These Reusable Ice Packs for Coolers Will Keep Your Drinks Chill No Matter the Weather
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If you’re headed out on a picnic, hiking, camping or just a day on the grind, reusable ice packs are an essential tool for keeping snacks and beverages cold and fresh. Unlike ice, they don’t leave your sandwich in a pool of warm water, and their water, silica gel and propylene glycol mixture stays colder way longer than ice. So instead of making a pointless trip to the gas station for ice, simply keep the best ice packs for coolers handy this summer.
Sure, the best coolers will keep your stuff chill, but ice packs give you that extra boost. That’s why a great cooler ice pack is one of the best ways to get the most out of your cooler’s abilities. From tailgating parties to snacks after a baseball game, these cooler ice packs do a great job of keeping food and drinks colder for longer.
1. Cooler Shock Ice Packs
BEST OVERALL
These packs ship dry with their proprietary dry ice cooling formula inside. All you need to do is add water and place the packs in the freezer to activate the cooling process. The packs get down to 18 degrees Fahrenheit and stay cold for 24 to 48 hours, making them a great option for overnight camping trips. They’re available in three sizes and are made with non-hazardous food-grade material in the U.S. A great replacement for ice or dry ice, the cooler packs have an impressive cooling lifespan and can be reused countless times.
Buy: Cooler Shock Ice Packs $26.99 (orig. $35.99) 25% OFF
2. Fit & Fresh Cool Coolers Reusable Ice Packs
BEST FOR SMALL COOLERS
For small coolers, we like the four-pack of reusable ice packs from Fit & Fresh. The slim ice packs are only half an inch thick and are great for lunch bags, diaper bags or coolers that are already jam-packed with food and drinks. The hard plastic outside is easy to wipe down when spills occur and the ice packs stay cold for hours. We also like that the ice packs are made from non-toxic, BPA-free plastic, which makes them a great option to use in kids’ lunch and cooler bags.
Buy: Fit & Fresh Cool Coolers Reusable Ice Packs $12.44
3. YETI ICE Refreezable Reusable Cooler Ice Pack
MOST DURABLE
The best Yeti coolers will do a standup job of keeping your stuff cold. Why not bolster that cooling power with one of the brand’s equally adored ice packs? These packs can take a rough and tumble ride in any cooler thanks to their virtually indestructible design. The ice pack itself also gets down to minus 2 degrees Celsius and stays there for hours, but we should note the oversized pack weighs a whopping four pounds, so keep that in mind when deciding who has to carry the cooler.
Buy: YETI ICE Refreezable Reusable Cooler Ice Pack $30.00
4. Hydro Flask Ice Pack
BEST GRAB-AND-GO
This stackable and modular ice pack design is lightweight (it weighs roughly 1.3 pounds) yet effective, retaining its cooling powers for about six hours. The portable design comes with a handle, making it an easy and effective grab-and-go option.
Buy: Hydro Flask Ice Pack $14.95
5. Amazon Basics Reusable Ice Packs
MOST VERSATILE
Need to fill in the food gaps in your large cooler? These brightly colored ice packs will help keep contents cold for hours. Have a swollen knee you need to ice ASAP? Wrap one of these ice packs in a towel and enjoy some sweet, cooling relief. The ice packs, which can be hand-washed with soap and water, stay cold for up to eight hours.
Buy: Amazon Basics Reusable Flexible Soft Sided Ice Pack $9.05
6. Healthy Packers Ice Pack for Lunch Box
SLIMMEST FIT
Each ice pack in this four-piece kit measures 7 by 4.7 by 0.5 inches and is lightweight at less than two pounds, which makes them ideal for smaller coolers, lunchboxes or backpack coolers. Don’t let their small size fool you: These hard gel cooler packs are also long-lasting.
