All coolers are not created equal, especially when it comes to size. While having a giant cooler that can hold enough food and drinks for a fishing trip or a week of camping is great, it’s probably considered overkill for a day trip to the lake or beach. For smaller excursions, bigger is not always better, which is why having one of the best small coolers can be a blessing (and a back-saver).
Small coolers may be more diminutive in stature, but they’re still large enough to hold ice, drinks and some food for 24 hours, if not longer. We’ve tested and tried a variety of small coolers this summer, storing them in the car while driving through the hot Arizona desert and loading them up for a relaxing afternoon on the river in Colorado. Our top overall pick, the Hydro Flask Carry Out Cooler, exceeded our expectations, while the Oyster Tempo, our (literally) coolest pick, used technology to keep goods cool without ice. Check out the five best small coolers to accompany you just about anywhere.
Save space (and weight) with one of the best small coolers.
Designed to keep contents cold for up to 24 hours, the Hydro Flask Carry Out soft cooler is the perfect all-around cooler for almost any day or overnight adventure. From kid’s soccer practice to beach parties, this is an easy-to-carry and compact cooler that uses a zippered lid for easy access to essentials. It’s simple to load ice into and, at 20 liters, can hold up to 38 cans of your favorite beverage without ice. The handles and removable shoulder strap make it easy to move from one destination to the next, and Hydro Flask adds a small stash pocket along with webbing loops to the exterior for additional gear.
The water-resistant 600D fabric is durable enough for most adventures, but because it’s a soft fabric instead of a hard plastic, there’ a chance it could get damaged over time or on more rugged outings. If you’re looking for something with better durability, consider a plastic cooler like the KULA Magnepod.
Best Value Small Cooler
For The Money, You Can’t Beat The Chillout Bag
RTIC
RTIC Chillout
Pros:
Versatile
Easy to Carry
Inexpensive
Cons:
Harder to access the cooler
Smaller
For a mere $60, the RTIC Chillout Bag is a great little cooler—but performance isn’t all this little wonder has to offer. The best part of this cooler is that it doubles as a durable tote. The lower portion is insulated and ready to haul ice, drinks and food, while the upper compartment is a 35-liter dry bag, able to carry books, sunscreen, electronics or anything else you need for the day. There are even straps on the outside to secure a towel, blanket, yoga mat or fishing rod tube. The drawback to this dual-use setup is that the cooler portion of the bag will only retain ice for a day at most, so we can’t recommend it for overnights. And when you try to access the cooler, you have to unzip and fold the bag on top, which can be awkward if it’s packed with goods. Aside from that, you can’t beat this bag/cooler for the price. With that said, if you’re looking for a cooler that provides easier access to goods and don’t mind spending a bit more, consider the Oyster Tempo.
Best Small Hard-Sided Cooler
Compact And Solid As A Rock
Amazon
Bōte Kula Magnepod
Pros:
Great durability
Reliable ice retention
Unique design
Cons:
Heavy
Expensive
By nature, coolers are generally split into two camps: Hard-sided coolers tend to be larger and heavier, while soft-sided coolers are smaller and lighter. However, the Kula Magnepod by Bōte managed to combine a hard-sided cooler that you can sit on with one that’s also small and easy to carry. The five-gallon, bucket-style design is made with a Gatorshell construction that’s—you guessed it—“gator proof,” according to Kula. Unfortunately, we can’t easily test this claim, but we can say that it’s a strong insulated bucket, and it goes so far as to pair with Bōte’s paddle boards and kayaks if you’re looking to get out on the water.
It weighs 13 pounds without ice, it’s a bit heavy if you’re packing it to the brim, but the weight should still be fairly manageable, and the stiff handle makes it a lot easier to haul around. And because it’s essentially a heavy-duty bucket with a lid, it doubles as a seat, with a textured pad on top for grip and comfort.
Best Small Backpack Cooler
Throw It On And Forget It’s There
Amazon
Yeti Hopper M20
Pros:
Easy to carry
Lightweight
Cons:
Expensive
Hard to fill with ice
When you’ve got a long way to go with a cooler, be it a float on a river or a hike through the woods, the Yeti Hopper M20 Backpack Cooler is our top choice. Designed to fit full-size wine bottles or hold up to 20 cans, the backpack style makes it a breeze to carry over rough terrain or long distances. For second iteration of the Hopper (the first version was recalled due to issues with the magnets), the MagShield Access lid uses new and improved magnets to keep the cooler closed and secure, but that makes it just as easy to open, especially with one hand. It can be challenging to pack it with ice if you’re doing so alone—it helps to have a second set of hands to hold the pack open—but the ability to fit 22 pounds of ice is impressive.
