Absorption cool boxes Similar in size and design to compressor cool boxes, but you can also power these with gas. Need to know: Rubber pads to prevent sliding; five-year warranty; also available in 48 and 60-litre sizes; other colours available Rab Berghaus Craghoppers Montane adidas Terrex Regatta Scarpa Merrell Mountain Equipment OEX Salomon Weird Fish Dare 2b We were impressed that it can also heat the contents up to ~65°C. Obviously this isn’t hot enough to actually cook food, but it means you can keep your fish and chips warm if you’re busy – watch out for bacteria though – the heating should just be for short blasts after you’ve actually cooked the food. Think of it as maintaining temperature rather than reheating.

Hi-Gear 28-Litre 12V 240V Cooler (grey) - Blacks

Insulation: Look for a cool box with high-quality insulation that will keep your food and drinks cold for a long period of time. The best cool boxes have features that improve portability, such as wheels and extendable handles. The worst have uncomfortable handles and are heavy to carry. Durability The ECO Deep Extreme has several different capacity options in the range. The coolers start at a ‘car-friendly’ 26 litre capacity up to our favourite in the range shown above – the 45 litre giant which has its own carry handle and wheels to help move it around. We’ll concentrate on that one for this review. Size You'll generally find that cool boxes have larger capacities. You can get cool bags up to 50 litres, but if you need more consider a cool box instead.

Cooling is by the thermoelectric effect and again is a little limited. It will get you to around 10°C in our experience on a standard UK spring day (i.e. not too hot outside). Vonshef actually suggest 12°C as the minimum temperature which is way off from where we would prefer to be – around 5-6°C. Still, it can definitely chill and is great for cooling drinks in this respect, when you don’t have to be completely ice cold. It’s worth buying a small thermometer to keep inside your electric cool box and aim for around 5°C. This will keep your goods chilled without too much condensation forming.

Best Cool Boxes 2023 for chilled food and drink - Which? Best Cool Boxes 2023 for chilled food and drink - Which?

We think 20 – 30 litres is the sweet spot for a camping trip away for one to four people. It can store just enough stuff to keep you all going for a few days, and the fewer of you there are, the longer you can last between reloading! Date tested: May 2023. Capacity: measured with 330ml soft drink cans. We are not able to show every retailer and cheaper prices may be available. The electric cool boxes we testedDespite being a decent-sized cool box (storage volume measures 63 x 51 x 42cm), the Eco Deep is portable enough to move around when required. Weight is a fairly hefty 17kg, but the presence of a decent folding handle and wheels makes transport simple and efficient. Power source: Electric cool boxes that plug into your car's cigarette lighter or have a rechargeable battery can be very convenient, but keep in mind that they will require a power source.

HI-GEAR Cool Boxes | Millets HI-GEAR Cool Boxes | Millets

We put cool boxes from Thermos, Igloo, Coleman, and others, through their paces, to find out which are easiest to lug around and will keep your food and drink cool all day. The best cool boxes keep the contents chilled better for longer. The best electric cool boxes cooled the chilled bottles of water to an even lower temperature by the end of the day than when we put them in. Leakproof The advantage of a compressor fridge (i.e. like one you would use at home in your kitchen) is the speed, controllability and power of the cooling on offer. With the Eco Deep Extreme, you can lower the internal temperature from 25°C to 0°C in just 19 minutes which is exceptional. As mentioned previously, you can then disconnect the power so that the insulation is put to work and your food can remains frozen for several hours without using any more juice. One other great feature of the cool box is how it manages to protect the car’s battery from completely running out of juice; it stops drawing current if it senses that your car battery is about to go kaput! Handy when you’re wild camping miles from anywhere.We tested both electric cool boxes and passive ones, on everything from insulation to durability and portability. Our testing revealed one passive and two electric cool boxes that impressed enough to earn our Best Buy recommendation. The best cool boxes

Hi-Gear 28-Litre 12V 240V Cooler (grey) - Millets

Outwell is a case in point. They make some of our favourite pieces of outdoor equipment and have a strong pedigree of providing reliable gear and great customer service. The Outwell ECOCool 35L Cool Box is a case in point for a thermoelectric cool box which can operate on both 240V hookup and 12V battery power and provide a substantial amount of cooling power. A cool box keeps food and drink cool by insulating it from the outside environment. Unlike cool bags, which rely on the material properties of the bag to provide this insulation, there are different types of cool box. Some work in different ways: The size of the cool box you need for your camping trip will depend on a few factors, such as the number of people you are camping with, the duration of your trip, and the types of food and drinks you plan to bring.Our tests showed some key differences between these two products that are worth considering before buying: While none of the cool boxes leaked when upright, all but one leaked from the lid if tipped over onto their side. It's worth making sure your cool box isn't going to fall over easily when being transported. Comfort It also features two removable shelves inside so you have plenty of space for anything – from your favorite beer to a good old Cornish pasty! This spacious 28-litre electric cooler is the perfect piece of kit when you’re throwing a picnic for the whole family. It’s capable of keeping your food and drinks up to 18 degrees below ambient temperature.