The Best Large Hard Cooler

Buying Guide

Nothing enhances a hot summer day like an ice-cold beverage or some refreshing food like chopped fruit. If you find yourself outside in areas where there isn’t electricity or the availability of a refrigerator, you will need an insulated cooler that can keep these cold treats cold during a hot day.

Coolers are made in soft varieties that are convenient to collapse and pack away when they aren’t in use, or the cooler can be hard and constructed of rigid materials that give them more durability and strength. We are focusing on hard coolers and their benefits in this buying guide where we will break down some of the common differences in the varying styles and sizes you can find online, so you can make an informed decision on which hard cooler will work best for you.

A cooler ultimately needs to keep things cold. The best way to set yourself up for success when using a cooler is to put drinks or food in it after they are already cold, whether that means they were in your freezer or refrigerator or simply purchased from the cooler-section of a local store. The addition of ice will then make the internal temperature of the cooler drop even further, setting you up for the best results in your quest to keep your drinks cold.

The insulation of the cooler is now the main factor that works at keeping the cold inside and the heat outside. Generally, a thicker cooler will have more insulation in it, since they are designed to have a bigger buffer of air or insulating materials between your cold items and the outside air. As heat tries to enter the cooler, the greater layers of insulation will make the process much slower. If you are hoping to have ice and drinks last for multiple days in your hard cooler, you will want to look for really thick coolers that have been proven to perform at the highest level. These coolers will often be very rugged and well-made.

The size of a cooler makes a world of difference when it comes to how and where it can be used. If you are taking your own lunch with a few drinks out to a remote spot to have a secluded meal, you could have great luck using a Coleman FlipLid Personal Cooler, 5 Quarts that will hold a decent amount of food and drinks for one person without becoming a heavy burden that takes up unnecessary space. These smaller hard coolers work well for simply packing some drinks with you when you’re outside working in the heat of the summer or playing at the beach as well. If you want something a little bigger, maybe for that picnic for two that you’re planning, or just to fit more drinks inside, there are bigger varieties that still have a sturdy and solid handle attached like the classic-looking Igloo Cooler. Coolers like these are fun and convenient to grab when you’re on the go.

Some of you might be shaking your head because you need a cooler than can hold enough food to feed a small army, hold refreshments for a children’s soccer team or sustain a whole family for a weekend of camping. Hard coolers come in huge sizes as well, often being able to hold enough weight inside that it will take two people to lift it. With a large hard cooler, you will have a lot of space to drinks, food and ice inside without having to do any mental gymnastics to make it all fit. These types of coolers have sturdy handles on each side that are easy to use when the cooler is weighted down and there is even a drain plug built-in at the bottom to allow for easy drainage when the ice finally melts away. Other models offer features like a set of wheels on one end so you can still move the heavy cooler by yourself if you’re up for pulling it along behind you.

• Some coolers have built-in cup-holders on their lids. This handy feature could be useful when you’re using the cooler’s lid as a side table that you don’t plan on opening often.
• Hard coolers with a short and wide stance will be very stable when placed on uneven surfaces. These proportions would be ideal for those of you who plan to use it in places where the ground might not be flat.
• If you want your cooler to keep ice for a really long time, you will want to condition the cooler before using it. A simple way of doing this is to pre-cool the inside of the cooler with ice or something similar the night before you plan to pack your cooler with the actual food and drinks of your choice. The inside of the cooler will now start off in cold state so it won’t immediately transfer room-temperature heat into your drinks and ice. Condition your coolers and you’ll see a noticeable difference in how long they hold ice.