Who doesn’t love spending a day at the beach?

But to fully enjoy your time you’ll need food & cold beverages. On most beaches, there are drinks & food available for purchase, but be prepared for the high prices and limited selections.

If you want to bring your own, then you run into the issue of keeping everything cold. What’s the solution?

One of the best beach coolers, of course! We’ve gone ahead and researched the top coolers, narrowing it down to the cream of the crop. Let’s get started!

Best Beach Coolers

	Coleman Heavy-Duty Super Cooler	Polar Bear Coolers	Coleman Soft Cooler
Capacity:	55 & 85 Quarts	12, 24 & 48 Cans	42 Cans
Chill Time:	6 Days	24+ Hours	1-3 Days
Transport:	Side Handles	Top Handle, Shoulder Strap	Wheels, Side Handles
Weight:	35 Pounds	3 Pounds	6 Pounds

For more of my beach gear recommendations, have a look through these popular Outside Pursuits guide links: Beach Carts, Beach Tents, Beach Umbrellas.

Quick Answer: The 7 Best Rated Coolers For The Beach

1. Coleman Heavy-Duty Super Cooler
2. Polar Bear Coolers Soft Sided Cooler
3. Arctic Zone Titan Zipperless Cooler
4. YETI Hopper Flip Portable Cooler
5. Coleman Soft Cooler with Wheels
6. MIER Insulated Cooler Backpack
7. TOURIT Soft Pack Cooler Bag

Beach Cooler Reviews

Our reviews of the top rated beach coolers with a comparison table and our buyers guide below will help you choose the right cooler for you.

Best Overall Beach Cooler

#1 Coleman Heavy-Duty Super Cooler

Coleman has been one of the top names in camping equipment for at least the past few decades, and the Heavy Duty Super Cooler is a perfect example of why.

The super durable product is notably robust, featuring UV Guard material to keep it safe from the sun, corrosion-resistant hinges, and an anti-microbial liner to keep your cooler safe for consumer use.

With a six-day ice retention capability, you can use it for longer trips off the grid, camping or a long day at the beach.

It also comes with an ultra-convenient cutting board treated to resist odor, mold, mildew, and fungus. The dual-size drain makes excess water removal simple, rather than having to lug it around and pour it out everywhere from the lid opening.

It doesn’t come with wheels, nor a shoulder strap, but it does come with durable rope handles, which makes carrying this large-capacity cooler easier when fully loaded.

In addition, you can even use it with dry ice, which isn’t possible with many products out there.

Put your normal 2.5-inch padlock into the lock slot and keep all of your food, drink, and others safe from unwanted intruders. If you want the a great beach cooler for keeping food and drinks cold, this is it!

Best Beach Cooler Bag

#2 Polar Bear Coolers Soft Sided Cooler

The Polar Bear is a high quality beach cooler bag that has incredibly dense insulation made to keep ice 24 hours in 100+ degree heat; providing some of the best insulation on the market.

You’ll also find the interior liner made with anti-microbial FDA food-grade TPU double-coated nylon, which is perfect for keeping things sanitary, and is safe for perishable storage.

The outer shell is made with rugged 1000D luggage-grade nylon, with double-hemmed/anchor-stitched seams that are incredibly durable, and will last you for years and years to come.

The zipper is also quite durable, with a YKK #10 rust-proof, weatherized design.

They’ve thoughtfully provided 4 tie-downs, as well as a padded shoulder strap to make traveling with your cooler a breeze.

The bottom saddle is a signature of the brand, providing excellent support and conforms into proper sturdiness once it’s all packed up.

In addition, the cooler comes in 5 attractive colors: Black, Green, Navy, Orange, and Red.

Best Value Beach Cooler

#3 Arctic Zone Titan Zipperless Cooler

The Arctic Zone Titan 9 Can Zipperless Cooler is not only an absolutely gorgeous offering, but a unique one, as well.

It is highly portable, just as one would expect from a top-of-the-line product, but interestingly, does not have a zipper.

