Carrying a regular cooler for an outdoor trip can be an inconvenience when camping, fishing trips, multi-day music festivals, beach picnics, or tailgating. For a more portable storage, consider looking into these best wheeled coolers instead.
A wheeled or rolling cooler is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a cooler equipped with a towing handle and a pair of wheels designed for both smooth and bumpy terrain. But while different in structure, it still includes some of the most common features found on regular coolers, such as molded cup holders on the lid, a bottle opener, and a drain spout, although not all wheeled coolers come with the same features. A wheeled cooler allows for a more convenient transport, especially when the storage is fully packed with consumables.
Considering there are dozens of options on the market, shopping for roller coolers can be frustrating, with many products appearing to be no different from each other. That’s the bad news. The good news is that we already got you covered on that front. With this guide to the best rolling coolers, you get to pick from an already filtered list composed of the best options on the market, from budget wheeled coolers to premium roller coolers built like a tank.
While this guide streamlines the shopping experience for you, there are still several aspects that you need to pay attention to when checking out the products. When it comes to wheeled coolers, the most important things to consider are the max capacity (often listed in quarts), the ice retention, the wheel and handle design, and, of course, the actual physical size.
It’s also a plus if the cooler has a few convenient features, such as a bottle opener, a fish scale, and molded cup holders on the lid. Some even come with several external compartments and a cord, allowing them to carry more items. Go for the product that best suits your needs, rather than going for the most popular one on the market.
Coleman Personal Wheeled Cooler
Unless you’re going to bring buckets of beer and grub, a full-sized cooler is not necessary for a short-term solo trip, whether it’s a soul-searching trip at the beach or a quick recharge at a camping site. For such excursions, the Coleman Personal Wheeled Cooler is a much better fit. It’s a small cooler with a max capacity of 16 quarts, capable of storing up to 22 cans of your favorite beer or soda.
Although modest in size, this extremely portable cooler is as tough as Coleman’s full-sized coolers, featuring a durable polyethylene frame with a pair of rugged wheels. It’s got large molded side handles and a telescopic towing handle, all of which allow for easy transport and lifting. The hinged lid can be opened with just one hand, allowing you to grab a can of beer without taking your eyes off the sunset-painted horizon.
Coleman Soft-Sided Wheeled Cooler
The Coleman Soft-Sided Wheeled Cooler is the perfect storage for travelers who want a cooler capable of holding items besides food and drinks. It’s a collapsible cooler with a removable liner, featuring a large zippered front pocket, a couple of mesh side pockets, a mesh internal pocket, and bungees on the lid. It’s like a cross between a hiking backpack and a rolling cooler, with sturdy side handles for easy lifting.
Capable of storing up to 42 cans, this cooler has a telescopic handle and a pair of wheels that run smoothly on pavement. It has a well-secured zippered main compartment that keeps your consumables cold for a long time, allowing you to enjoy a cold beverage after hours of labor on the trail. Most importantly, the easily removable liner is treated with antimicrobials, protecting it against mold, mildew, and fungus.
Coleman Xtreme Series Wheeled Cooler
Whether it’s for park picnics, backyard barbecues, or weekend camping, Coleman has you covered when it comes to coolers, offering an extensive lineup of products. For those in need of a portable cooler, the American company offers the 50-quart Xtreme Series Wheeled Cooler. It’s built for up to five days of ice retention, featuring a well-insulated frame and a secured hinged lid. The cover has four molded cup holders, perfect for when sharing stories around a campfire with beverages in the mix.
Although its frame might seem imposing, this fantastic rolling cooler is easy to transport, with the telescopic handle and rugged wheels allowing for hassle-free transport on almost any terrain. It has a spacious interior that can store almost 90 cans of beer, making it an ideal cooler for trips with your friends or family. And the best part is that it sells for just around $40.
Igloo Island Breeze Roller Cooler
When a cooler is parked on a hot surface for several hours, especially during summer, the cooling system takes a hit, resulting in a reduced ice retention. Such a scenario is bad news for consumables, especially for items best served while chilled (read: beer). But with the Igloo Island Breeze Roller Cooler, that won’t be the case, courtesy of its elevated cooler design, which minimizes ground contact.
