The Best Coolers on Sale This Summer, from Yeti to Travoca

Coolers are clutch. Not only do they keep your perishables from perishing on campouts and multi-day missions, but the best coolers are essential for keeping après libations crispy and cold.

Now, as much as we love coolers, we hate paying full retail for them. Why? Well, when you spend a mortgage-sized payment on a cooler, it eats into your budget for those libations. And we have priorities over here. (Pilsners. Pilsners are our priorities.)

In case you’re in the same boat, we’ve pulled together our favorite budget coolers, as tested by the Outside beer—I mean, gear—team. We’ve also hunted high and low for discounted coolers that are currently slashed during end-of-summer sales. Needless to say, if you need a new cooler and want to save some coin for cold ones, you’re in the right place. Cheers to that!

The Best Budget Coolers, as Tested By the Outside Crew

Every year, Outside testers put coolers on the chopping block, analyzing options from multiple brands head-to-head on camping trips and river sojourns. You can check out the results of our annual testing in this article on our nine favorite coolers. But if you want to get straight to the best budget options, we’ve cherry-picked these two below.

If you’re looking for a cheap cooler, Igloo is a bargain brand worth considering. Igloo coolers aren’t outperforming our tried-and-true favorites when it comes to ice retention, but the dollar retention is as high as it gets. The Trailmate is fairly durable, and it’s ready for weekend camping trips no problem, but what really stands out is the price. Scoop up this Igloo icebox now and you can score an extra 10 bucks off the already reasonable price tag.

Best Bang for Your Buck

RTIC 42 QT Ultra-Light Wheeled Cooler for $249

You’re going to see RTIC in this aRTICle more than any other brand, simply because the outfitter manufactures premium coolers but doesn’t charge premium prices (and because we’ve tested them to the extreme). Their slogan is “overbuilt, not overpriced” and our testers co-sign that. The 42 QT Ultra-Light Wheeled Cooler isn’t just cheaper than the competition, the closed-cell-insulated cooler is up to 30 percent lighter, too—another claim from the RTIC marketing department that was backed by testers who didn’t break their backs hauling it to and fro. Ice retention isn’t quite on par with the biggest names in the business (you know who we’re talking about), but the bang for your buck is hard to beat.

RTIC’s Big Summer Sale

Shop RTIC’s summer sale in its entirety here, or read on for a handful of hard coolers, soft coolers, and bundles that caught our team’s attention.

RTIC Sidekick 8 QT Road Trip Personal Cooler for $47 ($59) + FREE 30 oz Essential Tumbler

Not only can you get $12 bucks off RTIC’s aptly named Sidekick, a petite cooler with a 12-pack capacity, but RTIC’s throwing in a 30-ounce, insulated tumbler for free. We like this deal for two reasons: The price of the tumbler is right (free), and it’s important to hydrate when drinking your way through the Sidekick’s contents.

RTIC 16 QT Road Trip Cooler for $79 ($99) + FREE 30 oz Essential Tumbler

RTIC is currently peddling the already affordable Road Trip Cooler for 20 bucks off. That’s a dollar per can of its 20-can carrying capacity. Plus, you get a free 30-ounce, insulated tumbler to boot. Between the cheap retail price, the discount, and the free tumbler, it sure is feeling like happy hour around here.

RTIC 22 QT Ultra-Light Wheeled Cooler for $143 ($179) + FREE 30 oz Essential Tumbler

This deal caught our eye off the bat, namely because the 22 QT Ultra-Light Wheeled Cooler is a smaller version of our “best bang for your buck” award winner, the 42 QT Ultra-Light Wheeled Cooler. It’s got the same telescoping handle, same lightweight yet capable construction, same easy-rolling wheels, and a similarly reasonable retail price. The big difference? It fits 28 cans to the 42 QTs 56 cans, and it’s now on sale for 20 percent off. Oh, and you get a free tumbler with this one, too!

RTIC 45 QT Ultra-Tough Cooler for $191 ($239) + 2 FREE 30 oz Essential Tumblers

If you’re in the “Who needs wheels?” camp, the RTIC 45 QT Ultra-Tough Cooler is a relatively lightweight option with a 60-can capacity. It’s got two heavy-duty handles for hauling from trunk to picnic table and back again. Even better? It comes with two free tumblers (gasp!) and the 20 percent discount saves you enough cash to fill this RTIC to the brim with beers (depending on your personal proclivities to search the higher or lower shelves when perusing liquor store beer selections).

