should more than suffice.

The waterproofing here comes courtesy of the YKK Aquaseal Zip that's been tested to be totally waterproof by Red Paddle, as well as a high-density waterproof fabric that should keep water out.

The Red Paddle Waterproof Cooler Bag also comes with a large 30L capacity, which they say is enough to hold 54 standard-size cans, but provides oodles of capacity for you to put in food and drink.

Moreover, you'll also find that this cool bag features some expandable side pockets for storing any other items, as well as some reinforced carry handles that should make transporting the bag around a doddle.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are cool boxes worth it?

If you're looking to enjoy some luxury on the move, and want to keep your food and drink safe, we'd safe cool boxes are a good idea. You don't want to show up at a campsite with a backpack full of sandwiches crushed under the rest of your supplies.

And according to this source, a cool box can keep food for around 5 to 7 days. While this may differ depending of the state of the food in the first place, it is quite impressive.

Is a cool box or bag better?

This all depends on what you're looking for. If you're wanting something to sling over your shoulder and keep your food and drink cool, then a bag is going to be better, while if durability is a top priority, a cool box will be better.

Do you put ice in a cool box?

If you're looking to make your cool box as cold as it can get, it's perfectly safe to put ice in a cool box. But if you want to keep your supplies dry, without compromising on the temperature, we'd recommend using one of these icepacks.

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