While bigger than Coleman’s personal wheeled cooler, this roller cooler is still on the small side, featuring a 29-quart capacity. It can store up to 37 cans, which makes it best suited for short-term outdoor sorties with a small group. It has a locking telescopic handle, a pair of sports wheels for easy towing, and molded side handles for easy lifting. One minor issue is the lack of a drain spout at the bottom, which means you’ll have to tip over the entire thing to get rid of melted ice.
Rubbermaid DuraChill Wheeled Cooler
Rubbermaid’s DuraChill series is notable its excellent insulation and roomy interior, one reason it makes for an ideal cooler for outdoor trips. The biggest in the series is the 75-quart model, which can store a whopping 130 cans at max. It has a well-constructed thick frame, featuring a dual opening lid with cup holders and a drain for quick removal of melted ice.
Unlike the smaller models in the series, the 75-quart DuraChill has its handle and wheels at the sides instead of at the rear. And rather than a telescopic handle, it has an extended tow handle, which is more fitting considering its capacity. It has a pair of regular-sized handles on the sides for easy carrying. Whether it’s for a family camping trip or a fishing trip with your buddies, the 75-quart DuraChill is a recommended cooler.
Coleman All-Terrain Wheeled Cooler
A regular wheeled cooler won’t cut it for camping and other outdoor activities that require you to travel on rough terrain. What you need is a rugged roller cooler built specifically for a more demanding workload, such as the Coleman All-Terrain Wheeled Cooler. It’s a tough storage equipped with 8-inch heavy duty wheels for easier towing on rough surfaces. It has a max capacity of 55 quarts, with the ability to store up to 84 cans.
Designed for up to five days of ice retention, this all-terrain roller cooler has a tough-as-hell lid capable of seating one adult person without being compromised, which means you get a cooler and an extra seat in one package. The lid has molded cup holders for convenience and a sturdy cord for securing other outdoor equipment, such as a packed tent or a small collapsible chair. And with the well-secured lid, you don’t have to worry about the contents spilling out while traveling on rough terrain.
Rubbermaid 60-Quart Wheeled Cooler
This Rubbermaid wheeled cooler is not a part of the DuraChill series, though we can’t blame you for confusing it with that series, considering the striking similarity in design. It’s a 60-quart rolling cooler with a dual opening door, allowing you to retrieve items without opening the entire thing. It has a well-insulated structure, featuring molded cup holders on the lid and a drain spout at the base for easy removal of melted ice and other liquids.
For transport, this popular Rubbermaid cooler comes with a pair of large wheels and a sturdy handle, both of which make the transport easy on the arms, though the wheels could have been more rugged. Keep in mind that the cooler is being offered in different sizes, but only the 60-quart model, the largest in the lineup, comes with wheels.
Columbia Crater Peak Rolling Cooler
The Columbia Crater Peak Rolling Cooler is a versatile storage that can be used as a wheeled cooler and a regular cooler. It’s composed of a soft-sided cooler and an all-terrain cart, both of which are collapsible for easy storage and can be used as a standalone outdoor equipment. The cooler has a removable liner that resists odor and stains, thanks to the antimicrobial protection.
With a max capacity of 80 pounds, this wheeled cooler is ideal for picnics and camping. The rugged all-terrain wheels and telescopic handle both make moving it around on rough terrain smooth and convenient. The cooler has a padded side handles, which makes it easy enough to transport even without the cart. Since the wheeled cart is independent, it can be used to transport other things, such as a water container and a portable camping stove.
Igloo MaxCold Ice Cube Roller
While most wheeled coolers are rectangular, there are some exceptions, with Igloo’s Ice Cube series being the most notable. The Igloo MaxCold Ice Cube Roller is a superb cooler built with portability and performance in mind. It’s a 70-quart storage with an almost-perfect cube interior that can hold up to 114 regular beer cans. It has an ice retention of five days, which is ideal for multi-day music festivals, camping, and beach trips.
A compact cooler (at least compared to other coolers with the same capacity), this Igloo cooler features a couple of wheels that run smoothly on different terrains and a telescopic handle with a locking mechanism for a more secure towing. The secured lid includes a pair of molded cup holders while the sides feature molded handles for easy carrying. At the rear, this rolling cooler comes with a drain spout, which allows you to remove liquids in a hassle-free manner.
