Those summer road trips are always a joy. With no deadline to reach your destination (if you even have one), you can take the time to enjoy the drive accompanied by your favourite road trip playlist. Unfortunately, the British weather doesn’t always want to play ball, and those rain clouds normally come out just as you arrive at the beach. However, with a car cooler box, at least you can guarantee to arrive with fresh sandwiches and chilled drinks, whatever the weather decides to do.
The good, old-fashioned thermos flask is great for carrying cold as well as hot drinks, but it has limited capacity. The traditional car cooler box has more capacity. It is simply a spacious and well-insulated container, though you can get powered cooler boxes that plug into your car’s 12V supply and draw a modest amount of power to ensure things are kept just as chilled as you want them. You can also bolster their effectiveness with ice packs. Choosing the right cooler depends primarily on how much space you need and your budget. But there are other factors to consider, such as portability and weight. Naturally, non-powered cool boxes are going to be lighter.
A cooler box means you can enjoy food and drinks on the move. They’re perfect for picnics, brilliant for barbecues and also ideal on long car journeys. The cries of “Are we there yet?” from the back seat will be less frequent if a chilled drink is to hand. Cooler boxes are also great for preserving foodstuffs – keeping milk or cheese fresh, for example. Your investment could soon pay for itself if it prevents you from throwing out old food.
The best car cooler boxes at a glance:
Editor’s choice: Coleman Extreme – Buy now from Amazon UK
Best premium cooler: YETI Roadie 24 – Buy now from Amazon UK
Best small cooler bag: Thermos Radiance – Buy now from Amazon UK
The best car cooler boxes UK
Editor's choice
Pros
- Solid build quality and performance
- Good value for money
Cons
- Large size may overwhelm smaller cars
| Dimensions | 31 x 20 x 33 cm |
| Weight | 2.1kg |
| Capacity | 26 litres |
The best premium cooler box
Pros
- Very ergonomic design
- Bank vault build quality
Cons
- Rather heavy
| Dimensions | 43.4 x 36.3 x 45.7 cm |
| Weight | 2.1kg |
| Capacity | 26 litres |
The best small cooler
Specifications
Pros
- Compact
- Excellent value for money
Cons
- Only three hours of cool time
| Dimensions | 20.5 x 14.5 x 29 cm |
| Weight | 225g |
| Capacity | 8.5 litres |
The best 12V cooler box
Pros
- Ideal BBQ cooler
- Interior LED light
Cons
- Heavy
| Dimensions | 55 x 26 x 42.5 cm |
| Weight | 12kg |
| Capacity | 21 litres |
Best cooler box for cold drinks
Pros
- Cool and heats
- External bottle/cup holders
Cons
- Adapter need for mains operation
| Dimensions | 400mm x 293mm x 215mm |
| Weight | 2kg |
| Capacity | 6 litres |
Best cooler box for families
Pros
- Large capacity
- Fold away transportation handles
Cons
- Heavy
| Dimensions | 532mm (D) x 400mm (W) x 452mm (H) |
| Weight | 7.9kg |
| Capacity | 48 litres |
The best coolers for your next road trip: FAQs
How much space do you need?
Car cooler boxes range from minuscule to massive. The smallest holds around five litres, enough for a couple of drinks and a pack of sandwiches. The largest will swallow about 40 litres, spacious enough for a big picnic.
Do you want to plug it in?
The simplest car coolers are just insulated boxes. Ice packs can be pretty effective. However, a plug-in cooler—which uses your car’s cigarette lighter or the mains—is better still, especially for anything longer than day trips.
Do you only want cooling – or heating as well?
Some plug-in coolers also have variable temperature control to keep food or drinks warm. However, they’re certainly not ovens – so don’t expect to cook with them!
Does the cooler need to be easily portable?
Size is obviously a factor in how portable any cooler is. A smaller item could slot between passengers on the back seat. Larger boxes are rather bulky. Weight is a factor, too – especially if your picnic involves a hike first. Check this before you buy.
How we choose
All of these car cooler boxes have been hand-selected by our team of experts who have spent hours investigating and researching car cooler boxes to make it easier for you to find the very best, and we’d never recommend a product we don’t believe in.
Where possible, we also test and share the latest and best products you should know about.
Ryan Gilmore is the Deputy Autos and Tools Editor for Parkers and CAR, specialising in car cleaning and hand tools. With an MA in Automotive Journalism, when he’s not testing buckets he can be found looking at old Porsches.
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