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Best Small Cooler

Cooler Review
1. Best Heavy Duty Cooler
2. Best Small Cooler

What is the Top Small Personal Cooler for Lunch and Drinks?

How much do you enjoy taking summer trips and camping? Or perhaps, a day’s hike to your favorite escarpments? If you are an enthusiast, you will agree that there comes a time when you want to snack on something cold to quench the thirst and feel satiated.

Well, that does not only apply to those who love travelling only. Even at your job, you will need to eat some fresh food during that lunch break. But there is no way you are going to carry that standard-sized cooler to your workplace or on a trip.

Here are some good tidings!

You can always access a small cooler that is highly portable and versatile. You are able to move around with it for hours on end without that feeling of exhaustion. 

The only problem, maybe, will be finding the best small cooler available on the market. There are tons of brands out there just waiting for you. Each of these differs from the next in terms of the quality and design.

Identifying one will be pain-staking. Taking cognizance of that fact, we did all the research for you then identified and reviewed some of the best models available in the market.

1. Yeti Hopper

   You have probably already heard of Yeti since it is a reputable brand that has been around for years now. The product has a rating of 4.2 stars on Amazon and was among the top 10 camping products most sold by Amazon in 2020.

This Yeti cooler weighs about 7.4 pounds, light enough for a week’s camping. Its dimensions are 15.8” by 10.2” by 12.6″.

Yeti Hopper has been crafted from a strong and durable dryhide shell that can survive the harsh conditions it will be subjected to. You don’t have to worry about the product sustaining punctures and inconveniencing you in the middle of your adventure.

Also, the material will not allow leaking that may soil your things.  You will be pleased to know that the material is waterproof.

Moving on, Yeti Hopper has an insulation compartment that will come in handy in keeping your drinks ice-cold. Plus, it also has a separate compartment where you can keep your other stuff besides food, like your phone or wallet.

Pros

  • Made from quality material
  • Has padded straps for easy carrying
  • Doesn’t leak

Cons

  • A tad expensive
  • A bit heavy


2. Coleman FlipLid

Coleman was ranked number 6 in Amazon’s camping coolers, featuring a customer rating of 4.4 stars. That shows that customers are confident about this product and you have no reason to doubt it.

The cooler is lightweight as it only weighs about 1.83 pounds. In case you need something you can carry with you to your place of work, Coleman will work perfectly fine. 

It has also been fitted with a handle to make its portability easy and convenient. One hand is enough to carry out the task.

As for the dimensions, it measures 8.1” by 7.2” by 10.7”. It is big enough to accommodate a number of foodstuffs in case you are going on a group hike or camping. 

Besides, the lid used for this model can be flipped for ease of use. Cleaning is also very easy, meaning you will save on a lot of time.

However, Coleman has no coldcell that you can use for insulation.

Pros

  • It is lightweight
  • Easy to carry thanks to the handle
  • Can accommodate a number of tins and foodstuffs

Cons

  • Lacks a coldcell for insulation
  • The handle and the lid could have been of better quality


3. Stanley Adventure 

Next, we introduce to you this high performance small cooler by Stanley. To start us off, we note that this product weighs about 9.4 pounds. Although this is a bit heavy than the other picks, it is still portable.

The only downside is that you might not be able to carry it around using a single hand especially if it is fully loaded. 

To make the transportation even much easier, it comes with some quality handles. These have been designed from a strong material and they won’t break off when you are already on the move.

Stanley Adventure got you covered when it comes to the capacity available for storage. This product measures 18 by 14 by 20 inches. That screams plenty of space. As a matter of fact, the cooler can accommodate up to 21 tins or cans.

This is therefore an excellent buy if you are planning to go on a group trip.

The insulation fitted in this product is also a selling point. It is almost 2 times better than that offered by standard coolers.

Pros

  • Excellent insulation
  • Has a large storage capacity
  • The material does not leak

Cons

  • It is heavy
  • A bit unstable


4. Yitour

If the carrying capacity is your top priority when trying to find the right small cooler for your next road trip, Yitour is the right model for you. This product boasts a dimension of 20.1 inches by 15 inches by 14.6 inches.

As you could expect, it is big enough to stash food enough to last you for hours. If you are going out for a day’s picnic, the cooler can accommodate meals for up to 8 family or group members.

This capacity is outstanding, compared to the other coolers we have already reviewed.

Even better, Yitour comes with a 3 years warranty such that you can get a replacement in the event that it becomes damaged within the pendency of the warranty.