Rather, it utilizes a patented flip-open lid, allowing for convenient and quick access to what you’ve packed inside. Featuring Deepfreeze insulation, you get impressive cooling performance for up to an impressive 2 days!

We will say that based off of our own personal experience, this ended up being more like 20 hours due to opening and closing the cooler bag, but that’s still more than sufficient.

We also really appreciated the easy access to non-perishable items on the exterior of the cooler, thanks to the two separate front zipper pockets and side mesh pockets.

The Smartshelf technology is helpful with keeping heavier/harder contents away from soft items like sandwiches, so they don’t get squished.

While there’s definitely something to be said for convenience along with visual appeal, we felt that the price tag was just a bit high for the performance.

Best Portable Beach Cooler

#4 YETI Hopper Flip Portable Cooler

The YETI Hopper Flip Portable Cooler consistently makes the tops of lists, and is currently an Amazon’s choice.

With that being said, we were a bit skeptical if was really going to live up to our expectations, and we can confidently say that they met almost all of them.

A popular choice not only among beach-goers, but also campers, sports fans, boating enthusiasts, and so much more. It’s a generally great “adventure” cooler.

The shoulder-tote-style product is nice and burly, thanks to their “Dryhide shell” on the exterior, which is kind of like that raft plastic.

Additionally, you have a waterproof zipper on the main compartment, opening up to an incredibly well-inuslated, waterproof space for your food/drink.

Keep things in overnight, and your items will still be cold for (in our experience) up to 24 hours. While we loved the extras, such as the hitchpoint grid, where you can hold on to your MOLLE Zinger, Bottle Opener, helmets, and whatever else, it did fall short for us in a few areas.

One, is that the zipper can be a bit stubborn and you have to really yank for it to open. Next, is the bag isn’t all that large, so it can’t hold as much as others can.

Best Rolling Beach Cooler

#5 Coleman Soft Cooler with Removable Liner & Wheels

Are you searching for  good wheeled cooler for the beach but are looking to stay on a budget? If so, then there aren’t a ton of options out there that we’d recommend.

However, the Coleman Soft Cooler is an excellent choice for all-day outings with many people, as it can hold up to 42 cans.

The Coleman Soft Cooler features a hard plastic interior liner which makes it sturdy, and easier for packing and unpacking.

You can simply store utensils, napkins, and other smaller items in the soft-sided exterior, making it easy to stay organized.

This rolling beach cooler features a telescoping handle and wheels, transportation is also convenient – even over grassy or rougher environment.

If you don’t feel like dragging it behind you, you can also utilize the durable straps it comes with. You’ll also appreciate the fact that cleaning is quite simple thanks to the smooth interior.

However, one thing we had an issue with was that it did retain odors if the messes weren’t cleaned up in a timely manner. The cooler comes in just blue and gray, which obviously isn’t a lot of options, but it does look sleek.

Best Beach Cooler Backpack

#6 MIER Insulated Cooler Backpack

The MIER Insulated Cooler Backpack is another excellent option if you want the most value for your money.

Coming in either Black, Camo, or Dark Golden, it has a unique aesthetic that will easily go with any other outdoor gear you already possess.

So, what do you need it for? Camping? Perhaps a trip to the beach or the soccer game? The thickly-insulated cooler will accomplish anything you need it for.

Working in combination the leak-proof PEVA liner, your refreshments will stay either hot or cold to your liking, while making cleaning and storage also simple.

The main compartment is much larger than it looks; holding up to 24 cans, or effortlessly enough food for the entire family or friends.

As you can see, it also features plenty of other pockets, including an inner mesh pocket on the lid perfect for keeping condiments and other small items that need kept fresh.

In addition, you’ll find two side mesh pockets for easy access, and large front zipper pockets complete with a mesh divider perfect for utensils.

Finally, it’s actually comfortable to wear, with dual adjustable padded shoulder straps and thick padding on the back, along with an extra top padded handle for quick and simple transportation.