As is often the case with Yeti coolers, the Hopper M20 is expensive at $325 for its 20-liter capacity. Still, the closed-cell foam offers solid ice retention for at least a day, and the durability of the high-density fabric ensures it will stand up to rocks, rivers and tough trails.
Best Small Cooler For Ice Retention
A Design That Doesn’t Need Ice
Oyster
Oyster Tempo
Pros:
Ice retention is superior to competitors
Lightweight and sleek design
Cons:
Expensive
Durability is lacking
Ironically, the small cooler with the best ice retention doesn’t even need ice. The Oyster Tempo aluminum thermal cooler is a new, high-tech chilly bin that’s designed to get three times colder than the competition and stay that way for longer periods of time. The cooler comes with ice packs you can freeze at home and use on the go, or you can fill it with traditional ice if you prefer the classic route. To casually test it’s insulating capabilities, we left the Tempo in a hot garage in the dead of summer and to our surprise, it held ice for 48 hours. The hard-sided shell isn’t packed with inches of insulation, so it has the unique ability to provide three times the interior space to keep up to 36 cans cold thanks to a 23-liter capacity.
The aluminum chilly bin’s main drawback is that it’s more susceptible to scratches or dents over long-term use. It’s also expensive technology at $395, and you can pick up a traditional small cooler for a lot less. Still, it’s a unique take on a cooler that’s worthy of the spotlight, and for more on the Oyster Tempo, check out our independent review.
David Young has been writing and reviewing gear in the travel and outdoor space for three years. He is an avid camper and angler in Colorado and has been testing coolers across the hot western mountains and deserts. David provides insights on how a variety of smaller coolers perform over multiple days in the heat. For this article, in particular, he sought the expertise of several outdoor industry insiders and experts in the cooler industry.
This story and its iterations are overseen by gear editor Cam Vigliota, who has over a decade’s worth of camping experience with coolers and an additional five-plus years of experience evaluating and reviewing outdoor gear. He regularly camps and tests gear up and down the West Coast, from the Cascade Mountains of Washington to the Sierras of California, and has backpacked the Alps through France, Italy and Switzerland. He hauls out his trusty cooler for backyard barbecues, days by the river and camping trips with friends.
To stay up-to-date on the best coolers, we regularly update our lists for accuracy. David Young fishes year-round in the Rocky Mountains and beyond, and tests a range of coolers each season. He also stays up to date on cooler releases and new technology by talking with outdoor industry experts throughout the year and attending outdoor gear conferences.
How We Chose The Best Small Coolers
We road-trip, camp and hit the pool using a variety of coolers throughout the year to see which ones perform the best. In addition, we also do research and talk to experts in the cooler and outdoor industry to help determine which small coolers make the list.
We field test as many coolers as we can each year, subjecting them to rigorous heat and terrain. We use the coolers on various trips and tests to ensure they are the best of the best.
We extensively evaluated specs and assessed each cooler in this guide for size, weight, durability and ice retention. We also considered the size and weight of each cooler with the material and technology in the design.
We go so far as to read customer reviews to see what other people who have used these specific coolers are saying. And we weigh public opinion against our own experience to ensure our evaluations contain relevant, useful information.
We included different types of small coolers for a variety of uses and conditions, as well as different costs and budgets.
What To Look For In The Best Small Coolers
When you’re in the market for a small cooler, there are a variety of factors to consider. Similar to large coolers, there are a variety of options to consider as well. From backpack coolers to hard-sided bucket coolers, you will want to consider how the cooler will be used. The following are three major factors to consider before buying a small cooler.
Size
The size of a small cooler is something you need to consider. A small cooler can vary in size and weight, however, the ideal small cooler is around 10 to 20 liters. This allows you to still carry a day’s worth of food and drinks while being able to handle the cooler easily, especially if you’re carrying it on your own. A good-sized small cooler should be easy for one person to fill with ice and carry around.
Ice Retention
The ice retention of a small cooler can vary from a few hours to a few days. It depends on the material used to insulate the cooler and its size. Smaller coolers are not intended to hold ice and keep it cool for longer than 24 hours. Consider what you are using the cooler for and how important keeping something cold is. Canned drinks are less important when it comes to keeping contents cool compared to perishables.
Price
When it comes to small coolers, you can spend as much or as little as you like. The more expensive a small cooler, the more features and technology there are in it. It is a matter of how you plan to use the cooler and how long you need to keep items in it cold.
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