Igloo Glide Pro Cooler
The Igloo Glide Pro Cooler is a wheeled cooler with a horizontal telescoping handle, easily separating it from most regular wheeled coolers, which often come with vertical telescoping handles. Instead of at the rear, the tough handle is bolted on the lengthier sides of the rectangular frame. It’s a more fitting design for such a massive cooler, making it easier to haul when at max capacity (110 quarts).
Built for outdoor excursions with a large group, the Igloo Glide Pro Cooler can keep consumables chilled up to five days, though the ice retention may vary depending on the season. It has oversized wheels designed for different terrains and well-secured side handles for easy lifting. Compared to most products in this guide to the best wheeled coolers, this Igloo cooler is the most ideal for fishing trips, not only because of its rugged design but also because of the molded fish scale on the lid.
Igloo Trailmate Journey
Like the Igloo Glide Pro Cooler, the Igloo Trailmate Journey is a rugged rolling cooler built with a horizontal telescopic handle. But the similarities end there as this particular model offers more conveniences and comes off as more of a multi-function outdoor equipment. It has a notable sporty design, featuring 10-inch wheels built for rough terrain. It’s rated for 70 quarts, with ice retention of up to four days.
The Igloo Trailmate Journey boasts useful features all around its tough frame. It has molded cup holders on the lid, with the telescopic handle acting as the included butler tray’s holder. The butler tray, which is stored under the lid, can accommodate two more cups and a few snacks. Additionally, this rugged cooler features bottler openers, a mesh pocket, and a small covered compartment on the exterior, all of which will come in handy during outdoor trips, whether it’s at the beach or out in the wilderness.
Pelican ProGear Elite Wheeled Cooler
The Pelican ProGear Elite Wheeled Cooler is built like a tank, for a lack of a more fitting term. It’s engineered to be as rugged as possible, featuring thick, well-insulated walls and a spacious main compartment. It has an oversized trolley handle on one end and tough wheels on the other, all of which make the transport easy and convenient, regardless of the terrain.
A made-in-the-US product, this tough rolling cooler features molded cup holders and a fish scale on the lid, which also features a locking mechanism for a more secure load. It has non-skid feet and a built-in drain spout for easy removal of melted ice. Boasting an impressive 10-day ice retention, this Pelican wheeled cooler is the perfect food storage for extended outdoor trips. Well, at least for those who can afford it, considering it’s on the expensive side, with the 45-quart model selling for almost $400.
Yeti Tundra Haul Wheeled Cooler
Yeti is known for producing some of the best coolers on the market, from soft-sided backpack coolers to ultra-portable picnic coolers. Of the American company’s selection of coolers, the Tundra series easily stands out due to its impressive toughness and ice retention. And with the Yeti Tundra Haul Wheeled Cooler, you get to experience the same quality in a more portable package.
Billed as Yeti’s first ever wheeled cooler, the Tundra Haul is built for a demanding workload, featuring thick walls and impact-resistant wheels for a smooth ride even on rough terrain. It has a clean, no-nonsense profile, boasting a well-secured compartment and a sturdy towing handle with excellent grip. Designed for fishing trips, camping, beach parties, and other outdoor sorties, the Tundra Haul is a tank-like premium cooler that delivers on the promise. Sure, it’s a lot more expensive than other regular rolling coolers, but that’s a price we’re willing to accept because it’s a goddamn Tundra on wheels.
Coolest Cooler
In regard to features, the Coolest Cooler blows all the other products on this list out of the water, coming in with a host of features not normally found on coolers. It includes a built-in battery powered blender for cocktails and smoothies, a removable splashproof Bluetooth speaker, a USB charger, LED lighting on the lid, and a bottle opener with a cap catcher. In addition, it comes with a set of plates, a ceramic knife, a corkscrew, and a cutting board.
It’s the ultimate cooler for backyard barbecues and beach parties, with the speaker pairing technology allowing for an easy link-up with another Coolest Cooler within range. Concerning regular cooler specifics, this all-in-one wheeled cooler is just as impressive, featuring a well-insulated compartment with a 55-quart max capacity, a retractable handle, a pair of rugged wheels, and a drain spout at the rear. Considering everything it brings to the table, it’s not surprising the Coolest Cooler is an expensive product.