Best Insulated Beach Cooler

#7 TOURIT Soft Pack Cooler Bag

This portable cooler bag is another great one for the beach, as it features a leak-proof, insulated 840D TPU exterior.

The interior features a 20D TPU interior and a very dense foam between them, keeping whatever you need cool or warm to your liking.

A total of 2-inches thick of insulation keeps food and drinks cold making it perfect for boating and the beach, (with built in bottle opener) as you can rest assured no sand or water will get inside.

The TOURIT has the most options to transport your cooler. With a padded detachable shoulder strap, two top handles and heavy duty side handles when you have it fully loaded.

With 30 cans of storage of your favorite beverage, they TOURIT will keep you hydrated all day. The side mesh pocket gives you some extra storage for items like sun block, or your phone.

To top it off, the rugged airtight zipper will keep the air out and the inside cold for up to 3 days.

Beach Cooler Comparison Table

How to Choose the Best Beach Cooler – Buying Guide

• Storage Needs
• Hard or Soft Sided
• Transport / Weight
• Chill Time
• Durability
• Weight
• Cleaning
• Price
• FAQs For Beach Coolers
• Tips For Using Your Cooler

Now that you’ve taken the time to read through each of the best beach cooler reviews, you may want a bit more direction in which one to select. If that’s the case, then keep scrolling, because we’ve gone ahead and created this buying guide to ensure you’re purchasing the right one for your needs.

Storage Needs

What will you be storing in your new beach cooler? This is something you need to figure out before you put anything in your shopping cart.

Are you just looking for an easier way to carry around those 24 beer cans and keep them cool? Perhaps you’re looking for a way to store your food and drinks all day long for the entire family/friend group.

Obviously both situations will require a somewhat large capacity, and weight and comfort probably aren’t of the utmost importance.

In contrast, you may need something that you’re going to be carrying around all day. Perhaps you’ll be hiking to a camping spot or walking to a hard-to-reach beach. Either way, this will require you to look more into comfort.

While exact dimensions will vary depending on brand and model, most people will require a capacity of 6 to 12 cans for just a day at the beach. However, if you have at least 4 people, you’ll want a capacity of at least 16 cans.

Hard or Soft Sided

When it comes to materials, you probably already know that not all fabrics/materials are created equal. The soft-sided beach coolers that only work to cool for a few hours are typically lined with that aluminum-based fabric we’ve all seen in lunchboxes and smaller coolers.

Hard-sided coolers may be a bit more difficult to pack around, but they generally have more reliable insulation, are more tough, and are going to last you for a much longer amount of time.

Transport

Of course, this leads us to our next point: how to transport your cooler. This is always a good aspect to remember, and one that many people surprisingly overlook, and they misjudge how heavy and portable the pack will be, or how long they’ll have to carry it. Either way, make sure your new beach cooler is a comfy one.

Padded shoulder straps and carry handles are always smart to have, and depending on where you’re going and your preferred method of transportation, you may also want a telescoping handle with wheels on the bottom of the cooler so you can easily just pull it behind you without your body having to bear the entire weight.

A backpack cooler is a good idea for many people, as most of us already know what it’s like to wear a backpack, whether from school, travel, or extracurricular activities. If you have neck or back problems, though, you’ll probably want to go with the best beach cooler with wheels, the Coleman Soft Cooler!

Chill Time

How long are you going to be out in the sun for? If you plan on camping out at the beach for a few days straight, you’re definitely going to need a beach cooler that has particularly thick insulation like that which YETI and Polar Bear often provide, and that are capable of cooling products for at least 24 hours.

However, if you just need it for a few hours or so, then that’s going to make things a lot easier on you, as you’ve just opened yourself up to a whole new array of products.

You’re oftentimes going to pay for high-performance insulation, so if you don’t need it, skip it. Be realistic, though. Really think about how long you’re going to need your items cooled for, and also, what they are. If you have ice cream in there, that’s obviously going to be much different than a soft drink can.