RTIC Ultra-Tough Soft Cooler Pro for $96 ($129)

The sole soft cooler in RTIC’s summer sale, this Ultra-Tough Soft Cooler Pro is 25 percent off. A durable, welded, leakproof construction makes this buoyant beverage container a river trip essential, while two inches of closed-cell foam keep contents chilled. Apparently, RTIC doesn’t drive a hard bargain on soft-siders, because this cooler also comes with two gratis 30-ounce Essential Tumblers.

A Tester-Approved (and Currently Discounted) Electric Cooler: Travoca Rigel Dual-Zone eCooler

Testers who have relied on the Travoca Rigel eCooler during their adventures have been impressed with its innovative design, as vacuum-insulated walls and a highly efficient, fast-freezing compressor hides beneath the bamboo accents. You read that right: We said freeze. Travoca models (there are four: 25L, 35L, 45L, and 60L) feature a dual-zone design that allows campers to freeze and refrigerate simultaneously. Yes, that means ice cream is on the menu for your next campout. Score!

Travoca Rigel Dual-Zone eCooler

Now, we know that 400-plus bucks for a cooler sounds expensive, and it is. But it’s actually more reasonable when you consider two things. First off, the Travoca is cheaper than similarly sized coolers from competitors, like the Dometic CFX5, our testers’ favorite electric cooler. For reference, the Dometic CFX5 35 comes in at $1,000, while the corresponding size of the Travoca Rigel is normally $750. But now isn’t “normally.” That brings us to our second point: Travoca is in the midst of a serious summer sale, and that 35L size of the Travoca Rigel is slashed to $600. The smallest size, the 25L version, starts off at 455 dollars. Peep all the sizes and sale prices above.

A Note on Power: If you don’t have a van, camper, or overlanding rig with an auxiliary battery, the easiest way to deploy an ecooler is with a power station like the Travoca Vega 1500. This off-grid electricity hub is relatively affordable compared to beefier power stations (like those from Goal Zero), and it’s also on sale for 200 dollars off.

More Summer Savings on Coolers

Double-Digit Discounts on Yeti Hopper Soft Coolers

Finding discounts on Yeti gear can be a difficult if not impossible task. Currently, though, the cooler kingpin is slashing prices on certain colors and sizes from its Hopper Soft Cooler lineup.

Yeti Hopper M20 Backpack Soft Cooler for $260 ($325)

First up, we’ve got the Hopper M20 Backpack Soft Cooler. This nifty backpack can lug up to 36 cans. It features comfortable straps for easy-carrying, whether you’re hauling beers to the beach or a picnic up to a national park overlook. We’re huge fans of the exterior material, which is a beefy, overbuilt nylon laminated with thermoplastic polyurethane for storm-ready security. We wouldn’t want those picnic goodies to get soaked on the stroll in, would we?

Yeti Hopper Flip 12 Soft Cooler for $200 ($250)

Another cornerstone of the Hopper collection, the Flip 12 Soft Cooler doesn’t have two shoulder straps, just the one. But thanks to the wide, shoulder-cradling padding—and grab handles galore–this little 24-can cooler is a breeze to bring on moderate adventures. Closed-cell rubber keeps contents chilled, a waterproof zipper keeps them dry, and that heavy-duty, TPU-laminated exterior will keep this durable cooler in heavy use for years to come.

And Two More Not to Miss

Core Equipment Magnetic 18-Can Soft Cooler for $100 ($150)

We saved one of the best deals for last. This 18-can Climakeep Cooler from Core Equipment is currently 33 percent off, bringing the price down to a more-than-reasonable c-note. We actually just got our hands on this cooler, and our first impression after hauling tasty treats to the shores of Tahoe is two thumbs up. It has everything we’re looking for in a cooler, including solid ice retention, a leakproof construction that handles weather and watersports, and a well-cushioned strap for easy carrying. It also boasts two features we don’t look for but appreciated nonetheless: a handy outer zippered pocket, and a magnetic lid that means you don’t have to zip it shut every time you reach for a cold one.

Camelbak Horizon Insulated Stainless-Steel Can Cooler Mug – 12 fl. Oz. for $14 ($20)

Okay, so this one isn’t exactly a cooler… Essentially, the Can Cooler Mug is a stainless steel, heavily insulated coozie. It’s not exactly a camp essential, but it’s fun, surprisingly practical, and makes for a great gift. And it’s 31 percent off at the moment. We’ll drink to that.