Buy: Healthy Packers Ice Pack for Lunch Box $12.99 (orig. $18.99) 32% OFF
7. Fit + Fresh XL Cool Coolers Freezer Slim Ice Pack
SLEEKEST LARGE COOLER PICK
These large but slim ice packs are ideal for larger coolers when you want to keep your stuff cool without taking up too much space. The versatile design means they can be packed on the top, bottom or sides as the large surface area ensures items stay colder for longer. They’re also a budget-friendly pick, with each pack of four coming in under $10.
Buy: Fit + Fresh XL Cool Coolers Freezer Slim Ice Pack $9.98 (orig. $11.99) 17% OFF
8. Bentgo Ice Lunch Chillers
EASIEST TO CLEAN
These high-density polyethylene packs are slim and tuck easily into lunchboxes and small coolers alike, where they’ll keep food chilled for about four hours. They come in four colors to suit your personality or stand out in a cooler for easy access. However, what we really love is how easily they wipe clean after use. Just wipe them with a damp cloth and you’re good to go again the next day.
Buy: Bentgo Ice Lunch Chillers $9.99
9. Yeti Thin Ice
BEST SPACE SAVER
The smallest version of Yeti’s beloved ice packs is a great bet for smaller coolers or for when you only have a few items you need chilled, like a lunch or a six-pack. Users rave about how well it stays cold even in uninsulated packaging, but we love how small it is, which makes it a practical fit in any sized cooler.
10. Igloo Maxcold Natural Ice Sheet
MOST FLEXIBLE
If you’ve got a large cooler and need an ice pack that wraps, turns and lays flat, we liked the Igloo Maxcold Natural Ice Sheet. The large sheet has 88 cubes that keep food and drinks cold for hours. Made with durable, reinforced plastic and sealed for safety, the ice sheet can wrap around objects, making it a great option for breakables.
Buy: Igloo Maxcold Natural Ice Sheet $9.99
11. Cooler Shock Ice Packs for Coolers
BEST COOLER SHEETS
When you need to cool the contents of your entire cooler quickly and efficiently, we like the large and slim Cooler Shock Ice Packs for Coolers. The thin polycarbonate cooler sheets measure 10” x 13” by 1.25” and can fill the bottom, top or side of a cooler. Designed to stay at 18 degrees Fahrenheit for up to 48 hours, the ice packs are food safe and made in the U.S. The ice packs come with the Cool Shock formula already inside. Customers simply add water and place a pack in the freezer to start the freezing process. Once filled with water and frozen, the ice packs weigh about five pounds and replace up to seven pounds of ice.
Buy: Cooler Shock Ice Packs for Coolers $31.99 (orig. $34.95) 8% OFF
12. Amazon Basics Reusable Hard-Sided Square Ice Pack
BEST SQUARE-SHAPED PACKS
These heavy-duty square-shaped ice cooler packs are made from solid BPA-free plastic and are ideal for smaller coolers. They’re also great for adding that extra layer of cold to a small space after packing your cooler.
Buy: Amazon Basics Reusable Hard-Sided Square Ice Pack $10.65
13. Arctic ICE Chillin’ Brew Series, Long Lasting Reusable Ice Pack
BEST FOR TAILGATING
This extra-large (and extra long-lasting) ice pack is exactly what even the best coolers with wheels need. This thing is so serious it comes with its own handle and a paneled design to distribute chilling power. Amazon reviewers like how the packs retain their shape after several uses, not to mention how they keep food and drinks cold for hours at a time.
Buy: Arctic ICE Chillin' Brew Series, Long Lasting Reusable Ice Pack $29.09
14. Healthy Packers Long Lasting Ice Pack
BEST FOR BOTTLES AND CANS
When you need to keep your drinks cool and want to ensure they aren’t rolling around inside your cooler, the Healthy Packers Long Lasting Ice Pack is a great option. The contoured design of the ice packs helps keep bottles and cans in place, making them great for everything from tailgating parties to breast milk cooler bags. The set of two contoured cooling packs are both made with non-toxic, BPA-free plastic.
Buy: Healthy Packers Long Lasting Ice Pack $18.99