Durability

Once again, think about what you’ll be using the bag for. If you’re traveling through the jungle, you’re going to need something extra sturdy and resistant to tears and leaks, while if you’re just walking from the car to the sports field, you won’t require something made with ripstop fabrics, superbly-stitched handles, and so on.

High-density materials are more susceptible to tears, while ripstop fabrics can also help keeping your handles and pockets intact, even when weight is added to them.

Weight

Contrary to what many believe, weight of a cooler is not a direct correlation to how much you put in it. In fact, the more effective/thick the insulation, the heavier it will generally be. With that being said once again, if you don’t require the extra insulation, do yourself a favor and skip it.

Coolers can vary by pounds, which can make an experience much more straining if you have to carry a particularly heavy cooler, if you don’t even need to.

Cleaning

We all want something that’s easy to clean if we can help it, right? The same is going to go with beach coolers. Let’s face it – something is going to spill, and it’s 9 times out of 10 going to be something sticky or something that leaves a residual odor.

With that being said, you want to look for a cooler that’s easy to clean and maintain. Soft-sided coolers are great because they can often just be tossed in the washing machine. However, this will typically not be good in terms of durability.

The hard-sided coolers are easy to wipe clean quickly, but the inner lining and pockets can sometimes make that a bit more challenging.

Price

Finally, think about how much money you’re willing to spend on a cooler. Keep in mind that price isn’t always directly correlated with quality, and you can definitely find an amazing cooler at an affordable price.

Still, when it comes to top-of-the-line performance, you’ll want to invest a bit more. Some can last for around 20 years or even longer if properly cared for, so they’ll more than pay off in the end.

FAQs About Beach Coolers

Q: How do you clean a beach cooler?

A: This will vary a bit depending on which type of cooler you have. Spill-proof coolers will be much easier to deal with than your typical products. Loose ice in a cooler as opposed to an ice pack is going to make things more difficult to clean because of the water at the bottom.

However, just taking out the contents and placing the cooler upside-down will drain anything in there. If there’s something else you must clean, simply using cleaning wipes is a great solution.

Q: How long do coolers keep food and drinks cold?

A: Many people have only used cheaper coolers, which only work well for a few hours or so, so many don’t see the attraction of buying a more expensive product. However, if you use one properly, you can keep your materials cool (or hot) for days, with some models and brands

Q: How do you pack a cooler for the beach?

This video will give you some tips to make the most efficient use of your cooler.

Tips For Using Your Cooler

#1: Clean your cooler after each use

This may seem like common sense, but so many times, people come home from the beach exhausted, and decide to leave the cooler in the garage, thinking it will be okay because they let it drain upside-down beforehand.

This will still leave food or drink that can get things even more dirty real quick, leaving it susceptible to mold and other undesirables in a cooler.

#2: Organize as much as possible

This will help in avoiding any spills or messes, while also just making things more convenient and less likely to break or spill. Clean up is also easier if you do spill or have a mess, as things will be out of the way.

#3: Look for something leakproof

This is always a good idea, even if you’re just carrying around ice. No one wants a watery mess in the car, or in the area where they’re sitting.

Final Thoughts

We hope that you’ve enjoyed spending some time with us today, and more importantly, that you’ve found the good beach cooler for you. Whichever one you select, you can be assured that every single one is high-quality, and are some of the best on the market. Thanks for tuning in, and we will see you soon!

How We Researched

To come up with the top beach coolers, we researched a variety of sources for reviews such as Target, Lowes, Bed Bath & Beyond and Walmart along with our own personal experience.

We also consulted online magazines for product research and reviews to get as much unbiased information as we could. To help weed out fake reviews we used Fakespot.com to make sure we only looked at genuine reviews.

With so much quality gear available, we had to narrow it down based on what we felt were the best options for the price. The staff authors have a wide and varied background in adventure travel, hiking and backpacking.

The authors have decades of experience and are eager to share their knowledge with readers.

To help narrow down the selection we used personal experiences along with recommendations from fellow travelers and tour guides.

After extensive research, we came up with our list to help you choose the right one for you.

Sources