The insulation material used for this product is multi-layered. This helps in maintaining the cool temperature for up to 12 hours, keeping your food fresh the entire time.

With a weight of 6.05 pounds, the cooler can be easily moved.

Pros

  • The carrying capacity is huge
  • The material is water-resistant
  • Comes with a 3 years warranty

Cons

  • Keeps your food cold for 12 hours only
  • It doesn’t have a zipper


5. Mojecto 

Mojecto is a quality small cooler that has been constructed out of strong polyester material for longevity. The material cannot be torn easily, so you shouldn’t doubt whether it will be able to discharge its function.

Besides, the cooler bag has been designed in such a way that it is very easy to carry. It comes with some padded shoulder straps for comfort if you opt to carry it that way. 

Likewise, it features some handles fitted on the sides for those who will have trouble using the shoulder straps. 

As for insulation, Mojecto has 2 separate compartments that will keep your drinks, fruits or other foodstuffs fresh for a long duration. Since the carrying capacity is very generous, you can carry as much food as you want for your trip.

Besides, the cooler bag also has some side pockets that are water-resistant. Here, you can keep your other stuff such as keys or maybe wallet. You don’t have to carry a separate bag for that.

Pros

  • Has 2 insulation compartments
  • Comes with padded shoulder straps and handles
  • Has some zippers

Cons

  • You can only carry ice packs and gels
  • Can’t serve more than 3 people


Choosing a Small Cooler; Here are Factors you should Consider

Already, we have looked at some of the best brands of small coolers that attracted our attention. The intention was to make the work easier on your end if you decide to get yourself one.

That means that you wouldn’t have to go through thousands of articles looking at each feature of a product. Neither would you have to go through hundreds of customer reviews.

However, we now bring to your attention the fact that knowing the best brands in the market is not enough. You should also be aware of the factors to look out for when you go to the market.

The first step towards that is knowing what you actually want. What purpose do you want the cooler to serve? – A trip, camping or to carry lunch for one? That will determine the size of the cooler to buy.

Individual features vary from one product to the next, since they are made by different manufacturer with different considerations in mind. Here, we discuss some of those aspects.

They include things like the size of the cooler, number of compartments, portability, ice time, durability, price, among others. Make sure to go through this buying guide before buying a cooler.

Size of the cooler

As we had alluded to in the introductory part of this section, the size of the cooler contributes significantly whether or not you will buy a given model. You don’t want to buy a cooler for 1 when you are going on a family vacation with 10 people.

You also don’t want to buy a big cooler when all you simply want is something that can help in keeping your lunch fresh while you are at work. Although there will be nothing to lose in such a case, the cooler might be a bit heavier.

So, you have to get everything right. Begin by identifying the purpose for which you want the small cooler. Is it for camping? If so, how many people will be camping with you? When you have the number, proceed to consider the brands available.

You don’t want to sacrifice the quality of the product for its size. At the end of the day, you might have made a mistake since it will breakdown on the second day of camping before you are done with the adventure.

What we are saying is simple. Go for a size that will carry as much food as you want. In the process, don’t overlook other features such as the construction.

Weight 

For comfort, you will want to go for a product that isn’t so heavy. This will depend on the occasion. If you are just carrying food to work, going for a heavy cooler will be a bad idea. You probably want something that weighs less than 2 pounds.

If you are going on a trip, however, the weight might not be a problem as such since you won’t be carrying it by yourself. Also, the weight might of necessity be higher if you are going on the trip as a group.

Here is the reason. The bigger the cooler you buy, the more the weight becomes. So you might have to bear with that fact. But then that doesn’t mean that you go for a 20 pound cooler.

There are bigger coolers that weigh less than 10 pounds. Thus, make 10 pounds the standard figure against which to do your reference.

Number of compartments

There are different approaches with which you can look at the number of compartments. The first will have to do with the insulation compartments. The more they are, the more the food you can carry.

The compartments will always be separated such that you have a place to stash all your drinks and maybe beers. Then, there are others were you can fit all your other food stuffs like fruits and solid food.

It is important to note that some coolers lack insulation compartments. If you come across such an option, you should set it aside and continue with your search since it might not be the best pick.

Moving on, you should also check to see whether the cooler bag has separate compartments where you can keep your other belongings. They could be located on the sides or elsewhere.

The important thing is that they should be away from the insulated parts and waterproof. Here, you can opt to throw in your keys, wallet, phone or other things.

As such, you wouldn’t have to carry a separate bag along. It would be not only cumbersome but also uncomfortable for long trips.

Durability 

How well is the cooler constructed? Or rather, what material has been used in the construction? The material should be strong enough such that even if the cooler accidentally fell down, it wouldn’t break.

That said, you will come across coolers made from shells that are hard to break. Others will be made from a fabric material that cannot be easily torn. But the thing is, accidents do happen.

The shell might still get punctured and the fabric can still wear off if subjected to some harsh conditions. So how do you know which one to settle for between the two?

Well, that is a hard call to make. But there are some pointers that you can look out for. For instance, you might want to check if the product has been approved by some regulatory bodies.

In our case, those certified by IGBC would do the trick. The quality of the construction has often been likened to the ability to withstand a fierce attack from an unexpected bear. If they can pass the test, you are good to go.

You should also note that the construction will affect how well the cooler is able to perform its cooling function. Thus, make a wise decision.

Ice time

The other important factor that you must always have in mind when trying to identify the best cooler is the ice time. For how long is the cooler able to retain the ice? That is what we mean by ice time.

Again, we will point out that the function you want the cooler to serve affects to a large extent the ice time of the cooler you should buy. Take these two scenarios. 

One person wants to buy a small cooler that will keep his food in a good condition for 7 days during which he will be in a camping mission in the middle of nowhere.

Another person just wants a cooler that will keep his food fresh for up to 8 or 12 hours, during which time he will be working then get home. 

Who do you think needs a cooler that has a longer ice time? Our guess is as good as yours.

Basically, there are coolers that cannot retain ice for more than 12 hours. Likewise, there are others that are more effective and can serve this purpose pretty well for up to 3 days.

Others break this target and go for up to a week or 10 days. So, everyone has an option to go for. The only difference, perhaps, will be in the price of the various coolers.

The more effective the cooler is, the more the dollars you will have to fork out. But if it is worth the cause, then why worry about the money?

The price

The price of a small cooler will also come into play when you want to purchase one. The thing is, most of the strong and durable coolers will always be expensive. Also, the sub-standard ones will be much cheaper.

Regardless, you shouldn’t force yourself to buy a product if it is not within your budget. There will always be cheaper options that still serve the purpose perfectly, coming at a fraction of the other prices.

In most cases, you will be paying for the brand name as opposed to the product itself. So, how do you go about such a condition?

The first step is setting a budget. How much do you want to spend on a cooler? Go ahead and look through the products whose price falls within your set price range. Look at the individual features, and find out which one is likely to be of better performance.

Draw your conclusion and pay for that cooler. 

Portability 

The cooler you go for should be easy to move around. Portability has different angles from which it can be looked at. Already, we have talked about the first which is the weight of the cooler. A lightweight cooler will be easier to carry wherever you go.

The other aspect has to do with the comfort. Is the cooler bag equipped with some shoulder straps? If so, are those straps padded? The weight of the cooler might get uncomfortable when pressing down on your shoulders.

Hence, some padding will go a long way to ensure that your trip is comfortable. Besides, you might be a person who doesn’t like carrying things on your shoulders. Side handles should be of help in that case.

If your product of choice has no handles, continue with the search.

Also, consider whether the cooler has some wheels to help with the movement. You will agree that it is much easier to push the cooler rather than carrying it using the straps and handles. That should be an easy call to make.

Water resistance and leakage.

Finally, you should ascertain that the product you are buying is water proof, and that it does not leak. If it is waterproof, then you will have some confidence stashing your items like keys, phones or wallets into the extra pockets.

If not, that might be a bad idea.

Conclusion

Small coolers are important things that you want to carry to your weekend trips or summer vacations. This is because of a number of reasons, including the fact that they are easily portable.

Also, you can carry small coolers to your place of work without any inconveniences. Your food will remain fresh for a long time, and you will not suffer unnecessary losses. However, finding the right type of cooler will be quite an exercise.

You have to consider some factors in order to arrive at the best. Such factors include the carrying capacity of the cooler and its construction – it should be strong.

That said, we recommend the Yeti Hopper. You will have to fork out a few dollars but you don’t have to worry since it is worth the value of your money. Yeti as a brand has built a name for itself.

With dimensions of 15.8 by 10.2 by 12.6, this cooler is spacious enough to accommodate several cans and fruits. It is constructed from quality Dryhide shell that gives it the strength to take a few hits.

Furthermore, it has insulation compartments to keep your food fresh and a separate compartment for your other belongings. Since it is water-resistant and leak-proof, it is the best shot you have.

Why don’t you get yourself a Yeti Hopper?

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